INDIVIDUAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF THE FORMATION OF LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT OF EMPLOYEES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Abstract

The article presents the results of theoretical and empirical research on the individual-psychological factors influencing the development of leadership potential and professional burnout among employees in the automotive sector. Leadership potential of automotive industry workers is considered as an integrated aspect of personality that ensures professional effectiveness, teamwork interaction, and the ability to organize collaborative work. The study analyzed the characteristics of employees’ value-motivational sphere and its relationship with the level of developed leadership potential. A positive correlation was found between achievement motivation and leadership potential (expressed as developed leadership skills), alongside a statistically significant negative relationship between failure avoidance motivation and the level of leadership abilities. A strong positive link was identified between the level of terminal values and the development of leadership skills, whereas no connection was found between instrumental values and leadership abilities. Professional burnout is understood as a complex, multifactorial process encompassing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decrease in perceived personal efficacy. The role of personal anxiety and locus of control as key individual-psychological determinants of burnout was analyzed. A statistically significant positive relationship was established between personal anxiety and both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, indicating increased emotional vulnerability in professional activity. It was found that an external locus of control is associated with heightened manifestations of burnout, while internality functions as a psychological resource, promoting self-regulation, increasing stress resilience, and reducing the risk of professional burnout. The obtained findings can serve as a valuable tool for psychologists, HR specialists, and managers in the automotive industry to develop employees’ leadership skills and prevent professional burnout.