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Building Positive Resources: Effects Of Positive Events And Positive Reflection On Work Stress And Health

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The Academy of Management Journal

Published online on

Abstract

This three-week longitudinal field study with an experimental intervention examines the association between daily events and employee stress and health, with a specific focus on positive events. Results suggest both naturally occurring positive work events and a positive reflection intervention are associated with reduced stress and improved health, though effects vary across momentary, lagged, daily, and day-to-evening spillover analyses. Findings are consistent with theory-based predictions: positive events, negative events, and family-to-work conflict independently contribute to perceived stress, blood pressure, physical symptoms, mental health, and work detachment, suggesting organizations should focus not only on reducing negative events, but also on increasing positive events. Findings show that a brief, end-of-workday positive reflection led to decreased stress and improved health in the evening.