How CEOs respond to mortality salience during the COVID-19 pandemic: Integrating terror management theory with regulatory focus theory.
J Appl Psychol
; 106(8): 1188-1201, 2021 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1368913
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. As chief strategists of their respective firms, how do Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) react to mortality salience associated with the number of new daily COVID deaths in the U.S.? To answer this question, we integrate terror management theory (TMT) with regulatory focus theory to examine how CEOs respond to mortality salience. Based on a sample of CEOs of S&P 500 firms, we found that mortality salience was associated with CEOs' increased other-orientation, and this association was more pronounced among those with high prevention focus. Mortality salience also was associated with CEOs' decreased self-orientation, particularly among those with high promotion focus. We also found that CEOs' self-orientation was negatively related to the likelihood of their firms' making community donations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Commerce
/
Death
/
Fear
/
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
/
Models, Psychological
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
J Appl Psychol
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS