Core self-evaluations as resilience and risk factors of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In view of the grave consequences of distress reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, this study investigated CSE (Core Self-evaluations) - internal/external health locus of control, generalized self-efficacy and trait optimism - and intolerance of uncertainty as potential correlates of distress reactions. We conducted an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study with 422 Israeli respondents. Pandemic-related distress was defined by perceived stress, negative and positive affect, and worries. Predictors were: health locus of control, generalized self-efficacy, trait optimism, and intolerance of uncertainty. The findings show that CSEs and intolerance of uncertainty added between 11% (to perceived stress) and 22% (to negative affect) of explained variance beyond the background variables. Specifically, higher trait optimism and generalized self-efficacy were associated with less distress, and greater intolerance of uncertainty was correlated with higher distress. In conclusion, the CSE framework is useful for explaining psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond their theoretical contribution, the findings may have practical implications for increasing resilience and ameliorating distress during a pandemic.

COVID-related stressors on career insecurity: The moderating effects of family support and openness

We examined the relationship between COVID-19 stressors and individuals' career insecurity and the moderating effect of family support and openness to experience on that relationship. Participants were 207 young Chinese employees (female = 52.2%;mean age = 25.5 years, SD = 4.673 years). They completed the COVID-related stressors, Family Support, Career Insecurity, and Openness Questionnaires. Regression analysis results showed that COVID-related stressors were associated with higher career insecurity. Openness to experience buffered such a link between the COVID-related stressors and career insecurity so that when openness was high, career insecurity from COVID-related stressors was lower. Family support did not moderate the relationship between COVID-related stressors and career insecurity. These findings suggest the importance of personality traits in the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic stressors and work participation for resilient careers.

Psychometric Validation of the Brief-COPE Scale in a Sample of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Brief Report

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) must often cope with high levels of stress, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Brief-COPE is commonly used to assess how individuals use different coping strategies to deal with stressful life situations, but its application with people who have MS has not been validated. The purpose of this study was to assess the measurement structure and psychometric properties of the Brief-COPE in a sample of community-dwelling adults with multiple sclerosis, using exploratory factor analysis. Results revealed a three-factor measurement structure: (a) flexible coping, (b) succumbing coping, and (c) substance use coping. Correlations among these three factors and external measures of related concepts provided evidence of the validity of these factors. The Brief-COPE can be incorporated in rehabilitation counseling, mental health, and health care settings to assess coping strategies, assisting people with MS with managing stressful life events during and after the pandemic. Rehabilitation and health researchers can use it to assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions aimed to improve coping abilities and mental health of people with MS.

Working with artificial intelligence surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed investigation of the influence mechanism on job engagement in hospitality industry

This paper examines the interaction effects of social support (supervisor support and coworker support) and AI surveillance on employee job engagement drawing on the social exchange theory. Mixed research methods were applied. Researchers collected 358 valid time-lagged designed questionnaires and tested the model using a path analysis approach. The results revealed that there is a moderated mediation mechanism in relationships between supervisor support/coworker support and job engagement, in which both self-efficacy and self-esteem are mediating variables and AI surveillance plays a moderating role. Specifically, when the degree of job control with AI surveillance is at a low level, the effect of supervisor support/coworker support on employees' self-efficacy/self-esteem is stronger. The indirect relationship between supervisor support/coworker support and job engagement through self-esteem is moderated by job control with AI surveillance as well, and the indirect relationship becomes stronger when job control with AI surveillance is lower. Findings from a series of semi-structured post-hoc interviews with 18 hotel employees interpretatively support the survey results. This research fills this gap by analyzing relationships among social support, AI surveillance, and job engagement and provides positive suggestions for hotel operation and employee management with AI surveillance during pandemic.

Eustress and Distress in the Context of Telework

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in telework, with many organizations using telework to continue operations. Teleworkers are subject to stress due to the demands of working from home. Despite the common view of stress as being detrimental, stress can also be beneficial. In this paper, the authors investigate two forms of stress, eustress (beneficial stress) and distress (detrimental stress), using a theoretically-derived model that includes antecedents and outcomes of eustress and distress. They test the model using data from a survey of 525 American teleworkers. Results indicate that job resources (autonomy, managerial support, and technical support) and personal resources (resilience and self-efficacy) affect eustress while job demands (work overload, social isolation, and resource inadequacies) affect distress. Eustress is positively associated with job and telework satisfaction and negatively associated with telework exhaustion. Distress has the opposite effects. The findings hold implications for researchers and practitioners.

How workplace support for the COVID-19 pandemic and personality traits affect changes in employees' affective commitment to the organization and job-related well-being.

How do organizational responses to environmental disruptions affect employees' job-related well-being? As the COVID-19 pandemic has led to new ways of working, increased health concerns, and added responsibilities, employees are facing important challenges in doing their work that can affect their job-related well-being. This study aims to understand how different types of work support (i.e., perceived organizational support and supervisor accessibility) in response to environmental disruption interact with personality traits (i.e., core self-evaluations and future focus) to influence changes in employees' affective commitment to their organization and in their job-related well-being. We develop a moderated mediation model and test it on data collected from 295 individuals working in the United Kingdom. We find that work support for the COVID-19 pandemic, both perceived organizational support and supervisor accessibility, is associated with more positive changes in employees' job-related well-being and that this effect is mediated by changes in employees' affective commitment to their organization. Furthermore, we find that personality traits moderate the relationships between these two types of support and changes in affective commitment to the organization, with those relationships being more positive for employees with low core self-evaluations and for those with a high future focus.