A depleted mind feels inefficacious: Ego‐depletion reduces self‐efficacy to exert further self‐control

Recent research has found that ego‐depletion undermines self‐control by motivating cognition that justifies conservation of mental resource. One potential cognitive mechanism is reduction of self‐efficacy. Specifically, we propose that ego‐depletion might demotivate self‐control by making people believe that they are inefficacious in exerting self‐control in subsequent tasks. Three experiments support the proposal. First, we demonstrated that (a) ego‐depletion can reduce self‐efficacy to exert further control (Experiments 1 to 3) and (b) the temporary reduction of self‐efficacy mediates the effect of depletion on self‐control performance (Experiment 2). Finally, we found that (c) these effects are only observed among participants who endorse a limited (versus non‐limited) theory of willpower and are, hence, more motivated to conserve mental resources (Experiment 3). Taken together, the present findings show that decrease in self‐efficacy to exert further self‐control is an important cognitive process that explains how ego‐depletion demotivates self‐control. This research also contributes to the recent discussion of the psychological processes underlying ego‐depletion.     

Contingent Punishment as a Double‐Edged Sword: A Dual‐Pathway Model from a Sense‐Making Perspective

A sense‐making perspective is adopted to explore how and when contingent punishment is related to job performance. Results from Study 1 support the prediction that contingent punishment is positively related to job performance through affective commitment and negatively related to job performance through self‐regulation impairment. Interpersonal justice on the part of supervisors strengthens the positive pathway, such that contingent punishment is more related to affective commitment when interpersonal justice is high. Core self‐evaluation of employees weakens the negative pathway, such that contingent punishment is less related to self‐regulation impairment when core self‐evaluation is high. Moderated mediation effects also show that the positive indirect effect of contingent punishment on job performance through affective commitment exists only when interpersonal justice is high and that the negative indirect effect of contingent punishment on job performance through self‐regulation impairment occurs only when core self‐evaluation is low. The results associated with the novel pathway mediated by self‐regulation impairment are replicated in Study 2.     

Engagement envers le supérieur et recherche de feedback négatif : le rôle des variables de statut du supérieur

The relationship between employees’ affective commitment to the supervisor and negative feedback seeking is barely explored in the literature. Moreover, the role of the characteristics related to the context where this relationship develops is unknown. In the present article, we examine the relationship between affective commitment to the supervisor and negative feedback seeking using data collected from 250 employees affiliated with organizations operating in the service industry. Three moderating variables were measured: supervisor-organization value incongruence, supervisors’ networking ability, and supervisors’ perceived organizational status. Data analysis through moderated multiple regression indicates that commitment to the supervisor is positively related to negative feedback seeking, and that this relationship is enhanced when the supervisor is perceived to have a low value incongruence with the organization or a weak networking ability. In contrast, supervisors’ perceived organizational status did not exert a moderating role. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on feedback seeking behavior in the workplace.     

The role of personal and key resources in the family‐to‐work enrichment process

Based on the work‐home resources model, the aim of the present research was to test a process model of family‐to‐work enrichment by examining whether self‐efficacy (i.e., personal resource) mediates the relationship between support from one's family and work engagement. Further, it was assumed that positive affectivity (i.e., key resource) moderates the relation between family support and self‐efficacy. Using an occupationally heterogeneous sample of Slovenian employees (n = 738), we found support for a mediating effect of self‐efficacy as well as for the moderating role of positive affectivity. In general, our results broaden the understanding of work‐family enrichment processes and provide support for the work‐home resources model. In addition, they point to the relevant role of personal and key resources in work‐family interactions.     

Self‐control depletion impairs goal maintenance: A meta‐analysis

Initial exertion of self‐control has been suggested to impair subsequent self‐regulatory performance. The specific cognitive processes that underlie this ego depletion effect have rarely been examined. Drawing on the dual‐process theory of executive control (Engle & Kane, 2004 ; Kane & Engle, 2003 ), the current meta‐analysis revealed that initial self‐control exertion impairs participants’ capacities of maintaining the task goal but its effect on capacities of resolving response competition is in need of further investigation. Our results are more consistent with recent theoretical views that consider ego depletion as a switch cost and a result arising from reduced motivation to engage in further self‐control.     

