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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Meaningful work and fair treatment: Vital elements for street-level Bureaucrats' defence against emotional exhaustion and poor well-being
European management journal, Vol.First online
12/2025
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Abstract
This study examines how healthcare Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs) working in Italian public hospitals experience organisational justice and meaningful work, and how these perceptions shape their emotional exhaustion and overall well-being. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we explore how both organisational and personal resources influence resilience and strain in demanding public service environments. Based on two-wave survey data from 1306 healthcare professionals, our findings show that when SLBs perceive fair processes and respectful treatment, they are less likely to feel emotionally drained. Feeling that their work is meaningful further enhances these positive effects, helping professionals remain engaged despite high demands. However, once emotional exhaustion takes hold, it has a particularly strong impact on well-being, suggesting that the cost of resource loss may outweigh the benefits of supportive work conditions if left unaddressed. We contribute to public management literature by clarifying how perceptions of fairness and purpose at work shape well-being in frontline healthcare, and offer practical guidance for designing fairer, more supportive work environments to sustain SLB motivation and reduce burnout.
Details
- Title
- Meaningful work and fair treatment: Vital elements for street-level Bureaucrats' defence against emotional exhaustion and poor well-being
- Creators
- Elisabetta Trinchero - Bocconi UniversityMatthew Xerri - Griffith UniversityYvonne Brunetto - Southern Cross UniversityAlberto Firenze - Università degli Studi di Palermo
- Publication Details
- European management journal, Vol.First online
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- Funding of €100,000 plus VAT, provided by the Health Department of the Sicilian Regional Government, Regional Department for Health Services and Epidemiological Observatory, Service 5 “Health Promotion and Communication,” for the implementation of the Italian National Health Plan Objective Projects under the State-Regions Agreement, Project Line 4.
- Identifiers
- 991013351872302368
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Authors.
- Academic Unit
- Management; Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article