7 Explaining Vigor: On the Antecede

7 Explaining Vigor: On the Antecedents and
Consequences of Vigor as a Positive Affect at Work
Arie Shirom

The focus of this study is on vigor as a positive affect experienced at work, its antecedents and consequences. Vigor refers to individuals’ feelings that they possess physical strength, emotional energy and cognitive liveliness, a set of interrelated affective experiences. This focus is congruent with recent calls that researchers study human strengths and positive psychological capacities (Peterson and Seligman, 2004; Seligman et al., 2005). Vigor has very rarely been the topic of any conceptual and integrative analysis. Vigor may be described as the affective dimension of the energy reservoirs that employees possess and therefore is directly related to the construct of work motivation. Work motivation is often viewed as a set of energetic forces that originate within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration (Latham and Pinder, 2005). Thus motivational processes in organizations represent in part individuals’ decisions to allocate energy over time from their energetic resources among different activities. It follows that one could consider a certain threshold of perceived vigor, and individuals’ feelings that they possess it as action orientations or motivation predisposition (Ellsworth and Scherer, 2003), as a prerequisite to any motivational processes in organizations. Following widely accepted views of emotions and moods (Gray and Watson, 2001), vigor combines elements of a specific emotion in that it is contextualized in individuals’ work situation, but it is closer to a mood state in that it tends to last days and even weeks. Therefore, I refer to vigor as an affective state that combines elements of an emotion and of a mood state. It represents, like all other specific affective states (e.g. Watson, 2002), a fundamental action tendency. Individuals’ appraisals of their energetic resources are discussed below as theoretically distinct from the feeling of vigor, following Lazarus and Folkman’s appraisal theory (1984: 273–4, 284–5). In nature, these appraisals and the feeling of vigor probably appear conjoined, mutually affecting each other over time. The focus on vigor as an affective state follows the cognitive-motivationalrelational theory developed by Lazarus and his colleagues (Lazarus, 2001; Smith and Lazarus, 1993). This theory implies a discrete-category approach to affective states, each having its own core relational themes and coping implications. Furthermore, it posits that conceptualizing the
distinctive characteristics, antecedents and consequences of each enriches and extends our understanding of employees’ attempts to survive and flourish in their work environment (Lazarus and Cohen-Charash, 2001). The chapter is organized in three sections. The first section provides a summary of past conceptual approaches to vigor and of measures constructed to assess it. Elaborating and considerably extending an earlier conceptualization of vigor (Shirom, 2004), I describe in the next section a theoretical model that specifies its antecedents and consequences. This theoretical model is based on the conservation of resources theory. I conclude by pointing out a few open research questions that concern the study of vigor at work.

Vigor as a positive affective state

The construct of vigor represents one of the affective states referred to in the emerging research area of positive affect (Dahlsgaard et al., 2005; Peterson and Seligman, 2004; Snyder and Lopez, 2002). A leading model in this research area is the positive emotions model (PEM), which proposes that positive emotions, like happiness, joy, pride, and love, have health-protecting physiological effects, including low autonomic reactivity relative to the effects of negative emotions (Fredrickson, 2002; Tugade et al., 2004). Fredrickson’s (2002) broaden-and-build theory posits that positive emotions tend to enhance activity levels while negative emotions have the opposite effect of narrowing activity levels. The enhancing effects of positive feelings on physical health and longevity are supported by an accumulating body of evidence (Faragher et al., 2005; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Rozanski and Kubzansky, 2005; Salovey et al., 2000a). The biological mechanisms underlying these effects of positive emotions are likely to include their enhancing the immune system’s capacity to mount an effective response to challenges and the adoption of healthy life-style habits like smoking abstention (Rozanski and Kubzansky, 2005; Ryff et al., 2004). How does vigor relate to other affective states? Russell (1980, 2003) proposed that each affective state can be identified and differentiated from other affective states by where it lies on the two-dimensional space that consists of the horizontal dimension of pleasure–displeasure and of the vertical dimension of arousal–sleepiness. In this two-dimensional space, vigor represents positive arousal or a combination of moderate amounts of arousal and pleasure. In the same space, vigor’s counterpart in the quadrant of displeasure–arousal is anxiety, and its mirror-image in the quadrant of displeasure–sleepiness is burnout, combining displeasure with lack of arousal. In contrast to burnout and anxiety, however, vigor is a component of the approach-oriented behavior facilitation system. This system, according to Watson (2002), directs organisms toward situations and experiences that potentially may yield pleasure and reward and facilitates the procuring of resources like food, shelter and sexual partners – resources that are essential for the survival of both the individual and the species. Carver and Scheier’s (1998) model of regulated behavior expresses an analogous theoretical perspective in that it regards positive emotions as resulting from advancement or doing better on goal attainment at a pace faster than expected.

