A Naturalistic Multilevel Framework for Studying Transient and Chronic Effects of Psychosocial Work Stressors on Employee Health and Well‐Being

Abstract

Research in work and organisational health psychology (WOHP) has traditionally employed methodologies targeted at examining between-individual associations of psychosocial stressors, psychological strain, health, and wellbeing. Recently, however, there has been a shift towards more ecologically valid assessments of these classes of constructs, i.e. assessing them as and when they occur, often involving multiple assessments of the individual within a day. Known as Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), studies employing this methodology enable examinations of within-individual (daily) fluctuations in well-being as a result of work stressors and other environmental factors, as well as investigations of person-environment interactions. In addition, the study of employee health and well-being can benefit from the application of new and exciting technologies for measurement, such as smartphones and wearable devices for the tracking of physiological well-being indicators. Drawing on the Allostatic Load Model as an integrative framework, the current article aims to organise previous EMA research efforts in the field of WOHP, provide an overview of methodological tools that can be used in EMA research, and provide guidelines for analyzing EMA data. Finally, we conclude by discussing opportunities and challenges in the use of EMA in WOHP.

Daily Negative Work Events and Employees' Physiological and Psychological Reactions

“…In line with previous research (for reviews, see Sonnentag, 2015; Ilies et al, 2016), we were, however, able to provide support for our assumptions regarding daily psychological stress reactions to NWEs: On days with higher numbers of NWEs employees reported higher levels of negative affect and emotional exhaustion toward the end of the work day.…”

“…Our study acknowledges earlier calls of researchers to take account of human physiology in organizational research (Heaphy and Dutton, 2008) and to measure psychosocial work stressors by means of EMA (Beal and Weiss, 2003, as outlined by Ilies et al, 2016). Our multilevel results on short-term fluctuations of NWEs and within-person effects of NWEs on daily psychologcial but not endocrine stress indicators help to inform theory about the complex interplay of different types of primary AL processes.…”

“…also Ilies et al, 2016). Confronted with negative events at work or stressors, a person will show psychological (e.g., increased negative affect and exhaustion) and physiological (e.g., increased cortisol secretion) reactions.…”

“…Thereby, we take account of recent calls to apply ecological momentary assessement (EMA) in work and occupational health psychology (Ilies et al, 2016). Second, we compare within-person effects of NWEs on both physiological and psychological well-being indicators.…”

The Two-Faced Leader: Effects of Leader Emotional Inconsistency on Follower Creative Performance

“…In case participants did not have an e-mail account, links were sent via text message to mobile devices with Internet capability (e.g., smart phones). Importantly, research shows that web-based research both via e-mail and smart phones yields reliable, high-quality data (Gosling, Vazire, Srivastava, & John, 2004;Ilies, Aw, & Lim, 2016;Miller, 2012). In collaboration with an HR representative of each organisation, employees and managers were asked to self-assign a six-digit code consisting of their initials and their year of birth.…”