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Why and when does multitasking impair flow and subjective performance? A daily diary study on the role of task appraisals and work engagement

Business

Why and when does multitasking impair flow and subjective performance? A daily diary study on the role of task appraisals and work engagement

H. Pluut, M. Darouei, et al.

This intriguing diary study reveals how multitasking can undermine employees' work-related flow and subjective job performance. The research, conducted by Helen Pluut, Maral Darouei, and Marijn Eveline Lidewij Zeijen, highlights the importance of task appraisal and daily work engagement in mitigating these negative impacts. Discover the conditions under which multitasking can backfire!

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Playback language: English
Abstract
This diary study investigates why and when multitasking impairs employees’ work-related flow and subjective job performance. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, the study proposes that employees’ appraisal of daily tasks (less challenging, more hindering) explains the negative impact of multitasking. Daily work engagement is expected to buffer these negative effects. Results from 33 food industry professionals over 4 weeks support the hypotheses: high task fragmentation led to less flow and lower performance; appraisal of tasks as less challenging (but not more hindering) explained impaired flow; and daily work engagement buffered multitasking’s negative impact on flow. The study offers ecologically valid insights into when multitasking backfires.
Publisher
Frontiers in Psychology
Published On
Authors
Helen Pluut, Maral Darouei, Marijn Eveline Lidewij Zeijen
Tags
multitasking
work flow
job performance
task appraisal
work engagement
daily tasks
food industry
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