From Friction to Fulfillment: Examining When and How Spousal Active-Destructive Responsiveness to Employees' Sharing of Positive Events Benefits the Work Domain

Abstract

Previous research shows that spousal active-destructive responsiveness to their partner's sharing of positive events has a negative impact on outcomes within the family domain. We shift the focus of the literature to the work domain and challenge the conventional wisdom to theorize that spousal active-destructive responsiveness can spill over to enhance employee work-related outcomes under specific conditions. Specifically, we draw on the self-concordance model to hypothesize that spousal active-destructive responsiveness in the evening indirectly increases employee job satisfaction in the following afternoon via work engagement in the following morning for employees with lower rather than higher proactive personality. We used an experience sampling method to collect daily three-wave survey data (N = 1066) from 125 employee–spouse dyads over a consecutive two-week period (10 working days) and found support for our hypotheses. Our study provides insights into the spousal responsiveness literature and has implications for managerial practice.