Basic need satisfaction at work and during leisure: A case of workaholics and burned-out employees

This paper examines a mediated moderation model of the spillover of need satisfaction at work to home. Drawing on Sonnentag and Fritz's (2007) definition of detachment, relaxation, mastery and control recovery activities, Costers et al examine the impact of different types of recovery on need satisfaction at work and at home. The results supported the expectation that there is a spillover of need satisfaction in non-work to work time. Challenging previous findings in the recovery literature, it is found that detachment and relaxation in non-work time might not be the most effective forms of recovery, in they had a negative effect on need satisfaction at work. Interestingly, it was also found that mastery type recovery activities might be the most effective form of recovery for individuals who are workaholics or burned out.