Rushed, unhappy, and drained: an experience sampling study of relations between time pressure, perceived control, mood, and emotional exhaustion in a group of accountants.
Experience sampling methodology was used to examine how work demands translate into acute changes in affective response and thence into chronic response. Seven accountants reported their reactions 3 times a day for 4 weeks on pocket computers. Aggregated analysis showed that mood and emotional exhaustion fluctuated in parallel with time pressure over time. Disaggregated time-series analysis confirmed the direct impact of high-demand periods on the perception of control, time pressure, and mood and the indirect impact on emotional exhaustion. A curvilinear relationship between time pressure and emotional exhaustion was shown. The relationships between work demands and emotional exhaustion changed between high-demand periods and normal working periods. The results suggest that enhancing perceived control may alleviate the negative effects of time pressure.
Teuchmann
K
K
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Totterdell
P
P
Parker
S K
SK
D000066:Accounting; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D013998:Time Perception; D016526:Workload