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Physical activity always benefits employees, right? Examining the role of physical activity type, grit, stress, and career satisfaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2022

Carol Flinchbaugh Open the ORCID record for Carol Flinchbaugh [Opens in a new window] ,
Qin Zhou  and
Mortaza Zare
Carol Flinchbaugh*
Affiliation:
College of Business, New Mexico State University, MSC 3DJ, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA
Qin Zhou
Affiliation:
College of Business, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
Mortaza Zare
Affiliation:
College of Business, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, TX, USA
*
*Corresponding author: E-mail: cflinch@nmsu.edu
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Abstract

This study tests whether employee participation in different types of physical activity benefits employees' training stress and career satisfaction perceptions differently and if grit, as a psychological resource, mediates this relationship. In two samples, we assess whether (1) regular physical activity; or (2) exercise to reach a competitive goal have similar associations with employee outcomes. In study 1, we find no relationship between employee engagement in regular physical activity and the outcomes. Moreover, grit's consistency of effort mediates the physical activity – training stress relationship, exacerbating employees' training stress. In study 2, employee exercise reduces career satisfaction and increases training stress. Importantly, grit's perseverance dimension increases their career satisfaction, and the consistency of interest dimension lessens training stress. Thus, we find evidence that employee participation in different types of physical activity leads to divergent outcomes, and that grit as a mediator only benefits employees exercising for a competitive goal.

Keywords

Career satisfactiongritphysical activitypsychological resourcestress
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , First View , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2022

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