Interest Incongruence and Job Performance: Examining the Moderating Roles of Job Crafting and Positive Affect

Abstract

Interest incongruence between employees and work environments has been considered as an adverse working condition; however, the way employees cope with it has rarely been explored. Using the conservation of resources theory, the appraisal theory, and the broaden-and-build theory, this study aims to investigate the moderating roles of job crafting and trait positive affect, separately and interactively, in the relationship between interest incongruence and job performance. Data collected from 384 Chinese employees and their colleagues across two time periods supported our hypotheses. Specifically, findings indicated that the relationship between interest incongruence and job performance was weakened when employees were more engaged in job crafting, or for employees with high positive affect. More importantly, a three-way interaction suggested that the detrimental impact of interest incongruence on job performance was especially mitigated when both job crafting and positive affect were high. Future studies should consider the combined roles of employees’ proactive behaviors and trait affectivity in improving job performance.