A Review of Research on the Effects of Employee Workplace Micro-breaks on Job Performance

Guoyu Zhang

doi:10.54097/z4prd435

Authors

Guoyu Zhang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/z4prd435

Keywords:

Workplace micro-breaks, Job performance, Emotional mechanism, Recovery mechanism, Cognitive input.

Abstract

Although long hours and high work intensity ensure work progress to a certain extent, they tend to cause physical and mental fatigue, which ultimately affects work performance. Studies have shown that appropriate breaks between work can restore physical fitness, concentration and other bodily functions to maintain good working conditions. However, there are many organizational managers who believe that such micro-break activities are counterproductive, slowing down work progress and ultimately affecting productivity. Based on these two different attitudes, this paper decided to collect and summarize the recent literature on workplace micro-breaks and employee performance to investigate whether and through which pathways micro-breaks can improve employee performance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Trougakos J P, Hideg I. Momentary work recovery: The role of within-day work breaks [J]. Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being, 2009, 7(3): 37-84.

Wang, Juanjuan, Zhao, Huijun, Tan, Jin, et al. The concept, structure, measurement and integration of labor reinforcement research framework [J]. China Human Resource Development, 2019, (9): 32-47.

Henning R A N R, Sauter S L, Salvendy G, et al. Microbreak length, performance, and stress in a data entry task [J]. Ergonomics, 1989, 32(7): 855-864.

McLean L, Tingley M, Scott R N, et al. Computer terminal work and the benefit of microbreaks[J]. Applied Ergonomics, 2001, 32(3): 225-237.

Kim S S G C, Park Y, Niu Q. Micro-break activities at work to recover from daily work demands[J]. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2017, 38(No.1): 28-44.

Nie Q, Zhang J, Peng J et al. Nourishing the essence: a review and prospect of inter-work micro-breaks research [J]. Foreign Economics and Management, 2020, 42(06): 69-85.

Ananth Vijendren, Matthew Yung, Uttam Shiralkar. Are ENT surgeons in the UK at risk of stress, psychological morbidities and burnout? A national questionnaire survey [J]. The Surgeon, 2018, 16(1).

Dababneh A J, Swanson N, Shell R L. Impact of added rest breaks on the productivity and well being of workers. [J]. Ergonomics, 2001, 44(2).

Scholz André, Ghadiri Argang, Singh Usha, Wendsche Johannes, Peters Theo, Schneider Stefan. Functional work breaks in a high-demanding work environment: an experimental field study. [J]. Ergonomics, 2018, 61(2).

Hunter E M, Wu C. Give me a better break: Choosing workday break activities to maximize resource recovery [J]. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2016, 101(2): 302-311.

Bennett A. Take five? Examining the impact of microbreak duration, activities, and appraisals on human energy and performance [J]. PLoS One, 2015, 10(1): 25-44.

Lim J, Kwok K. The effects of varying break length on attention and time on task[J]. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2015, 58(3): 472-481.

Baumeister R F, Bratslavsky E, Muraven M, Tice D M. Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource? [J]. Journal of personality and social psychology, 1998, 74(5).

Kim S, Park Y, Headrick L. Daily micro-breaks and job performance: General work engagement as a cross-level moderator [J]. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2018, 103(7): 772-786.

Fritz Charlotte. Coffee breaks don't boost productivity after all. [J]. Harvard business review, 2012, 90(5).

Trougakos J P, Beal D J, Greensg, et al. Making the break count: an episodic examination of recovery activities, emotional experiences, and positive affective displays [J]. Academy of Management Journal, 2008, 51(1): 131 - 146.

Berman E M, West J P. The effective manager takes a break [J]. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 2007, 27(4): 380-400.

Sonnentag S. Work, recovery activities, and individual well - being: a diary study [J]. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2001, 6 (3): 196-210.

Rzeszotarski J M, Chi E, Paritosh P, et al. Inserting micro-breaks into crowdsourcing workflows [R]. Paper Presented at First AAAI Conference on Human Computation and Crowdsourcing California, America, 2013.

Bernardin H J, Beatty R W. Performance aooraisal: assessing human behavior at work [J]. Kent Human Resource Management, 1984.

Yang, J., Fang, L. L., Ling, W. Quan. Some issues in performance evaluation [J]. Applied Psychology, 2000(02): 53-58.

Jerry W. Gilley, Ann Maycunich, Scott A. Quatro. Comparing the Roles, Responsibilities, and Activities of Transactional and Transformational HRD Professionals [J]. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 2002, 15(4).

Katz D, kahn R L. The social psychology of organizations [M]. New York: Wiley, 1978.

Ronna F. Dillon. Predicting Academic Achievement with Models Based on Eye Movement Data [J]. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 1985, 3(2).

Campbell J P. The definition and measurement of performance in the new age [A]. D R, Ilgen, E D. Pulakos. The changing nature of performance: Implications for staffing, motivation, and development [C]. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Borman W C, Motowidlo S J. Expanding the criterion domain to include elements of contextual performance. Personnel selection in organizations [C]. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Rotundo Maria. The relative importance of task, citizenship, and counterproductive performance to global ratings of job performance: a policy-capturing approach [J]. The Journal of applied psychology, 2002, 87(1): 66-80.

Woodruffe C. What is meant by a competency? [J]. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 1993, 14(1): 29-36.

