Threat or opportunity: accelerated job demands during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of accelerated job demands on employee outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis. An integrated model was developed to explore the relationships between different types of job demands (learning, decision-making, work intensification), employee turnover intention (TI) and burnout (BU).Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from professionals whose work conditions were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. An online survey was distributed anonymously. A total of 566 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data.Findings The findings revealed that employees' perception of job demands impacts the significance and direction of the relationships between different forms of job demands and employee outcomes. Furthermore, the findings confirm that mediating role of perceived organizational support alleviates the adverse effects of job demands on employee outcomes. Finally, the present study supported the moderation effect of positive affectivity between work intensification and employee BU.Practical implications This study provides employers with insights about supporting employees to cope with increased job demands in conditions where rapid changes are inevitable.Originality/value The unique context of research (COVID-19) enabled this study to account for the acceleration of job demands that employees experience in rapidly changing situations. This study employed an instrument that allowed for the assessment of acceleration in job demands. Furthermore, the granular approach of the measurement model extended the perspectives of job demands and work intensification.

Working during the COVID-19 pandemic: Demands, resources, and mental wellbeing

“…Work intensification as attributed to the pandemic was significantly related to higher cognitive and affective irritation, a finding being in line with prior work on the association of work intensification with reduced mental wellbeing (e.g., Chesley, 2014). Given that work intensification is connected to burnout (Kubicek et al, 2015;Afshari et al, 2022;Venz and Boettcher, 2022) and future emotional exhaustion (Korunka et al, 2015), it also seems to be an important finding under the pandemic conditions. The other non-significant findings (work difficulty, the risk of infection, increased work from home) may indicate that work-related job demands were not associated with irritation, but they could also be attributed to a rather moderate level of irritation.…”

Managing diverse workforce: How to safeguard skilled migrants’ self-efficacy and commitment

“…Acquiring and maintaining valuable personal, social, and material resources within organizations help employees build capacity and enhance their performance and, ultimately, organizational performance. Resource demanding situations such as burnout, on the other hand, lead to resource depletion and stress, compromising employee well-being (Afshari et al, 2022). Despite the prevalence of shortage of resources in the migrant workers context, the application of the COR theory in this context has been limited.…”

COVID-19: Employee Experience and Adjustment at a State Owned Company in South Africa

“…Human resource departments were tasked to adjust to a new way of work aligned with the demands brought by COVID-19, such as social distancing, resulting in many employees working from home (Venkatesh, 2020). Organizations have taken on an employee-first approach by delivering a seamless employee experience (Prajapati & Pandey, 2020), which brought upon changes to work structures to cope with the implications presented (Afshari et al, 2022).…”