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Flow in the Context of Work

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Advances in Flow Research

Abstract

Flow can be experienced both during leisure activities and during work and research shows that flow is even more often experienced at work. Considering its positive consequences, fostering flow is a relevant topic for employees and organizations. The consequences and antecedents of flow at the workplace as described in the literature can be conceived as falling into three spheres—the individual sphere, the job/task sphere and the organizational/social sphere—and their intersections. Regarding the consequences, studies find consistently positive effects of flow on measures of well-being and performance, making flow a positive experience relevant to both individuals and organizations. Regarding the antecedents, flow was found to be facilitated by individual resources (such as self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience), by specific task characteristics (such as those described in the Job Characteristics Model, e.g., autonomy, skill variety and task identity) and by organizational/social factors such as the organizational climate, the leadership style of the supervisor and the interactions with colleagues. It is noticeable that many of the effects are bi-directional, with flow affecting resources that affect flow at a later point in time. Referring to person-environment fit theory, the chapter also highlights the important role of the person-environment interaction, which includes a fit of an individual’s attributes with the attributes of the job/task as well as with attributes of the organizational/social environment.

This chapter is based on the article: Peifer, C. & Wolters, G. (2017). Bei der Arbeit im Fluss sein: Voraussetzungen und Konsequenzen von Flow am Arbeitsplatz [Being in flow at work: Conditions and consequences of flow at the workplace], Wirtschaftspsychologie, 19 (3), 6–22. With permission of Pabst Science Publishers, the article has been translated, updated, substantially revised, and extended particularly with respect to the theoretical integration and framework.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Kuo and Ho (2010) define those constructs as follows: Tangibility = “the degree to which the physical facilities, equipment, and employee’s appearance are satisfactory.” Reliability= “the degree to which the employee has the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.” Responsiveness = “the degree to which the employee will help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance = “the degree to which the employee has the knowledge, courtesy, and ability to inspire trust and confidence.” Empathy = “the degree to which the employee cares and can provide individualized attention to customers.” (Kuo & Ho 2010, p. 538).

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Corinna Peifer

  2. Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Gina Wolters

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Corinna Peifer

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany

    Stefan Engeser

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Peifer, C., Wolters, G. (2021). Flow in the Context of Work. In: Peifer, C., Engeser, S. (eds) Advances in Flow Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53468-4_11

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