While researchers have explored many facets of workplace meetings, current research has yet to consider the concept of scheduling cadences (e.g., how meetings are dispersed throughout the day). Leveraging research on task interruptions and anticipatory reactions, we conducted two studies using experimental vignette methodology (EVM) where we presented hypothetical daily work schedules, varying by meeting load and dispersion, to a sample of full-time employees (Study 1: N = 109; Study 2: N = 222) and captured their anticipated feelings about the day. We also considered daily task-characteristics (e.g., expected task duration, task complexity) and an individual difference trait (work interruption resiliency; WIR) as moderating variables. Results from both studies provide evidence that daily meeting schedules influence employees’ anticipatory reactions to the day in terms of positive affect and productivity. Days with meetings high in quantity, duration, and dispersion result in decreased anticipations of positive affect and productivity. Moreover, characteristics of the daily work task/s influence these relationships. When daily task complexity is expected to be high, the negative effects of meeting duration and dispersion are heightened. Further, an individuals’ level of WIR moderates the relationships between daily meeting dispersion and anticipated end-of-day outcomes, with those low in resiliency more negatively affected by dispersed meetings compared to their counterparts. Findings from this research extend literature on meetings, workplace interruptions and anticipatory responses to offer insight into how to best schedule workplace meetings to increase employees’ anticipated outcomes and experiences.

中文翻译：

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带着恐惧或兴奋开始新的一天？会议安排节奏对预期日常结果的影响

虽然研究人员已经探索了工作场所会议的许多方面，但当前的研究尚未考虑安排节奏的概念（例如，会议如何在一天中分散）。利用对任务中断和预期反应的研究，我们使用实验小插图方法 (EVM) 进行了两项研究，其中我们向全职员工样本提出了假设的日常工作时间表，该时间表因会议负荷和分散程度而异（研究 1：N = 109） ；研究 2：N = 222）并捕捉他们对这一天的预期感受。我们还考虑了日常任务特征（例如，预期任务持续时间、任务复杂性）和个体差异特征（工作中断弹性；WIR）作为调节变量。两项研究的结果都证明，每日会议安排会影响员工对当天的积极情绪和工作效率的预期反应。会议数量、持续时间和分散度较高的日子会导致对积极影响和生产力的预期降低。此外，日常工作任务的特征也会影响这些关系。当日常任务复杂性预计很高时，会议持续时间和分散的负面影响就会加剧。此外，个人的 WIR 水平会调节每日会议分散程度和预期的最终结果之间的关系，与其他人相比，弹性较低的人受到分散会议的负面影响更大。这项研究的结果扩展了有关会议、工作场所干扰和预期反应的文献，以深入了解如何最好地安排工作场所会议，以提高员工的预期成果和体验。