A159.
Van Zoonen, W., Rice, R. E.,
& Ter Hoeven, C. L. (2022). Sensemaking by employees in essential
versus
non-essential professions during the COVID-19 crisis: A comparison of
effects
of change communication and disruption cues on mental health, through
interpretations of identity threats and work meaningfulness. Management
Communication Quarterly, 36(2),
318-349. Open access: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08933189221087633
This
study examines the implications of categorizing workers
into essential and non-essential groups due to disruptions in work
associated
with—and the quality of organizational change communication about—the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, we examine how these cues trigger identity threats and
influence
the meaningfulness of work, consequently affecting the mental health of
workers
(anxiety, distress, and depression). The results show that change
communication
reduces identity threat, while also increasing meaningfulness of work,
for both
work categories. However, the disruptions increase identity threat only
for
non-essential workers. Conversely, identity threat increases two of the
three
mental health issues while meaningfulness of work reduces two of them.
The
study contributes to our growing understanding of the pervasive, though
subtle,
implications of COVID-19 for the workplace by showing how a process of
employee
sensemaking and organizational change communication directly and
indirectly influence
important dimensions of mental health.