Self-Leadership and Psychological Capital as Key Cognitive Resources for Shaping Health-Protective Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sherry A. Maykrantz, Luke A. Langlinais, Jeffery D. Houghton and Christopher P. Neck
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Sherry A. Maykrantz: School of Health Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
Luke A. Langlinais: Department of Management, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Jeffery D. Houghton: Department of Management, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Christopher P. Neck: Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA

Administrative Sciences, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: As COVID-19 has become a global pandemic, health researchers and practitioners have focused attention on identifying the factors that may help to shape health-protective behaviors, protecting individual health and well-being, and helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study explores the potential role of self-leadership and psychological capital (PsyCap) as key cognitive resources for shaping health-protective behaviors. Using multiple theoretical frameworks (social cognitive theory, psychological resources theory, and the health belief model), this paper develops and tests a hypothesized serial mediation model in which PsyCap and coping self-efficacy mediate the relationship between self-leadership and health-protective behaviors including hand washing, wearing face masks, and social distancing. Results suggest that PsyCap and coping self-efficacy mediate the positive relationship between self-leadership and health-protective behaviors. These results yield valuable insights regarding the usefulness of self-leadership and PsyCap as cognitive resources for shaping health-protective behaviors and for possible self-leadership and PsyCap interventions, potentially tailored to at-risk populations, which should have practical benefits for both the current and future pandemics and health crises.

Keywords: self-leadership; psychological capital (PsyCap); coping self-efficacy; health protective behaviors; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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