Make it your Break! Benefits of Person-Break Fit for Post-Break Affect

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Laura Venz
  • Christine Bosch
  • Anna Sophia Pinck
  • Sabine Sonnentag
In this study, we examined lunch breaks from a person-environment fit perspective and hypothesized that employees who perceive high general person-break fit report lower negative and higher positive post-break affect than employees with low person-break fit. Further, we hypothesized that lunch break autonomy positively predicts perceived person-break fit and that chronic exhaustion moderates the relationship between person-break fit and post-break affect, such that the relationship is stronger when chronic exhaustion is high. Data from 227 participants surveyed at two measurement points showed that person-break fit was negatively related to post-break negative affect, with this relationship being stronger for participants experiencing high chronic exhaustion. Person-break fit was only positively associated with post-break positive affect for employees low on exhaustion. Break autonomy positively predicted employees’ perception of person-break fit. This study contributes to literature on well-being at work by highlighting the importance of fit between an employee’s general break-related needs and his or her actual breaks.
Original languageEnglish
JournalOccupational Health Science
Volume3
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)167-186
Number of pages20
ISSN2367-0142
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.06.2019
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Health sciences - Lunch break, Fit, Affect, Autonomy, Exhaustion