Benefiting from creative activity: The positive relationships between creative activity, recovery experiences, and performance-related outcomes

Engaging with nature and work: associations among the built and natural environment, experiences outside, and job engagement and creativity

Introduction

There is substantial evidence that contact with nature is related to positive health and well-being outcomes, but extensions of this research to work-related outcomes is sparse. Some organizations are redesigning workspaces to incorporate nature and adopting nature-related policies, warranting a need for empirical studies that test the influence of nature on employee outcomes.

Methods

The present mixed-methods study tests and extends the biophilic work design model to examine associations among the built and natural environment at work and home, experiences of time spent outside (i.e., amount of time outside, enjoyment of time outside, outdoor activities), and motivational work outcomes (i.e., job engagement and creativity). Objective geographic data were combined with quantitative and qualitative survey responses from working adults (N = 803).

Results

Our results broadly indicate that individuals who work and live in areas with greater natural amenities (i.e., access to water, topographic variation, temperate climates) spend more time outside and enjoy time outside to a greater degree, and these experiences are in turn associated with greater engagement and creativity at work. We did not find evidence that the surrounding built environment (i.e., urbanity) at work or home was associated with outdoor experiences or work-related outcomes. Additionally, six categories of outdoor activities were identified in the qualitative analyses - leisure activities, relaxation, physical activities, social interactions, tasks and errands, and travel.

Discussion

The findings from this study provide evidence that the natural environment, particularly at home, can benefit work-related outcomes via greater time and enjoyment of time outside. This study has implications for employee time use and organizational effectiveness.

Lose at sunrise, but gain at sunset: Linking social cyberloafing to psychological detachment, personal life enhancement of work, and mental health

BACKGROUND

Previous research has demonstrated that the personal use of social media, i.e., social cyberloafing, is associated with employee mental health. However, the underlying mechanism through which social cyberloafing is related to mental health has received limited attention.

OBJECTIVE

Drawing on conservation of resource theory and work/nonwork enhancement literatures, we developed and tested a model that examines health effect of social cyberloafing. As such, employees' social cyberloafing is posited as positively related to psychological detachment and personal life enhancement of work, which in turn would act as mediators that explain why social cyberloafing improves mental health.

METHODS

Data from 375 Chinese employees were analyzed to test research hypotheses using the structural equation modeling and bias-corrected bootstrap method with Mplus 7.4.

RESULTS

The results found that social cyberloafing is positively related to psychological detachment, but not with personal life enhancement of work. Social cyberloafing was positively related to employees' mental health through both psychological detachment and through psychological detachment and personal life enhancement of work serially.

CONCLUSION

Psychological detachment alone and alongside personal life enhancement of work form part of the mechanisms explaining how and why engaging in social cyberloafing is positively associated with employees' mental health. These mechanisms offer insights to organizations into how the mental health of employees can be improved in the digital workplace.

Predictors and Consequences of Work Alienation in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Two Longitudinal Studies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The present research investigates whether employees felt more alienated from their work during the COVID-19 pandemic than before it, and examines the causes and consequences of this increase in work alienation. To do so, two longitudinal studies using data collected before (T1; October 2019 [Study 1] and November 2019 [Study 2]) and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (T2; May 2020 [Studies 1 and 2]) were conducted (i.e., repeated measures). Data of both studies were analyzed using unobserved effects panel data models. Results of Study 1 (N = 197) indicated that employees reported higher levels of work alienation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going one step further, results of Study 2 (N = 295) showed that this higher feeling of work alienation may be explained by an increase in professional isolation and a decrease in meaningfulness of work induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results also demonstrated that this increase in work alienation negatively affected employees' job satisfaction, affective commitment, and turnover intentions. Findings are discussed and practical implications for managers are identified.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03372-9.

Explicating intrinsic motivation's impact on job performance: employee creativity as a mediator

Purpose

Eliciting superior job performance from the employees is a major challenge confronting the organizational leaders in today's hyper-competitive business environment. Though few studies established the influence of intrinsic motivation on job performance, the role of mediators like employee creativity in this relationship is not adequately researched. The purpose of the paper is to explore the mediating role of employee creativity in the relationship between intrinsic motivation and job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were collected from 346 full-time employees working in the retail industry in India through an online survey. Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS) software was used to test the validity of the hypothesized model, and PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation of employee creativity.

