How and for Whom Time Control Matter for Innovation? The Role of Positive Affect and Problem-Solving Demands

Job resources are essential for higher performance. Focusing on innovation, we examine how and for whom the job resource of time control is related to the implementation of novel ideas in the workplace. Drawing on the job demands-resources model and affect-as-information theory, we propose that positive affect explains how the association of time control with innovation unfolds and how this psychological process depends on the extent to which employees work under problem-solving demands. Using a survey study, conducted with 198 employees from diverse organisations, we supported a mediation mechanism in which time control was positively associated with positive affect, which is turn was positively related to innovation. Furthermore, the strength of this mediation process depended on problem-solving demands, such that positive affect and innovation resulting from time control was stronger for those working in complex environments. These results corroborate and expand knowledge on the job demands-resources, affect and innovation literatures, showing that job resources matter for performance, particularly in conjunction with job complexity denoting challenging performance. Thus, organisations should be aware of opportunities to manage the degree of job control and complexity if they aim to foster employee innovation.     

“To hope was to expect”: The impact of perspective taking and forecast type on wishful thinking

When forecasting future outcomes, people tend to believe that the outcomes they want to happen are also likely to happen. Despite numerous attempts, few systematic factors have been identified that consistently and robustly reduce wishful thinking (WT) effects. Using elections and sporting event outcomes as contexts, three experiments examined whether taking the perspective of a political rival or opposing fan reduced WT effects. We also examined whether making deliberative (vs. intuitive-based) forecasts was associated with lower WT effects. Online adult samples of U.S. citizens from Mechanical Turk and U.S. college students provided their preferences and forecasts for the U.S. presidential election (Experiments 1 and 2) and a sports competition outcome (Experiment 3). Critically, some participants received perspective taking prompts immediately before providing forecasts. First, results revealed reductions in WT effects when participants engaged in perspective taking. Interestingly, this effect only emerged when intuitive-based forecasts were made first (Experiment 3). Second, intuitive-based forecasts revealed stronger evidence of WT effects. Finally, we found that perspective taking and forming forecasts deliberately promoted a shift in focus away from preferences and toward a consideration of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the entities (i.e., candidates and teams). Theoretical implications for understanding WT effects and applied implications for developing interventions are discussed.