Positive Affectivity as a Motivator: How Does It Influence Employees’ Sustainable Careers

Abstract

Given the critical role of the sustainable careers of employees in their survival and development, interest in how to improve employees’ sustainable careers is growing rapidly. Previous studies primarily focused on the role of contextual factors, and neglected the role of agentic factors such as positive affectivity. Based on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the aim of this study is to investigate whether, how and when positive affectivity affects sustainable careers. A time-lagged study with two waves of data collected 8 months apart was conducted. With a sample of 580 employees in China, regression analyses showed that positive affectivity influenced employees’ sustainable careers indicated by vigor and level of pay; cognitive reappraisal mediated the positive relationships between positive affectivity and sustainable careers; and organizational commitment moderated the indirect effects of positive affectivity on sustainable careers via cognitive reappraisal. Our findings illustrate the important role of positive affectivity in building employees’ sustainable careers in the workplace.