Wish-making during the COVID-19 pandemic enhances positive appraisals and job satisfaction

Thomas W.H. Ng*, Dennis Y. Hsu, Frederick H.K. Yim, Yinuo Zou, Haoyang Chen

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Guided by cognitive appraisal theory, we argue that wish-making is a conceptually distinct type of coping strategy and that wish-making during the COVID-19 pandemic has functional cognitive–affective consequences. Specifically, it facilitates positive appraisals of the pandemic, which then facilitate job satisfaction. Enhanced job satisfaction in turn reduces counterproductive work behavior during the pandemic. These arguments were tested via two empirical studies involving 546 Hong Kong employees surveyed on two consecutive working days during the pandemic. The individuals who made wishes during the pandemic reported more positive appraisals of the pandemic, which in turn promoted their job satisfaction and lowered their counterproductive work behavior. Crucially, wish-making had significant effects on positive appraisals above and beyond other coping strategies. Thus, we contribute to the employee coping literature by highlighting one relatively easy way for employees to combat the psychological effects of the pandemic (and other challenges in life) and regulate their affective well-being and behaviors at work. Namely, making wishes that envision a better future can enhance employees' job satisfaction, which in turn lowers counterproductive work behavior.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number103619
    Number of pages15
    JournalJournal of Vocational Behavior
    Volume130
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2021

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Education
    • Applied Psychology
    • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
    • Life-span and Life-course Studies

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Appraisals
    • Counterproductive work behavior
    • Job satisfaction
    • Pandemics
    • Wishes

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