Work Alienation as an Individual‐Difference Construct for Predicting Workplace Adjustment: A Test in Two Samples1

This study represents the first attempt to examine the validity of work alienation as a general attitude toward the work domain. As hypothesized, hierarchical regression analyses of data from 2 employee samples (n= 99 and n= 250) indicated that work alienation explained incremental variance in selected workplace adjustment variables (i. e., job involvement, affective organizational commitment, affective occupational commitment, overall job satisfaction, and volitional absence) beyond the variance accounted for by work conscientiousness (i. e., dependability and achievement orientation) and by variables used to control for sources of self‐report variance (i. e., self‐deception and negative affectivity). These results support the legitimacy of work alienation as an individual‐difference construct associated with work‐related adjustment.     

Affective commitment as a moderator of the adverse relationships between day-specific self-control demands and psychological well-being

Recent research has focused on the day-specific adverse effects of stressors at work. Thus, in the present study, we examine the relationships between day-specific work-related self-control demands (SCDs) as a stressor and day-specific indicators of psychological well-being (ego depletion, need for recovery, and work engagement). On the basis of the limited strength model of self-control, we predict that SCDs deplete limited regulatory resources and impair psychological well-being. Furthermore, we propose affective commitment as a buffering moderator of this relationship. Consistent with the broaden and build theory of positive emotions and the self-determination theory, we suggest that affective commitment satisfies employees basic psychological needs and provides positive emotions, which, in turn, help restore limited regulatory resources. Thus, affective commitment should buffer the negative relationships between day-specific SCDs and day-specific psychological well-being. To examine our hypotheses, we conducted a diary study with N = 60 employees over 10 working days and used multi-level models to test our predictions. Our results demonstrated that day-specific SCDs indeed impaired indicators of psychological well-being. Furthermore, affective commitment buffered these adverse relationships; thus, on days with high SCDs, highly committed employees reported higher levels of psychological well-being than did less committed employees.     

Status Incongruence and Supervisor Gender as Moderators of the Transformational Leadership to Subordinate Affective Organizational Commitment Relationship

Grounded in role congruity theory, we examine how status incongruence (when the subordinate is older, has more education, work experience, and/or organizational tenure than the supervisor) in subordinate–supervisor dyads affects transformational leaders’ ability to foster affective organizational commitment among their subordinates. Across two field studies, our findings show that the relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment is less positive when status incongruence is high. Furthermore, in both field studies we found a 3‐way interaction among transformational leadership, status incongruence, and supervisor gender predicting subordinate affective organizational commitment. Specifically, in Study 1 (pink‐collar employees in Turkey), low status incongruence strengthened the positive relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment for male leaders. In Study 2 (pink‐collar employees in the United States), low status incongruence strengthened the positive relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment for female leaders. Furthermore, Study 2 also revealed that collective identity was a mediator of both the significant 2‐ and 3‐way interaction effects on subordinate affective organizational commitment.     

Indirect Effects of Daily Self-Control Demands on Subjective Vitality via Ego Depletion: How Daily Psychological Detachment Pays Off

The present study uses a within-person approach to provide insights into day-specific dynamics in the relation between self-control demands at work and well-being. Integrating arguments derived from the Limited Strength Model of Self-Control and research on spillover processes, we develop and test a theoretical model of how the adverse effects of day-specific self-control demands at work may spill over to the home domain. Specifically, we propose ego depletion at home (an indicator of regulatory resource depletion) as a mediator linking self-control demands on a given working day to reduced subjective vitality at home (an indicator of well-being). Furthermore, we suggest that daily psychological detachment moderates this indirect relationship to the effect that high detachment prevents the spillover of the adverse effects of self-control demands to the home domain. Results from our daily diary study across ten days (N = 86 employees) provide support for the proposed moderated mediation model, demonstrating that daily psychological detachment buffers the effect of self-control demands on ego depletion, thereby disrupting the indirect effect of self-control demands on subjective vitality at home. The study underlines the importance of within-person approaches for examining the adverse effects of self-control demands, and provides further evidence for the immediate resource-replenishing benefits of daily detachment levels.     

