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The Impact of Work Characteristics on Social Distancing: Implications at the Time of COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Keisuke Kokubun

    (Economic Research Institute, Japan Society for the Promotion of Machine Industry, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan
    Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Yoshinori Yamakawa

    (Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
    Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
    Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
    Brain Impact, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan)

Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread globally. While social distancing has attracted attention as a measure to prevent the spread of infection, some occupations find it difficult to implement. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between work characteristics and social distancing using data available on O*NET, an occupational information site. A total of eight factors were extracted by performing an exploratory factor analysis: work conditions, supervisory work, information processing, response to aggression, specialization, autonomy, interaction outside the organization, and interdependence. A multiple regression analysis showed that interdependence, response to aggression, and interaction outside the organization, which are categorized as ”social characteristics,” and information processing and specialization, which are categorized as “knowledge characteristics,” were associated with physical proximity. Furthermore, we added customer, which represents contact with the customer, and remote working, which represents a small amount of outdoor activity, to our multiple regression model, and confirmed that they increased the explanatory power of the model. This suggests that those who work under interdependence, face aggression, and engage in outside activities, and/or have frequent contact with customers, little interaction outside the organization, and little information processing will have the most difficulty in maintaining social distancing.

Suggested Citation

  • Keisuke Kokubun & Yoshinori Yamakawa, 2021. "The Impact of Work Characteristics on Social Distancing: Implications at the Time of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5074-:d:552269
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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