The Effect of Change On Adaptive Performance: Does Expressive Suppression Moderate the Indirect Effect of Strain?

Abstract

This study examined the relation between employees' perceived extent of change and adaptive performance, focusing on the roles of expressive suppression (i.e. the habit of suppressing overt expressions of emotion) at work and perceived strain. Analysing survey data of 153 employees in Germany with different occupational backgrounds via bootstrapping, the conceptual moderated indirect effect scheme was supported. As hypothesized, greater changes were associated with higher strain. Strain, in turn, was negatively related to adaptive performance. Although extent of change did not directly affect adaptive performance, the data supported the expected indirect relationship via strain. Finally, expressive suppression at work acted as a buffer of this indirect effect: extent of change was only negatively related to strain for employees low in suppression. In line with newer evidence, our results indicate that the suppression of overt emotional expressions at work can have positive effects under certain circumstances.

Keywords:

• Expressive suppression
• change
• strain
• adaptive performance
• moderated indirect effect

Acknowledgements

We thank Julia Kirchberg for her support in data collection.

Notes

Other labels like ‘emotional inhibition’ (Roger and Nesshoever, 1987) and ‘emotional suppression’ (Gross and Levenson, 1993) have synonymously been used for the same construct. In this study, the label ‘expressive suppression’ is used, because it best describes that it is the overt expression of emotion (and not the emotional experience) that is suppressed.