Performance Anxiety, Deadlines, and Employee Well-Being: A Moderated Mediation Model

Author: Raisa Jabbar 

Abstract

Originating in the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the present study examines the mediating role of failure to meet deadlines in linking employee performance anxiety to employee well-being, while also considering the moderating role of neuroticism in this relationship. Time-lagged data provided in the study to employees indicate that performance anxiety reduces well-being largely due to the increased likelihood of failing to meet deadlines, thereby raising stress and depleting resources. The effects of failing to meet deadlines are particularly strong when employees show high levels of neuroticism, and neurotic individuals are more vulnerable than others to the negative impact of failure. This study marks out such an important link through which an organization can suffer from performance anxiety, contributing to the decline of overall well-being (by way of task-related failures imposed on employees by performance anxiety) and, interestingly enough, reveals that this link may involve individual personality traits. Therefore, by capturing these dynamics, the research accentuates performance-related anxiety and encourages organizations to train and empower employees in handling deadline management issues for improved well-being, especially among those with a higher neurotic tendency.

Keywords

Employee performance anxiety, failure to meet deadlines, employee well-being, neuroticism, conservation of resources theory

References

Akhtar, S., & Faisal Malik, M. (2020). Effect of boredom and flexible work practices on the
relationship of WFC with procrastination and affective commitment: mediation of non-workrelated presenteeism. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 17, 343-356.
Alimo‐Metcalfe, B., Alban‐Metcalfe, J., Bradley, M., Mariathasan, J., & Samele, C. (2008). The
impact of engaging leadership on performance, attitudes to work and wellbeing at work: A
longitudinal study. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 22(6), 586-598.
ASLAM, M., & SARWAT, N. (2021). Linking Anticipated Stigma to Psychological Well-Being:
Mediating Role of Anxiety & Depression. International Journal of Business and Economic
Affairs, 6(3), 201-212.
Atanassova, D., Madariaga, V., Oosterman, J., & Brazil, I. (2024). Unpacking the relationship
between Big Five personality traits and experimental pain: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 163, 105786.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking
forward. Journal of occupational health psychology, 22(3), 273.
Best, R. D., Cruitt, P. J., Oltmanns, T. F., & Hill, P. L. (2021). Neuroticism predicts informant
reported cognitive problems through health behaviors. Aging & mental health, 25(12), 2191-
2199.
Bhugra, D., Smith, A. J., Ventriglio, A., Rao, N., Ng, R., Javed, A., . . . Chumakov, E. (2024). World
Psychiatric Association-Asian Journal of Psychiatry Commission on the Mental Health and
Wellbeing of International Medical Graduates. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 93, 103943.
Bornstein, M., & Bornstein, M. H. (2018). The SAGE encyclopedia of lifespan human development:
SAGE Publications.
Caprar, D. V., Walker, B. W., & Ashforth, B. E. (2022). The dark side of strong identification in
organizations: A conceptual review. Academy of Management Annals, 16(2), 759-805.
Choi, J. N., & Moran, S. V. (2009). Why not procrastinate? Development and validation of a new
active procrastination scale. The Journal of social psychology, 149(2), 195-212.
Chou, L. F., Chu, C. C., Yeh, H. C., & Chen, J. (2014). Work stress and employee well‐being: The
critical role of Z hong‐Y ong. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 17(2), 115-127.
Corlier, J., Burnette, E., Wilson, A. C., Lou, J. J., Landeros, A., Minzenberg, M. J., & Leuchter, A.
F. (2020). Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment of major
depressive disorder (MDD) on cognitive control. Journal of affective disorders, 265, 272-277.
De Clercq, D. (2023). Perceived person–organization misfit and procrastination behaviour. European
Management Review.
De Clercq, D., Jahanzeb, S., & Fatima, T. (2021). How abusive supervision ultimately might enhance
performance ratings among silent, neurotic employees. Personnel Review, 50(5), 1297-1315.
