Why do middle managers in hotels burn out?

This paper details the results of research undertaken on middle management burn‐out in hotels within a 50‐mile radius of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The research explores the effect of variables such as gender, marital status, organizational and familial support on the degree of perceived burn‐out experienced by middle‐level managers associated with front‐line departments (reception, food and beverage service, housekeeping, etc.) in hotels. The study found that women experience a higher degree of burn‐out than men, as do single (unmarried) managers. Managers who perceive less family support also experience higher levels of burn‐out. A comparison of this study with similar studies undertaken in 1989, 1990 and 1993 shows that burn‐out has become more of a management problem. The 1999 figures show an average increase of 32 per cent from 1989 across the three dimensions of the burn‐out inventory used in this study.