A Socio-technical Framework for Addressing the Influence of Work Time and Income on Work Well Being
Abstract
In contrast to the striking discussion of working overtime in the media, it remains unclear in academic research whether longer work time leads to job burnout and procrastination. Informed by job demands-resources model and challenges-hinderance model, this study examined the role of work hour, time perspective, and income in predicting job burnout and procrastination at work. The results of this survey study, conducted with 223 Chinese employees located in 30 provincial areas, show that work hour only predicted emotional exhaustion. Neither emotional exhaustion nor procrastination at work was predicted by income. Screen time on mobile phone predicted procrastination. By contrast, time perspective predicted both. The findings suggest that work hour can work as resources when it is appraised as supporting personal growth and development, whereas income was not necessarily appraised as supportive of personal development. Additionally, a theoretical perspective of imbalance between effort and reward explained job burnout and procrastination better than their independent effects. Theoretical framework for promoting off-task activities based on context-aware persuasion was proposed. Finally, informed by the philosophy of socio-technical design, this study called for a holistic and collective-oriented perspective to design technical systems for employee.