Thesis advisor: Jean M. Bartunek / Thesis advisor: Myeong-Gu Seo / My dissertation builds theory about gratitude at work. Drawing from Affective Events Theory, I suggest two different forms of gratitude: state gratitude and job gratitude. State gratitude refers to grateful moods or emotions which tend to last short term, whereas job gratitude refers to employees’ grateful attitudes particularly toward their jobs that tend to last longer. Empirically, I conducted three related studies. In the first study, I developed and validated the 7-item measure of job gratitude using a series of surveys that confirmed a satisfactory content and construct validity of the measure. Using an experience sampling procedure, in the second study I suggested and tested a theoretical model of state gratitude at work. A series of longitudinal surveys with 135 employees showed that state gratitude that is captured by a 3 week long daily survey is positively associated with in-role behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. My analyses also showed that the availability of extrinsic job rewards negatively moderates the positive impact of state gratitude on helping behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. Employees’ job dependency also negatively moderates the positive impact of state gratitude on both helping and in-role behaviors through the desire to reciprocate benevolence. The third study proposed and tested a theoretical model of job gratitude. My analyses showed that through the mechanism of intended help, job gratitude is positively associated with extra-role behaviors including helping behaviors, organizational citizenship behaviors directed to an organization, and voice behaviors. Taken together, my dissertation enriches theories in emotion literature by exploring a particular type of discrete, social, and moral emotions. My dissertation also contributes to gratitude literature outside of organizational studies, as it broadens the scope of impacts of gratitude in work contexts. Lastly, this dissertation contributes to Organizational Positive Scholarship by shedding light on the experiences of the recipients’ of prosocial behaviors. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Management and Organization.

Ample research has investigated the relationship between non-work and work domains finding consistent links between stressors in one and strains in the other. Additionally, there exist explanatory models of these associations such as psychological/physical sickness and related absences and loss or fear of losing personal resources. The current investigation combined variables from the spillover model and Affective Events Theory to test a new model with negative mood at its core. It hypothesized marital and financial stressors lead to negative mood at home which spills over into the work domain resulting in relatively more negative appraisals of work events. Negative mood at work is a likely outcome, which in turn causes subsequent decreases in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and job satisfaction and increases in counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Finally, the model proposed social support as a moderator buffering against the detriments of negative mood from home. Although structural equation modeling found the proposed model to be incorrect and to suffer from a large degree of misfit, examination of individual parameter estimates warranted the testing of two alternative models. Model 3 presented the best fit and most variance accounted for by omitting OCB and using direct paths from social support to all work variables (rather than the proposed moderating effect) and direct carryover of mood at home to mood at work. The majority of the paths tested in the model reasonably explained the data, although some variance remained unaccounted for. Results of model testing were also supported by significant correlations in the predicted direction between stressors and mood at home; mood at home and appraisals of work events; appraisals of work events and mood at work; and mood at work with job satisfaction and CWB. These results draw attention to the important role played by the individual's mood in the interplay between the work and non-work domains.

Job satisfaction is a topic that garners quite a lot of attention in the literature as researchers and practitioners alike seek to understand, predict and improve employees’ contentment with their jobs. Similarly, in the decade and a half since its introduction, affective events theory (AET, Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996) is also gaining attention as it is recognized as a theoretically rigorous framework (Humphrey, 2006) and the prominent theory relating to workplace affect (Ashton-James & Ashkanasy, 2005). AET supplies a framework for investigating the relationship between work events, emotions and the resulting attitudes and behaviors – a structure which several investigations have empirically tested. The current paper reviews research conducted on job satisfaction within the AET framework and identifies areas in need of additional investigation.

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The purpose of this study was to explore what affective events influence job satisfaction amongst secondary school teachers of two private schools in Gauteng. The theoretical framework for this study was the Affective Events Theory as proposed by Weiss and Cropanzano. A total of 37 participants completed an open-ended questionnaire presenting an emotion and asking participants to describe an event that could be linked to the emotion experienced in as much detail as possible. Thereafter 6 participants were selected for follow-up interviews, based on age, gender and years' teaching experience to enquire about their perception on the role of leadership behaviour played in creating these events as well as investigating possible turnover intent. The results from this study highlighted that events which resulted in positive affectivity were mostly connected to learners as negative affective events involved leadership behaviour. It also highlighted how leadership behaviour contributed to these events and expressed possible turnover intent as a result of their experiences of these events at school. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

While all business leaders face problems with voluntary employee turnover, fast food business leaders often face turnover rates at twice the national average. Using Weiss and Cropanzano's affective events theory, this exploratory multiple case study detailed the investigation into strategies that fast food business leaders use to establish an appealing working environment that reduces employee turnover. A purposeful sampling process identified 9 fast food business leaders from 3 different fast food organizations within the Omaha, Nebraska metro area who had successfully established a positive working environment that reduced employee turnover. Data collection included semistructured interviews and review of company documents. Using Yin's 5 step analytic approach, 3 themes (fairness, communication, and trust) emerged relative to fast food business leaders' strategies to establish an appealing working environment that reduces employee turnover. Fairness included fair interpersonal treatment, regulation, and wage setting. Communication included training, employee engagement, and corrective actions. Fast food business leaders used trust as a feedback mechanism for their fairness and communications strategies. Business leaders using strategies of fairness, communication, and trust to establish appealing working environments that reduce employee turnover could increase profitability and productivity within the fast food industry. The implication for positive social change is that more consistent employment and less work-related stress increases the potential for employees and their families to become more involved within their communities.

