Interruptions to workflow: Their relationship with irritation and satisfaction with performance, and the mediating roles of time pressure and mental demands

Work and Stress

Volumn 27, Issue 1, 2013, Pages 43-63

  Baethge, Anja ^a   Rigotti, Thomas ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG   (Germany)

^b JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITY   (Germany)

Author keywords

diary study; irritation; mental demands; nurses; performance; time pressure; work stress; workflow interruptions

Indexed keywords

EID: 84874530700     PISSN: 02678373     EISSN: 14645335     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/02678373.2013.761783     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Abramis, D. J. 1994. Relationship of job stressors to job performance: Linear or inverted-u?. Psychological Reports, 75: 547-558. doi:10.2466/pr0.1994.75.1.547
2. Altmann, E. M. and Trafton, J. G. 2002. Memory for goals: An activation-based model. Cognitive Science, 26: 39-83. doi:10.1207/s15516709cog2601_2
3. Aust, B. and Ducki, A. 2004. Comprehensive health promotion interventions at the workplace: Experiences with health circles in Germany. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 9: 258-270. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.9.3.258
4. Baethge, A., & Rigotti, T. 2010a. Arbeitsunterbrechungen und 'Multitasking' in informationsintensiven Berufen - Auswirkungen auf Leistungs-/ Arbeitsfähigkeit und Gesundheit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung älterer Arbeitnehmer [Work interruptions and multitasking in information-intensive occupations-Effects on performance and work ability, health and productivity under particular consideration of ageing employees]. Unpublished Research Report No. F2220_2, Leipzig, Germany: University of Leipzig.
5. Baethge, A., & Rigotti, T. 2010b. Arbeitsunterbrechungen und Multitasking. [Work interruptions and multitasking]. Dortmund/Berlin, Germany: BAUA.
6. Bailey, B. P. and Konstan, J. A. 2006. On the need for attention-aware systems: Measuring effects of interruption on task performance, error rate, and affective state. Computers in Human Behavior, 22: 685-708. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2005.12.009
7. Balas, M. C., Scott, L. D. and Rogers, A. E. 2004. The prevalence and nature of errors and near errors reported by hospital staff nurses. Applied Nursing Research, 17: 224-230. doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2004.09.002
8. Baron, R. M. and Kenny, D. A. 1986. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51: 1173-1182. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173
9. Betsch, T., Haberstroh, S., Molter, B. and Glöckner, A. 2004. Oops, I did it again-Relapse errors in routinized decision making. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 93: 62-74. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2003.09.002
10. Binnewies, C., Sonnentag, S. and Mojza, E. J. 2009. Daily performance at work: Feeling recovered in the morning as a predictor of day-level job performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30: 67-93. doi:10.1002/job.541
11. Boisard, P., Cartron, D., Gollac, M., Valeyre, A. and Besançon, J.-B. 2003. Time and work: Work intensity, Luxembourg, Luxembourg: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
12. Brixey, J. J., Robinson, D. J., Johnson, C. W., Johnson, T. R., Turley, J. P. and Zhang, J. 2007. A concept analysis of the phenomenon interruption. Advances in Nursing Science, 30: E26-E42.
13. Carlton, G. and Blegen, M. 2006. Medication-related errors: A literature of review and antecedents. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 24: 19-38.
14. Dormann, C. and Zapf, D. 2002. Social stressors at work, irritation, and depressive symptoms: Accounting for unmeasured third variables in a multi-wave study. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 75: 33-58. doi:10.1348/096317902167630
15. Durham, C. C., Locke, E. A., Poon, J. M. L. and McLeod, P. L. 2000. Effects of group goals and time pressure on group efficacy, information-seeking strategy, and performance. Human Performance, 13: 115-138. doi:10.1207/s15327043hup1302_1
16. Einstein, G. O., McDaniel, M. A., Williford, C. L., Pagan, J. L. and Dismukes, R. K. 2003. Forgetting of intentions in demanding situations is rapid. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 9: 147-162. doi:10.1037/1076-898X.9.3.147
17. Eyrolle, H. and Cellier, J.-M. 2000. The effects of interruptions in work activity: Field and laboratory results. Applied Ergonomics, 31: 537-543. doi:10.1016/S0003-6870(00)00019-3