Findings

The findings showed that intrinsic motivation impacted both job performance and employee creativity. Furthermore, employee creativity impacted the employees' job performance. The key finding of the study is the partial mediation of employee creativity in the intrinsic motivation–job performance relationship.

Originality/value

Grounded on self-determination theory (SDT) and componential theory of creativity, the paper enriches the literature by evincing the mediation mechanism in the effect of intrinsic motivation on job performance. Moreover, the current paper is one of the primary studies that explore the mediating role of employee creativity in the relationship between intrinsic motivation and job performance.

Creativity as a mediator between personal accomplishment and task performance: A multigroup analysis based on gender during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not only a health crisis but also a social crisis that affects all people and all parts of society from various perspectives. Effective management of the emotional and psychosocial effects of the pandemic is a critical issue for individuals and societies. In this study, the mediating role of creativity on the relationship between personal accomplishment and task performance was examined during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a gender-based comparison analysis was performed to extend the analysis results. Survey-based research data were collected from 322 people working in different sectors. Partial least squares-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze research data. The results indicated that personal accomplishment had a significant positive effect on both creativity and task performance. Also, it was found that creativity had a mediating role in the relationship between personal accomplishment and task performance. Lastly, the gender-based multigroup analysis (MGA) revealed a significant difference between male and female participants with respect to the relationship between personal accomplishment and task performance, between creativity and task performance, between personal accomplishment and task performance through creativity.

The role of cultural, community and natural assets in addressing societal and structural health inequalities in the UK: future research priorities

BACKGROUND

Reducing health inequalities in the UK has been a policy priority for over 20 years, yet, despite efforts to create a more equal society, progress has been limited. Furthermore, some inequalities have widened and become more apparent, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. With growing recognition of the uneven distribution of life expectancy and of mental and physical health, the current research was commissioned to identify future research priorities to address UK societal and structural health inequalities.

METHODS

An expert opinion consultancy process comprising an anonymous online survey and a consultation workshop were conducted to investigate priority areas for future research into UK inequalities. The seven-question survey asked respondents (n = 170) to indicate their current role, identify and prioritise areas of inequality, approaches and evaluation methods, and comment on future research priorities. The workshop was held to determine areas of research priority and attended by a closed list of delegates (n = 30) representing a range of academic disciplines and end-users of research from policy and practice. Delegates self-selected one of four breakout groups to determine research priority areas in four categories of inequality (health, social, economic, and other) and to allocate hypothetical sums of funding (half, one, five, and ten million pounds) to chosen priorities. Responses were analysed using mixed methods.

RESULTS

Survey respondents were mainly 'academics' (33%), 'voluntary/third sector professionals' (17%), and 'creative/cultural professionals'(16%). Survey questions identified the main areas of inequality as 'health' (58%), 'social care' (54%), and 'living standards' (47%). The first research priority was 'access to creative and cultural opportunities' (37%), second, 'sense of place' (23%), and third, 'community' (17%). Approaches seen to benefit from more research in relation to addressing inequalities were 'health/social care' (55%), 'advice services' (34%), and 'adult education/training' (26%). Preferred evaluation methods were 'community/participatory' (76%), 'action research' (62%), and 'questionnaires/focus groups' (53%). Survey respondents (25%) commented on interactions between inequalities and issues such as political and economic decisions, and climate. The key workshop finding from determining research priorities in areas of inequality was that health equity could only be achieved by tackling societal and structural inequalities, environmental conditions and housing, and having an active prevention programme.

CONCLUSIONS

Research demonstrates a clear need to assess the impact of cultural and natural assets in reducing inequality. Collaborations between community groups, service providers, local authorities, health commissioners, GPs, and researchers using longitudinal methods are needed within a multi-disciplinary approach to address societal and structural health inequalities.

