Effect of achievement motivation on job burnout of soldiers in military stations of Xinjiang: Mediating role of social support

Objective To explore the relationship between achievement motivation, social support and job burnout of soldiers in military stations of Xinjiang, and examine the mediating effect of social support. Methods A total of 757 soldiers from 2 militory stations in Xinjiang were recruited through random cluster sampling. The Achievement Motivation Scale, the Chinese Military Personnel Social Support Scale and the Job Burnout Scale were used to conduct investigation, and the correlation between achievement motivation, social support and job burnout was analyzed. Results(1)Each factor of job burnout showed positive correlations with the motivation of pursuing success(P﹤0.01), and negative correlations with the motivation of avoiding failure and the total score and each factor of social support(P﹤0.05, P﹤0.01).(2)Hierarchical regression analysis showed that social support played a mediating role between achievement motivation and job burnout.(3)Path analysis showed that the motivation of pursuing success had direct negative effect on the job burnout(-0.174). The motivation of pursuing success through social support had indigo effect on job burnout, accounting for 21.2% of total variation. The motivation of avoiding failure had direct positive effect on job burnout(0.286). The motivation of avoiding failure through social support had indigo effect on job burnout, accounting for 26.5% of total variation. Social support had direct negative effect on the job burnout(-0.468). Conclusions Achievement motivation and social support are important factors on job burnout. Social support played a partly mediating role between achievement motivation and job burnout.