Momentary energy management profiles: associations with energy, heart rate variability, and motivational states
摘要
During work, employees use a variety of energy management strategies to conserve or recover their subjective energy, including microbreaks (e.g., socializing, walking) or work-related strategies (e.g., organizing, reflecting on meaning). Research is yet to examine how these strategies co-occur and the implications of different configurations. Moreover, little is known about other associated benefits of energy management, beyond energy. Thus, we paired experience sampling with ambulatory heart rate monitoring to collect hourly data on energy management strategies and outcomes (i.e., energy, stress regulation as indexed by heart rate variability, and motivational states including intrinsic motivation and work mastery). Ninety-one employees provided hourly data throughout a workday (M = 6.62 occasions). Multilevel latent profile analysis revealed a five-profile solution of momentary energy management strategies within hours of the workday: active strategizing (6%), moving (5%), socializing (15%), meaningful organizing (9%), and passive strategizing (65%). Outcome analyses revealed the active, moving, and socializing profiles were better for vitality than the meaningful organizing and passive profiles. The moving profile was best for heart rate variability, compared to meaningful organizing, active, and passive profiles. Finally, the active profile was better than all other profiles for motivational states. Overall, results suggest the combination of microbreaks and work-related strategies is associated with more energy and motivational states, whereas distinctive use of physical microbreaks is linked to energy and physiological stress regulation, and socializing is related to energy. Use of some work-related strategies (i.e., organizing, meaning) seems unrelated to outcomes when not paired with microbreaks.