The Impact of Workplace Culture on Burnout Among Korean Social Workers: The Parallel Multiple Mediating Effects of Work-Life Balance and Family Support Systems

Background/Purpose: Social workers in South Korea work within significant professional and structural constraints. Although specialized domains such as school and mental health social work have been formally established, they have not been fully developed as autonomous professions comparable to those in the United States; instead, practice remains largely concentrated in administrative work such as facility management. The “Principle of Maximum Service," articulated in South Korea’s Social Welfare Services Act, refers to a normative expectation that social workers provide services to the fullest extent possible. Oftentimes, this principle constrains the recognition of social workers as workers with legitimate rights. Adding to these structural constraints, low wages and administrative burdens contribute to chronic burnout among social workers in South Korea. Despite these structural challenges, little empirical research has examined the pathways linking structural conditions to burnout. This gap is critical, as understanding these pathways is essential for identifying modifiable targets for intervention and informing policies that support the well-being of the social work workforce. Accordingly, this study investigates the impact of workplace culture on burnout among Korean social workers, focusing on the parallel multiple mediating effects of work-life balance and family support systems.

Method: The sample consisted of 489 social workers in South Korea (82% female; majority in their 30s [46%]; majority having 5-10 years of social work experience [24%]). After excluding incomplete responses, our final analytic sample included 475 participants. The independent variable, workplace culture, was measured as perceptions of organizational norms (e.g., gender discrimination, overtime work, use of leave). The dependent variable, burnout, was measured as perceived levels of job burnout (e.g., emotional exhaustion). Family support systems and work-life balance were specified as parallel mediators. All items were measured on 4-point Likert scales, and each variable was calculated as the mean of its items.

Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between workplace culture, burnout, work-life balance, and family support systems. A parallel multiple mediation model was conducted using Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS macro with bootstrapping to examine the indirect effects of workplace culture on burnout through work-life balance and family support systems.

Results: The results of the parallel multiple mediation analysis revealed both the direct effect (B=-.278, 95% CI[-.344, -.211]) and the total indirect effect (B=-.0720, 95% CI[-.109, -.039]. Specifically, the indirect effect of workplace culture on burnout through work-life balance (B=-.047, 95% CI[-.079, -.019]) and family support systems (B=-.025, 95% CI[-.049, -.003]) was significant, indicating partial mediation.

Conclusion and Implications: Burnout among South Korean social workers is shaped by workplace culture both directly and indirectly through work-life balance and family support systems, highlighting the role of intersecting organizational and personal contexts. These findings underscore the need for organizational and policy-level interventions, including improvements in workplace culture and supports for work-life balance. Efforts such as flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies may be critical for reducing burnout in this workforce. Such interventions are particularly important for social workers facing heavy workloads and limited organizational support, underscoring the need for integrated approaches that address both organizational conditions and individual life resources.