Boreout Syndrome

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As Boreout (from English boredom , boredom ') or Substituted bored-His is referred to a state pronounced underuse in working life, which is far more likely to be discussed in the media as in the scientific field under the aspect of the disease. Boreout is characterized as a parallel counterpart of the burnout syndrome , which can itself lead to burnout.

The term Boreout was created and defined by Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin and presented to the general public for the first time in their 2007 book Diagnose Boreout .

Symptoms

The Frankfurt psychotherapist Wolfgang Merkle cites symptoms of the boreout syndrome similar to those of the burnout syndrome. These include dejection, depression , lack of drive and insomnia , but also tinnitus , susceptibility to infections , stomach problems , headaches and dizziness .

In her sociological analysis, the Viennese sociologist Elisabeth Prammer assumes that when the symptoms appear , those affected submit to an action strategy that provokes a negative spiral. When characterizing the phenomenon , there were indications of the interlinking of behaviors, exit inhibitions (see below), internal resignation , taboo and communication inhibitions, into which those affected would find it difficult to classify:

Coping strategies when workers are under-challenged according to Prammer

For fear of being tied to the boring workplace through commitment, this would not be done. Because they are reluctant to leave their jobs, those affected remain in the company and instead opt for internal resignation. Dealing with and enduring the unsatisfactory situation leads to further stress that is paralyzing and burdensome.

Those affected would have the feeling that life was passing them by. The feeling of powerlessness that confronts boredom when it cannot be combated would give rise to symptoms of exhaustion depression, as described by Merkle (see above).

An interviewee at Prammers qualitative social research describes the emergence of sleep disorders: the underload tires her, so that she is sleepy after work. However, if she slept, she could not sleep at night and would not have had enough sleep in the morning.

The feeling of not being challenged in terms of content expresses itself in those affected as a fearful state of knowing that someone else is doing something they too could. By perceiving their situation as negative, they differentiated themselves from the self-image of being a “lazy employee”: In contrast to them, “lazy employees” would accept being under-challenged and accept salary and privileges as compensation. The problem for them is their basically high sense of obligation to perform.

Characterization of those affected

In her research, Prammer observed the following characteristics in the interview partners, from which a disposition for the development of a boreout syndrome arises:

  • Courage to express and accept criticism even in authoritarian or hierarchical systems and to accept the consequences. Those affected want to evoke innovation, vision and combination.
  • Desire to inspire and motivate as well as to design your own solutions and, if necessary, to advance into the unknown (pioneering spirit). A high work ethic is the foundation of the desire to do the job and contribute to society.
  • Great performance orientation and ability. Everyday life is seen as an option to drive performance.
  • Ambition that is lived out in the pursuit of efficiency and that leads to work steps being rationalized . A tendency to over-engagement results in an additional disposition to boreout.
  • A strong focus on values prevents “bending over”. If the person concerned cannot identify with the company in his work, he will reject it.
  • Work in an organization that exercises power is rejected. Respect for others has to be worked out again and again and is not given by nature through function or position in the hierarchy. Neither political affiliation or origin, but only performance is relevant. Hierarchy is accepted in its function to improve efficiency and organization. Mistakes can happen in everyday work and do not have to be hidden.
  • Socialization took place at a time when there was a high demand for flexibility, from which one learned to deal with insecurities. Our own limits of what one can endure are known, with those affected being exposed to high demands from society.
  • The working conditions are important to those affected ( work-life balance ).
  • Unemployment or long-term job search is known as a highly negative experience.
  • Because of their gender, those affected see themselves directly or potentially (in the labor market) discriminated against .
  • Activities outside the subject are taken on due to a lack of ability to distinguish oneself.
  • There is a fear of accidentally accepting the unsatisfactory situation and at the same time the feeling of being “tied” to the company out of loyalty.
  • The willingness is there to fight for the job.
  • Due to expertise and acquired specialist knowledge, there is little flexibility on the labor market, which usually leads to a complete reorientation as a solution.

causes

Prammer describes a complex mechanism that can lead to the development of a boreout: In today's society, gainful employment also determines self-definition. The modern employee is trained to use every moment of professional and private life for performance, does not know and should not be aware of idling. While stress and overload would be communicated and technical possibilities would intensify this effect by shortening communication paths, failure to perform would result in a subjective feeling of emptiness. Idling is no longer seen as “ leisure ”, but as a loss of production that is perceived negatively. A valuable member of society is one who makes a contribution. The requirement for performance and the increasing technical possibilities to shorten the work, in connection with unchanged work structures (low technical commitment, constant work concepts) could lead to a contradictory situation for employees willing to work, which would lead to a boreout:

The more he performed, the more idle he could find. Dealing with this could consist of either pointing out or - if this did not lead to success - leaving the company: formally (through resignation or death, also in the form of suicide) or informally, through actively acted out or passive internal resignation.