18. Frese, M. and Zapf, D. 1994. "Action as the core of work psychology: A German approach". In Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Edited by: Triandis, H. C. and Dunnette, M. D. 271-340. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
19. Gadbois, C., Bourgeois, P., Goeh-Akue-Gad, M. M., Guillaume, J. and Urbain, M. A. 1992. Hospital design and the temporal and spatial organization of nursing activity. Work & Stress, 6: 277-291. doi:10.1080/02678379208259958
20. Gillie, T. and Broadbent, D. 1989. What makes interruptions disruptive? A study of length, similarity, and complexity. Psychological Research-Psychologische Forschung, 50: 243-250. doi:10.1007/BF00309260
21. Grebner, S., Semmer, N. K., Lo Faso, L., Gut, S., Kälin, W. and Elfering, A. 2003. Working conditions, well-being and job-related attitudes among call centre agents. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 12: 341-365. doi:10.1080/13594320344000192
22. Grundgeiger, T. and Sanderson, P. 2009. Interruptions in healthcare: Theoretical views. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 78: 293-307. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2008.10.001
23. Hacker, W. 1973. Allgemeine Arbeits- und Ingenieurpsychologie: Psychische Struktur und Regulation von Arbeitstätigkeiten [General industrial and engineering psychology-Mental structure and regulation of working activities], Berlin, Germany: Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, VEB.
24. Hacker, W. 2005. Allgemeine Arbeitspsychologie - Psychische Regulation von Wissens-, Denk- und körperlicher Arbeit [General industrial psychology-Mental regulation of knowledge work, mental work and physical work], 2nd ed, Bern, Switzerland: Huber.
25. Hart, S. G. and Staveland, L. E. 1988. "Development of a multi-dimensional workload rating scale: Results of empirical and theoretical research". In Human mental workload, Edited by: Hancock, P. A. and Meshkati, N. 139-183. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
26. Ho, C.-Y., Nikolic, M. I., Waters, M. J. and Sarter, N. B. 2004. Not now! Supporting interruption management by indicating the modality and urgency of pending tasks. Human Factors, 46: 399-409. doi:10.1518/hfes.46.3.399.50397
27. Hockey, G. R. J. 1997. Compensatory control in the regulation of human performance under stress and high workload: A cognitive-energetical framework. Biological Psychology, 45: 73-93. doi:10.1016/S0301-0511(96)05223-4
28. Höge, T. 2009. When work strain transcends psychological boundaries. An inquiry into the relationship between time pressure, irritation, work-family conflict and psychosomatic complaints. Stress and Health, 25: 41-51. doi:10.1002/smi.1226
29. Jacobshagen, N., Rigotti, T., Semmer, N. K. and Mohr, G. 2009. Irritation at school: Reasons to initiate strain management earlier. International Journal of Stress Management, 16: 195-214. doi:10.1037/a0016595
30. Kirkcaldy, B. D. and Martin, T. 2000. Job stress and satisfaction among nurses: Individual differences. Stress Medicine, 16: 77-89. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(200003)16:2%3C77::AID-SMI835%3E3.0.CO;2-Z
31. Kirmeyer, S. L. 1988. Coping with competing demands: Interruption and the Type A pattern. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73: 621-629. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.73.4.621
32. Konradt, U., Hertel, G. and Schmook, R. 2003. Quality of management by objectives, task-related stressors and non-task-related stressors as predictors of stress and job satisfaction among teleworkers. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 12: 61-80. doi:10.1080/13594320344000020
33. Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. 2008. The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. CHI 2008 Proceedings, 107-110.
34. McDaniel, M. A. and Einstein, G. O. 2000. Strategic and automatic processes in prospective memory retrieval: A multiprocess framework. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 14: S127-S144. doi:10.1002/acp.775
35. Mohr, G., Müller, A. and Rigotti, T. 2005. Normwerte der Skala Irritation: Zwei Dimensionen psychischer Beanspruchung [Standardisation data of the Irritation Scale. Two dimensions of mental strain]. Diagnostica, 51: 12-20. doi:10.1026/0012-1924.51.1.12
36. Mohr, G., Müller, A., Rigotti, T., Aycan, Z. and Tschan, F. 2006. The assessment of psychological strain in work contexts: Concerning the structural equivalency of nine language adaptations of the Irritation-scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 22: 198-206. doi:10.1027/1015-5759.22.3.198
