Recovery experiences and work engagement: The role of emotions at work

Abstract

The need for positive organizational behavior research has resulted in the popularization of the concept of work engagement. Many researchers have examined its proximal antecedents, but little scientific attention has been focused on emotions and the non-work domain of employees’ lives. Thus, the aim of this research was to study the relationship between recovery experiences, job-related affective well-being, and work engagement. A total of 279 Croatian employees participated in an online study. They filled in Job Affective Well-Being Scale, Recovery Experiences Questionnaire, short Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The results demonstrated that recovery strategies and positive workplace emotions explained 63,4% variance of work engagement. Positive emotions mediated the relationship between recovery experiences and work engagement when recovery was measured as relaxation, developing mastery experiences, and high control over leisure time. Negative emotions mediated only relationship between relaxation and work engagement. Altogether, this study expends previous knowledge and confirms the interaction between employees’ work and non-work domains of life.

Keywords

• positive organizational behavior
• work engagement
• work recovery
• emotions at work
• occupational health psychology