In the face of extreme and enduring stressors, a self-protection coping mode can be entered to conserve resources (Conservation of Resources (COR) theory principle 4). Self-protection coping is underexplored in COR theory yet may offer insights about how people deal with the significant challenges posed by work today. We investigate this using a large-group collaborative auto-ethnography (CAE) with 15 academic workers during a period when resources were severely stretched or exhausted (the first four months of the Covid-19 lockdown). We identify three defensive coping strategies, applied in self-protection mode, that are akin to Karen Horney's neurotic trends of ‘moving away from’, ‘moving against’ and ‘moving towards’ others. We also identify that, even when in self-protection mode, workers engage in resource (re)investment activities, in an attempt to (re)gain control of, and (re)build resources. These multiple self-protection coping strategies are applied in a seemingly haphazard and interchangeable way but appear to serve an adaptive function for trying out how best to conserve resources, defend the self, and extend resources towards recovery. Our findings emphasize the need for organizations and society to provide support and resources at times of adversity, to help people rebuild their work, their lives and their well-being.

中文翻译：

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远离、接近和对抗他人：一种在自我保护模式下保护和构建资源的自适应多策略方法


面对极端和持久的压力源，可以进入自我保护应对模式来节约资源（资源保护 （COR） 理论原则 4）。自我保护应对在 COR 理论中未得到充分探索，但可能会提供有关人们如何应对当今工作带来的重大挑战的见解。我们在资源严重紧张或耗尽的时期（Covid-19 封锁的前四个月）与 15 名学术工作者使用大型协作自动民族志 （CAE） 对此进行了调查。我们确定了三种防御性应对策略，应用于自我保护模式，它们类似于 Karen Horney 的神经质趋势，即“远离”、“反对”和“转向”他人。我们还发现，即使在自我保护模式下，工人也会参与资源（再）投资活动，试图（重新）获得对资源的控制权和（重新）建设资源。这些多重自我保护应对策略以看似随意和可互换的方式应用，但似乎具有适应性功能，可以尝试如何最好地保护资源、保护自我和将资源扩展到恢复。我们的研究结果强调，组织和社会需要在逆境中提供支持和资源，以帮助人们重建工作、生活和福祉。