Understanding Burnout via an Open System Approach: A New Theoretical Framework

Organizational psychology has traditionally focused on internal dynamics, neglecting the broader social structures in which organizations are embedded. This limitation is particularly evident in research on job burnout. While burnout is often framed as a symptom of organizational dysfunction, it also reflects wider systemic forces—economic instability, political regulation, cultural expectations, and ecological stressors—that influence how individuals navigate the competing demands of performance and wellbeing. Current models underestimate these contextual and historical influences due to their peripheral position in organizational analysis. This paper introduces a new open systems theory of burnout that delineates how sublethal forces interact with organizational processes to deplete employee energy and increase burnout. It proposes nine core propositions through which external environmental factors shape burnout experiences and argues for a paradigm shift toward systemic, context-aware models. The paper concludes by presenting a theoretical framework and challenges for future research.