Daily Effects of Challenge and Hindrance Stressors on Work-to-Family Spillover: The Moderating Effects of Engaging in Workaholic Behaviors

This study seeks to investigate the effects of challenge and hindrance stressors, and the moderating role of workaholic behaviors in predicting work-to-family positive and negative spillover. Non-instructional personnel at a public university completed measures of stressors and workaholic behaviors during the workday and work-to-family spillover before going to bed over a period of five weekdays (Level-1 N = 386; Level-2 N = 106). Results from multilevel regression indicated that challenge stressors exhibited no relationship with work-to-family positive or negative spillover, while hindrance stressors were positively related to negative work-to-family spillover. Additionally, workday hindrance, but not challenge, stressors interacted with workaholic behaviors to predict nightly work-to-family positive and negative spillover. Our findings highlight the detrimental effects of hindrance stressors on days when employees engage in workaholic behaviors and offer insights regarding reducing such stressors in the workplace.