37. Monk, C. A., Boehm-Davis, D. A. and Trafton, J. G. 2004. Recovering from interruptions: Implications for driver distraction research. Human Factors, 46: 650-663. doi:10.1518/hfes.46.4.650.56816
38. Monsell, S. 2003. Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7: 134-140. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00028-7
39. Ohly, S., Sonnentag, S., Niessen, C. and Zapf, D. 2010. Diary studies in organizational research-An introduction and some practical recommendations. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 9: 79-93. doi:10.1027/1866-5888/a000009
40. Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y. and Podsakoff, N. P. 2003. Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88: 879-903. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
41. Raudenbush, S. W., Bryk, A. S., & Congdon, R. T. 2009. HLM (6.08) [Computer software]. Lincolnwood, IL: Scientific Software International.
42. Reis, H. T. and Gable, S. L. 2000. "Event-sampling and other methods for studying everyday experience". In Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology, Edited by: Reis, H. T. and Judd, C. M. 190-222. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
43. Rivera-Rodriguez, A. J. and Karsh, B. T. 2010. Interruptions and distractions in healthcare: Review and reappraisal. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 19: 304-312. doi:10.1136/qshc.2009.033282
44. Rout, U., Cooper, C. L. and Rout, J. K. 1996. Job stress among British general practitioners: Predictors of job dissatisfaction and mental ill-health. Stress Medicine, 12: 155-166. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(199607)12:3%3C155::AID-SMI687%3E3.0.CO;2-A
45. Semmer, N. 1996. "Individual differences, work stress and health". In Handbook of work and health psychology, Edited by: Schabracq, M. J., Winnubst, J. A. M. and Cooper, C. L. 83-120. Chichester: Wiley.
46. Semmer, N., Zapf, D., & Dunckel, H. 1999. Instrument zur Stressbezogenen Tätigkeitsanalyse (ISTA) [Instrument for stress-related task analysis (ISTA)]. In Dunckel H. (Hrsg.), Handbuch psychologischer Arbeitsanalyseverfahren. Zürich, Switzerland: vdf-Hochschulverlag.
47. Speier, C., Valacich, J. S. and Vessey, I. 1999. The influence of task interruption on individual decision making: An information overload perspective. Decision Sciences, 30: 337-360. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5915.1999.tb01613.x
48. Trafton, J. G., Altmann, E. M., Brock, D. P. and Mintz, F. 2003. Preparing to resume an interrupted task: Effects of prospective goal encoding and retrospective rehearsal. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 58: 583-603. doi:10.1016/S1071-5819(03)00023-5
49. Tucker, A. L. and Spear, S. J. 2006. Operational failures and interruptions in hospital nursing. Health Service Research, 41: 643-662. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00502.x
50. Weigl, M., Müller, A., Vincent, C., Angerer, P. and Sevdalis, N. 2012. The association of workflow interruptions and hospital doctors' workload: A prospective observational study. British Medical Journal-Quality and Safety, 21: 399-407. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2011-000188
51. Widmer, P. S., Semmer, N. K., Kälin, W., Jacobshagen, N. and Meier, L. 2012. The ambivalence of challenge stressors: Time pressure associated with both negative and positive well-being. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80: 422-433. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2011.09.006
52. Wülser, M. 2006. Fehlbeanspruchung bei personenbezogenen Dienstleistungstätigkeiten [Strain in human service work] (Unpublished dissertation). University of Potsdam, Germany.
53. Zapf, D. 1993. Stress-oriented analysis of computerized office work. European Work and Organizational Psychologist, 3: 85-100. doi:10.1080/09602009308408580
54. Zeigarnik, B. 1927. Das Behalten erledigter und unerledigter Handlungen [Remembering finished, and unfinished actions]. Psychologische Forschung, 9: 1-85. doi:10.1007/BF02409755
55. Zhang, Z., Zyphur, M. J. and Preacher, K. J. 2009. Testing multilevel mediation using hierarchical linear models: Problems and solutions. Organizational Research Methods, 12: 695-719. doi:10.1177/1094428108327450
56. Zijlstra, F. R. H., Roe, R. A., Leonora, A. B. and Krediet, I. 1999. Temporal factors in mental work: Effects of interrupted activities. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72: 164-185. doi:10.1348/096317999166581