Crossover of positive experiences from business travelers to their spouses

Abstract

Purpose

Focusing on the positive aspects of business trips, the current study aims to examine the antecedents of vigor and the crossover of vigor from business travelers to their spouses.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 275 business travelers and their working spouses. The business travelers were required to travel abroad several times a year within the framework of their jobs. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The study finds that demands on the travelers (number of trips) and their resources (trip control and their business trips satisfaction) were positively related to travelers' vigor. Furthermore, as hypothesized, travelers' vigor crossed over to spouses' vigor.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this paper are the use of a cross‐sectional self‐report survey. Its implications are that it showed that positive feelings may cross over between partners. Further research should focus on additional positive outcomes.

Originality/value

This is the first study that set out to investigate crossover relating to business travels and one of the few that focused on and found confirmation of crossover of positive experiences.

Citation

Westman, M., Etzion, D. and Chen, S. (2009), "Crossover of positive experiences from business travelers to their spouses", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 269-284. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940910939340