Tackling the Negative Impact of COVID-19 on Work Engagement and Taking Charge: A Multi-Study Investigation of Frontline Health Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic, as a stressful event, has posed unprecedented challenges for employees worldwide. This research investigated whether and when an employee's perceived COVID-19 crisis strength affected his or her work engagement and taking charge at work. In a time-lagged field study of health workers on the coronavirus frontline (Study 1), we found that when work meaningfulness was lower, a health worker's perceived COVID-19 crisis strength exerted a more negative effect on his or her work engagement and taking charge at work. In a longitudinal field experiment (Study 2), we collaborated with a hospital to carry out two organizational interventions based on event system theory and work meaningfulness research. The interventions significantly decreased perceived COVID-19 crisis strength and increased work meaningfulness for medical staff in an intensive care unit (ICU), who were tasked with caring for COVID-19 patients in critical condition. The findings of Study 2 demonstrate the effectiveness of organizational training and interventions in alleviating the negative impact of COVID-19 on an employee's work engagement and taking charge at work.

Automated summary

This research found that when work meaningfulness was low, an employee's perceived COVID-19 crisis strength had a more negative impact on work engagement and taking charge at work. Organizational interventions were effective in alleviating the negative impact of the pandemic on employee's work engagement and taking charge at work.