This paper conceptualises burnout in Project-Based Organisations (PBOs) as a systemic emergent property arising from the non-linear interaction between structural demands and human capital. Utilising a System Dynamics (SD) methodology, the study constructs a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) to visualise the feedback architecture governing the burnout cycle. The analysis identifies the dynamic tension between the Reinforcing Loop of exhaustion (R1) and the Balancing Loop of adaptation (B1). A key theoretical contribution is the positioning of the Project Manager’s Emotional Intelligence (EI) not merely as a soft skill but as a systemic control lever (B2) capable of reducing information delays and shifting the system from reactive to proactive homeostasis. Crucially, the study operationalises these conceptual findings into a Burnout Risk Management Framework (BRMF), accompanied by a practical diagnostic dashboard. This tool offers managers a set of leading and lagging indicators for early detection, bridging the gap between theoretical plausibility and applied risk management in high-entropy project environments.
Todorova et al. (Mon,) studied this question.