ABSTRACT
Given that millions of employees switched to mandatory telework during COVID-19, and as teleworking practices are likely to continue, it is essential to understand the potential impact of mandatory and non-flexible teleworking practices on employee well-being. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we find support for resource gains as increase in job control mediates the link between increases in teleworking and improvements in well-being (increases in work engagement and decreases in burnout and job boredom). Conversely, the findings indicate resource losses as loss of social support and higher work-non-work interference explain the deterioration in well-being for those whose teleworking increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. By coupling role depletion and role enrichment theories, we find that employees who had children living at home experienced greater work-non-work interference due to increased teleworking. However, having children also buffered the negative impact of work-non-work interference on well-being. The findings are based on a Finnish population sample collected three months before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020 (N = 996 of matched respondents) and latent change score analyses of within-person changes. Our results provide new insights regarding the potential impact of teleworking on employee well-being in a context where teleworking is not flexible and self-selected by the employees. Notably, our results draw bridges (rather than burn them) between role depletion and enrichment frameworks as having children may simultaneously be "a burden” and "a gift”. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04250-8.
ABSTRACT
What may individuals themselves do to enhance their identification with their employer organization? Does being socially courageous promote such formation of identity? If so, does this process occur because those who are socially courageous also proactively foster positive relationships and collaboration amongst co-workers and thus enhance social resources at work? Answering these questions is essential given that positive relationships and identification at work are essential for employees' motivation and well-being and organizations' success. Using conservation of resources theory, we expected that increases in workplace social courage would strengthen organizational identification via boosting increases in two types of relational job crafting, namely crafting relationships and collaboration, which in turn were expected to increase three social resources at work: meaningful relationships, relational identification, and social support. Findings based on a sample of 2919 employees who participated in the study twice, in late 2019 and late 2020, largely supported our hypotheses. Findings suggest that crafting social aspects of work can increase social resources and help maintain positive attachment with one's workplace, and such relational crafting may be fostered by being socially courageous at work. This applied similarly to those who increasingly teleworked because of the COVID-19 related social restrictions and those who did not.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed work life profoundly and concerns regarding the mental well-being of employees' have arisen. Organizations have made rapid digital advancements and have started to use new collaborative tools such as social media platforms overnight. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to investigate how professional social media communication has affected work engagement before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of perceived social support, task resources, and psychological distress as predictors and moderators of work engagement. METHODS: Nationally representative longitudinal survey data were collected in 2019-2020, and 965 respondents participated in all 4 surveys. Measures included work engagement, perceived social support and task resources, and psychological distress. The data were analyzed using a hybrid linear regression model. RESULTS: Work engagement remained stable and only decreased in autumn 2020. Within-person changes in social media communication at work, social support, task resources, and psychological distress were all associated with work engagement. The negative association between psychological distress and work engagement was stronger in autumn 2020 than before the COVID-19 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted pressure on mental health at work. Fostering social support and task resources at work is important in maintaining work engagement. Social media communication could help maintain a supportive work environment.