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Death Reflection and Employee Work Behavior in the COVID-19 New Normal Time: The Role of Duty Orientation and Work Orientation

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  • Shilong Wei

    (School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)

  • Yuting He

    (School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)

  • Wenxia Zhou

    (School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)

  • József Popp

    (John von Neumann University, National Bank of Hungary, Research Center, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
    College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa)

  • Judit Oláh

    (College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
    Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a destructive affair for both workplace and community. However, with the strengthen of global anti-pandemic measures, COVID-19 becomes the norm and there is an increased trend for people to reflect on life or death. Moreover, regardless of its facilitating role in advancing organizational behavior (OB) study, very few studies empirically examine the effects of death reflection in the work domain. Drawing on the generativity theory, we identify how death reflection influences employees’ in-role and extra-role performance under the COVID-19 pandemic. A longitudinal study is performed by using multi-source data from 387 employees in China. Our results reveal that the COVID-19-triggered death reflection is associated with the stronger in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. We find that duty orientation is the mechanism that can explain the effects of the COVID-19-triggered death reflection on employees’ work behaviors. Furthermore, employees who reflect on death with high (vs. low) career and calling orientations tend to have higher in-role and extra-role performance, while employees who reflect on death with low (vs. high) job orientation are likely to have lower in-role and extra-role performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Shilong Wei & Yuting He & Wenxia Zhou & József Popp & Judit Oláh, 2021. "Death Reflection and Employee Work Behavior in the COVID-19 New Normal Time: The Role of Duty Orientation and Work Orientation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:20:p:11174-:d:653000
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nathan Eva & Alexander Newman & Qing Miao & Dan Wang & Brian Cooper, 2020. "Antecedents of Duty Orientation and Follower Work Behavior: The Interactive Effects of Perceived Organizational Support and Ethical Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 627-639, January.
    2. Hannah, Sean T. & Jennings, Peter L. & Bluhm, Dustin & Peng, Ann Chunyan & Schaubroeck, John M., 2014. "Duty orientation: Theoretical development and preliminary construct testing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 220-238.
    3. Sherry E. Moss & Meng Song & Sean T. Hannah & Zhen Wang & John J. Sumanth, 2020. "The Duty to Improve Oneself: How Duty Orientation Mediates the Relationship Between Ethical Leadership and Followers’ Feedback-Seeking and Feedback-Avoiding Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(4), pages 615-631, September.
    4. George Lan & Chike Okechuku & He Zhang & Jianan Cao, 2013. "Impact of Job Satisfaction and Personal Values on the Work Orientation of Chinese Accounting Practitioners," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(4), pages 627-640, February.
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