Appreciation by Supervisors Buffers the Impact of Work Interruptions on Well-Being Longitudinally

This study analyzed the effects of work interruptions as a stressor and appreciation of workers by supervisors as a resource with regard to four parameters of well-being, postulating main effects as well as interactions. Using latent moderated structural equation modeling, we analyzed longitudinal data on 208 employees at seven different companies who completed an online questionnaire twice. Whereas there were few main effects, the interactions between work interruptions and appreciation by supervisors were significant, and in the expected direction: appreciation by supervisors moderated the effects of interruptions on the four parameters of workers’ well-being: job satisfaction, self-efficacy, job-related depressive mood, and sleep problems. These results held after accounting for conceptually relevant control variables, namely time pressure, job control, and social support by supervisors. Reversed effects were only weakly indicated. The findings underscore the importance of contextual factors like appreciative leader behavior for handling difficult situations such as work interruptions, and thus confirm the potential of feeling appreciated at work as a protective resource in stressful work situations.