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Proposed as a theory of motivation, the basic tenet of conservation of resources (COR) theory is that humans are motivated to protect their current resources and acquire new resources. Despite its recent popularity in the organizational behavior literature, several criticisms of the theory have emerged, primarily related to the central concept of resources. In this review, we address concerns regarding the conceptualization, conservation, acquisition, fluctuation, and measurement of resources. We highlight gaps in the COR literature that can be addressed by integrating research from other areas of psychology and management. In this manner, we hope to push the COR literature forward by resolving several concerns and providing suggestions for future research that might address other concerns.

Studies investigating the crossover of job stress and strain between partners have shown that job demands are transmitted from job incumbents to their partners, affecting their psychological and physical health. Based on the crossover literature and on models of job stress and the work-family interface, this study develops a comprehensive framework to integrate the literature conceptually, delineating the mechanisms that underlie the crossover process. Key constructs include job stress, life events, strain, personal attributes and interpersonal factors. The literature pertaining to each construct in the model is reviewed and summarized. Gaps in the literature are identified, recommendations for future research are proposed, and the implications for organizational theory and practice are discussed.

Using structural equation modeling analyses we examined the correlation in levels of depression symptoms within couples to determine whether the underlying mechanism is due to common stressors, empathic reactions, or crossover via social interaction. The analyses were based on two waves of data collection from a sample of 354 male Vietnam veterans, Era veterans (veterans who served elsewhere during the period of the Vietnam War), and nonveterans and from their wives or committed partners. The results demonstrated that the correlation in depression symptoms within couples is due primarily to common stressors and crossover via negative social interaction. Common stressful life events increase depression in both spouses, and this in turn increases social undermining, which further increases depression.

In a quasi-experiment designed to examine the relief from job stress and burnout afforded by a vacation respite, 76 clerks completed measures of job stress and burnout twice before a vacation, once during vacation, and twice after vacation. There was a decline in burnout during the vacation and a return to prevacation levels by the time of the second postvacation measure. Comparing the two prevacation measures indicated no anticipation effects. However, the return to work showed gradual fade-out, as burnout returned part way toward its prevacation level by 3 days after the vacation and all the way by 3 weeks after the vacation. Women and those satisfied with their vacations experienced greater relief; however, both subsamples also experienced the quickest fade-out. The respite effect and its complete fade-out were detected among all subgroups analyzed. Burnout, relief, interpersonal stress crossover, and burnout climate at work are discussed. Respite research offers a way of testing the stressorstrain hypothesis by comparing levels of strain while individuals are alternately on and off their jobs. Being on and off the job serves as an objective proxy for exposure to objective job stressors. In respite research, one can repeatedly measure the same workers' perceptions of stressors and experiences of strain before, during, and after the respite. A respite from work may be a day off, a weekend, a vacation, or some other form of absence from the work setting when the everyday pressures of the job are absent. The aim in respite research is not to study vacation; rather, it is to study the effects of job stressors and their absence. Objectively speaking, workers are exposed to job stressors on their jobs and are not exposed to them while on a respite from their jobs. Detecting a decline in perceived job stressors during the respite validates this objective definition (Eden, 1990). Thus, in respite research one studies the impact of job stressors by using repeated measures designs, when stressors are intermittently on and off. Data gathered this way can be ana