Analysis of the Influence of Psychological Contract on Employee Safety Behaviors against COVID-19

• Main Authors: Yuexin Du, Hui Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: COVID-19; psychological contract; safety behavior; job burnout; perceived insider status; double mediators
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6747
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

This study explored the influencing factors of safety behavior from the perspective of employees, studied the mechanism of the psychological contract on employees’ safety behavior in the context of the Chinese epidemic situation, tested the mediating role of job burnout and perceived insider status in the process of work resumption, and provided preventive suggestions for combating the global spread of COVID-19. A questionnaire survey was utilized to collect data and, combined with the necessary protective measures taken for employees in China, was used to modify the mature safety behavior scale. Finally, through the analysis of 402 employees’ questionnaires, the hypotheses were verified; that is, in the process of Chinese enterprises returning to work to cope with COVID-19, the psychological contract has a positive role in promoting employees’ safety behavior, while job burnout plays a weakened mediating role, and perceived insider status plays a strengthening mediating role. The psychological contract negatively affects job burnout but positively affects perceived insider status. Job burnout negatively affects employees’ safety behavior, but perceived insider status positively affects employees’ safety behavior. The results show that employees’ conscious participation in safety behavior plays an irreplaceable role in the prevention of COVID-19 and safety of work resumption.