Title: The interplay of burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction on academics' satisfaction: insights from emotional labour and emotional work during the pandemic

Authors: N. Akbar Jan; Sode Raghavendra; A.K. Subramani; M. Radhakrishnan

Addresses: Department of Human Resources and Soft Skills, ICFAI Business School (IBS), The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (Deemed-to-be University), Hyderabad, Telangana, India ' Department of Human Resources and Soft Skills, ICFAI Business School (IBS), The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (Deemed-to-be University), Hyderabad, Telangana, India ' Saveetha School of Management, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India ' Saveetha School of Management, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: This study investigates the intricate relationship between burnout, compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction on academics' life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, with emotional labour and emotional work as mediating factors. Data were collected using a snowball sampling technique from 373 academics from Tamil Nadu, India private universities. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the relationships among these constructs. The findings reveal that while compassion satisfaction positively influenced academics' life satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue had significant negative impacts. Emotional labour and emotional work were found to mediate these relationships substantially. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the emotional challenges faced by educators across the globe during a pandemic and highlights the critical role of emotional labour and emotional work in shaping their well-being. These insights have broader implications for institutional policies, including the implementation of faculty development programs focused on emotional resilience and mental health interventions.

Keywords: burnout; compassion fatigue; compassion satisfaction; emotional labour; emotional work; satisfaction with life; academics; COVID pandemic; teaching faculty; deemed universities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2026.150259

International Journal of Management in Education, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.48 - 71

Received: 18 Oct 2024
Accepted: 01 Feb 2025
Published online: 05 Dec 2025 *

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