Organizational cynicism and its relation to nurses' occupational burnout: Testing nurse managers' paradoxical leadership moderation effects

Background: One of the primary challenges that hinders organizational effectiveness and prosperity is organizational cynicism. Organizational cynicism is defined as a general or specific attitude of disappointment, insecurity, burnout, and mistrust towards individuals or groups. Paradoxical leadership, as applied by nurse managers, involves acknowledging and navigating the inherent tensions and contradictions within healthcare organizations, which enables managers to sustain balance in the workplace. Aim of the Study: This study aims to investigate the relation between organizational cynicism and a nurses' occupational burnout (testing nurse managers' paradoxical leadership moderation effects). Research design: A non-experimental cross-sectional prospective design was employed for this study. Subjects: A stratified random sample of 314 nurses participated in the study. Setting: The study was conducted at Main Tanta University Hospital, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Method: Three tools were used for data collection: the Organizational Cynicism Scale, the Nurse Managers' Paradoxical Leadership Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results: A statistically significant positive correlation was found between organizational cynicism and occupational burnout. Additionally, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the nurse managers' paradoxical leadership and both organizational cynicism and occupational burnout. Recommendations: Healthcare leaders should take proactive measures to address organizational cynicism to mitigate a nurses' occupational burnout, which can contribute to the nursing shortage.