Prammer cites a lack of agreement between the person and the workplace ("person-job mismatch") as the central cause for the emergence of this mechanism, whereby the tenor is always a qualitative underload, which in turn can be composed for various reasons:

  • An immobile job market forces people into the wrong jobs for fear of unemployment
  • Stereotypical treatment of employees leads to them being drawn to non-qualification activities that do not correspond to their interests
  • Lack of personal responsibility on the part of those affected when choosing a career

Time perception

According to Prammer, the concept of “ time ” is particularly relevant : Since the possibility of using time depends on the place and situation in which a person is, advancing age becomes a problem when an employee has the feeling that he is his To have invested time (more and more senseless) in his employer, which is now lost.

In contrast to the burnout syndrome , a boreout occurs due to stress caused by insufficient demands , says Merkle accordingly. The so-called "under-stress" arises from too few and incorrect tasks in the workplace. In addition, the discrepancy between skills and requirements plays a further role in the development of stress.

Prammer notes that one problem is rigid working time constructs: If you don't do your work in the agreed time, you create overtime that would have to be financed. On the other hand, those who do it in less time - and actually do more - produce idle. In this way, it is not performance that is paid for, but time that particularly efficient employees - subjectively perceived - would be lost. Nevertheless, the employee would be forced to use the time differently than he would like to use it (also with regard to the company goals, his competence and qualifications), which creates the feeling of excruciating boredom, even with quantitative workload (Prammer [9]) . The contrast to this would be the constructive flower life in which a person abandons himself in his task.

Pretending to be busy

If you want to address your underutilization, you run the risk of being covered with work that you don't enjoy ( boreout paradox according to Rothlin / Werder), or that your job will be saved - which is why you can use strategies to simulate workload and still feels his situation is hopeless.

Merkle also said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on April 27, 2010 that the stress could also arise from pretending to be working hard because those affected did not want to show that they were under-challenged at work. However, according to Merkle, the stress can also be caused by external influences, such as bullying .

According to a report by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , 13 percent of dependent employees in Germany feel underchallenged in terms of their subject matter and five percent in terms of quantity at work.

Exit inhibition

According to Prammer, there are so-called “self-starters” who choose the exit route (leaving the company) and are able to change jobs very quickly if they are under-challenged. However, costs of action (“ transaction costs ”) could also deter dissatisfied employees from taking this step. According to the sociologist, this includes the wish that the time already invested in the employer should not have been in vain, which keeps hope for an improvement alive; also for fear that the time to leave has already been missed. As a matter of fact, time, energy and financial resources would have to be used for orientation on the labor market, a new application and a change of job - just as in the case of subsequent unemployment. In addition, there is fear of losing status and a reduction in salary - and thus in one's own financial resources, which increase with the amount of the salary already earned, says Prammer.

The risk of effects on the social environment and standard of living is high, which is why many of those affected stay in their jobs. Other factors such as age, gender, labor market situation and the availability of alternatives made an exit even more difficult. To compensate for this situation , energy would often be shifted to leisure time and only time would be served during working hours; which does not solve the problem, because in the long term, demotivation would be postponed from work to leisure. Those who do not choose a formal exit would always look for the informal way out.

diagnosis

According to Prammer, the taboo in the social environment as well as in the company is one of the central problems when dealing with the boreout syndrome. For economic reasons, a recession could force the company to remain in operation (see above). The whole development leads to an even more complex problem, because in the idle state (in the form of unemployment) an actual dequalification (a state of insufficient use of qualifications, which can also lead to their devaluation) takes place of employees, which further the mobility on the labor market restricts. The use of extrinsic motivators such as money or status is more likely to favor the boreout, because the basic situation is more firmly established without changing the problem.

