Author

  • Nor Farehan Omar

    • Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Saiful Effendy Md Sharif

    • Department of Digital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Suraya Ika Tamrin

    • Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Nurul Illahi Zainal Abidin

    • Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

  • Nursaadatun Nisak Ahmad

    • Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
    • Malaysia

Abstract

Medical doctors in Malaysia’s public healthcare system frequently contend with excessive workloads, unclear expectations, and competing responsibilities. These workplace conditions can lead to role stressors, which are significantly correlated with burnout. Burnout, in turn, may negatively affect not only the medical doctors’ mental health but also the quality of patient care. Despite growing concerns, empirical research on the link between role stressors, specifically role ambiguity and burnout among Malaysian public healthcare doctors remains limited. This study aims to address the gap by examining the relationship using a quantitative approach. This quantitative study employed a cross-sectional survey design involving 471 medical doctors from public hospitals across Malaysia. Standardized instruments were used to measure role (using the Role Stressor Scale) and burnout (using the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Data were analyzed using SPSS and PLSSEM, employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression to examine the strength and direction of the relationships between variables. A total of 471 medical doctors from eight state hospitals across Malaysia participated in the study, representing various grades and clinical departments. The measurement model demonstrated good convergent and internal reliability, with all constructs exceeding recommended thresholds (Average Variance Extracted [AVE] > 0.50 and Composite Reliability [CR] > 0.70). Structural model analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) revealed that role ambiguity significantly influenced burnout. Bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples confirmed the significance of the path from role ambiguity to burnout, with a path coefficient of 0.147 and a t-value of 4.207. The findings point to a clear link between role ambiguity and burnout among medical doctors in Malaysia’s public healthcare sector. This highlights the need for practical organisational efforts such as providing clearer job descriptions, ensuring balanced workloads, and offering effective stress management support. Tackling role-related stress not only supports the mental well-being of healthcare professionals but also helps strengthen the overall quality of care delivered to patients.

Keywords

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How to Cite

Omar, N. F., Md Sharif, S. E., Tamrin, S. I., Zainal Abidin, N. I., & Ahmad, N. N. (2025). The Relationship between Role Ambiguity and Burnout in Malaysia’s Public Healthcare Sector: A Quantitative Study of Medical Doctors. Information Management and Business Review, 17(3(I), 175-182. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v17i3(I).4658

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Copyright (c) 2025 Nor Farehan Omar, Saiful Effendy Md Sharif, Suraya Ika Tamrin, Nurul Illahi Zainal Abidin, Nursaadatun Nisak Ahmad (Author)

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Published in

Vol. 17 No. 3(I) (2025) Tourism, Heritage & Employee Retention View issue contents

Published

2025-09-13

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