Job burnout of security guards of aviation company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on a unique population of airport security guards who work for a specific airline and are frequently sent abroad with short advance notice. The current study deals with the job burnout of these employees. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 100 airport security guards, employees of a specific airline completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Burnout Questionnaire and Demographic Questions. Findings – Results indicated that the employees with the preoccupied style suffered more burnout than did those with secure and dismissive-avoidant styles. One of the possible explanations is that people with dismissive-avoidant style enjoy these multiple travels which enable them to be uninvolved with people surrounding them. Research limitations/implications – This study was based mainly on self-report of both the independent and the dependent variables, with all the disadvantages known to self-report methods. Practical implications – Points for practitioners are: first, it is recommended to use a selection tool for airport security guards in line with the results of this study; and second, people with avoidance attachment style should potentially be suitable employees for short and multiple travel abroad. Originality/value – Theoretically, this study contributes a new perspective of the Job Demands-Resources model, that is, the notion that in certain jobs and in specific situations (job demands) insecure attachment style may serve as a job resource rather than as an obstacle.