A field experiment on the effects of weekly planning behaviour on work engagement, unfinished tasks, rumination, and cognitive flexibility.

This study concerns research on self‐regulation. It examines the effects of planning behaviour, a comprehensive self‐regulatory strategy of goal setting, planning work steps, and developing alternative plans. Combining different strategies, rather than testing them in isolation, would strengthen the...

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Published in:Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology Vol. 96; no. 3; pp. 575 - 599
Main Authors: Uhlig, Lars, Baumgartner, Vera, Prem, Roman, Siestrup, Katja, Korunka, Christian, Kubicek, Bettina
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Sep2023
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Sep2023
      vid: 96
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/joop.12430
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        atl: A field experiment on the effects of weekly planning behaviour on work engagement, unfinished tasks, rumination, and cognitive flexibility.
      aug:
        au:
          Uhlig, Lars
          Baumgartner, Vera
          Prem, Roman
          Siestrup, Katja
          Korunka, Christian
          Kubicek, Bettina
        affil: Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
      sug:
        subj:
          Employee Attitudes Evaluation
          Behavior Evaluation
          Self Regulation
          Goal-Setting
          Work Engagement
          Cognitive Flexibility
          Rumination (Cognition)
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Questionnaires
          Scales
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Field Studies
          Experimental Studies
          Funding Source
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: This study concerns research on self‐regulation. It examines the effects of planning behaviour, a comprehensive self‐regulatory strategy of goal setting, planning work steps, and developing alternative plans. Combining different strategies, rather than testing them in isolation, would strengthen their effects and make them more appropriate for complex work tasks. Drawing on self‐regulation theory, we propose that planning behaviour positively affects work engagement, unfinished tasks, rumination, and cognitive flexibility. Considering cognitive flexibility as an outcome provides insight into the cognitive benefits of planning behaviour. We examine person‐level cognitive demands of flexible work and predictability as moderator variables to better understand the role of contextual variables in the use of self‐regulatory strategies at work. We conducted a field experiment (N = 208 individuals; 947 weekly entries) in which we manipulated employees' weekly planning behaviour in their daily work lives. We found negative effects on unfinished tasks and weekly rumination, and positive effects on weekly cognitive flexibility. No significant moderating effects were found. Our study suggests that a brief planning manipulation at the beginning of the week may have multiple benefits and may be an important tool for improving cognitive flexibility. Future research should examine the role of time and mediating variables.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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