The time has come to study dynamics at work

• Author: Tim Vantilborgh,Joeri Hofmans,Timothy A. Judge
• Date: 01 November 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/job.2327
• Published date: 01 November 2018

EDITORIAL

The time has come to study dynamics at work

Summary

Most, if not all, workplace phenomena are dynamic, meaning

that they emerge, evolve, and dissolve over time. Yet, the role

of time is commonly overlooked in OB literature. This special

issue showcases how a temporal process‐oriented lens can

be used to study dynamics of workplace phenomena. In this

editorial, we define the term dynamics, arguing that research

on workplace dynamics focuses on how within‐person (or

more broadly, within‐unit) processes unfold over time. More-

over, we zoom in on the diverse roles of time, illustrating the

rich diversity in research on workplace dynamics, and we high-

light three specific challenges for scholars wanting to pursue

this line of research. We conclude that the time has come to

move from a differential to a temporal and process‐oriented

perspective, allowing us to understand what happens, how

things happen, and why things happen at the workplace.

1|THETIMEHASCOMETOSTUDY

DYNAMICS AT WORK

Nearly all workplace phenomena are dynamic. Newcomers' commit-

ment levels change as a function of their tenure to their new organiza-

tion (Solinger, van Olffen, Roe, & Hofmans, 2013), perceptions of

psychological contract breach fluctuate on a weekly or daily basis

(Achnak, Griep, & Vantilborgh, 2018; Vantilborgh, Bidee, Pepermans,

Griep, & Hofmans, 2016), and even constructs that are believed to

be largely stable across time, such as personality‐related behaviors,

affects, and cognitions, have recently been shown to vary roughly as

much within as between individuals, with such within‐person fluctua-

tions happening over the course of years (Wille, Hofmans, Feys, & De

Fruyt, 2014), months, and even over the course of a single day

(Debusscher, Hofmans, & De Fruyt, 2017; Fleeson, 2001). As these

examples demonstrate, most, if not all, workplace phenomena are

dynamic, making time a salient factor when studying those workplace

phenomena. Yet, in the organizational literature, the role of time is

hardly ever explicated (Roe, 2008).

Part of the reason why research on dynamics of workplace phe-

nomena is scarce is that for a long time, the field has been dominated

by cross‐sectional studies (Roe, 2005, 2008). As a consequence of the

differential perspective implied by those cross‐sectional studies,

scholars have typically investigated which variables relate to each

other, rather than studying how those variables and their interrelation-

ships unfold over time. This is unfortunate because studying how phe-

nomena and relationships emerge, evolve, and change over time is

crucial for a good understanding of those phenomena and their rela-

tionships (Sonnentag, 2012). During the last two decades, however,

awareness on this issue has grown, resulting in the field shifting from

a differential to a temporal and process‐oriented perspective, with

such a perspective enabling us to understand what happens, how

things happen, and why things happen at the workplace.

Although a temporal and process‐oriented perspective on work-

place dynamics offers exciting new avenues for research, it also cre-

ates challenges that may discourage researchers from pursuing this

line of research (Ancona & Goodman, 2001). With this special issue,

we aim to inspire academics to invest in studying the dynamics of

workplace phenomena by showcasing the rich diversity in topics,

methods, and analytical approaches that can be used to this end.

Moreover, this issue demonstrates how the insights gained from

dynamic research allow for a more realistic representation of what

actually happens at work. In our editorial, we will briefly define what

research on dynamics of phenomena entails, highlighting the impor-

tant and diverse roles of time. We will close off by directing attention

to specific challenges and opportunities that scholars interested in

dynamic phenomena may encounter.

1.1 |Defining dynamics at work

Despite the frequent use of the term “dynamics,”an agreed definition

is lacking. Roe (2008) defined dynamics as the pattern of changes in

phenomena over time. He argues that workplace phenomena have

an onset and offset, between which fluctuations take place. For exam-

ple, the experience of workplace stress has a clear onset (e.g., learning

that there will be layoffs in your company), trajectory (e.g., a steep

increase in stress followed by a stable period and a slow decrease),

and an offset (e.g., concluding that you will not lose your job). Accord-

ing to Roe (2008), the goal for temporal research is thus to identify

the dynamic features of phenomena (e.g., what is the duration of

the stress experience), study temporal relations (e.g., how does the

We would like to dedicate this special issue to Robert A. Roe, who was coguest

editor of this special issue but passed away in 2016. As a leading scholar in the

study of dynamic phenomena at the workplace, Robert was an inspiration for

many researchers. Throughout his career, he adamantly pleaded for increased

attention to studying workplace phenomena as dynamic processes. He received

international recognition for his work and helped lay the foundation for Euro-

pean IO psychology as a founder of the European Network of Organizational

and Work Psychologists (ENOP) and the European Association of Work and

Organizational Psychology (EAWOP). We hope that this special issue continues

his legacy and inspires researchers for years to come.

Received: 29 August 2018 Accepted: 2 September 2018

DOI: 10.1002/job.2327

J Organ Behav. 2018;39:1045–1049. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/job 1045