Temporal Investigations Into the Relationship Between Affect and Discretionary Work Behavior
Description:... After a long hiatus, mood and emotions (collectively known as affect) are enjoying a strong resurgence in many areas of psychology. Vis-a-is the workplace, Affective Events Theory predicts that stochastic workplace events influence workplace affect, which in turn influences various workplace behaviors relevant to job performance. Moreover, like the events and affect that precede them, these behaviors are highly volatile within persons over time. The present set of research projects were designed to test, and extend, Affective Events Theory. The research focuses on the contextual or discretionary aspects of job performance--namely, organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive (deviant) work behavior. These behaviors, typically studied at the between-person level, were shown in the present research to be highly volatile within persons over time and reliably related to affect. Moreover, within persons, citizenship and counterproductive behavior were themselves virtually unrelated. Finally, experiencing a common form of counterproductive behavior was associated with enacting similar behavior as well as other forms of counterproductive behavior. The results are relevant to the Army's continued search for the good Soldier: one who engages in citizenship behavior and refrains from counterproductive/deviant behavior.
Show description