Results (Indonesian) 1:

7 menjelaskan semangat: pada pendahulunya danKonsekuensi dari semangat sebagai pengaruh positif di tempat kerjaArie ShiromThe focus of this study is on vigor as a positive affect experienced at work, its antecedents and consequences. Vigor refers to individuals’ feelings that they possess physical strength, emotional energy and cognitive liveliness, a set of interrelated affective experiences. This focus is congruent with recent calls that researchers study human strengths and positive psychological capacities (Peterson and Seligman, 2004; Seligman et al., 2005). Vigor has very rarely been the topic of any conceptual and integrative analysis. Vigor may be described as the affective dimension of the energy reservoirs that employees possess and therefore is directly related to the construct of work motivation. Work motivation is often viewed as a set of energetic forces that originate within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration (Latham and Pinder, 2005). Thus motivational processes in organizations represent in part individuals’ decisions to allocate energy over time from their energetic resources among different activities. It follows that one could consider a certain threshold of perceived vigor, and individuals’ feelings that they possess it as action orientations or motivation predisposition (Ellsworth and Scherer, 2003), as a prerequisite to any motivational processes in organizations. Following widely accepted views of emotions and moods (Gray and Watson, 2001), vigor combines elements of a specific emotion in that it is contextualized in individuals’ work situation, but it is closer to a mood state in that it tends to last days and even weeks. Therefore, I refer to vigor as an affective state that combines elements of an emotion and of a mood state. It represents, like all other specific affective states (e.g. Watson, 2002), a fundamental action tendency. Individuals’ appraisals of their energetic resources are discussed below as theoretically distinct from the feeling of vigor, following Lazarus and Folkman’s appraisal theory (1984: 273–4, 284–5). In nature, these appraisals and the feeling of vigor probably appear conjoined, mutually affecting each other over time. The focus on vigor as an affective state follows the cognitive-motivationalrelational theory developed by Lazarus and his colleagues (Lazarus, 2001; Smith and Lazarus, 1993). This theory implies a discrete-category approach to affective states, each having its own core relational themes and coping implications. Furthermore, it posits that conceptualizing theciri khas, pendahulunya dan konsekuensi dari masing-masing memperkaya dan meluas pemahaman kita tentang upaya karyawan untuk bertahan hidup dan berkembang di lingkungan kerja mereka (Lazarus dan Cohen-Charash, 2001). Bab ini disusun dalam tiga bagian. Bagian pertama menyediakan ringkasan selama pendekatan konseptual untuk semangat dan langkah-langkah yang dibangun untuk menilai itu. Menguraikan dan sangat memperluas konseptualisasi sebelumnya dari semangat (Shirom, 2004), saya jelaskan di bagian berikutnya model teoritis yang menentukan dengan pendahulunya dan konsekuensi. Model teoritis ini didasarkan pada konservasi sumber daya teori. Saya menyimpulkannya dengan menunjukan beberapa pertanyaan terbuka yang menyangkut studi semangat di tempat kerja.Semangat sebagai keadaan afektif positifThe construct of vigor represents one of the affective states referred to in the emerging research area of positive affect (Dahlsgaard et al., 2005; Peterson and Seligman, 2004; Snyder and Lopez, 2002). A leading model in this research area is the positive emotions model (PEM), which proposes that positive emotions, like happiness, joy, pride, and love, have health-protecting physiological effects, including low autonomic reactivity relative to the effects of negative emotions (Fredrickson, 2002; Tugade et al., 2004). Fredrickson’s (2002) broaden-and-build theory posits that positive emotions tend to enhance activity levels while negative emotions have the opposite effect of narrowing activity levels. The enhancing effects of positive feelings on physical health and longevity are supported by an accumulating body of evidence (Faragher et al., 2005; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Rozanski and Kubzansky, 2005; Salovey et al., 2000a). The biological mechanisms underlying these effects of positive emotions are likely to include their enhancing the immune system’s capacity to mount an effective response to challenges and the adoption of healthy life-style habits like smoking abstention (Rozanski and Kubzansky, 2005; Ryff et al., 2004). How does vigor relate to other affective states? Russell (1980, 2003) proposed that each affective state can be identified and differentiated from other affective states by where it lies on the two-dimensional space that consists of the horizontal dimension of pleasure–displeasure and of the vertical dimension of arousal–sleepiness. In this two-dimensional space, vigor represents positive arousal or a combination of moderate amounts of arousal and pleasure. In the same space, vigor’s counterpart in the quadrant of displeasure–arousal is anxiety, and its mirror-image in the quadrant of displeasure–sleepiness is burnout, combining displeasure with lack of arousal. In contrast to burnout and anxiety, however, vigor is a component of the approach-oriented behavior facilitation system. This system, according to Watson (2002), directs organisms toward situations and experiences that potentially may yield pleasure and reward and facilitates the procuring of resources like food, shelter and sexual partners – resources that are essential for the survival of both the individual and the species. Carver and Scheier’s (1998) model of regulated behavior expresses an analogous theoretical perspective in that it regards positive emotions as resulting from advancement or doing better on goal attainment at a pace faster than expected.