"What did you do this weekend?" Relationships between weekend activities, recovery experiences, and changes in work-related well-being

Recovery refers to the process of replenishing resources that occurs when employees distance themselves from their work, leading to improvements in work-related well-being indicators (WRWB), such as burnout and vigor. Research has shown that weekend activities are related to changes in WRWB and that recovery experiences could mediate these relationships. This study aimed to examine the indirect relationships of recovery activities on changes in burnout and vigor, through weekend recovery experiences. It extends past research by considering a greater number recovery activities and experiences and by controlling for job demands. Two hundred and forty-nine employees from various occupations completed two online surveys before and after the weekend, assessing their WRWB, weekend recovery activities and experiences, and job demands. Structural equation modeling revealed that after controlling for job demands, changes in burnout and vigor were positively predicted by a latent variable-the weekend recovery experience-subjacent to perceptions of detachment, relaxation, mastery, control, and relatedness. In addition, four out of six weekend activities predicted negative (work-related activities) or positive (social, physical, and creative activities) recovery experiences. Additional analyses showed that the recovery experience was a full mediator of the relationships between weekend activities and vigor change. These results confirm the importance of weekend activities and recovery experience for improving WRWB. They contribute to expanding current knowledge on recovery from work, highlighting the importance of considering creative activities and relatedness in future studies.

An Updated Evaluation of the Dichotomous Link Between Creativity and Mental Health

The theory of the mad genius, a popular cultural fixture for centuries, has received widespread attention in the behavioral sciences. Focusing on a longstanding debate over whether creativity and mental health are positively or negatively correlated, this study first summarized recent relevant studies and meta-analyses and then provided an updated evaluation of this correlation by describing a new and useful perspective for considering the relationship between creativity and mental health. Here, a modified version of the dual-pathway model of creativity was developed to explain the seemingly paradoxical relationship between creativity and mental health. This model can greatly enrich the scientific understanding of the so-called mad genius controversy and further promote the scientific exploration of the link between creativity and mental health or psychopathology.

Benefits of Psychological Detachment From Work: Does Autonomous Work Motivation Play a Role?

Research has shown that psychological detachment from work during non-work time is beneficial for various aspects of employee well-being and job performance. However, it is uncertain whether psychological detachment is equally important to all. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether psychological detachment is less important for employees who experience autonomous motivation for their job. The study was conducted in two different samples of knowledge workers in Norway. Latent profile analysis was used to identify different subgroups within the samples. In addition, the BCH method was used to examine possible differences between the profiles on distal outcomes. In both samples, two distinct profiles were found: "Lower involvement employees" (Low-IE; higher detachment and lower autonomous regulation) and "Higher involvement employees" (High-IE; lower detachment and higher autonomous regulation). The results revealed that the High-IE profile was significantly higher in positive affect, life satisfaction, work effort, and work quality, while significantly lower on emotional exhaustion compared with Low-IE. These results indicate that being low in detachment from work does not seem to be detrimental when combined with high levels of autonomous motivation. The study contributes to knowledge about the benefits of unwinding from work for employees with different motivational profiles.

An Examination of Athletic Trainers' Occupational Recovery Experiences During Time After Work

CONTEXT

Although researchers have directed scholars toward investigating the effectiveness of the nonwork personal time of athletic trainers (ATs), no one has characterized the occupational recovery experiences of ATs.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the reliability and validity of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) for use in AT populations.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Web-based survey.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

A total of 144 ATs (71 men, 73 women) working in a variety of National Collegiate Athletic Association sports across all levels of competition.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

The REQ was administered to assess the AT recovery experience.

RESULTS

Preliminary evidence emerged for the reliability (ω = 0.80-0.90) and validity of the REQ for use in AT populations. Weak linear relationships were identified between stress and perceptions of psychological detachment (r = -0.314, P < .001), mastery (r = -0.179, P = .32), control (r = -0.284, P = .001), and relaxation (r = -0.157, P = .06).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support measuring and applying occupational recovery for AT stress and work-life balance. Given that occupational recovery as a construct was only weakly related to stress, it is clearly a unique and distinct variable worth considering within the work-life balance line of inquiry.

Developing community relationships to enhance well-being in a worksite wellness program

BACKGROUND

Wellness programs traditionally focus on achieving outcomes such as health improvement, lowered health risks, decreased absenteeism, improved morale and decreased health care costs. Many programs emphasize physical wellness with more recent inclusion of social, emotional, and environmental dimensions. That change is referenced as the migration of wellness programs into well-being efforts.