Creative at Each Age: Age‐Related Differences in Drivers of Workplace Creativity from an Experience Sampling Study

Creativity and innovation are essential agents for change processes and accelerating technical development. Having to face challenges, such as demographic change, organizations require individuals who are creative and innovative at each age. Previous research identified affect as a crucial determinant of creativity, even though empirical findings showed inconsistencies. Drawing on literature on age‐related changes in affective experiences, we investigated the moderating effect of employees’ age on the association between daily positive and negative affect and creativity using a daily diary study. A total of 116 employees responded to daily questionnaires twice a day over five consecutive working days. As expected, hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed differential effects regarding the affect‐creativity association, dependent on employees’ age. Although older employees were most creative on days when they experienced a high level of positive affect (compared to their mean level of positive affect), younger employees were particularly creative when experiencing negative affect (compared to their mean level of negative affect). We discuss practical implications on how organizations could provide creativity‐enhancing work environments for employees at each age.     

不合规任务与工作拖延行为的关系：自我损耗和主动性人格的作用

工作拖延是当今职场人士面临的普遍困扰之一。基于资源保存理论,本研究从不合规任务视角探究工作拖延行为的成因。对196位员工的两时点调查数据进行层次回归分析,结果表明：不合规任务正向预测员工工作拖延行为,自我损耗在不合规任务与工作拖延行为之间起着中介作用,主动性人格负向调节不合规任务与自我损耗的正向关系以及自我损耗的中介效应。以上结果对预防或降低工作拖延行为具有启发意义。     

Linking job control to employee creativity: The roles of creative self‐efficacy and regulatory focus

Providing job control to employees has been used to improve employee creativity in many organizations. However, the underlying psychological mechanism between job control and employee creativity has not been sufficiently examined. Whether the mechanism is consistent among different individuals rarely has been studied. Drawing on social cognitive theory and regulatory focus theory, we propose a moderated mediation model to investigate the relationship between job control and employee creativity as well as the mechanism and boundary condition of this relationship. We test our model using survey data from 182 supervisor–subordinate dyads collected from China. The results reveal that job control is positively related to employee creativity via creative self‐efficacy. A promotion focus moderates the indirect effect of job control on employee creativity via creative self‐efficacy such that the positive relationship between job control and creative self‐efficacy is stronger among high promotion focus employees, but a prevention focus does not moderate the relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in this study.     

How work spills over into the relationship: Self‐control matters

This research investigated how and for whom experiences of the workday spill over into relationship functioning at home. Two correlational studies and one experimental study were conducted among Dutch dual‐earners with children. Moderated mediation analyses showed that work demands spill over into relationship behavior through the depletion of temporary self‐regulatory resources and subsequently a decrease in psychological availability for the partner. Whether work demands spill over into relationship behavior was dependent on dispositional self‐control in that evidence for negative spillover was only found for individuals low in dispositional self‐control. The experimental study showed that the induction of gratitude for the partner after the workday helped individuals low in dispositional control to prevent negative spillover into the partner relationship.     

How innovation can alleviate negative consequences of demanding work contexts: The influence of climate for innovation on organizational outcomes

This study examines climate for innovation as a method by which negative organizational consequences of demanding work may be lessened. It was expected that a climate for innovation would enable employees to develop coping mechanisms or improved work‐related processes which counteract negative consequences of work demands. Extending the job demands‐resource model ( Karasek, 1979 ), we predicted and found that among the sample of 22,696 respondents from 131 healthcare organizations, organizational climate for innovation alleviated the negative effects of work demands on organizational performance. Thus, this study informs climate theories and guides practitioners' efforts to support the employees.     

Too tired to taint the truth: Ego‐depletion reduces other‐benefiting dishonesty

Numerous studies indicate that ego‐depletion increases the occurrence of self‐benefiting dishonest behavior by undermining resistance to short‐term temptations associated with dishonesty. Turning this phenomenon around, we examined whether ego‐depletion can, counterintuitively, reduce dishonest behavior in a context where dishonesty serves to benefit others. Specifically, based on the notion that ego‐depletion reduces commitment to long‐term/abstract goals and interferes with self‐control, we proposed and found in an experiment that ego‐depleted people are less likely to display dishonest behavior that spares another person from an unpleasant truth. These findings have implications for the study of dishonesty and moral dilemmas in interpersonal settings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Beginning the workday yet already depleted? Consequences of late-night smartphone use and sleep