Results (Indonesian) 2:

7 Menjelaskan Vigor: Di Anteseden dan
Konsekuensi Vigor sebagai Positif Mempengaruhi Kerja
Arie Shirom Fokus penelitian ini adalah pada kekuatan sebagai mempengaruhi dialami di tempat kerja, pendahulunya positif dan konsekuensi. Vigor mengacu perasaan individu bahwa mereka memiliki kekuatan fisik, energi emosional dan keaktifan kognitif, satu set pengalaman afektif yang saling terkait. Fokus ini sejalan dengan panggilan terakhir yang peneliti mempelajari kekuatan manusia dan kapasitas psikologis yang positif (Peterson dan Seligman, 2004; Seligman et al, 2005.). Vigor telah sangat jarang menjadi topik setiap analisis konseptual dan integratif. Vigor dapat digambarkan sebagai dimensi afektif dari waduk energi yang dimiliki karyawan dan karena itu secara langsung berkaitan dengan konstruk motivasi kerja. Motivasi kerja sering dipandang sebagai satu set kekuatan energik yang berasal dalam serta luar makhluk individu, untuk memulai perilaku yang berhubungan dengan pekerjaan dan untuk menentukan yang bentuk, arah, intensitas, dan durasi (Latham dan Pinder, 2005). Dengan demikian proses motivasi dalam organisasi merupakan keputusan individu bagian 'untuk mengalokasikan energi dari waktu ke waktu dari sumber daya mereka energik antara kegiatan yang berbeda. Oleh karena itu salah satu dapat mempertimbangkan batas tertentu semangat dirasakan, dan perasaan individu yang mereka miliki sebagai orientasi tindakan atau motivasi predisposisi (Ellsworth dan Scherer, 2003), sebagai prasyarat untuk setiap proses motivasi dalam organisasi. Berikut pandangan diterima secara luas emosi dan suasana hati (Gray dan Watson, 2001), kekuatan menggabungkan unsur emosi tertentu dalam bahwa itu dikontekstualisasikan dalam situasi kerja individu, tetapi lebih dekat ke keadaan mood dalam hal itu cenderung hari terakhir dan bahkan berminggu-minggu. Oleh karena itu, saya lihat semangat sebagai negara afektif yang menggabungkan unsur emosi dan keadaan mood. Ini mewakili, seperti semua negara tertentu lainnya afektif (misalnya Watson, 2002), tindakan kecenderungan mendasar. Penilaian individu dari sumber daya mereka energik dibahas di bawah secara teoritis berbeda dari perasaan semangat, berikut Lazarus dan Folkman teori ini appraisal (1984: 273-4, 284-5). Di alam, penilaian ini dan perasaan semangat mungkin muncul siam, saling mempengaruhi satu sama lain dari waktu ke waktu. Fokus pada kekuatan sebagai negara afektif mengikuti teori kognitif-motivationalrelational dikembangkan oleh Lazarus dan rekan-rekannya (Lazarus, 2001; Smith dan Lazarus, 1993). Teori ini menyiratkan pendekatan diskrit-kategori untuk negara afektif, masing-masing memiliki tema relasional inti sendiri dan mengatasi implikasi. Selain itu, berpendapat bahwa konseptualisasi karakteristik khas, anteseden dan konsekuensi dari setiap memperkaya dan memperluas pemahaman kita tentang upaya karyawan untuk bertahan hidup dan berkembang di lingkungan kerja mereka (Lazarus dan Cohen-Charash, 2001). Bab ini disusun dalam tiga bagian. Bagian pertama memberikan ringkasan pendekatan konseptual masa lalu untuk semangat dan