The role of individual characteristics and working conditions in understanding boredom at work
ISSN: 0048-3486
Article publication date: 16 November 2021
Issue publication date: 29 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes an examination of the psychometric properties of the French version of two boredom scales (i.e. the Dutch Boredom Scale and the Boredom Proneness Scale Short Version), the antecedents of boredom at work, based on an integrative theoretical framework drawing on the Job Demand-Resources model (Bakker and Demerouti, 2017) and the moderating effects of individual characteristics on the relation between contextual antecedents and boredom at work.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was based on a cross-sectional design with a sample of 363 Swiss workers. First, the two boredom scales were validated through a confirmatory factor analysis. Then, in order to study the relative strength of the predictors of boredom at work, a hierarchical regression model was tested. Finally, the interaction effects between individual characteristics and contextual antecedents of boredom at work were tested.
Findings
Factor analyses revealed a unidimensional structure for both instruments. Regression results showed that boredom proneness, job demands, job autonomy and social utility added a significant percentage of incremental variance to the model. Moreover, a significant interaction between contextual and individual characteristics in predicting boredom at work was observed.
Practical implications
Our findings stress the importance of taking into account employees' experiences at work when developing job design interventions to promote well-balanced working conditions for all, as well as targeted solutions for specific populations, in order to adequately address the issue of boredom in the workplace.
Originality/value
This study explores the relatively under-researched topic of boredom at work, known to be detrimental for individuals and organizations. To date, research on its antecedents has been quite fragmented and we particularly contribute to the literature by investigating this aspect.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper forms part of a special section “Understanding work experience and experiential workers: the interplay between experience-(ing) of work and people management”, guest edited by Nelarine Cornelius, Mustafa Bilgehan Ozturk and Eric Pezet.
Ieva Urbanaviciute and Koorosh Massoudi made their contributions partly within the framework of the National Centre of Competence in Research-LIVES, financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant No. 51NF40−085901). We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The authors would like to thank Laurence Fedrigo and Alexandre Chiffelle who helped with the translation of the two boredom scales.
Citation
Toscanelli, C., Udayar, S., Urbanaviciute, I. and Massoudi, K. (2022), "The role of individual characteristics and working conditions in understanding boredom at work", Personnel Review, Vol. 51 No. 2, pp. 480-500. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2020-0510
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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