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Idle time is a common phenomenon that prevents employees from performing their core job tasks, with detrimental effects on employee well-being and performance. Drawing on affective events theory, the job demands-resources model, and action regulation theory, this dissertation addresses three main questions: First, how idle time affects employee well-being and performance; second, the mechanisms behind these effects, namely appraisals and affective reactions; and third, the conditions under which idle time may be beneficial for employees. Study 1 (N = 338) showed indirect negative effects of objective idle time on employee well-being through the subjective experience of being idle. Age was negatively and boredom proneness positively associated with subjective idle time. Two experiments in Study 2 (N2a = 445, N2b = 597) demonstrated the detrimental effects of regulation problems on employee well-being and performance, mediated by objective and subjective idle time. Recovery activities buffered the detrimental effects of idle time. In Study 3, a 12-month, five-wave longitudinal study (N = 1,036), the associations of idle time with lower job satisfaction, higher turnover intentions, and higher counterproductive work behavior were mediated by higher boredom. Finally, the results of Study 4, based on the same data as Study 3, showed that the effects of idle time on employee exhaustion and engagement depended on boundary conditions, namely workload and autonomy. For high workload employees, idle time was positively associated with engagement, whereas when autonomy was high, idle time was associated with lower exhaustion and lower engagement. During idle time, relaxation was beneficial, whereas detachment was detrimental regarding employee exhaustion and engagement. Idle time is detrimental to employee well-being and performance, mediated by subjective idle time, boredom, and lack of recovery, respectively. Certain conditions, like high workload or using idle time for relaxation, can make it beneficial for employees. The results provide insights for research, particular in the areas of waiting, interruptions, recovery, and well-being.:Acknowledgments i English Abstract ii German Abstract iii Table of Contents iv List of Tables ix List of Figures x 1 General Introduction 1 2 Study 1: Effects of Idle Time on Well-Being – An Experimental Study 6 2.1 Abstract 6 2.2 Introduction 7 2.3 Idle Time as an Affective Event at Work 9 2.4 Method 11 2.4.1 Open Science 11 2.4.2 Study Design 11 2.4.3 Participants 12 2.4.4 Materials 13 2.4.5 Data Analysis 14 2.5 Results 15 2.5.1 Descriptive Statistics 15 2.5.2 Confirmatory Factor Analysis 15 2.5.3 Manipulation Check 15 2.5.4 Hypothesis Tests 15 2.5.5 Exploratory Results 16 2.6 Discussion 17 2.6.1 Theoretical and Practical Implications 17 2.6.2 Limitations and Future Research 19 2.7 Conclusion 21 2.8 Open Data and Electronic Supplementary Materials (ESM 1) 21 3 Study 2: Idle Time, Recovery, and Work Outcomes: Results of Two Experimental Studies 26 3.1 Abstract 26 3.2 Introduction 27 3.3 Idle Time at Work 29 3.3.1 Antecedents of Idle Time 29 3.3.2 The Consequences of Idle Time 30 3.3.3 The Mechanisms Underlying Effects of Idle Time 31 3.4 Study 1 33 3.4.1 Method 33 3.4.2 Results 36 3.4.3 Discussion 37 3.5 Study 2 37 3.5.1 Method 37 3.5.2 Results 40 3.5.3 Discussion 43 3.6 General Discussion 43 3.6.1 Theoretical and Practical Implications 44 3.6.2 Limitations and Future Research 46 3.7 Conclusion 47 4 Study 3: Is it Bad Because it is Boring? Effects of Idle Time on Employee Outcomes 58 4.1 Abstract 58 4.2 Introduction 59 4.3 The Effects of Idle Time 62 4.3.1 Idle Time and Boredom 63 4.3.2 Boredom and Employee Outcomes 64 4.3.3 Idle Time and Employee Outcomes 65 4.4 Method 66 4.4.1 Participants and Procedure 66 4.4.2 Measures 68 4.4.3 Statistical Analysis 70 4.5 Results 71 4.5.1 Hypothesis Tests 71 4.5.2 Additional Analyses 73 4.6 Discussion 75 4.6.1 Theoretical and Practical Implications 75 4.6.2 Limitations and Future Research 77 4.7 Conclusion 79 5 Study 4: Can Idle Time Serve as a Resource? A Job Demands-Resources Approach 88 5.1 Abstract 88 5.2 Introduction 89 5.3 Theoretical Background and Hypotheses Development 91 5.3.1 The Downsides of Idle Time 91 5.3.2 The Benefits of Idle Time 92 5.4 Method 94 5.4.1 Participants and Procedure 94 5.4.2 Measures 95 5.4.3 Data Analysis 97 5.5 Results 97 5.5.1 Hypothesis Tests 97 5.5.2 Additional Analyses 99 5.6 Discussion 99 5.6.1 Theoretical and Practical Implications 100 5.6.2 Limitations and Future Directions 102 5.7 Conclusion 103 6 General Discussion 109 6.1 Summary 109 6.2 Theoretical Contributions 110 6.2.1 The Consequences of Idle Time 110 6.2.2 The Mechanisms Underlying Idle Time 111 6.2.3 Recovery and Boundary Conditions 112 6.3 Practical Contributions 113 6.4 Limitations and Future Directions 114 6.4.1 Affective Events Theory 114 6.4.2 Event System Theory 115 6.4.3 Action Regulation Theory 116 6.5 Conclusion 117 References 118 Appendix I Theses I Idle Time at Work I Study 1: Effects of Idle Time on Well-Being – An Experimental Study II Study 2: Idle Time, Recovery, and Work Outcomes: Results of Two Experimental Studies II Study 3: Is it Bad Because it is Boring? Effects of Idle Time on Employee Outcomes II Study 4: Can Idle Time Serve as a Resource? A Job Demands-Resources Approach III Conclusion IV References IV Thesen VI Leerlaufzeiten bei der Arbeit VI Studie 1: Auswirkungen von Leerlaufzeiten auf das Wohlbefinden – eine Experiment VII Studie 2: Leerlaufzeit, Erholung und Arbeitsergebnisse: Ergebnisse von zwei experimentellen Studien VII Studie 3: Sind sie schlecht, weil sie langweilig sind? Auswirkungen von Leerlaufzeiten auf Beschäftigte VII Studie 4: Kann Leerlaufzeit als Ressource dienen? Ein Arbeitsanforderungen-Ressourcen-Ansatz VIII Schlussfolgerungen IX Literaturverzeichnis IX Curriculum Vitae XI Publication List XII Selbstständigkeitserklärung XIV Nachweise über die Anteile der Co-Autorschaft: Studie 1 XV Nachweise über die Anteile der Co-Autorschaft: Studie 2 XVI Nachweise über die Anteile der Co-Autorschaft: Studie 3 XVII Nachweise über die Anteile der Co-Autorschaft: Studie 4 XVIII

