Relations of Work Events, Core Self and External Evaluations, and Affective State with Employee Attitude and Behavior

This study examined the antecedents and consequences of pleasant affective state at work, relying on Weiss and Cropanzano’s (1996) Affective Events Theory. In the tested framework, positive and negative work events were assessed comprehensively under five broad categories (i.e., task-relevant events, relations with supervisor, relations with coworkers, relations with subordinates, and organizational policies). Results provided support for the validity of the AET model, indicating that positive work events contribute to the experience of pleasant affective states, while negative work events are related with unpleasant feelings at work. Positive evaluations about one’s self and the external world were found to contribute to the experience of pleasant affective states, which in turn yielded desirable organizational outcomes such as increased job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. Additionally, core self-evaluations were found to moderate the relationship between pleasant affective state and organizational citizenship behaviors. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.