“I Didn't See That Coming!” A daily investigation of the effects of as‐expected and un‐expected workload levels

Abstract

Workload is a ubiquitous feature of the workplace and an exemplar occupational stressor. In contrast to other such experiences, workload represents a necessary aspect of employment that cannot be alleviated or removed. It also has both aversive and beneficial aspects; research, therefore, has aimed to examine the circumstances under which its negative effects can be alleviated while still maintaining its potential benefits for individuals and organizations. Such efforts, however, have had mixed success. In this paper, we propose a new way forward by examining the extent to which the concordance of individual expectations about daily workload and actually experienced workload is associated with aversive affective responses (with ultimate impacts of the latter for cross‐day functioning). We test these propositions in two daily studies and find that when experienced workload levels do not align with expectations, individuals experience higher levels of anxiety. Importantly, these effects of unexpected workload are overall stronger in magnitude than the effects of high but expected workload; furthermore, they operate through their impact on individuals’ sense of control. These workload patterns are further indirectly associated with next‐day functioning through sense of control and anxiety. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, together with directions for future research.