Abstract:
This study examined job burnout among academic staff at Tanzania’s Institute of Finance
Management (IFM) and Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU). Using Maslach’s Burnout
Inventory, it assessed burnout levels, causes, and their impact on teaching, consultancy, and
research. A mixed-methods convergent design was employed, with data collected through semi
structured questionnaires (93 valid responses; 70.4% return rate) and interviews with 20
department heads and deans. The findings revealed low personal accomplishment (30.6) and high
depersonalisation (25) as key indicators of burnout, while emotional exhaustion (14.5) was
minimal. Primary causes included low incentives (95%), heavy teaching loads (85%), and poor
workplace recognition (75%), all contributing to diminished morale, performance, and job
satisfaction. The study recommends institutional interventions such as incentive schemes,
improved contracts negotiated through workers’ associations, mentorship programs, and
recruitment of additional academic staff to ease workload pressures linked to student enrolment
growth and programme expansion. These measures could improve research output, consultancy
participation, and overall staff engagement.
