Management Studies in Development and Evolution

Proposed Interpretive Structural Model of the Antecedents of Job Boredom in an Organization Affiliated with the Ministry of Energy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohammad Taban 1
Seydmehdi Vayseh 1
Hamed Ghasempour 2

1 Ilam University

2 University of Lorestan

https://doi.org/10.22054/jmsd.2025.85622.4631
Abstract
This research, based on a mixed methodology, seeks to construct an interpretive structural modeling of the causes of job boredom among the employees of the operational units (line) of the Ilam Province Electricity Distribution Company. The participants in the study are 16 key informants who were invited for in-depth interviews through a purposeful method. After ensuring the reliability of the data, a paired questionnaire was distributed among the participants in the previous stage for the purpose of modeling. The results showed that the interpretive structural model of the causes of job boredom is organized with 6 factors at 3 levels. At the first level, individual causes, intra-organizational causes related to the job, intra-organizational causes related to the organizational context, and extra-organizational causes were identified. At the second level, intra-organizational causes related to the organization's social environment, and at the third level, intra-organizational causes related to human resource management were found.

Keywords

Job boredom
Ilam province
interpretive structural modeling
job-related causes
Subjects
  1. Anderson, B. (2015). Boredom, Excitement and  Other Security Affects. Dialogues in Human Geography, 5(3), 271–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820615607759
  2. Bahadurzada H, Edmondson A and Kerrissey M (2024) Psychological Safety as an Enduring Resource Amid Constraints. Int J Public Health 69:1607332. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1607332
  3. Bench, S. W. & Lench, H. C. (2013). On the function of boredom. Behavioral Sciences, 3(3), 459–472. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs3030459
  4. Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
  5. Bruursema, K., Kessler, S. R., & Spector, P. E. (2011). Bored employees misbehaving: The relationship between boredom and counterproductive work behaviour. Work & Stress, 25(2), 93–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2011.596670
  6. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  7. Cummings, M. L., Gao, F., & Thornburg, K. M. (2016). Boredom in the workplace: A new look at an old problem. Human Factors, 58(2), 279–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720815609503
  8. Development Dimensions International. (2004). Workplace boredom research report (Autumn 2004). Development Dimensions International.
  9. Driskell, J. E., Salas, E., & Driskell, T. (2018). Foundations of teamwork and collaboration. American Psychologist, 73(4), 334–348.
  10. Elpidorou, A. (2014). The bright side of boredom. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 1245. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01245
  11. Game, A. M. (2007). Workplace boredom coping: health, safety and HR implications. Personnel Review, 36(5), 701–721. https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480710774007
  12. Game, A. M. (2007). Workplace boredom coping: health, safety, and HR implications. Personnel Review, 36(5), 701–721.
  13. Gamsby, P. (2012). The Black Sun of Boredom: Henri Lefebvre and the  Critique of Everyday Life. Laurentian University.
  14. Goldberg, Y, L., Eastwood, J, D., LaGuardia, J., Dankert, J. (2016). Boredom: An Emotional Experience Distinct from Apathy, Anhedonia, or Depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 30(6):647-666. DOI:10.1521/jscp.2011.30.6.647
  15. Guglielmi, D., Simbula, S., Mazzetti, G., Tabanelli, M. C., & Bonfiglioli, R. (2013). When the job is boring: The role of boredom in organizational contexts. Work, 45(3), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR‑121528
  16. Hancock, ,  and  Krueger,  G.  (2010).  Hours  of  Boredom  -  Moments  of  Terror.  Temporal Desynchrony in Military and Security  Force Operations. Center for Technology and  National Security Policy: Defense and Technology Paper.
  17. , L., Hootegem, A., V., & Witte.,H., D.(2023). Bored or burning out? Reciprocal effects between job stressors, boredom and burnout, Journal of Vocational Behavior ,139(3), 103807, DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103807
