The dark and the bright sides of proactive work behaviour and situational constraints: Longitudinal relationships with task conflicts

Abstract

We investigated relationships of a job stressor (situational constraints) and specific proactive behaviours with change in task conflicts over time. We introduced two distinct types of proactive work behaviour (promotion-oriented initiative and prevention-oriented initiative) and examined their positive but also negative relationships with change in task conflicts. Study 1 supported the construct validity of promotion-oriented initiative and prevention-oriented initiative for 363 student assistants: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that both types of proactive behaviour were distinct constructs and also distinct from active coping; patterns of correlations were similar to those of a prior concept of proactive behaviour. Study 2 was a longitudinal online survey with 197 employees over 3 weeks. Consistent with our hypotheses, situational constraints and promotion-oriented initiative predicted an increase in task conflicts, whereas prevention-oriented initiative predicted a decrease in task conflicts.

Keywords:

• Hindrance stressors
• Prevention-oriented initiative
• Proactive behaviour
• Promotion-oriented initiative
• Situational constraints
• Task conflicts

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anne Spychala

We would like to thank Carmen Binnewies, Anneloes M. L. Raes, and Jennifer L. Sparr for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article as well as Maike Debus, Mathilde van Haperen, Nora Liers, and Mandy Matthies for their support during data collection.