Boredom at Work

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. The current study examined the direct and indirect impacts of proactivity and remote work in the workplace on several outcomes - engagement, job satisfaction, and exhaustion, as well as the mediating role of boredom in the relationship between proactivity and these outcomes. It examined several moderating relationships: assuming that remote work would moderate the effect of proactivity on boredom, that proactivity would moderate the effects of remote work on the outcomes, and that proactivity would moderate the effects of boredom on the outcomes. The study assumed that high levels of proactivity would be associated with higher levels of engagement and job satisfaction and lower levels of exhaustion. For remote working, I assumed a similar relationship with the outcomes. Methods. A cross-sectional online study was conducted among a primarily US and European-based convenience sample, involving usable responses from 78 participants. All measures were found to be reliable. The hypotheses were tested using regression and mediation analyses. Results. Remote work had no significant impact on any relationship in the model. Proactivity had a positive relationship with engagement and job satisfaction and a negative relationship with boredom, whilst boredom had a negative relationship with engagement and job satisfaction and a positive relationship with exhaustion. Boredom was a mediator in the relationship between proactivity and the outcomes, such that increased proactivity would lead to decreased boredom, and decreased boredom would lead to increased engagement and job satisfaction and decreased exhaustion. None of the examined moderations were significant. Discussion/Conclusion. My study suggests that organizational interventions to increase employee proactivity and decrease boredom should positively impact employees. Future research might focus on more practical model implementation in specific intervention studies.