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How Work Challenges Affect After-Work Mastery Experiences: The Role of Subjective Perceptions and Self-Efficacy.
Jing Zhang1, Ran Liu1, Lulin Zhao1
1School of Humanity and Law, Social Governance Innovation Research Center, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Challenging work stressors can reduce employee mastery experiences by impacting affect and vitality. High self-efficacy can buffer these negative effects, protecting recovery experiences.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Occupational Health Psychology
- Workplace Well-being
Background:
- Mastery experience is a crucial recovery process for employee growth and resource replenishment.
- Limited research exists on the specific impact of challenging work stressors on mastery experiences.
- Understanding the interplay between stressors, affective states, vitality, and self-efficacy is vital for employee well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mediating role of affective experiences and vitality in the relationship between challenging stressors and mastery experiences.
- To explore the moderating effect of self-efficacy on this relationship.
- To enhance understanding of resource recovery and employee growth in demanding work environments.
Main Methods:
- A five-day daily measurement study involving 111 full-time employees across various industries.
- Cross-level data analysis to examine the proposed mediation and moderation effects.
- Focus on subjective perceptions of challenging stressors, affective experiences, vitality, and mastery.
Main Results:
- Challenging stressors negatively impact positive affect at work, diminishing post-work vitality and hindering mastery experiences.
- High self-efficacy significantly alleviates the negative impact of challenging stressors on mastery experiences.
- Employees with high self-efficacy and sustained positive affective, cognitive, and physical vitality are resilient to challenging stressors.
Conclusions:
- Interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy and promoting positive affective and vitality states can mitigate the detrimental effects of work stressors on recovery.
- Fostering a growth-oriented recovery experience like mastery is possible even under challenging work conditions with appropriate individual resources.
- This study highlights the protective role of self-efficacy in maintaining employee well-being and recovery.
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