  18. Harju, L. K., Seppälä, P., & Hakanen, J. J. (2023). Bored and exhausted? Profiles of boredom and exhaustion at work and the role of job stressors. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 144, 103898. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103898
  19. Harju, L., K., Hakanen, J., J., Schaufeli, W., B. (2016). Can job crafting reduce job boredom and increase work engagement? A three-year cross-lagged panel study. Vocational Behavior, 95-96, 11-20.
  20. Harju, L.K. Hakanen, J.J. (2016). An employee who was not there: a study of job boredom in white-collar work. Personnel Review, 45 (2), 374-391. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2015-0125
  21. Harper, T. (1987). The Best Brightest, Bored and Burned Out. ABA Journal, 73(7), 28–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.07.001
  22. Johnsen, R. (2016). Boredom and Organization Studies. Organization Studies, 37 (10),  https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616640849
  23. Jolly, P., Kong, D., T., Kim, K., Y. (2022). Social Support at Work: An Integrative Review. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42 (2), DOI:10.1002/job.2485.
  24. Kamila, MN., Mufai, M. (2023). The influence of job stress and job boredom on employee performance mediated by cyberloafing behavior: Evidence in Indonesia. International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science, 2023, Vol 12, Issue 1, p99 10.20525/ijrbs.v12i1.2272
  25. Kass, S. J., Vodanovich, S. J., & Callender, A. (2001). State‑trait boredom: Relationship to absenteeism, tenure, and job satisfaction. Journal of Business and Psychology, 16(2), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011121503118
  26. Khan, J., Ali, A., Saeed, I., Vega‑Muñoz, A., & Contreras‑Barraza, N. (2022). Person–Job Misfit: Perceived Overqualification and Counterproductive Work Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 936900. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.936900
  27. Krejčová, K., Krejčí, I., Chýlová, H., Rymešová, P., & Michálek, P. (2025). Work‑related well‑being in early career: A role of self‑ Heliyon, 11(1), e41377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41377
  28. Li, J., Kaltiainen, J. & Hakanen, J.J. Job boredom as an antecedent of four states of mental health: life satisfaction, positive functioning, anxiety, and depression symptoms among young employees – a latent change score approach. BMC Public Health, 24, 907 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18430-z
  29. Lim, V., KG., Xi Ng, J., Teo, T, SH. (2025). Psychological safety, job crafting, and future work self: The moderating effect of techno-stressors. Information & Management, 62 (5), 104-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2025.104143
  30. Loukidou, L., Loan‑Clarke, J., & Daniels, K. (2009). Boredom in the workplace: More than monotonous tasks. International Journal of Management Reviews, 11(4), 381–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468‑2009.00267.x
  31. Maeland, B., & Brunstad, P. (2009). Enduring Military Boredom: From 1750 to the Present. Palgrave Macmillan.
  32. Mann, S., & Cadman, R. (2014). Does being bored make us more creative? Creativity Research Journal, 26(2), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2014.901073
  33. Miao, P., Yang, Y., Xie, X. (2025). Bored to stay bored: state boredom increases social comparison. 49, Motivation and Emotion, 49, 62-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-024-10102-0
  34. Mishra, S.(2024), "Work-related boredom, felt deprivation and employee dissatisfaction: is being closer to the leader a bane?", Journal of Indian Business Research, 16 (3), pp. 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-04-2024-0103
  35. Noury, L., Ahuja, S., Parker, M., Sturdy, A. J., & Tyler, M. (2022). In praise of boredom at work. Organization, 29(5), 791–805. https://doi.org/10.1177/13505084221119267
  36. Ohana, M., Murtaza, G., Haq, I.u, Al-Shatti, E., Chi, Z. (2024). Why and When can CSR toward Employees Lead to Cyberloafing? The Role of Workplace Boredom and Moral Disengagement. J Bus Ethics, 189, 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05358-4
  37. Oreg, S (2003). Resistance to Change: Developing an Individual Differences Measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88 (4), 680-693.
  38. Parasuraman, S., and Purohit, Y. (2000). Distress and Boredom Among Orchestra Musicians: The  Two  Faces  of    Journal  of  Occupational  Health  Psychology,  5(1),  74–83. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.5.1.74
  39. Petrou, P., Demerouti, E., Peeters, M. C. W., Schaufeli, W. B., & Hetland, J. (2012). Crafting a job on a daily basis: Contextual correlates and the link to work engagement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(8), 1120–1141. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1783
