Informational Justice, Organizational Communication, and Job Insecurity in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were a time of great job insecurity. Knowledge of how such feelings of insecurity were mitigated during a time of crisis has important implications for the development of future interventions. Drawing from uncertainty management theory (UMT), we explored the impact of informational justice perceptions on the effects of job insecurity in a sample collected during the early stages of the pandemic (March-May 2020). The findings indicated that informational justice buffered the impacts of job insecurity on employee life satisfaction and perceived ability to perform. Furthermore, the source of information regarding COVID-19-related job changes mattered for predicting informational justice perceptions. Our findings bolster UMT and have important practical implications for future times of crisis.

Effect of COVID-19 health threat on consumer's perceived value towards mobile payments in India: a means-end model

Shifting to mobile payments from offline payments can be considered as a social distancing measure in times of a pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak is currently entering its 'endemic' stage;continued usage of mobile-based payment services is thereby warranted as a social distancing mechanism. This could be true in case of any other pandemic/endemic outbreaks like SARS/Nipah virus outbreaks. The current study examines how the 'perceived' health threat posed by COVID-19 and mobile payment service quality (MPSQ) influence consumers' perceived value toward continuous usage of mobile payment services (MPS) in India. In addition, the investigation considers other factors that prompt consumers to continue using the service. Customers, who used mobile payment applications for making cashless transactions during the pandemic, formed the subjects of the study. Data were collected from 720 mobile payment users. The research model integrates the concept of health threat in health belief model to means-end chain model to explain why a customer opts to choose m-payment at times of a pandemic, and what prompts him/her to continue with its usage. The model was empirically tested with structural equation modeling, along with mediation and moderation analysis. It was found that MPSQ, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity of COVID-19 significantly enhanced consumers' value perceptions regarding MPS, which leads to satisfaction and continuance intention of using the same. In addition, the study also found a significant positive moderating role of consumer involvement on the relationship between perceived health threat, perceived value, and MPSQ. The threat of COVID-19, being an endemic, or occurrence of similar pandemics persists, and adopting contactless transactions via MPS to comply with social distancing norms may improve customer value perceptions that could aid in the persistence of MPS usage. Also, derivation of value perceptions out of the service quality acts as a driver to continuous usage.

Job insecurity and survivor workplace behavior following COVID-19 layoff

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of job insecurity (JI) on employee work performance (WP) and service innovation behavior (SIB). It further examines the mediating role of affective commitment (AC) and the moderating role of organizational cynicism and financial job dependence (FJD). Design/methodology/approachBy using a three-wave approach, the hypotheses were tested by collecting data from 473 full-time employees and their supervisors in the Thai hotel industry. FindingsThe results demonstrated that JI negatively affected WP and SIB. AC mediated these relationships. FJD moderated these relationships such that at high levels of job dependence, the negative relationships were weaker. Research limitations/implicationsHuman resource managers may reduce the negative effects of JI by creating a supportive and caring work environment through open communication. They may communicate openly with employees about the challenges the organization is facing, and involve them in planning, decision-making and implementation to mitigate the negative effects of JI. They may also provide training and development opportunities to help employees build their skills and increase their value to the organization. Originality/valueResearch on the behavioral consequences of JI is scant in the hospitality sector. Drawing on job-demand resource theory, this study attempts to fill this gap.

Charting well-being over adulthood into pandemic times: a longitudinal perspective

The purpose of this study is to investigate how well-being changes over the adult life course from early adulthood in 1998 through to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. We identify diverse well-being trajectories over time in a cohort of British Columbians and explore the extent to which changes in well-being associated with the pandemic varied for individuals in these different trajectory groups. Specifically, we ask: what was the effect of the pandemic on the well-being of individuals with different prior well-being trajectories over adulthood and how were these effects related to personal, educational and employment factors? To address this question, we model well-being trajectories over a large span of adulthood from the age of 28 to 51 years old. We find a diversity of distinct patterns in well-being changes over adulthood. The majority experience high well-being over time, while almost one in five experiences either chronically low or drastically decreased well-being in mid-adulthood, which coincides with the pandemic. Notably, those who have completed post-secondary education are less likely to report low well-being trajectories. Those with the lowest well-being over time also report the largest negative effects of the pandemic, which illustrates the compounding effects of the pandemic on existing inequalities.