Han Y, Liao JQ. A study on the effect of performance separability on task performance and relationship performance [J]. Industrial Engineering, 2006, (04): 49-53.

Robert P. Vecchio and Joseph E. Justin and Craig L. Pearce. Empowering leadership: An examination of mediating mechanisms within a hierarchical structure[J]. The Leadership Quarterly, 2010, 21(3): 530-542.

Van Dyne L, Kamdar D & Joireman J. (2008). In-role perceptions buffer the negative impact of low LMX on helping and enhance the positive impact of high LMX on voice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1195-1207.

Podsakoff P M, Mackenzie S B, Bommer W H. Transformational leader behaviors and substitutes for leadership as determinants of employee satisfaction, commitment, trust, and organizational citize[J]. Journal of Management, 1996, 22(2): 259-298.

Wang, Xiao-Chen, Xia, Bing-Nan, Li, Qing, Hao, Jie. A dual-path mechanism of the impact of workplace incivility on organizational citizenship behavior from the perspective of victims[J]. Psychological Science, 2021, 44(04):918-925.

Zhong, L.F., Wang, Z., Li, M., Li, Chao-Ping. A study on the impact of transformational leadership, psychological capital on employees' job performance [J]. Journal of Management, 2013, 10(04):536-544.

Geoffrey B. Sprinkle. The effect of incentive contracts on learning and performance[J]. The Accounting Review, 2000, 75(3): 299-326.

Li Xiaoyu. The relationship between leadership character, organizational citizenship behavior, job burnout, self-efficacy, and job performance [J]. Psychological Research, 2010, 3(04): 70-73+69.

Zhang Lanxia, Liu J, Zhao Haidan, Lou Wei. An empirical study on the relationship between knowledge-based employees' work attitudes and job performance [J]. Journal of Management, 2008(01):138-143.

Joanna Carlisle,Ramudu Bhanugopan,Brian D'Netto. Enhancing task performance through effective training: The mediating role of work environment and moderating effect of non-mandatory training[J]. Journal of Business Research,2019,104(C).

Wang XY, Liao JQ. A study on the mechanism of organizational equity perception on employees' job performance [J]. Jiangxi Social Science, 2007(09): 152-156.

Feng Cailing, Zhang Lihua. The relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership, trust and job performance--a case study of grassroots civil servants[J]. Lanzhou Journal, 2011(03): 46-50.

Ling, X., Wang, Chunxiao. The lasting impact of managers' public servant leadership style on employees' job performance [J]. Tourism Science, 2010, 24(03): 39-48.

Chen, X., Le, Y.. Literature review: the influence of leadership style on project members' performance[J]. Project Management Technology, 2013, 11(05): 42-45.

Cao Dali. A study on the relationship between corporate culture identity and employees' job performance [J]. Chinese and Foreign Entrepreneurs, 2019(34):99.

Qian Liping. The effect of matching type of employees' personality traits and corporate culture on their job performance [D]. Nanjing Normal University, 2007.

Fritz C, Sonnentag S. Recovery, health, and job performance: Effects of weekend experiences[J]. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2005, 10 (3): 187-199.

Henning R A, Jacques P, Kissel G V, et al. Frequent short rest breaks from computer work: Effects on productivity and wellbeing at two field sites[J]. Ergonomics, 1997, 40 (1): 78-91.

Ferrer R A, Grenen E G, Taber J M. Effec-tiveness of internet - based affect induction proce-dures: a systematic review and meta - analysis [J]. Emotion, 2015, 15 (6): 752 - 762.

Chong S H, Kim Y J, Lee H W, et al. Mind your own break! The interactive effect of workday respite activities and mindfulness on employee outcomes via affective linkages[J]. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019.

Garland E L, Farb N A, Goldin P R, et al. Mindfulness broadens awareness and builds eudaimonic meaning: A process model of mindful positive emotion regulation[J]. Psychological Inquiry, 2015, 26(4): 293-314.

Barnes S, Brown K W, Krusemark E, et al. The role of mindfulness in romantic relationship satisfaction and responses to relationship stress[J]. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2007, 33(4): 482-500.

Ackerman P L, Beier M E. Trait Complexes, Cognitive Investment, and Domain Knowledge. In R.J. Sternberg & E. L. Grigorenko (Eds) [M]. NewYork: Cambridge University Press,2003.

Harter J K, Schmidt F L,Hayes T L. Business-unit-level Relationship between Employee Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Business Outcomes: A Meta-analysis [J]. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2002, 87(2): 268-279.

Saks A M. Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement [J]. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2006, 21(7):600-619.

Li YZ, Wang Y, Yang JN. A study on the influence of self-efficacy and work engagement on the work performance of R&D personnel in high-tech enterprises [J]. Science and Science and Technology Management, 2015(02): 173-180.

Wu Shijian, Liu Guoxin, Nie Guodong. The impact of corporate social media frequent and overload use on employee performance [J]. Soft Science, 2020(07): 108-113.

Ho V T, Wong S S, Lee C H.A Tale of Passion: Linking Job Passion and Cognitive Engagement to Employee Work Performance [J]. Journal of Management Studies. 2011, 48(1): 26-47.

Bakker A B. An evidence-based model of work engagement [J]. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2011, 20(4): 265-269.