Diaz‐Moriana, V., Clinton, E., & Kammerlander, N. (2024). Untangling goal tensions in family firms:
A sensemaking approach. Journal of Management Studies, 61(1), 69-109.
Dou, K., Zhang, M.-C., Wang, L.-X., & Liang, Y. (2023). Future negative time perspective and risktaking behaviors among chinese adolescents: A longitudinal moderated mediation model.
Current Psychology, 42(32), 28381-28393.
Eysenck, S. B., Eysenck, H. J., & Barrett, P. (1985). A revised version of the psychoticism scale.
Personality and Individual Differences, 6(1), 21-29.
Giorgi, G., Leon-Perez, J. M., & Arenas, A. (2021). Are bullying behaviors tolerated in some
cultures? Evidence for a curvilinear relationship between workplace bullying and job
satisfaction among Italian workers. Journal of Business Ethics, 131, 227-237.
Glazer, S., & Kruse, B. (2018). The role of organizational commitment in occupational stress models.
International Journal of stress management, 15(4), 329.
Hakanen, J. J., Ropponen, A., Schaufeli, W. B., & De Witte, H. (2019). Who is engaged at work?: A
large-scale study in 30 European countries. Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, 61(5), 373-381.
Haq, I. U., De Clercq, D., & Azeem, M. U. (2022). Job insecurity, work‐induced mental health
deprivation, and timely completion of work tasks. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources,
60(2), 405-428.
Hartwig, M., Bhat, A., & Peters, A. (2022). How stress can change our deepest preferences: stress
habituation explained using the free energy principle. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 865203.
Haug, J. A., & Nøstdal, T. (2023). Examining the Work Environment Hypothesis: A Multilevel
Analysis of Role Stressors and Workplace Bullying. The University of Bergen,
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: a new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American
psychologist, 44(3), 513.
Hobfoll, S. E., Halbesleben, J., Neveu, J.-P., & Westman, M. (2018). Conservation of resources in
the organizational context: The reality of resources and their consequences. Annual review of
organizational psychology and organizational behavior, 5(1), 103-128.
Hoppe, J., Ignaz Preissler, B., & Förster, K. (2018). A Cross-Lagged Panel Design on the Causal
Relationship of Task Ambiguity and State Procrastination: A Preliminary Investigation. North
American Journal of Psychology, 20(2).
Inceoglu, I., Thomas, G., Chu, C., Plans, D., & Gerbasi, A. (2018). Leadership behavior and employee
well-being: An integrated review and a future research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly,
29(1), 179-202.
Johnson, S. S., Czeisler, M. É., Howard, M. E., Rajaratnam, S. M., Sumner, J. A., Koenen, K. C., . . .
Mendell, G. (2021). Knowing well, being well: well-being born of understanding: Addressing
mental health and substance use disorders amid and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. In (Vol.
35, pp. 299-319): SAGE Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA.
Korman, B. A., Reinwald, M., Kunze, F., & Koos, S. (2025). How Political Context Affects
Immigrant Newcomers’ Social Undermining Dynamics and Well-Being at Work. Academy of
Management Journal(ja), amj. 2023.0303.
Koutsimani, P., Montgomery, A., & Georganta, K. (2019). The relationship between burnout,
depression, and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10,
284.
Lee, A., Lyubovnikova, J., Thomas, G., Schwarz, G., & Cao, J. (2024). A relational perspective on
how and when follower attachment style impacts job performance: The moderating role of
leader neuroticism. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
Leuteritz, J.-P., Navarro, J., & Berger, R. (2017). How knowledge worker teams deal effectively with
task uncertainty: the impact of transformational leadership and group development. Frontiers
in Psychology, 8, 1339.
Lillywhite, B., & Wolbring, G. (2022). Risk narrative of emergency and disaster management,
preparedness, and planning (EDMPP): The importance of the ‘social’. Sustainability, 15(1),
387.
Matthews, R. A., & Ritter, K.-J. (2019). Applying adaptation theory to understand experienced
incivility processes: Testing the repeated exposure hypothesis. Journal of occupational health
psychology, 24(2), 270.
McKinley, A. (2022). Investigating the efficacy of gamification in an online positive psychology
intervention (OPPI) aimed at increasing employee well-being. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch
University,
Morinaj, J., & Hascher, T. (2022). On the relationship between student well-being and academic
achievement. Zeitschrift für Psychologie.
Naruse, T., Sakai, M., Watai, I., Taguchi, A., Kuwahara, Y., Nagata, S., & Murashima, S. (2013).
Individual and organizational factors related to work engagement among home‐visiting nurses
in J apan. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 10(2), 267-272.
Ng, T. W., Shao, Y., Koopmann, J., Wang, M., Hsu, D. Y., & Yim, F. H. (2022). The effects of idea
rejection on creative self‐efficacy and idea generation: Intention to remain and perceived
innovation importance as moderators. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(1), 146-163.
O’Donoghue, A., Conway, E., & Bosak, J. (2016). Abusive supervision, employee well-being and
ill-being: The moderating role of core self-evaluations. In Emotions and organizational
governance (Vol. 12, pp. 3-34): Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Olson, R., Cunningham, T. R., Nigam, J. A., Anger, W. K., Rameshbabu, A., & Donovan, C. (2023).
Total Worker Health® and Organizational Behavior Management: Emerging Opportunities
for Improving Worker Well-being. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 43(4),
280-319.
Pittig, A., Heinig, I., Goerigk, S., Richter, J., Hollandt, M., Lueken, U., . . . Straube, B. (2023). Change
of threat expectancy as mechanism of exposure-based psychotherapy for anxiety disorders:
Evidence from 8,484 exposure exercises of 605 patients. Clinical Psychological Science,
11(2), 199-217.
Rajgopal, T. (2019). Mental well-being at the workplace. In (Vol. 14, pp. 63-65): Medknow.
Russell, J. E. (2018). Promoting subjective well-being at work. Journal of career assessment, 16(1),
117-131.
Schubert, K., Zeschke, M., & Zacher, H. (2023). What to do when there is nothing to do? Toward a
better understanding of idle time at work. Current Psychology, 42(14), 11871-11890.
Sigelman, C. K., De George, L., Cunial, K., & Rider, E. A. (2018). Life span human development:
Cengage AU.
Silva, K. O. L. d. The Dark Side of Work-life Policies: Examining the Impact of Co-worker Childcare
Policy Usage on Work Anxiety. Toronto Metropolitan University,
Smillie, L. D., Yeo, G. B., Furnham, A. F., & Jackson, C. J. (2019). Benefits of all work and no play:
The relationship between neuroticism and performance as a function of resource allocation.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(1), 139.
Smith, T. E., Thompson, A. M., Maynard, B. R., & Kim, A. M. (2025). Effects of Self-Management
Interventions on Challenging Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Research
on Social Work Practice, 35(2), 129-148.
Smith, T. S., & Reid, L. (2018). Which ‘being’in wellbeing? Ontology, wellness and the geographies
of happiness. Progress in Human Geography, 42(6), 807-829.
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing
generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of internal medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097.
Stecher, C., Cloonan, S., & Domino, M. E. (2023). The Economics of Treatment for Depression.
Annual Review of Public Health, 45.
Sukandar, N., & Wardani, L. M. I. (2022). Well-being Pekerja Hospitality: Evaluasi Diri & Iklim
Organisasi: Penerbit NEM.
Taka, Z. (2023). Deadlines Meeting Challenge in Leaders. American Journal of Leadership and
Governance, 8(2), 1-6.
Widiger, T. A., & Oltmanns, J. R. (2017). Neuroticism is a fundamental domain of personality with
enormous public health implications. World psychiatry, 16(2), 144.
Williamson, A. J., Gish, J. J., & Stephan, U. (2021). Let’s focus on solutions to entrepreneurial illbeing! Recovery interventions to enhance entrepreneurial well-being. In (Vol. 45, pp. 1307-
1338): SAGE Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA.
Withers, M. C., Lee, K. H., Bermiss, Y. S., & Boivie, S. (2024). Upper Echelon Employment: A
Review of the Fundamental Questions Related to the Executive Labor Market. Journal of
Management, 50(1), 71-121.
Wright, B. J. (2023). INTERESTS AND DECENT WORK’S ACCOUNT OF WELL-BEING AND
JOB PERFORMANCE IN A LOWER SOCIAL CLASS SAMPLE.
Zhang, Y., Mavoa, S., Zhao, J., Raphael, D., & Smith, M. (2020). The association between green
space and adolescents’ mental well-being: a systematic review. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6640.

DOI: 10.52279/jlss.07.03.154176  | 154-176  PDF