Using Flow to Enhance the Experience of Working
Location
CSU 201
Start Date
6-4-2010 10:00 AM
End Date
6-4-2010 12:00 PM
Student's Major
Psychology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Kristie Campana
Mentor's Department
Psychology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Many workers experience stress at work. A possible way to decrease feelings of stress and increase job satisfaction is by increasing the time people experience flow in their jobs. Flow is what Csikszentmihalyi (1991) stated people feel when they are at the peak of their creativity and performance. Flow makes people feel as though they are more fulfilled, and it has been shown to increase job satisfaction and productivity (Fullager & Kelloway, 2009). In this study, I analyzed how flow moderates the relationship between stress and job satisfaction in the nursing profession. That is, does flow act as a buffer by increasing job satisfaction levels even though the job may be extremely stressful? Online surveys were given to approximately 100 nurses at a hospice care center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This daily survey asked them questions regarding how stressed they were, their self-rating of job satisfaction, and how often they experienced characteristics of flow. The surveys were collected over a period of ten days at the end of each work day. I expected to find that if flow was present, it would lead to higher levels of job satisfaction. I also expected to find that flow correlated with lower levels of stress. The findings of this study can potentially urge employers to design their workplace so that flow can be achieved more often. Moreover, the findings can show employees that their experience of work can be vastly improved by utilizing flow.
Using Flow to Enhance the Experience of Working
CSU 201
Many workers experience stress at work. A possible way to decrease feelings of stress and increase job satisfaction is by increasing the time people experience flow in their jobs. Flow is what Csikszentmihalyi (1991) stated people feel when they are at the peak of their creativity and performance. Flow makes people feel as though they are more fulfilled, and it has been shown to increase job satisfaction and productivity (Fullager & Kelloway, 2009). In this study, I analyzed how flow moderates the relationship between stress and job satisfaction in the nursing profession. That is, does flow act as a buffer by increasing job satisfaction levels even though the job may be extremely stressful? Online surveys were given to approximately 100 nurses at a hospice care center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This daily survey asked them questions regarding how stressed they were, their self-rating of job satisfaction, and how often they experienced characteristics of flow. The surveys were collected over a period of ten days at the end of each work day. I expected to find that if flow was present, it would lead to higher levels of job satisfaction. I also expected to find that flow correlated with lower levels of stress. The findings of this study can potentially urge employers to design their workplace so that flow can be achieved more often. Moreover, the findings can show employees that their experience of work can be vastly improved by utilizing flow.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Matthew S.. "Using Flow to Enhance the Experience of Working." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 6, 2010.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2010/oral-session-09/1
