Changes in work-related boredom and their affective and behavioural consequences: the moderating role of job control

Boredom is a common emotional experience at work and may therefore fluctuate over time. An important question is how employees respond to changes in work-related boredom. The present study therefore examined (1) if changes in work-related boredom relate to changes in depressed mood and frustration and if job control moderates these associations, and (2) if changes in those affective outcomes mediate the relationships between changes in work-related boredom and changes in procrastination and counterproductive work behaviour. We also explored whether these associations occur concurrently or lagged. Survey data were collected in a three-wave design with six weeks between waves (nt1 = 1018; nt2 = 750; nt3 = 547). Latent change scores analyses showed that changes in work-related boredom were positively associated with concurrent (but not lagged) changes in depressed mood and frustration, and that these relationships were weaker for higher levels of job control. Changes in depressed mood and frustration mediated the positive relationships between changes in work-related boredom and concurrent (but not lagged) changes in procrastination and counterproductive work behaviour. These findings show how changes in work-related boredom co-occur with changes in negative affect and work behaviour, and suggest that increases in boredom are accompanied by concurrent changes in these outcomes.