Expectations for work performance have extended beyond the traditional confines of the work place and beyond a forty-hour work week as communication technologies have made work possible any time and anywhere. At the same time as expectations for work performance are increasing, the energy workers need to perform their work is remaining relatively fixed in the short-term. This study explored the question of how workers manage their personal energy. It was proposed that employees stay energized for their work by developing energy management styles (EMS) which are relatively stable patterns of behavior through which they manage their personal energy relative to their work and non-work demands.

Employees of a private university in northeastern United States participated in this exploratory study. The study included a confidential interview, a survey including three measurement scales, and a self-reported diary. The results indicated that (1) employees' circadian rhythm significantly correlated with the change in energy level in the morning and over the course of the day, (2) that the social context of work significantly correlated with the change in energy level over the course of the day, (3) the type of energy employees experience is significantly correlated with their subjective energy for work, and that (4) EMS has a moderating effect on the energy drain/replenishments workers experience from their daily work activities, and the change in energy employees experienced over the day. The study also identified a number of areas for future research including further study of cultural differences in personal energy management and the role of personal energy management in organizational and individual change initiatives.