Meaningless, but I still have your support: A diary study on the interactive effects of workplace social support at work and meaningfulness on workers' energy levels

Abstract

Social support is a resource capable of generating energy and well-being resources among workers. However, the literature has paid little attention to the mechanisms and conditions that can explain this possibility. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and an intraindividual approach, this study aimed to analyze whether the effects of daily social support at work were associated with daily variations in levels of vigor at work and vitality at home, conditioned by workers' daily levels of meaningfulness. This is a study that employs an experiential sampling methodology. A total of 94 Spanish nurses from hospitals and primary health-care centers participated by completing a diary over five working days at three times of the day (i.e., before starting work in the morning, leaving work in the afternoon, and at night at home). Daily measures of support from colleagues, meaningfulness, vigor, and vitality were collected. The results showed that social support from coworkers was particularly significant and positive in explaining daily levels of vigor at work and vitality at home for those workers experiencing low levels of meaningfulness in the mornings before going to work. These results were discussed within the theoretical framework of COR theory (i.e., principle of resource salience).