Employee daily workload and daily procrastination: Examining a curvilinear relationship moderated by trait mindfulness and its effects on performance and well-being.

Abstract

Previous research on the relationship between workload and procrastination has produced conflicting theoretical explanations and inconsistent findings, and the role of individual differences in shaping this relationship remains largely unexplored. The present study addresses these limitations by investigating a curvilinear effect in the daily experience of workload and daily procrastination and including trait mindfulness as a person-related boundary condition. Using a daily diary design, we collected data from 159 full-time employees via two surveys per day over two consecutive working weeks and obtained 2,626 daily observations (i.e., 1,352 work-time surveys and 1,274 after-work surveys). Results of the multilevel analysis indicated a significant interaction between daily workload and trait mindfulness on daily procrastination. Specifically, employees with high trait mindfulness show a significant U-shaped curve, whereas those with lower trait mindfulness levels show a significant inverted U-shaped relationship. Furthermore, these effects indirectly influence both performance and daily well-being through their impact on daily procrastination. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).