Making things happen : the role of affect for proactive behaviours at work

• Main Author: Bindl, Uta Konstanze
• Published: University of Sheffield 2010
• Subjects: 158.7
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.531193

In this thesis, I investigate how affective experience influences proactivity at work. Proactivity is a special type of goal-directed behaviour in which individuals actively take charge of situations to bring about change in a future-focused way for themselves or their organisation. Firstly, I draw on self-regulation research to conceptualise and empirically validate a model of proactive goal regulation that comprises employees' efforts in setting a proactive goal (envisioning), preparing to implement their proactive goal (planning), implementing their proactive goal (enacting) and engaging in learning processes concerning the outcomes of their proactive goal (reflecting). Secondly, I draw on affect research to argue that different types of work-related moods and emotions have an impact on the elements of proactive goal regulation in important ways. I investigate the relationship between affective experience and proactive goal regulation in three empirical studies: In Study 1, I use a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the role of moods for work-related proactive goal regulation in a study of call centre employees (N=227). In Study 2, I replicate and extend findings from Study 1 in the context of career-relatedp roactive goal regulation. Specifically, I draw on longitudinal surveys of undergraduatem edical students( N=250) over four time pointsa crosst he academicy ear in order to test how moodsa ndc areer-relatedp roactive goal regulation are related over time. In Study 3, I employ a qualitative interview approach in a sample of call centre employees (N=39) to explore the role of emotions in employees' accounts of past proactive goal regulation. The findings of this thesis provide initial empirical support for the model of proactive goal regulation. Results also indicate that work-related moods and emotions are significant predictors of proactive goal regulation and that the role of affective experience for proactivity at work is more nuanced than previously assumed.