A Tale of Passion: Linking Job Passion and Cognitive Engagement to Employee Work Performance

Abstract

We propose a model of job passion that links two types of passion, harmonious and obsessive passion, to employees' work performance, via the mediating mechanism of cognitive engagement (comprising attention and absorption). Results from a survey conducted with 509 employees from an insurance firm indicate that employees with harmonious passion performed better at work, and that this relationship was mediated primarily by cognitive absorption, that is, the intensity of focus and immersion experienced by the employees when working. However, even though obsessive passion was negatively related to cognitive attention (i.e. the amount of cognitive resources spent thinking about work), it did not have a significant relationship to work performance overall. We identify and discuss research and practical implications for job passion and performance management.

Workaholism and work engagement: Differences and mutual relationship

“…At the same time, complete focus on the task has a positive effect on its implementation, thereby providing additional reinforcement. The relationship between absorption with harmonious and obsessive passion, terms conceptually similar to engagement and workaholism, was also achieved in research by Ho, Wong, andLee (2011) andStoeber, Childs, Hayward, andFeast (2011).…”

Incivility is (not) the very essence of love: Passion for work and incivility instigation.

“…This internalization follows two distinct processes. A selfdetermined internalization occurs when employees internalize their work because it is fun or developmental, while a controlled internalization occurs when employees internalize their work due to secondary gains, for example, when they believe it will foster the admiration of coworkers or when their self-esteem is contingent upon performance (Amiot et al, 2006;Gagne & Deci, 2005;Ho, Wong, & Lee, 2011;Mageau, Carpentier, & Vallerand, 2011). Such selfesteem and social-status contingencies are likely to be of importance when investigating why individuals may be demeaning, degrading, or insulting toward others (Amiot et al, 2006).…”

“…In contrast, harmonious passion refers to a self-determined internalization of work where work is important, fun, and part of one's identity yet not completely consuming Ho et al, 2011;Vallerand et al, 2003). This internalization is different from identified regulation as defined by SDT because employees love their work, which is not the case with identified regulation (Vallerand et al, 2003).…”

Cultivating Empathy: New Perspectives on Educating Business Leaders

“…Meanwhile, negative emotions also have a place in our lives as they also enhance thinking, but in a different way: they encourage a clearer focus and attention to detail, motivating search for errors and imperfections (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). How we feel, then, impacts our judgment, and the better the mood is matched to the message, the more focused our attention (Ho, Sze-Sze, & Chay Hoon, 2011). Overall, our decision-making and communication processes benefit from incorporating emotional data, helping shape rational thought, and therefore, those who are good at using emotions to facilitate thinking can be more effective motivators of others (Caruso & Salovey, 2004).…”