OBJECTIVE

Addressing all elements of well-being is critical for effective wellness program delivery.

DESIGN

Recognition of the positive impact related to community well-being is growing in the literature. When people connect with others at work and develop positive and effective relationships across boundaries, a culture of health grows within organizations.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

This paper reviews three community well-being initiatives implemented within one university worksite and describes the effectiveness of such programs in building community well-being.

"Workplace Physical Activity Program" (WOPAP) study protocol: a four-arm randomized controlled trial on preventing burnout and promoting vigor

Background

WOPAP is a theoretically-grounded workplace physical activity intervention that aims to reduce work-related burnout and to improve vigor at work and other work-related outcomes. Using a randomized controlled trial, we investigate whether a 10-week program including two Nordic walking sessions per week is effective in improving employee well-being at work, in comparison with another attractive leisure activity (Theatre condition) or a waiting list control condition. The design of the study makes it possible to test the effect on burnout and vigor of the instructor’s style during physical activity (i.e., traditional vs. need-supportive style). Finally, this study is also interested in several possible psychological (i.e., detachment, relaxation, mastery, control, relatedness, and positive affects experiences) and physiological (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness) mechanisms through which the practice of physical activity in the intervention could influence burnout and vigor.

Methods

Employees of the authors’ University (N = 140) will be recruited via email, leaflets, and posters. Participants will be randomized to one of the four arms of the trial: (1) Physical Activity Traditional Style, (2) Physical Activity Need-Supportive Style, (3) Theatre condition, and (4) Waiting List Control. The experimental phase will last 10 weeks, followed by a six-month follow-up. During the ten weeks of the intervention, all groups – except the waiting list control – will carry out two activity sessions per week. Primary outcomes are burnout and vigor, secondary outcomes are work motivation, job satisfaction, work performance and work ability. These variables will be assessed before and after the intervention, and at three and six months after the end of the intervention. Moreover, burnout, vigor, needs satisfaction at work and psychological mediators will be assessed weekly throughout the intervention period.

Discussion

If effective, this study will provide evidence for the promotion of workplace physical activity interventions including a need-supportive climate to improve employee well-being. Results could be used to design new research protocols, but also to implement more efficient programs in the workplace.

Trial registration

ISRCTN12725337. Registered 21 March 2018. Registered retrospectively.

Employee engagement and job performance in Lebanon: the mediating role of creativity

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between employee engagement and job performance in the country of Lebanon, and to test whether creativity mediates the relationship between engagement and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research sample consisted of 186 respondents working in Lebanese firms. The questionnaire included established measures relating to employee engagement, job performance and creativity – in addition to various demographic questions. Stepwise multiple regression and bootstrapping methods were employed in the analysis of the data.

Findings

The findings showed a significant positive effect of employee engagement on job performance. However, mediation analysis using bootstrapping methods has shown that creativity has fully mediated the relationship between engagement and performance.

Originality/value

The study extends previous research and increases the external validity of the findings by investigating the relationship between engagement and performance in new non-western contexts. Moreover, this is one of the first research studies that explores the role of creativity in the relationship between the two variables; this helps in improving our understanding of the model and aids in enhancing the effect of engagement on performance.

The arts and the social determinants of health: findings from an inquiry conducted by the United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing

Background: The United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing was formed in 2014 and, the following year, initiated an Inquiry into the relationship between arts engagement, health and wellbeing. This led to a substantial report being launched in Parliament in July 2017.Methods: The Inquiry comprised 16 round-table discussions, a series of expert meetings and a lengthy period of desk-based research. The latter applied a realist method in seeking to reconcile policy, practice and evidence. Consideration of the social determinants of health formed the theoretical framework.Results: Evidence was found of a beneficial relationship between arts engagement, health and wellbeing across the life course.Conclusions: Arts engagement can mitigate the social determinants of health by influencing perinatal mental health and child cognitive development; shaping educational and employment opportunities and compensating for work-related stress; building individual resilience and enhancing communities. Further research is needed in this area.