The underload is mainly a qualitative one, which can be temporarily covered by extra work, so that those affected do not even recognize this themselves. “In general, under-demand is described as a lack of use, a feeling of being unnecessary. Those affected feel stupid, devalued and criticize that their technical skills are not needed, ”said Prammer. Because there was no substantive discussion of the tasks, those affected felt empty and ultimately senseless themselves.

Due to the similarity of symptoms between burnout and boreout, a diagnosis is difficult, according to Merkle. He told the world in 2012 that burnout was about three times more likely to be diagnosed than boreout. The fact that those affected often pretend to be overwhelmed makes the diagnosis even more difficult.

Prammer emphasizes that Werder and Rothlin (see above) must necessarily combine

  • Disinterest
  • Insufficient challenge
  • boredom

while at the same time making an effort to hide this, make it a prerequisite for the diagnosis of boreout.

According to Merkle, Boreout is usually diagnosed late. Many sufferers went to a psychologist with symptoms of burnout syndrome. Only in the course of therapy could the social structure of these symptoms be recorded and a boreout diagnosed.

Effects on operations

According to Prammer, Boreout can also have various effects on the companies in which those affected are employed:

  • Leaving dissatisfied employees who are not working because they have quit internally creates costs for the company.
  • If employees actively resign internally, they can damage the company through the behavior they show in order to make the employment contract psychologically sound again.
  • The qualification of the employee is not recognized (the company cannot use its potential).
  • The qualified employee changes jobs (and takes their experience with them), which can also endanger entire business locations.
  • As long as a recession lasts, the affected employee remains in the company and leaves the company when the opportunity arises. Internally, there is a problem of distributing work orders.
  • Being taboo means that the real existing problems remain undetected.
  • Whole generations of employees are lost (because they have no way of realizing their full potential).

Effects on the person concerned

In addition to the physical symptoms (see above), according to Prammer, there could be a disposition to overload: If a phase of underload is followed by a phase with high demands, those affected could try to prove to themselves that they can cope with a high workload. If the boreout already led to a dequalification, this could mean that they can no longer achieve their previous performance and overwhelm themselves.

frequency

Merkle reports that the level of awareness of the boreout syndrome is so low because everyone prefers to suffer from a socially respected disorder:

“It has to do with the fact that everyone prefers to have disorders that are socially respected. Someone who says, 'I have so much to do, my God, my booth collapses with work' is much more respected than someone who says they are bored, have no tasks, and that wears them out. Everyone says: 'I want to swap with you, that's great!' "

- Wolfgang Merkle to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , 2010

According to Merkle, women are more prone to boreout than men, although men are generally more prone to stress phenomena. A majority of those affected work, in Merkle's opinion, in administration. Workers in the service industry are also often affected by boreout. A self-employed person, on the other hand, rarely has a boreout.

Assistance in identifying the condition could be provided by the creation of a characterization and a course of action for those affected, which makes it possible to work through cause and effect, states Prammer, and thus justifies her research work.

therapy

According to Merkle, simple psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic discussions, but also autogenic training , music , art or body therapy , qigong and breathing therapy should help with Boreout . However, a stay in a clinic may also be necessary, says Merkle.

Prammer notes that help can also consist of coaching , which has a temporarily stabilizing effect and can reduce the pressure to leave the company. At the same time, it helps to think about the boreout and ultimately find ways to exit. The terminology of the boreout is so far too unclear, whereby someone who has burnout due to insufficient demands (i.e. boreout) has to be treated differently than someone who has burnout due to excessive demands.

However, she also sees a need for change on a social level and considers the creation of the term by Werder and Rothlin to be a great contribution to the necessary discussion. She names these as preventive measures for companies

  • Necessity to establish a match between person and work order (or avoidance of the so-called “person-job mismatch”)
  • Evaluation of job descriptions, requirement profiles and employee skills
  • Evaluation of employee departure interviews
  • Creation of contact persons in the HR departments to name under-demand (voice)
  • Introduction of an employee-oriented personnel policy
  • Review of existing general validity (with regard to hierarchies and generation needs)
  • Sensitivity in the job advertisement (in order not to have higher expectations than can be kept)
  • Avoiding hiring for reasons of prestige (in good economic times, showing that the company can afford it) or without the applicants having the appropriate professional qualifications

recognition

Prammer points out that the scientific literature uses the term rather sparsely, while Internet research is mainly associated with the topic of work - although it originally came from the field of mechanics. He has not yet been assigned to the International Labor Organization (ILO) or the World Health Organization (WHO). The discussion of the term would rather be a response to the above. Rothlin and Werder book appearances in newspaper articles, magazines and radio broadcasts.

