The association between PhD holders’ experiences of professional support and work engagement and burnout

Abstract

Most new PhD graduates are going to have non-academic careers,but research on their work experience has so far been limited,particularly regarding the quality of professional interactions andhow they contribute to their occupational wellbeing. This paperreports on experiences of professional support among PhDholders working outside academia. The dynamics betweenprofessional support from colleagues, burnout symptoms andwork engagement were explored. Survey data from 557 PhDholders from across the disciplines in Spain were collected in2022 with a PhD employee survey. The data were analyzed usingstructural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed thatemotional support and instrumental organizational support actedas buffers against all burnout symptoms and increased workengagement, whereas informational support did not provide suchbenefits. The study extends the existing body of knowledge onPhD holders working outside academia by 1) illustrating PhDgraduates experiences of informational, emotional andinstrumental support experiences in their work beyond academia2) explaining the dynamics between professional support,burnout symptoms, and work engagement and 2) introducing anew instrument for studying professional support from thecolleagues of PhD holders working outside academia.