Linking performance pressure to employee work engagement: the moderating role of emotional stability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of threat and challenge appraisals in the relationship between performance pressure and employees' work engagement, as well as the buffering role of emotional stability, as a personal characteristic, in this process. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a three-wave research design. Hypotheses were examined with a sample of 247 white-collar employees from French organizations. Findings Performance pressure is appraised as either threat or challenge. Challenge appraisal positively mediated the performance pressure and work engagement relationship, whereas threat appraisal negatively mediated the performance pressure and work engagement relationship. Emotional stability moderated these effects, suggesting performance pressure was appraised as a challenge rather than a threat, which then enhanced employee work engagement. Practical implications This study has shown that employees with high emotional stability who perceived performance pressure as a challenge achieved stronger employee work engagement. Originality/value Building on Lazare's theory of stress and Mitchell et al. 's theorization, this research demonstrates mediating and moderating mechanisms driving the role of performance pressure on employee work engagement relationships.