Many doctors and researchers do not recognize the boreout syndrome as a disease or mental disorder, but rather describe the boreout as a " hoax " or "model disease". Kurt Stapf, director of the Psychological Institute at the University of Tübingen , also describes the boreout as a "word bell".

Author Philippe Rothlin, one of the authors of the work Diagnose Boreout published in 2007 , is of the opinion that Boreout exists even if he could not provide scientific evidence and only wanted to draw attention to a "phenomenon".

The topic of boreout was taken up in the film Office Space from 1999 as well as in the book Der Hauptstadtflughafen by Matthias Roth and described from the perspective of a person affected.

See also

Web links

Homepage 3sat: Deadly Boredom (science documentary), 44 min, broadcast from September 25, 2014 - available until September 26, 2019 (as of April 12, 2015)

Homepage Seelengrund. "The Bore-Out Syndrome" when boredom becomes torture. http://www.seelengrund-online.de/index.php/artikel/18-das-bore-out-syndrom (as of June 22, 2015)

literature

  • Ralf Brinkmann, Kurt Stapf: Internal resignation. When the job becomes a facade , Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 978-3-406-52815-6 .
  • Philippe Rothlin, Peter R. Werder: Diagnosis Boreout, why insufficient demand makes you sick at work , Redline, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-636-01462-7 .
  • Philippe Rothlin, Peter R. Werder: The Boreout Trap: How Companies Avoid Boredom and Idle Time. Redline, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-636-01593-8 .
  • Matthias Roth: The capital's airport. Politics and mismanagement. An insider reports. To Klampen Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-86674-228-4 .
  • Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of insufficient demands and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 .
  • Lisa Günther: The Boreout Syndrome in the Workplace: A Comparative, Empirical Study. GRIN Verlag GmbH, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (Master's thesis, Department of Business Administration - Didactics, Business Education), Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-656-69606-3

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Zeit Online : When work makes you sick: Chronic insufficient demands, (as of April 10, 2015)
  2. ↑ a b c d e Die Welt : Homepage "Die Welt" Diagnosis Bore-out: When the job is boring until the doctor comes. from January 2, 2012 (as of April 9, 2015)
  3. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 137
  4. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 13
  5. ↑ a b c Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger : BOREOUT SYNDROME: When insufficient demands at work make you sick
  6. ↑ a b c Zeit Online : Homepage "Bore-Out: Sick with Boredom." From June 26, 2010 (as of April 9, 2015)
  7. ↑ a b Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demands and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 7
  8. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , p. 136
  9. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 120
  10. ↑ a b Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demands and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 27
  11. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 31
  12. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 129
  13. ↑ a b c Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of under-demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 125
  14. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom. A sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , p. 129.
  15. ↑ a b c d e Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of under-demand and boredom. A sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , p. 130.
  16. ↑ a b c d e f g Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of challenge and boredom. A sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , p. 131.
  17. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , p. 132.
  18. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 9
  19. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 41
  20. ↑ a b c Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of under-demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 10
  21. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 123
  22. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , pp. 28-29.
  23. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 32
  24. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , pp. 39-49.
  25. ↑ a b c d e Florentine Fritzen: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung : Bore-Out Syndrome - "Boredom is not a chic affliction"
  26. ↑ Nico Pointner: Spiegel Online : Diagnosis Bore-out: The fairy tale of sweet idleness , July 14, 2014, last accessed on September 25, 2014
  27. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 42
  28. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 , pp. 42–43.
  29. ↑ Home Jura magazine , encyclopedia: deskilling (as of April 9, 2015)
  30. ↑ a b Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demands and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 13
  31. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 109
  32. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 137
  33. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 142f
  34. ↑ Elisabeth Prammer: Boreout - Biographies of the lack of demand and boredom: a sociological analysis. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-658-00502-3 . P. 14