Does COVID-19 Fear Induce Employee Innovation Performance Deficiency? Examining the Mediating Role of Psychological Stress and Moderating Role of Organizational Career Support

Hierarchical Analysis of Forms of Support for Employees in the Field of Health Protection and Quality of Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Desired Post-Pandemic Forms of Support

Issues of employee support during the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic period are of an interdisciplinary nature. Moreover, these should be considered from both an epistemological and a practical perspective. The aim of this study was to determine what forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were provided by employers during the pandemic and what forms of support will be expected by employees after it ceases. The research process was carried out in two stages: primary and secondary exploration and quantitative clarification. In the first stage, a systematic review of the literature and a critical analysis of the so-called grey literature was performed. In the second stage, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) methodology was used. Ward's method was used for data analysis. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to search for new solutions to enable the continuation of their business activities, which consisted of switching from the traditional form of work to a remote form. The transition to the remote work mode changed the approach to the forms of work support provided for employees, with particular emphasis on the health of employees and the quality of work. The changes in the forms of support for employees in terms of health and quality of work were either bottom-up or top-down. Employers tried to provide access to remote infrastructure as much as possible, but the consequences of remote work in terms of the physical and mental health of employees were rarely noticed or considered. After the pandemic, online health support and access to the appropriate equipment and tools for remote work are unlikely to be needed.

The predictive ability of emotional creativity in motivation for adaptive innovation among university professors under COVID-19 epidemic: An international study

Emotional creativity (EC) refers to cognitive abilities and personality traits related to the originality of emotional experience and expression. Previous studies have found that the COVID-19 epidemic and the restrictions imposed increased the levels of negative emotions, which obstructed adaptation. This research suggests that EC predicts the motivation for innovative adaptive behavior under the restrictions of COVID-19. In the case study of university professors, we show that EC predicts the motivation to creatively capitalize on the imposed online teaching in looking for innovative research and personal development. Methodologically, we rely on the Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI) administered to a sample of 463 university professors (41.5% men, aged 22-100. M ± SD = 45.53 ± 11.46, median 44) from the Czech Republic (N = 137), Slovak Republic (N = 61), and Russia (N = 265). The indicators for motivation for innovative performance included motivations to use distant methods of scientific research, to look for partners for conducting scientific research in other cities or abroad, to conduct interdisciplinary research, starting distance learning to enhance qualifications, and the perception that due to online teaching, there is more time for personal development. We employ a set of ordinal regression analyses controlling for age, gender, position (lecturer, researcher, and manager), type of science (formal, natural, social, and applied), and country. The results suggest that Emotional Creativity and its three components predict the motivation of university professors to creatively capitalize on the imposed online teaching in looking for innovative research and personal development under the conditions of COVID-19. Furthermore, our results confirmed the gender and age differences in EC. The differences in EC according to position (lecturer, researcher, and manager) and type of science were not statistically significant. These results compel us to be aware of the importance of the emotional side of creativity to optimize stress-related behavior under the conditions of limited abilities to continue as usual. More space devoted to the manifestation of all the aspects of emotional creativity would improve adaptation to challenging circumstances and even allow one to capitalize on new opportunities. Moreover, we suggest that if personal intrinsic Emotional Creativity is high, the crises, such as the COVID-19 epidemic, may improve adaptation and trigger creative outcomes.