Social Psychology of Organizations

Drawing on the mood regulation and job-stress recovery literature, four self-report measures for assessing how individuals unwind and recuperate from work during leisure time were developed (Study 1). Confirmatory factor analyses with a calibration and a cross-validation sample (total N 930) showed that four recovery experiences can be differentiated: psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery, and control (Study 2). Examination of the nomological net in a subsample of Study 2 (N 271) revealed moderate relations of the recovery experiences with measures of job stressors and psychological well-being; relations with coping and personality variables were generally low (Study 3). Potential applications for the future use of these short 4-item measures in longitudinal and diary research are discussed.

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The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work.

This contribution aims at shedding light on the mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between acute reactions to stressful work characteristics and employee health in the long run. Recovery, a process of psychophysiological unwinding after effort expenditure, is considered a vital link in this relationship. This link is explained on the basis of assumptions from theories on effort, recovery, and sustained activation. It is argued that recovery after work (external recovery) is particularly necessitated when recovery opportunities during worktime (internal recovery) are insufficient. It is further argued that two conditions may impede the recovery process by sustaining physiological activation, prolonged exposure to work demands (working long hours) and cognitive stress-related processes (such as rumination). These theoretical assumptions are substantiated by empirical support from previous laboratory and field research. It is concluded that the chronic situation of sustained physiological activation and incomplete recovery is an important pathway to chronic health impairment.

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Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment.

Summary
This paper reviews empirical evidence on psychological detachment from work during nonwork time. Psychological detachment as a core recovery experience refers to refraining from job-related activities and thoughts during nonwork time; it implies to mentally disengage from one's job while being away from work. Using the stressor-detachment model as an organizing framework, we describe findings from between-person and within-person studies, relying on cross-sectional, longitudinal, and daily-diary designs. Overall, research shows that job stressors, particularly workload, predict low levels of psychological detachment. A lack of detachment in turn predicts high strain levels and poor individual well-being (e.g., burnout and lower life satisfaction). Psychological detachment seems to be both a mediator and a moderator in the relationship between job stressors on the one hand and strain and poor well-being on the other hand. We propose possible extensions of the stressor-detachment model by suggesting moderator variables grounded in the transactional stress model. We further discuss avenues for future research and offer practical implications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework

Drawing from research on personal resources (e.g., Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998; Fredrickson, 1998) and the episodic nature of work (Beal, Weiss, Barros, & MacDermid, 2005), we examine research and theory relevant to the study of momentary recovery in the workplace. Specifically, we propose that the nature of within workday breaks influences the levels of psychological resources, which in turn influence various workplace outcomes. First, we discuss the momentary approach to studying workplace breaks and consequent resource levels. In doing so, we distinguish between two types of breaks, respites and chores; and we detail two types of psychological resources, regulatory and affective resources. Consequences of psychological resource levels on emotional exhaustion and performance are considered. We also explore possible moderators of the proposed relationships; we discuss job and individual characteristics, and motivation to perform. Finally, we conclude the chapter with a brief discussion on future research and possible applications of the momentary approach to work recovery in organizations.

Momentary work recovery: The role of within-day work breaks

Previous research has suggested that psychological detachment from work during off-job time is important in order to recover from stress encountered at the job. Psychological detachment refers to an individual's experience of being mentally away from work, to make a pause in thinking about work-related issues, thus to “switch off”. This study examines job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy as predictors of psychological detachment in a sample of 148 school teachers. Psychological detachment was assessed by self-reports and by ratings provided by family members. Multiple regression analysis showed that workload, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy were significant predictors of both self-rated and family-rated psychological detachment. The study findings suggest that with respect to practical implications it is crucial to manage workload and to increase recovery-related self-efficacy.

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Undine Kruel

Papers

Psychological detachment from work during off-job time: The role of job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy