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Disruptive pandemic effects on telecommuters: A longitudinal study of work–family balance and well‐being during COVID‐19
Author(s) -
Hu Xinyu Judy,
Subramony Mahesh
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
applied psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1464-0597
pISSN - 0269-994X
DOI - 10.1111/apps.12387
Subject(s) - covid-19 , balance (ability) , pandemic , work (physics) , psychology , life satisfaction , panel survey , latent growth modeling , demographic economics , social psychology , developmental psychology , economics , medicine , mechanical engineering , disease , neuroscience , infectious disease (medical specialty) , engineering
We examined the disruptive influence of COVID‐19 pandemic rates in the community on telecommuters' satisfaction with balancing their work and family roles and consequently their well‐being. Utilizing event system theory and adaptation theory, we proposed that the rate of increase in proportion of confirmed COVID‐19 cases in telecommuters' residential communities would predict a lower rate of increase in their satisfaction with work–family balance over time, thereby indirectly influencing two key aspects of well‐being—emotional exhaustion and life satisfaction. Results from latent growth curve modeling using objective community data, as well as survey responses from a three‐wave ( N = 349) panel study of telecommuters in the United States, indicated that rate of increase in the proportion of confirmed COVID‐19 cases in communities was negatively associated with the rate of increase in satisfaction with work–family balance, which translated into decreasing levels of well‐being over time. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.