Playing the wild cards: Antecedents of family firm resilience

The purpose of this study is to explore how family firms respond to wild cards. We aim to capture the under-standing of family firm owners/managers of what wild cards are in terms of frequency, kind, and impact. We also examine how familiness and entrepreneurial orientation form the resilience and survival of family firms when facing wild cards. The scope of our attention is limited to extreme events so far overlooked in the family firm resilience literature, and the empirical context of our study involves the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings show that the response to wild cards depends on the understanding of those extreme situations that family firms managers/owners develop. Deep time horizon is relevant in developing a useful understanding of wild cards, and generational involvement helps to socially construct it. After developing an understanding, family firm man-agers/owners use decision making preferences in selecting their response to wild cards. Our study offers a behavioral take on family firms resilience, and provides a fine grained view incorporating behavioral constructs.

Consumer Preferences and Segmentation of Consumers of Food Services in Poland-during Pandemic

The research aimed to explore preferences regarding the selection of collective consumption, with attention being given to the following three research constructs: the attractiveness of collective consumption, economic determinants for using the offer of food services, as well as social and cultural determinants for consumer behaviours on the food services market. The research was conducted through a direct channel, using a questionnaire prepared to this end. The research process, during which primary data was gathered, comprised the following three stages: qualitative research, quantitative pilot research and proper quantitative research. The proper quantitative research covered a representative random sample of 2,102 Poles aged above 18. The article presents the results of research carried out to examine preferences regarding the use of food services provided by restaurants and attempts to categorise consumers of food services into segments. Empirical material was gathered and analysed to identify five consumer segments. The data obtained not only supplements existing research by providing up-to-date pandemic-related information on changing preferences on the food services market and gives restaurant owners (restaurateurs) guidance on designing food product architecture for individual consumer segments, but also provides a starting point for research hypotheses that can be formulated in future scientific research.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Roles of Cognitive and Affective Job Insecurity Before and During the Pandemic

Background: While an increasing body of research has examined employees' job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, we know little about the role of cognitive and affective job insecurity in the pandemic context. Methods: We conducted a two-wave study on 211 service employees in South Korea to assess the indirect effect of their cognitive job insecurity that existed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on their job performance after the onset of the pandemic, via affective job insecurity. Results: Mediation analysis revealed that pre-COVID cognitive job insecurity significantly indirectly affected mid-COVID job performance through mid-COVID affective job insecurity. Further, we found this indirect effect significant only among female employees. Discussion: These findings underscore the long-term effects of cognitive job insecurity on job performance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lecturers' Experiences of the Blurring of Work and Home Boundaries During the Covid-19 Pandemic at a South African ODeL University

The unprecedented extended Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns forced higher education institutions (HEIs) to find innovative ways to effectively deliver student tuition and support. The lockdown brought many challenges to the education sector, including increasing the blurring of the work-home boundaries. This study investigated how Covid-19 accelerated the blurring of lecturers' work-home boundaries in the College of Education at a distance education institution in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 15 lecturers. The results showed that a lack of workspace at many lecturers' homes forced them to work beyond normal office hours. One of the key findings was that complete segmentation and integration were impossible because these lines were continuously blurred during the pandemic. The demand for immediate feedback by students exacerbated the situation for many lecturers. There is a need for the design of fluid policies that can be readily implemented during times of emergency such as the pandemic.

The influence of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating role of self-efficacy.

Objective: To understand the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth and the mechanisms affecting this relationship, we constructed an adjustment model to test the impact of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students and the moderating role of self-efficacy during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. Study design and setting: A total of 881 college students from a university of science and technology in Guangdong Province, China, completed a questionnaire that measured deliberate rumination, post-traumatic growth, and self-efficacy. SPSS (version 26) and the PROCESS plug-in (version 4.0) were used for correlation and moderation analyses. Results: The correlation analysis showed that deliberate rumination was positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.353, P < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = 0.261, P < 0.01). Self-efficacy was also positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.466, P < 0.01). In addition, we found that self-efficacy had a regulatory effect on the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth (R 2 = 0.287, P < 0.001) and that this effect was significant. Conclusion: The results show that deliberate rumination can be a positive predictor of post-traumatic growth and can play a certain role in fostering such growth. In addition, self-efficacy is a moderator that plays a buffer role between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth. These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that affect post-traumatic growth.

Revisiting the link between domain satisfaction and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: Job-related moderators in triadic analysis in dual-earner parents with adolescent children.

Introduction: Research has evaluated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns on individuals' life satisfaction, but wellbeing interrelations between family members in this context have been less explored. This study examined the spillover and crossover effects of one parent's job satisfaction (JS), satisfaction with family life (SWFaL) and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) on their own, their partner's, and their adolescent children's life satisfaction (LS), and the influence of adolescents' SWFaL and SWFoL on their own and their parents' LS, in dual-earner families with adolescents. The moderating role of job-related variables of both parents were also explored. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 860 dual-earner parents with adolescents in two cities in Chile during 2020. Mothers and fathers answered the Overall Job Satisfaction Scale and the three family members answered the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Satisfaction with Family Life Scale and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale. Results: Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling, we found that fathers' LS was positively associated with their own JS, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), and negatively with adolescents' SWFoL (crossover). Likewise, mothers' LS was positively associated with their own JS, SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), with fathers' and adolescents' SWFaL, and negatively with adolescents' SWFoL. Adolescents' LS was positively associated with their own SWFaL and SWFoL (spillover), and with their fathers' JS, and negatively with their fathers' SWFoL. JS showed gendered patterns in spillover and crossover associations. Parents' type of employment, mothers' working hours and city of residence moderated some spillover and crossover associations for father-mother and parent-adolescent dyads. Discussion: These findings suggest that, for dual-earner parents with adolescents, improving individuals' LS requires interventions that should be carried out not individually, but at a family level.

Redemption from SRHRM under COVID-19: How business threat due to COVID-19 affects employee insomnia via hope and workplace anxiety

Existing studies show that the COVID-19 pandemic influences employee outcome in the work domain. However, the impact of business threat due to COVID-19 on employee daily insomnia remains unexplored. Addressing this research gap can help scholars understand the risks of COVID-19 in the non-work domain. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, we explore how and when business threat due to COVID-19 triggers employee insomnia. Using an experience sampling methodology where 89 employees are surveyed for 7 workdays, our multilevel analyses show that employee daily hope and workplace anxiety mediate the effects of business threat due to COVID-19 on employee insomnia. Furthermore, socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) practices weaken the negative relationship between business threat due to COVID-19 and employees' hope and mitigate the positive relationship between business threat due to COVID-19 and their workplace anxiety. We also find that SRHRM practices influence the indirect effect of business threat due to COVID-19 on employee insomnia via workplace anxiety. Our study helps understand the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between business threat due to COVID-19 and employee insomnia and further sheds light on the role of SRHRM in mitigating the destructive effect of business threat due to COVID-19.

Consumer ethnocentrism under the circumstances of the COVID 19 virus pandemic

Background: The new circumstances of life due to the proclamation of the COVID 19 virus pandemic have caused numerous changes both in general people's lives and in consumption. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify changes in the degree of consumer ethnocentrism when choosing products during the COVID 19 virus pandemic, compared to the period before its occurrence. In addition, differences in consumer preferences for certain domestic products and services before and during the pandemic were analyzed. The paper also deals with differences in ethnocentric tendencies during the pandemic between different socio-demographic consumer segments.Study design/methodology/approach: The primary data were collected from 176 respondents by using the survey method. A paired samples t test is used for hypotheses testing. Independent samples t test and Anova, post hoc Scheffe test, were conducted for analysing differences in ethnocentric tendencies between observed consumer segments during the pandemic.Findings/conclusions: Higher level of consumer ethnocentrism is confirmed in period during the pandemic, especially when it comes to choice of domestic medical products. On the other hand, lower level of consumer ethnocentrism is observed for fashion products and insurance during the pandemic. Older consumers and pensioners exhibit stronger ethnocentric tendencies during the pandemic.Limitations/future research: The main limitation of the paper relates to the use of only a few of the 17 statements within the CET scale for measuring ethnocentric tendencies before and during the pandemic. Also, the research did not cover all categories of domestic products and services. According to the limitations, future studies are recommended to fully apply the CET scale for measuring consumer ethnocentrism. Also, the recommendation is to observe higher number of categories of products and services, and to break down the categories into several subcategories. Finally, future studies can also include some of the determinants of consumer ethnocentrism in the research model.

Remote Innovation: How Remote Work Enables Open Innovation in Times of COVID-19

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated infection control measures imposed by governments caused a major disruption to traditional workflows, leading to an immense increase in remote work. At the same time, innovation activities became more collaborative and digitalized than ever before, as firms worldwide were forced to shift from physical to virtual innovation spaces literally overnight and suddenly had to adapt and practice "remote innovation ". By means of a systematic literature review based on 80 selected articles, this paper contributes to the academic discussion in three ways: First, the paper explores the synthesis between open innovation and remote work and uncovers a set of necessary determinants that form the basis for practicing remote innovation. Second, the paper offers a conceptual framework based on Chesbrough's open innovation model and extended by various determinants of open innovation in a remote work environment to provide initial advice to managers on how to innovate in times of social distancing. Third, the study concludes by identifying several promising areas for future research in the field of remote innovation management, a hitherto under-researched but highly topical field.

Hospitality and COVID-19: a willingness to choose e-consultation owing to unemployment and home isolation

PurposeCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic since COVID-19's widespread outbreak and the hospitality industry has been the hardest hit due to lockdown. Consequently, hospitality workers are suffering from the negative aspects of mental health. In the event of such a crisis, this study aims to explore the link between unemployment and home isolation to the willingness to choose electronic consultation (e-consultation) by exploiting psychological ill-being and behavioural intention (BI) with marital status as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology is applied to primary data collected from 310 workers from the hospitality industry through an online survey.FindingsFindings of this study suggest that the usage of the e-consultation service can be adopted using three levels. There are valid reasons to conclude unemployment and home isolation are linked to higher rates of psychological health behaviours, which can result in stigma, loss of self-worth and increased mortality. The adverse effect is higher for single individuals than for married people.Originality/valueThe study focussed on e-consultation, BI coupled with the Fishbein scale and a classification model for the prediction of willingness to choose e-consultation with the extension of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).

The Effect of Emotional Labor on Work Performance through Burnout during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period: A Research on Bank Employees

Increasing competition conditions as a requirement of the digital age necessitate customer focus in every sector. Emotional labor is becoming increasingly important, especially in the service sector, where consumption takes place where it produces, in order to create a positive impression on customers and to be a good team worker. Because the emotional labor of employees can lead to positive or negative results in terms of work performance by affecting various factors such as burnout. In this context, the main purpose of the research is to determine the relationship between the emotional labor of bank employees and their burnout levels and performances. For this purpose, the survey technique, which is one of the quantitative research techniques, and the interview technique, which is one of the qualitative research techniques, were used in the research. Survey information obtained from 188 bank employees was analyzed and predicted. Since it helps to examine the subject in more detail, it was supported by the information obtained from 8 bank employees with the qualitative research technique. As a result of the quantitative analysis of the research, it was determined that emotional labor is related to job performance and burnout. Through qualitative analysis, it has been tried to determine which factors have positive and negative effects on emotional labor, burnout and employee performance.

Telecommunications service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in pandemic times

PurposeThis study aims to empirically explore telecommunications service quality (SQ) and its impact on the customer loyalty (CL) through a mediating impact of customer satisfaction (CS) during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted involving 384 customers of telecommunications service providers in Egypt. The hypothesized direct relationships were tested through regression analysis, and the mediating effect was tested using structural equation modeling technique. FindingsThe results reveal a strong positive relationship of SQ dimensions, CS and CL. Reliability, privacy and security and convenience, respectively, proved to increase CS and CL more than the other SQ dimensions, particularly during COVID-19. Moreover, CS was found to significantly and fully mediate the effect of SQ on CL. Research limitations/implicationsThis is an empirical research applied in the Egyptian telecommunications setting. Its relationships need further investigation in other settings and countries. Also, traditional limitations of a cross-sectional study apply with respect to the attribution of causality and the time lag effects. Practical implicationsIn strategic planning of telecommunications services and the associated consumer behavior, the results of this study can be helpful for policymakers. In case of similar epidemics and natural calamities, consumers may depict similar behavior as shown during the lockdown and social distancing during COVID-19;hence, this study can help regulatory bodies in preparing their safety roadmap. Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge in enhancing the understanding on the impact of telecommunications SQ on CS and loyalty, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Antecedents and intervention mechanisms of institutional distrust of P2P accommodations during COVID-19 in China

PurposeCOVID-19 affects the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation industry. With regard to prospect theory, individuals' negative emotions, such as institutional distrust, are easily evoked and impede consumption intention in an environment of permeating uncertainty and risks. While existing research indicates the negative effects of institutional distrust, scant research has explored its antecedents and intervention mechanisms. This study thus aims to unveil the influencing factors and explore mitigating mechanisms of customers' institutional distrust of P2P accommodations. Design/methodology/approachOnline reviews data were used to identify the underlying critical issues. The authors developed a model to depict how institutional distrust is formed under the boundary condition of subjective norm by the results. The model was verified using a questionnaire survey. Finally, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to ensure its robustness. FindingsThe external environment and internal platform effectiveness are two critical aspects affecting institutional distrust of P2P accommodations. The external environment influences institutional distrust through perceived threat, explaining the formation mechanism of customers' institutional distrust through customers' internal psychology. Furthermore, the authors found subjective norm moderating the effect of perceived threat on customers' institutional distrust. Research limitations/implicationsThis is one of the first studies, to the best of the authors' knowledge, to explore institutional distrust of P2P accommodations after COVID-19. The finding contributes to studies on P2P accommodation by uncovering the contingent role of subjective norm in influencing customers' institutional distrust. Originality/valueThis is a pioneering study that explores the antecedents and mitigating mechanisms of institutional distrust of P2P accommodations during the new normal of COVID-19.

Navigating a crisis: do exploration and exploitation help SMEs when they respond to COVID-19 disruption?

This study investigates the validity of exploitation and exploration when small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate a highly uncertain time. Although balancing the two strategies has been thought to lead to improved firm performance in general, a combined approach appears to be problematic for SMEs due to a lack of feasibility. We theorise that the effectiveness may vary depending on a fit between the strategies and the environmental contingencies. In doing so, we considered two potential environmental contingencies of a crisis for SMEs: loss of demand and loss of supply. To put our theory to the test, we gathered 224 responses from business leaders and key individuals from Korean start-ups and tested the effectiveness of crisis management strategies. Our findings support the validity of both exploitation and exploration when firms face a loss of demand, but not a loss of supply. It implies that the effectiveness of exploration and exploitation is contingent upon a specific form of crisis experienced at the firm level.

Virtual interaction and failure learning-The crucial role of team LMX composition

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of virtual work. Enabled by the pandemic, the present study addresses the consequences of virtual interaction among regular work teams. Building on and expanding prior research, we develop lines of reasoning to suggest that virtuality negatively affects team failure learning. Additionally, we argue that team LMX quality and team LMX differentiation can help mitigate this effect. We test our hypotheses based on survey data from 73 teams working for a service unit at an international bank. In line with our theorizing, the results reveal that virtuality hampers team failure learning. Moreover, we find that team LMX quality and team LMX differentiation can serve to alleviate the negative consequences of virtuality. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study to support HR managers and propose some areas for future research.

How does natural resource dependence influence carbon emissions? The role of environmental regulation

Sustainable economic development and green recovery in the post-COVID-19 era in China requires consideration of natural resource dependence (NRD) and environmental regulation (ER) of CO2 emissions. Based on panel data covering 2008 and 2018 in China, this paper explores the impacts of NRD on carbon emissions and the moderating role of ER. In addition, the heterogeneity, asymmetry, and mediating mechanism are investigated in this study. Following are the main conclusions: (1) Decreasing the dependence on natural resources and strengthening ER can effectively cut down CO2 emissions, and the enhanced ER can reduce the contribution of NRD to CO2 emissions;(2) the positive influence of NRD on carbon emissions are consistent in various regions, while the influence of ER on CO2 emissions is negative in areas with high levels of NRD;(3) the reduced natural resources dependence can accelerate the carbon emissions reduction process indirectly by causing a reduction in China's total energy demand and coal consumption and accelerating the green technological innovation. The findings present several policy recommendations for achieving carbon emissions reduction.