Development and validation of the Post-Vacation Work Adjustment Scale (P-VWAS): Study of a Portuguese sample

Cátia Sousa, Gabriela Gonçalves

Accepted December 31, 2020

First published December 31, 2020

https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.289.4

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a scale of post-vacation work adjustment and test its factorial structure and psychometric properties. By carrying out two studies (n = 232 and n = 332), the results allow to obtain a scale composed of 19 items and two dimensions (Organizational adjustment and Work-life balance). The scale showed good values of internal consistency and acceptable adjustment indexes. The scale showed predictive validity on the productivity level and concentration degree on the first day of return to work after vacations. The scale proved to be invariant between genders and in relation to the time of return from vacation. Additional studies are needed to reinforce and adjust the scale, which is a contribution to understanding the process of adjusting to work after vacations. The identification of the employee’s adjustment degree will allow the definition of a set of measures and strategies for their optimization in the organizations’ work contexts.

References

  • BENTLER, P. & BONETT, D. (1980). Significance tests and goodnessof fit in the analysis of covariance structures. PsychologicalBulletin, 88, 588-606.

    doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588
  • BENTLER, P. & WU, E. (2002). EQS for windows user’s guide. Encino,CA: Multivariate Software, Inc.

  • BINNEWIES, C., SONNENTAG, S. & MOJZA, E. (2009). Dailyperformance at work: Feeling recovered in the morning as apredictor of day‐level job performance. Journal of OrganizationalBehavior, 30 (1), 67-93.

    doi.org/10.1002/job.541
  • BLASCHE, G., ARLINGHAUS, A. & DORNER, T. (2014). Leisureopportunities and fatigue in employees: A large cross-sectionalstudy. Leisure Sciences, 36 (3), 235-250.

    doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2014.886981
  • BLOOM, J., GEURTS, S. & KOMPIER, M. (2012). Effects of shortvacations, vacation activities and experiences on employeehealth and well-being. Journal of the International Society for theInvestigation of Stress, 28 (4), 305-318.

    doi.org/10.1002/smi.1434
  • BLOOM, J., GEURTS, S., SONNENTAG, S., TARIS, T., WEERTH,C. & KOMPIER, M. (2011). How does vacation from work affectemployee health and well-being? Psychology & Health, 26 (12),1606-1622.

    doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2010.546860
  • BLOOM, J., GEURTS, S., TARIS, T., SONNENTAG, S., WEERTH, C.& KOMPIER, M. (2010). Effects of vacation from work on healthand well-being: Lots of fun, quickly gone. Work & Stress, 24 (2),196-216.

    doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2010.493385
  • BUDNICK, C., ROGERS, A. & BARBER, L. (2020). The fear ofmissing out at work: Examining costs and benefits to employeehealth and motivation. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 1-13.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106161
  • BYRNE, B. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basicconcepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah, NJ: LawrenceErlbaum Associates.

  • CHEN, F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indices to lack ofmeasurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14, 464-504.

    doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834
  • CRAWFORD, E.R., LEPINE, J.A. & RICH, B.L. (2010). Linking jobdemands and resources to employee engagement and burnout:a theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of AppliedPsychology, 95 (5), 834-848.

    doi.org/10.1037/a0019364
  • DeVELLIS, R. (2016). Scale development: Theory and applications(4th ed.). Newbury Park: Sage Publications, Inc.

  • ETZION, D. (2003). Annual vacation: duration of relief from jobstressors and burnout. Journal of Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 16(2), 213-226.

    doi.org/10.1080/1061580021000069425.
  • FINNEY, S. & DiSTEFANO, C. (2006). Non-normal and categoricaldatainstructuralequationmodeling.InG.Hancock&R.Mueller(Eds.), Structural equation modeling: A second course. Greenwich,CT: Information Age Publishing.

  • FRITZ, C. & SONNENTAG, S. (2006). Recovery, well-being, andperformance-related outcomes: the role of workload andvacation experiences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91 (4), 936-945.

    doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.936
  • FURR, R. (2010). Scale construction and psychometrics for social andpersonality psychology. USA: Sage Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar org/245e/1804­5e05363a12e163acf388e245e202ec40.pdf

  • HAUETER, J., MACAN, T. & WINTER, J. (2003). Measurementof newcomer socialization: Construct validation of amultidimensional scale. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63 (1),20-39.

    doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00017-9
  • KAWAKUBO, A. & OGUCHI, T. (2019). Recovery experiencesduring vacations promote life satisfaction through creativebehavior. Tourism Management Perspectives, 30, 240-250.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.02.017
  • KENNY, D., KANISKAN, B. & McCOACH, D. (2015). Theperformance of RMSEA in models with small degrees offreedom. Sociological Methods Research, 44 (3), 486-507.