This study drew upon the affective events and mood-congruent cognition theories to help explain how one domain influences the other. Affective events are things that happen to which people react emotionally and state affect is a result of those affective experiences. This study proposed that state affect generated in one domain would spillover and influence mood-congruent experiences in the receiving domain. Through an integration of organizational stressor-strain models (e.g., job-resources demand theory) and positive psychology, this study further proposed that positive events are resource-building and will work to prevent or buffer against strain responses to resource-depleting negative events. Finally, this study explored how individual differences in domain integration and work- and family-role salience moderate the foregoing relationships, particularly because studies investigating these effects have produced mixed results. To address these empirical questions, this study used the daily diary method to examine daily affective spillover effects from work-to-family and from family-to-work in a full-time working sample over the course of two weeks. This method was employed to help bolster confidence about the temporal precedence of work-family affective spillover and employee health and wellbeing outcomes. One-hundred and forty-four participants filled out diary questionnaires three times daily during the work week and one time daily during the weekend. Daily diaries assessed the participants’ exposure to a number of domain-specific affective events, state affect, physical symptoms, and sleep quality. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to test this study’s hypotheses. Overall, the results of this study support affective spillover as the linking pin between the two domains, which has health and wellbeing implications for employees. Specifically, tests of this study’s hypotheses indicated that exposure to affective events throughout the workday was related to state affect at the end of the workday, which then related to the number of valence-congruent affective events within the family domain. Exposure to those family-related affective events was related to corresponding changes in state affect, which not only persisted to the next morning but impacted employee health and wellbeing in terms of psychosomatic complaints. These findings are in line with both the affective events and mood-congruent theories. Only one significant moderating effect was observed. There was a positive relationship between negative affect at the end of the workday and the number of negative family affective events endorsed by participants who were lower on domain integration, but not among those who were higher on domain integration. The direction of this effect was surprising and may suggest that setting up strong boundaries between life domains creates unattainable expectations, which may increase negative outcomes for an employee. In sum, family-related affective experiences are an important variable to consider when investigating the effects of affective spillover on work-related experiences and health and wellbeing. The failure to do so may result in a considerable loss of information and contribute to mixed study results.

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