Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2016, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (4): 103-132.

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Caught between Ideal and Reality:A Study on Occupational Burnout among Legal Professionals under the Rule by Law Reform in China

BI Xiangyang   

  1. School of Sociology, China University of Political Science and Law
  • Online:2016-07-20 Published:2016-07-20

Abstract:

This paper analyzes job burnout of legal professionals under the rule by law reform in China and its possible causes. Social cognitive theory, including cognitive dissonance, expectancy theory and social comparison theory, provides the analytic framework for this study. The conclusion reveals a high level job burnout among the legal professionals in China. Further analysis indicates that one's commitment to the rule by law, confidence about the reform, and difficulties experienced at daily work are influential factors affecting his/her job stress levels. Importantly, the interaction coefficients between these variables are statistically significant, clearly demonstrating that the discrepancy between expectation and disappointing reality is one of the root causes of job burnout in legal profession. The discrepancy causes cognitive dissonance and psychological imbalance. At theoretical level, this finding opens a new way of examining a particular occupational burnout. It shows that under the rule by law reform, the Chinese legal workers exhibit cognitive discord between ideal and reality, which can constitute a micro-political psychological basis of organizational change as speculated by Neo-institutionalism and in turn reveals some insights for us to understand the reform process within the bureaucratic system.