Abstract
Research has shown that psychological detachment from work during non-work time is beneficial for various aspects of employee well-being and job performance. However, it is uncertain whether psychological detachment is equally important to all. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether psychological detachment is less important for employees who experience autonomous motivation for their job. The study was conducted in two different samples of knowledge workers in Norway. Latent profile analysis was used to identify different subgroups within the samples. In addition, the BCH method was used to examine possible differences between the profiles on distal outcomes. In both samples, two distinct profiles were found: “Lower involvement employees” (Low-IE; higher detachment and lower autonomous regulation) and “Higher involvement employees” (High-IE; lower detachment and higher autonomous regulation). The results revealed that the High-IE profile was significantly higher in positive affect, life satisfaction, work effort, and work quality, while significantly lower on emotional exhaustion compared with Low-IE. These results indicate that being low in detachment from work does not seem to be detrimental when combined with high levels of autonomous motivation. The study contributes to knowledge about the benefits of unwinding from work for employees with different motivational profiles.
Highlights
Recovery from work refers to the process of reducing or eliminating physical and psychological strain symptoms that have been caused by work (Sonnentag and Fritz, 2007)
The purpose of the current study is to examine whether psychological detachment has the same positive benefits for all employees when their quality of work motivation is taken into account
The purpose of the present study was to examine whether psychological detachment as a job recovery strategy has the same positive benefits for all employees when their quality of work motivation is taken into account
Summary
Recovery from work refers to the process of reducing or eliminating physical and psychological strain symptoms that have been caused by work (Sonnentag and Fritz, 2007). Job recovery is increasingly important in today’s work life where it can be argued that the lines between work and leisure time often times can be blurred. This is rooted in the change toward a knowledge society, in which there is an increased proportion of knowledge workers with intellectually demanding jobs who might find it difficult to detach from work, even though they have physically left their workplace. The rapid development of technology has enabled us to be digitally present and available 24/7 These developments provide opportunities for more flexible working hours and opportunities to work away from the office. Today’s work life might make it difficult
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