Does Workplace Friendship Reduce Burnout? A Predictive Study in an Indonesian Nonprofit Organization
Keywords:
Workplace Friendship, Burnout, Nonprofit OrganizationAbstract
Abstract. Burnout remains a critical occupational concern in nonprofit organizations, where employees frequently operate under limited resources while pursuing demanding social missions. Workplace friendship has been proposed as a relational resource that may protect employees from burnout; however, predictive evidence from Indonesian nonprofit settings remains limited. This study examined the contribution of workplace friendship in predicting burnout among employees of an Indonesian nonprofit youth organization. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional predictive design was employed involving 150 full-time employees selected through total population sampling. Workplace friendship was measured using the Workplace Friendship Scale, while burnout was assessed using the Maslach-Trisni Burnout Inventory. Data were analyzed using simple linear regression. Most participants reported high workplace friendship (73.33%) and low burnout (56.00%). Workplace friendship significantly predicted lower burnout (b = −1.580, t = −7.889, p < .001), accounting for 29.6% of the variance (R² = .296). These findings suggest that workplace friendship functions as an important relational resource associated with lower burnout among nonprofit employees and highlight the value of fostering supportive peer relationships within mission-driven organizations.
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