  40. Phillips, S. (2016). Police Discretion and Boredom: What Officers Do When There Is Nothing to   Journal  of  Contemporary  Ethnography,  45(5),  580–601. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241615587385
  41. Reijseger, G., Schaufeli, W. B., Peeters, M. C. W., Taris, T. W., van Beek, I., & Ouweneel, E. (2013). Watching the paint dry at work: Psychometric examination of the Dutch Boredom Scale. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 26(5), 508–525. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2012.720676
  42. Schott, C., Fischer, C. (2023). How to turn workplace boredom into something positive. A theoretical framework of the ‘bright sides’ of boredom. Human Resource Management Review, 33 (2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2022.100952
  43. Seppala, P., Harju, L., Virkkala, J., Hakanen, J. (2023). Is boredom at work bad for your health? Examining the links between job boredom and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. , DOI: 10.1002/smi.3326
  44. Toscanelli, C., Udayar, S., Urbanaviciute, I. and Massoudi, K. (2022), "The role of individual characteristics and working conditions in understanding boredom at work", Personnel Review, 51 (2), 480-500. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2020-0510
  45. Van der Heijden., G., Schepers, J., Nijssen, E. (2011). Understanding workplace boredom among white collar employees: Temporary reactions and individual differences. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 21 (3), DOI:10.1080/1359432X.2011.578824
  46. Van Hooff, M. L. M., & Van Hooft, E. A. J. (2014). Towards a dynamic spillover model of need satisfaction and boredom at work. Career Development International, 19(1), 22–43.
  47. Van Hooff, M., Van Hooft, E. (2016). Boredom at work: towards a dynamic spillover model of need satisfaction, work motivation, and work-related boredom. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 26 (1), 1-16. DOI:10.1080/1359432X.2016.1241769
  48. Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2017). Can boredom help? Increased prosocial intentions in response to boredom. Self and Identity, 16(1), 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2016.1218925
  49. Velasco, F., (2017). Understanding workplace boredom among service employees : qualitative insights and employee outcomes. Journal of managerial issues, 29 (3), 278-293.
  50. Watt,   D.  (2002).  Fighting  More  than  Fires:  Boredom  Proneness,  Workload  Stress,  and Underemployment among Urban Firefighters. Kansas State University Press.
  51. Weinger, M. (1999). Vigilance, Boredom, and Sleepiness. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 15, 549–552.
  52. Asgari Sarem., A., Ranjbar, A., Rahbar, A., Athar, M., Mahmoodi, H. (2024). Presentation of a Procedural Model for Employees Motivation Using an Interpretive Structural Modeling Method. Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly, 13 (51), 209-239. DOI:10.22034/obs.2024.715623 [in Persian]
  53. Mohammadpour, A. (2019). Anti-Method: Philosophical Grounds and Practical Procedures in Qualitative Methodology. Tehran: Logos [in Persian]
  54. Sephahvand, R., Vishlaghi, M., Alaviematin, F. (2023). Perceived Overqualification and its outcomes: The Mediation Role of job boredom, job Alienation and Emotional Exhaustion, Management Studies in Development & Evolution, 32(108), 151-182. /jmsd.2022.67058.4124 [in Persian]
  55. Shariatnejad, A. (2022). Designing a Model for Human Resource Brand-building Behaviors with Interpretive Structural Modeling, Journal of Brand Management, 9(1), 215-250. DOI:10.22051/BMR.2022.38239.2259 [in Persian]
  56. Shariatnejad, A., Maneshdavi, E., Mousavi Zadeh, S., Ma. (2024). Designing a model of how revenge behaviors of human resources emerge with the ISM method, Management Studies in Development & Evolution, 33(113), 153-192. https://doi.org/10.22054/jmsd.2024.77059.4411 [in Persian]
  57. Shiri, A. (2024). Identification and validation of occupational stress factors for employees of the electricity distribution company of Ilam province, Journal of Management and educational perspective, 6(2), 194-218. https://doi.org/10.22034/jmep.2024.429921.1297 [in Persian]
Management Studies in Development and Evolution
Volume 34, Issue 118
Winter 2026
Pages 87-132

  • Receive Date 06 May 2025
  • Revise Date 03 July 2025
  • Accept Date 13 July 2025

Home

Editorial Boards

Submit Manuscript

Article Processing Charges

Contact Us