Has Covid-19 Weakened Workplace Socialization? Associating Outcomes of Excessive Work Time With the Entrepreneurial Behavior of Employees

Abstract

The Covid outbreak and the resulting work processes have led to excessive work pressure requirements for a large majority of the employees due to continuous requirements for adaptation to changing work processes. However, outcomes of new work dynamics on employees’ behavioral and attitudinal changes have been insufficiently examined during and after the Covid period. Hence, this empirical research has used the social identity theory to conceptualize and test the relationship between excessive work time and the entrepreneurial behavior of employees. Moreover, the mediating role of socialization tactics and creative self-efficacy, as well as the moderating role of resilience are also examined in the above relationship for unveiling the role of crucial intervening and conditional factors in individualized change experiences. Based on the analysis of data collected from managerial-level employees through the use of structural equation modeling, the empirical results have suggested a negative impact of excessive work time on the entrepreneurial behavior of employees. Also, the intervening role of formal socialization and creative self-efficacy were found to be significant in this relationship, thus suggesting the crucial direct as well as indirect relationships. Using the findings, implications as well as future research directions are discussed towards the end of the article.