Creativity as a Stepping Stone toward a Brighter Future

If IQs continue to rise over generation, why has the world been unable to solve basic recurrent problems? This paper argues that creativity, which is overlooked in IQ tests and showing no signs of a similar increase, may be part of the reason of why the Flynn Effect has not led to a better world. Creativity's predictive power for traditional positive outcomes, such as school or work performance, is significant but slight. However, there are other ways that creativity can help to make a better world. Two exemplar ways that are discussed in this paper are how creativity can (a) help people lead happier and more meaningful lives and (b) focus a spotlight on talented members of underrepresented groups who are overlooked by traditional measures. Both of these directions can lead to a world that is better equipped to solve larger issues.

A Meta-Analysis on Antecedents and Outcomes of Detachment from Work

Detachment from work has been proposed as an important non-work experience helping employees to recover from work demands. This meta-analysis (86 publications, k = 91 independent study samples, N = 38,124 employees) examined core antecedents and outcomes of detachment in employee samples. With regard to outcomes, results indicated average positive correlations between detachment and self-reported mental (i.e., less exhaustion, higher life satisfaction, more well-being, better sleep) and physical (i.e., lower physical discomfort) health, state well-being (i.e., less fatigue, higher positive affect, more intensive state of recovery), and task performance (small to medium sized effects). However, average relationships between detachment and physiological stress indicators and work motivation were not significant while associations with contextual performance and creativity were significant, but negative. Concerning work characteristics, as expected, job demands were negatively related and job resources were positively related to detachment (small sized effects). Further, analyses revealed that person characteristics such as negative affectivity/neuroticism (small sized effect) and heavy work investment (medium sized effect) were negatively related to detachment whereas detachment and demographic variables (i.e., age and gender) were not related. Moreover, we found a medium sized average negative relationship between engagement in work-related activities during non-work time and detachment. For most of the examined relationships heterogeneity of effect sizes was moderate to high. We identified study design, samples' gender distribution, and affective valence of work-related thoughts as moderators for some of these aforementioned relationships. The results of this meta-analysis point to detachment as a non-work (recovery) experience that is influenced by work-related and personal characteristics which in turn is relevant for a range of employee outcomes.

From creative process engagement to performance: bidirectional support

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of creative process engagement on employees’ in-role performance, and does so by considering the support that employees received from and given to their supervisors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 540 questionnaires collected in China, this paper conducts a hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed model.

Findings

Creative process engagement positively affects employees’ in-role performance. However, the moderating effect of receiving support on the above relationship is not significant. Instead, it is the interaction of receiving support from and giving it to supervisors that moderates the relationship between creative process engagement and in-role performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study has some contributions to the conservation of resource (COR) theory. The authors find that acquiring new resources such as receiving support from supervisors is not always effective. The acquisition process of resources should be considered with the investment process of resources. According to the COR theory, people invest resources to gain resources and protect themselves from losing resources or to recover from resource loss (Halbesleben et al., 2014). The findings of the study show that employees investing resources is not just for gaining resources. Sometimes, they invest resources such as giving support to supervisors to remain a relatively balanced relationship.

Practical implications

Companies can encourage employees to place more attention on creative process engagement to improve in-role performance. In addition, when offering support to employees, managers should consider whether the employees are able to give it back in response to the received support, and distribute their support to employees accordingly.

Originality/value

This paper explored employee’s engagement at creative process in a more novel way and clarified the relative effect of creative process engagement on in-role performance. Also, this paper was the first to pay attention to the bidirectional nature of supervisor support.

Cultural leisure activities, recovery and work engagement among hospital employees

This study explored the relationship between cultural leisure activities, recovery experiences and two outcomes among hospital workers. The differences in recovery experiences (detachment, relaxation, mastery and control) and outcomes (work engagement and subjective recovery state) among hospital personnel (N=769) were analysed by the type (receptive or creative) and frequency of cultural activities. The cross-sectional data were collected by a digital questionnaire. Employees who reported both receptive and creative cultural leisure activities on a weekly basis had the highest relaxation, mastery and control experiences during off-job time. In addition, those with weekly creative activities had beneficial mastery experiences. There were no differences in recovery outcomes after adjustment for age, except in work engagement. Cultural leisure activities, and creative activities in particular, play an important role in certain aspects of recovery.