langkah-langkah yang dibangun untuk menilai itu. Mengelaborasi dan jauh memperluas sebuah konseptualisasi sebelumnya semangat (Shirom, 2004), saya jelaskan pada bagian berikutnya model teoritis yang menentukan anteseden dan konsekuensi. Model teoritis ini didasarkan pada konservasi teori sumber. Saya menyimpulkan dengan menunjukkan sebuah pertanyaan penelitian terbuka beberapa yang menyangkut studi semangat di tempat kerja. Vigor sebagai negara afektif positif The membangun semangat merupakan salah satu negara afektif disebut di daerah penelitian yang muncul dari mempengaruhi positif (Dahlsgaard et al. , 2005; Peterson dan Seligman, 2004; Snyder dan Lopez, 2002). Sebuah model terkemuka di daerah penelitian ini adalah emosi positif Model (PEM), yang mengusulkan bahwa emosi positif, seperti kebahagiaan, sukacita, kebanggaan, dan cinta, memiliki kesehatan-melindungi efek fisiologis, termasuk rendah otonom reaktivitas relatif terhadap efek dari emosi negatif (Fredrickson, 2002; Tugade et al, 2004.). Fredrickson (2002) memperluas-dan-membangun teori berpendapat bahwa emosi positif cenderung meningkatkan tingkat aktivitas sementara emosi negatif memiliki efek berlawanan dari tingkat aktivitas penyempitan. Efek meningkatkan perasaan positif pada kesehatan fisik dan umur panjang yang didukung oleh badan mengumpulkan bukti (Faragher et al, 2005;.. Lyubomirsky dkk, 2005; Rozanski dan Kubzansky, 2005; Salovey et al, 2000a.). Mekanisme biologis yang mendasari efek ini emosi positif cenderung untuk memasukkan mereka meningkatkan kapasitas sistem kekebalan tubuh untuk me-mount respon yang efektif terhadap tantangan dan adopsi kebiasaan gaya hidup sehat seperti abstain merokok (Rozanski dan Kubzansky, 2005;. Ryff et al, 2004). Bagaimana semangat berhubungan dengan negara-negara afektif lainnya? Russell (1980, 2003) mengusulkan bahwa setiap negara afektif dapat diidentifikasi dan dibedakan dari negara afektif lain dengan mana itu terletak pada ruang dua dimensi yang terdiri dari dimensi horizontal kesenangan-ketidaksenangan dan dimensi vertikal gairah-kantuk. Dalam ruang dua dimensi ini, semangat mewakili gairah positif atau kombinasi dari jumlah moderat gairah dan kesenangan. Di ruang yang sama, rekan semangat dalam kuadran ketidaksenangan-gairah adalah kecemasan, dan cermin-gambar di kuadran ketidaksenangan-kantuk adalah kelelahan, menggabungkan ketidaksenangan dengan kurangnya gairah. Berbeda dengan kelelahan dan kecemasan, namun, semangat adalah komponen dari sistem fasilitasi perilaku pendekatan berorientasi. Sistem ini, menurut Watson (2002), mengarahkan organisme terhadap situasi dan pengalaman yang berpotensi menghasilkan kesenangan dan penghargaan dan memfasilitasi pengadaan sumber daya seperti makanan, tempat tinggal dan pasangan seksual - sumber yang penting untuk kelangsungan hidup baik individu dan spesies. Carver dan (1998) Model Scheier tentang perilaku diatur mengungkapkan perspektif teoritis analog dalam hal ini menganggap emosi positif sebagai akibat dari kemajuan atau melakukan lebih baik pada pencapaian tujuan dengan kecepatan lebih cepat dari yang diharapkan.