    doi.org/10.1177/0049124114543236
  • KINNUNEN, U. & FELDT, T. (2013). Job characteristics, recoveryexperiences and occupational well-being: Testing cross-laggedrelationships across 1 year. Stress and Health, 29 (5), 369-382.

    doi.org/10.1002/smi.2483
  • KOERBER, R., ROUSE, M., STANYAR, K. & PELLETIER, M-H.(2018). Building resilience in the workforce. OrganizationalDynamics,47(2),124-134.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.08.002
  • KORPELA, K. & KINNUNEN, U. (2011). How is leisure timeinteracting with nature related to the need for recovery fromwork demands? Testing multiple mediators. Leisure Sciences, 33(1), 1-14.

    doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2011.533103
  • KÜHNEL, J. & SONNENTAG, S. (2011). How long do you benefitfrom vacation? A closer look at the fade-out of vacation effects.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32 (1), 125-143.

    doi.org/10.1002/job.699
  • LOUNSBURY, J. & HOOPES, L. (1986). A vacation from work:Changes in work and nonwork outcomes. Journal of AppliedPsychology, 71 (3), 392-401. dx.

    doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.392
  • MARÔCO, J. (2011). Análise Estatística com o SPSS statistics (5ª ed.).Pero Pinheiro: ReportNumber.

  • MITAS, O. & KROESEN, M. (2019). Vacations over the years: Across-lagged panel analysis of tourism experiences and subjectivewell-being in the Netherlands. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1-20.

    doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00200-z
  • NAWIJN, J., MARCHAND, M., VEENHOVEN, R. &VINGERHOETS, J. (2010). Vacationers happier, but most nothappier after a holiday. Journal of Applied Research Quality Life, 5(1), 35-47.

    doi.org/10.1007/s11482-009-9091
  • NUNNALLY, J. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York, NY:McGraw-Hill.

  • NUNNALLY, J. & BERNSTEIN, I. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rded.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

  • PRYZBYLSKI, A.K., MURAYAMA, K., DEHAAN, C.R. &GLADWELL, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioralcorrelates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior,29, 1841-1848.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
  • SONNENTAG, S. (2018). The recovery paradox: Portraying thecomplex interplay between job stressors, lack of recovery, andpoor well-being. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, 169-185.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2018.11.002
  • SOUSA, C. & GONÇALVES, G. (2019). Back to work bang!Difficulties, emotions, and adjustment strategies in returningto work after vacation. International Journal of Human ResourceManagement (online).

    doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1602784
  • STRAUSS-BLASCHE, G., EKMEKCIOGLU, C. & MARKTL, W.(2000). Does vacation enable recuperation? Changes in well-being associated with time away from Work. OccupationalMedicine, 50 (3), 167-172.

    doi.org/10.1093/occmed/50.3.167
  • STRAUSS-BLASCHE,G.,REITHOFER,B.,SCHOBERSBERGER,W.,EKMEKCIOGLU,C.&MARKTL,W.(2005).Effectofvacationonhealth: Moderating factors of vacation outcome. Journal of TravelMedicine, 12 (2), 94-101.

    doi.org/10.2310/7060.2005.12206
  • TUCKER, P., DAHLGREN, A., AKERSTEDT, T. & WATERHOUSE,J. (2008). The impact of free-time activities on sleep, recoveryand well-being. Applied Ergonomics, 39 (5), 653-662.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2007.12.002
  • ULLMAN, J. (2006). Structural equation modeling: Reviewing thebasics and moving forward. Journal of Personality Assessment, 87(1), 35-50.

    doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa8701_03
  • WACH, D., STEPHAN, U., WEINBERGER, E. & WEGGE, J. (2020).Entrepreneurs’ stressors and well-being: A recovery perspectiveand diary study. Journal of Business Venturing.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2020.106016
  • ZIJLSTRA, F. & SONNENTAG, S. (2006). After work is done:Psychological on recovery from work. European Journal ofWork and Organizational Psychology, 15 (2), 129-138.

    doi.org/10.1080/135943205500513855
SHOW ALL REFERENCES (38)HIDE REFERENCES

Related articles

Article info

Cite the article:

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Sousa Cátia . Gonçalves Gabriela . Development and validation of the Post-Vacation Work Adjustment Scale (P-VWAS): Study of a Portuguese sample. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2020;289(1):34-48. doi:10.26387/bpa.289.1.

Citation tool

How to cite this article

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Sousa Cátia . Gonçalves Gabriela . Development and validation of the Post-Vacation Work Adjustment Scale (P-VWAS): Study of a Portuguese sample. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2020;289(1):34-48. doi:10.26387/bpa.289.1.