This study examines the relationship between proactive coping, future time orientation, and perceived work productivity during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, based on the work-from-home experience of employees in Taiwan and the United States (U.S.). It draws on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, which posits that proactive coping and future time orientation are crucial personal resources that affect the capacity of an individual to adapt to stressful situations. The results show that in the relationship between proactive coping and perceived work productivity, future time orientation acts as a full mediator in Taiwan and a partial mediator in the U.S. The study extends the application of the COR theory to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and offers important insights that will enable professionals to assess the role of proactive coping and future time orientation in their productivity evaluations of working tasks and to design appropriate training sessions.

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of teleworking and teleworking is expected to be a central feature of workplaces of the future. The present study examines the effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) and perception of loneliness on the relationship between proactive coping and the work productivity of teleworkers during the COVID-19 crisis time.Design/methodology/approachUsing structural equation modeling (SEM), this study the study is based on a survey of 572 teleworkers in Taiwan drawn from a variety of industry sectors.FindingsThrough the application of a hypothesized moderated mediation model, the indirect effects of proactive coping on work productivity via LMX are stronger for employees who experience a higher level of perceived loneliness.Research limitations/implicationsThe results have contributed to current understanding on the success of telework at the individual level and extends research framework of teleworking. Using self-report questionnaire is one of the limitations; however, this was feasible data collection method during COVID-19.Practical implicationsOrganizations need to provide further training aimed at enhancing proactive coping and dealing with future work challenges in the complex and dynamic workplace.Originality/valueThis study is the first among its type to examine proactive coping and job productivity from a LMX during COVID-19.