The Uses of Coffee in Highly Demanding Work Contexts: Managing Rhythms, Sleep, and Performance

Abstract

This paper presents a sociological approach to coffee consumption as a performance management strategy in work contexts, particularly in professions with intense work rhythms and highly responsive demands. Focusing on the daily work of three professional groups (nurses, police officers, and journalists), we analyze the social expression of coffee and how it is mobilized to deal with sleep problems, fatigue, concentration, or stress. For this purpose, three intertwined dimensions are explored: (1) the nature of these professionals’ work and the pressures for certain forms and levels of performance; (2) sleep problems as both a result of those work characteristics and a constraint on performance; and (3) the role of coffee in managing professional imperatives. The use of coffee appears as a legitimate practice in everyday working routines, due to its socializing markers, whereas additional benefits are attributed to the pharmacological properties of caffeine, given the perceived improvement in performance. The empirical data derive from a study carried out in Portugal on the use of medicines and food supplements for performance management, following a mixed methods approach. In particular, data from a questionnaire survey in a sample of 539 workers and information collected through seven focus groups with a total of 33 participants were used.

An Exploratory Study about the Characterization of Caffeine Consumption in a Portuguese Sample

“…Thus, the results showed that the two main reasons are the taste of caffeinated drinks and their physiological effect (i.e., to stay awake). These reasons for consuming caffeinated drinks are in line with the findings of other studies [ 11 , 14 , 22 ]. These results were similar for both sexes; however, other reasons were considered.…”

“…Concerning caffeine consumption, coffee remains the primary source of caffeine intake, which corroborates the results in most European countries and the United States of America [ 7 , 19 , 21 , 22 ]. Approximately two billion coffee “express” are estimated to be consumed every day in the world [ 23 ].…”

“…The influence of caffeine consumption on well-being and cognitive function has been demonstrated in several studies involving humans. For instance, Repantis and colleagues found caffeine consumption positive effects on mood and processing speed, Sherman and collaborators found a positive effect on memory during the non-optimal times of day, as in the early morning and anxiety, Marczinski on vigor activity, as well as staying awake during the working hours reported in the Pegado and collaborators study [ 22 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. One could also understand these data based on Fernandes and colleagues’ work, who argued that young coffee consumers show a more occasional pattern.…”

“…Unlike the values reported in mg/day in some studies, for instance, in Knapik and colleagues, and Stachyshyn and colleagues, we chose to present this result in mg/week to avoid the variability that occurs per day [ 2 , 19 ]. This consumption can be influenced, among other reasons, by the deep-rooted Portuguese culture [ 22 ]. So, in addition to the knowledge of caffeine consumption (in general), it is important to understand the reasons that lead people to consume it.…”