Home, work or both? The role of paradox mindset in a remote work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic
International Journal of Manpower
ISSN: 0143-7720
Article publication date: 21 December 2021
Issue publication date: 10 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Why did some individuals have relatively little trouble balancing work and home demands during the COVID-19 lockdown, while others felt overwhelmed? Although ample studies have recently been generated regarding COVID-19 employment challenges, this question has not yet received sufficient scholarly attention. This research integrates work–home conflict theories with the paradox-mindset framework, in order to suggest a new theoretical approach for understanding individual differences in addressing work–home conflict.
Design/methodology/approach
During the first two weeks of the COVID-19 epidemic in Israel, the author gathered 117 completed questionnaires from their colleagues in the Israeli higher-education system, who were working remotely and teaching online during the lockdown imposed to control the epidemic. Based on a path-model analysis, the author examined whether their experiences of strain and tension in the work domain might be indirectly and positively associated with workplace outcomes via positive associations between these experiences and paradox mindset, as well as negative associations between paradox mindset and work-to-home conflict (WTH) and home-to-work (HTW) conflict.
Findings
The study findings highlight the beneficial effect of paradox mindset on the experience of work–home conflict and its outcomes. Although working remotely has great potential to increase the strain and tension experienced by employees, applying a paradox mindset reduces the experience of work–home conflict and is positively associated with certain work outcomes.
Originality/value
This research integrates work–home conflict theories with the paradox-mindset framework. The beneficial effects of a paradox mindset on the experience of work–home conflict and its outcomes are highlighted.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank Prof. Avi Besser for his valuable help and support. The author also wishes to thank Dr. Estee Unger Aviram and Dr. Shani kuna for their support and friendship.
Ethical approval: This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Sapir Academic College. Corresponding head of the committee: bibi@sapir.ac.il (Date: 15.3.2020).
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
The author affirms that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the findings.
Conflict of interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Citation
Nadiv, R. (2022), "Home, work or both? The role of paradox mindset in a remote work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 43 No. 5, pp. 1182-1203. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-01-2021-0012
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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