ABSTRACT
There appear to be two relatively separate literatures dealing with burnout and work stress. This prompts the question of whether these literatures are redundant in that they simply present different views of the same phenomenon or whether they present different, albeit related, phenomena and can be usefully reconciled. The question is partly a conceptual and theoretical one and partly an empirical one, and its answer requires an exploration of the possible relationships between burnout, work stress, and health. This chapter begins that journey of exploration. It considers the nature of the burnout concept and its relationship with health, and then their relationship to work stress. Finally, it suggests a possible role for organizational healthiness in moderating the processes involved in these relationships. Throughout the chapter reference is made to the argument that different levels of explanation exist for these concepts and that differences here need to be considered in the analysis of the relationships between them.
