Being mindful at work: a moderated mediation model of the effects of challenge stressors on employee dedication and cynicism

Daily challenge-hindrance stress and work engagement in preschool teacher: the role of affect and mindfulness

BACKGROUND

The engagement of preschool teachers in their work is pivotal for maintaining teaching quality, ensuring teacher well-being, and fostering children's development. Despite its significance, there is limited knowledge regarding the daily fluctuations in work engagement and the underlying factors influencing it. This study, guided by the Job Demands-Resources model and Affect Event Theory, utilized an experience sampling methodology to investigate the impact of challenge and hindrance stressors on daily work engagement, as well as the mediating role of affect and the moderating effect of mindfulness.

METHODS

Utilizing an experience sampling method, this study collected data from 220 preschool teachers in Shanghai over five consecutive workdays, conducting surveys once daily. Data analysis was performed using multilevel linear models.

RESULTS

The results from multilevel regression indicated that: (1) daily challenge stressors were positively related to work engagement, (2) daily hindrance stressors were negatively related to work engagement, (3) daily positive affect mediated the relationship between challenge stressors and work engagement, (4) daily negative affect mediated the relationship between hindrance stressors and work engagement, and (5) daily mindfulness played a crucial moderating role by alleviating the adverse effects of hindrance stressors on daily negative affect.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into the daily experiences of preschool teachers and the factors that influence their work engagement. Understanding the impact of stressors, affect, and mindfulness on work engagement can inform the development of interventions and strategies to improve teacher well-being and work engagement.

Where there is pressure, there is motivation? The impact of challenge-hindrance stressors on employees' innovation performance

Based on the conservation of resource theory, this manuscript explores the impact mechanism of the challenge and hindrance stressors on innovation performance, introduces emotional atmosphere as a mediation variable, and on this basis, it examines the moderating role of organizational climate on emotional atmosphere and innovation performance. A two-wave survey of 263 subordinates and 29 supervisors who come from multisource field offered support for our model. Results showed that challenge stressors have a positive effect on innovation performance, positive emotional atmosphere mediates the relationship between challenge stressors and innovation performance; hindrance stressors have a negative effect on innovation performance, and negative emotional atmosphere mediates the relationship between hindrance stressors and innovation performance. Organizational climate strengthens the positive relationship between positive emotional atmosphere and innovation performance and weakens the negative relationship between negative emotional atmosphere and innovation performance. This study enriches the existing literature by identifying the impact of stressors on employee innovation performance and has certain practical significance for optimizing the management of enterprises and improving employee innovation performance.

Taking charge under job stressors: Mediating effect of control appraisals and moderating effect of proactive resource acquisition tactics

We applied social cognitive theory and the job demands–resources model to examine the relationship between challenge and hindrance stressor types and taking charge. The sample comprised 242 Master of Business Administration students at a university located in eastern China. The regression results reveal that challenge stressors positively predicted taking charge, and that the direct effect of hindrance stressors on taking charge was nonsignificant. Control appraisals positively mediated the relationship between challenge stressors and taking charge, and negatively mediated the relationship between hindrance stressors and taking charge. The positive relationship between challenge stressors and control appraisals was stronger when resource acquisition tactics were highly proactive rather than when they were less proactive. Proactive resource acquisition tactics also moderated the indirect effect of challenge stressors on taking charge through control appraisals. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.