Intensifying and protective? – how organizational culture shapes the effect of work scheduling autonomy on the relationship between time pressure and self-endangering work behaviours

Abstract

ABSTRACT A resource perspective suggests a protective direct effect of work scheduling autonomy (WSA) on self-endangering work behaviours (working harder, working longer). However, from a social exchange perspective deriving benefit from WSA could lead to the obligation to give something back when it is needed (e.g., high time pressure) and expected (e.g., work-home culture of the company). Despite the direct protective effect, we thus suggest that WSA acts as a moderator that, under certain organizational culture conditions, facilitates the positive relationship between periods of high time pressure and self-endangering work behaviours. In a five-weeks weekly diary study (N = 277) we examined whether WSA can act as a moderator creating an interactional pattern with time pressure, a hindering work-home culture or psychological ownership, in which the genuine protective effect of WSA can be undermined. The results of the multilevel analysis showed a negative direct relationship between WSA (within-persons) and working harder (protective main effect). However, moderation analysis showed that WSA (between-persons) could intensify the positive relationship between time pressure and working harder for employees working within a hindering work-home culture. We observed no such interactive pattern with psychological ownership, but report a positive relationship between psychological ownership and self-endangering work behaviours.