Smartphones have become a prevalent technology as they provide employees with instant access to work-related information and communications outside of the office. Despite these advantages, there may be some costs of smartphone use for work at night. Drawing from ego depletion theory, we examined whether smartphone use depletes employees’ regulatory resources and impairs their engagement at work the following day. Across two studies using experience sampling methodology, we found that smartphone use for work at night increased depletion the next morning via its effects on sleep. Morning depletion in turn diminished daily work engagement. The indirect effects of smartphone use on depletion and engagement the next day were incremental to the effects of other electronic devices (e.g., computer, tablet, and television use). We also found some support that the negative effects of morning depletion on daily work engagement may be buffered by job control, such that depletion impairs work engagement only for employees who experience low job control.     

Linking family incivility to workplace incivility: Mediating role of negative emotions and moderating role of self‐efficacy for emotional regulation

The research on work‐related antecedents of workplace incivility (WI) is well‐established, yet relatively less attention has been paid to non‐work‐related experiences as key antecedents to employees’ incivility at work. Drawing upon the incivility spiraling framework and spillover theory, we use a moderated‐mediation model to investigate the impact of employees’ experience of family incivility on their behavioral WI through the mediation of negative emotions and the moderation of self‐efficacy for emotional regulation (SEER). The multisource field data also demonstrate general support for the hypothesized relationships. Findings revealed that negative emotions carry the spiraling effect from family incivility to WI. In addition, SEER moderated the positive direct relationship of experienced family incivility and negative emotions, and indirect association with behavioral WI. These findings have implications for theory and management alike, further suggesting directions for future research.     

Rain,Rain Go Away! A Diary Study on Morning Weather and Affective Well-Being at Work

Weather determines a number of affective experiences in everyday life. Although affective events theory positions environmental features such as the weather as important in determining affective well-being also at work, research in this regard has mainly focused on predictors within the person or work context. Addressing this gap, we studied how daily morning weather relates to day-specific affective well-being at work. Specifically, we examined vigor and job satisfaction as positive well-being states, and negative affect and burnout as negative well-being states. Additionally, we examined individual weather sensitivity and positive/negative affectivity as person-level moderators of the daily weather–well-being relationship. Using data gathered in a diary study with 115 employees reporting on 457 workdays, we found morning weather to be related to state vigor and job satisfaction, but not to negative affect and burnout. Positive affectivity moderated the relationships between morning weather and job satisfaction as well as burnout. Weather sensitivity moderated the relationship between morning weather and vigor, while negative affectivity did not moderate any relationship between morning weather and well-being at work. Our results contribute to the understanding of affective well-being at work by pointing at the role environmental factors such as weather conditions can play.     

Dual relational model of perceived overqualification: Employee's self‐concept and task performance

Drawing upon self‐representation theory and using a relationship perspective, we constructed a dual‐path‐moderated mediation model to examine the relationship between employees’ perceived overqualification and task performance. We tested this model with data from a sample of 242 subordinate‐supervisor dyads in Shanghai, China. The results suggested that perceived overqualification had a negative indirect effect on task performance through perceived insider status (PIS), and popularity moderated the negative association between perceived overqualification and PIS. In addition, the relationship between perceived overqualification and task performance via organization‐based self‐esteem was positive when supervisor‐subordinate guanxi was high but negative when it was low. The implications, limitations, and future research directions of these findings are discussed.     

Focus on opportunities as a mediator of the relationships between age, job complexity, and work performance

Focus on opportunities is a cognitive-motivational facet of occupational future time perspective that describes how many new goals, options, and possibilities individuals expect to have in their personal work-related futures. This study examined focus on opportunities as a mediator of the relationships between age and work performance and between job complexity and work performance. In addition, it was expected that job complexity buffers the negative relationship between age and focus on opportunities and weakens the negative indirect effect of age on work performance. Results of mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation analyses with data collected from 168 employees in 41 organizations (mean age = 40.22 years, SD = 10.43, range = 19–64 years) as well as 168 peers providing work performance ratings supported the assumptions. The findings suggest that future studies on the role of age for work design and performance should take employees’ focus on opportunities into account.