Managerial wisdom suggests that to perform well, people should devote considerable attention to the task at hand. Research indicates that lapses in attention can carry deleterious performance outcomes. However, extant literature suggests that the human mind is not always attentive and is prone to wander from the task one is performing and the environment surrounding it. This phenomenon, known as mind wandering (daydreaming) raises two important questions : How does mind wandering influence one’s performance at work? Does mind wandering always have negative consequences? To this end, we build upon and integrate the conservation of resources theory and the theory of mind wandering to conceptualise how mind wandering can lead to positive work outcomes. In doing so, we examine a specific facet of mind wandering, known as problem-oriented daydreams (POD), and demonstrate how problem-oriented daydreams can influence meritorious work outcomes such as innovative work behaviour (INWB) and enhanced task performance. The present study also demonstrates the role performance pressure can play as an antecedent to POD. We test our model using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques with cross-sectional survey data collected from a sample of 450 academicians in India. The results indicate that POD mediates the relationship between performance pressure and INWB. Further, results also support the hypothesised relationship between performance pressure and task performance mediated by POD. Our results hold while controlling for gender and institutional tenure for our hypothesised model. Implications for future research and practices are discussed.
