Castaways: A Mixed Methods Case Study into Leadership, Social Isolation, and Employee Wellbeing of Public Servants during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This mixed-method study examined how Dutch public sector workers who worked extensively from home during the Covid-19 pandemic experienced social isolation, work engagement and burnout, and this study tested and explored how leadership behaviors relate to these wellbeing concepts. In the quantitative phase it was found that social isolation was significantly related to work engagement and burnout. From all measured leadership types only servant leadership was significantly related to two of the wellbeing aspects, namely engagement and burnout. In the qualitative phase it was found that public servants experienced social isolation as a result of the intense homeworking situation. Some leadership behaviors did seem to have an effect on all wellbeing aspects, particularly when executed actively instead of passively. Moreover, supervisors seemed to apply situational leadership; they primarily focused on the group of public servants severely suffering from the homeworking situation.