Leading in times of crisis: How perceived COVID-19-related work intensification links to daily e-mail demands and leader outcomes

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Leading in times of crisis: How perceived COVID-19-related work intensification links to daily e-mail demands and leader outcomes. / Venz, Laura; Boettcher, Katrin.
In: Applied Psychology, Vol. 71, No. 3, 07.2022, p. 912-934.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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@article{c283fe97824b4be990e9df57e8c4fea4,
title = "Leading in times of crisis: How perceived COVID-19-related work intensification links to daily e-mail demands and leader outcomes",
abstract = "The COVID-19 crisis brought numerous challenges to work life. One of the most notable may be the acceleration of digital transformation, accompanied by an intensification of e-mail usage and related demands such as high e-mail workload. While research quickly started to examine the implications of these changes for employees, another important group of stakeholders has been overlooked: leaders. We focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis and examine how COVID-19-related work intensification links to leaders' e-mail overload appraisal and finally exhaustion and transformational leadership, a leader behaviour especially needed in times of crisis. In a 5-day diary study in September 2020, 84 leaders responded to daily surveys on 343 days. Results of multilevel analysis showed that perceived COVID-19-related work intensification was positively linked to worktime spent dealing with e-mail and appraised e-mail overload. E-mail overload appraisal was positively related to leaders' exhaustion, but unrelated to their transformational behaviour. Day-specific time spent dealing with e-mail, however, was negatively related to transformational leadership. E-mail overload appraisal mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related work intensification and exhaustion. Turning the focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, our study has important implications for the design of work of leaders in times of crisis and beyond.",
keywords = "COVID-19-related acceleration, diary study, e-mail overload appraisal, exhaustion, transformational leadership, Psychology",
author = "Laura Venz and Katrin Boettcher",
note = "Special Issue: Organizational and Vocational Behavior in Times of Crisis {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors. Applied Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.",
year = "2022",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1111/apps.12357",
language = "English",
volume = "71",
pages = "912--934",
journal = "Applied Psychology",
issn = "0269-994X",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leading in times of crisis

T2 - How perceived COVID-19-related work intensification links to daily e-mail demands and leader outcomes

AU - Venz, Laura

AU - Boettcher, Katrin

N1 - Special Issue: Organizational and Vocational Behavior in Times of Crisis © 2021 The Authors. Applied Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.

PY - 2022/7

Y1 - 2022/7

N2 - The COVID-19 crisis brought numerous challenges to work life. One of the most notable may be the acceleration of digital transformation, accompanied by an intensification of e-mail usage and related demands such as high e-mail workload. While research quickly started to examine the implications of these changes for employees, another important group of stakeholders has been overlooked: leaders. We focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis and examine how COVID-19-related work intensification links to leaders' e-mail overload appraisal and finally exhaustion and transformational leadership, a leader behaviour especially needed in times of crisis. In a 5-day diary study in September 2020, 84 leaders responded to daily surveys on 343 days. Results of multilevel analysis showed that perceived COVID-19-related work intensification was positively linked to worktime spent dealing with e-mail and appraised e-mail overload. E-mail overload appraisal was positively related to leaders' exhaustion, but unrelated to their transformational behaviour. Day-specific time spent dealing with e-mail, however, was negatively related to transformational leadership. E-mail overload appraisal mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related work intensification and exhaustion. Turning the focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, our study has important implications for the design of work of leaders in times of crisis and beyond.

AB - The COVID-19 crisis brought numerous challenges to work life. One of the most notable may be the acceleration of digital transformation, accompanied by an intensification of e-mail usage and related demands such as high e-mail workload. While research quickly started to examine the implications of these changes for employees, another important group of stakeholders has been overlooked: leaders. We focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis and examine how COVID-19-related work intensification links to leaders' e-mail overload appraisal and finally exhaustion and transformational leadership, a leader behaviour especially needed in times of crisis. In a 5-day diary study in September 2020, 84 leaders responded to daily surveys on 343 days. Results of multilevel analysis showed that perceived COVID-19-related work intensification was positively linked to worktime spent dealing with e-mail and appraised e-mail overload. E-mail overload appraisal was positively related to leaders' exhaustion, but unrelated to their transformational behaviour. Day-specific time spent dealing with e-mail, however, was negatively related to transformational leadership. E-mail overload appraisal mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related work intensification and exhaustion. Turning the focus on leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, our study has important implications for the design of work of leaders in times of crisis and beyond.

KW - COVID-19-related acceleration

KW - diary study

KW - e-mail overload appraisal

KW - exhaustion

KW - transformational leadership

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120401404&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/apps.12357

DO - 10.1111/apps.12357

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 34898805

VL - 71

SP - 912

EP - 934

JO - Applied Psychology

JF - Applied Psychology

SN - 0269-994X

IS - 3

ER -

DOI