The influence of e-trust on a job performance model based on employees’ dynamic capabilities during a crisis caused by a Black Swan event

PURPOSE: In a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, employees play a key role in the ability to survive and achieve both sufficient and outstanding performance in the organization. Therefore, both the characteristics of people in the organization and the possibility of influencing the improvement of their performance at work, have become the focus of attention of scientists and practitioners. In this context, the purpose of this article is to analyze the role of e-trust in strengthening the influence of employees’ dynamic capabilities on the job performance of employees among organizations operating under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY: An empirical study was performed based on the Employees’ Dynamic Capabilities model. In order to verify the potential relations, empirical studies were conducted in 1200 organizations located in Poland, Italy and USA. The companies were selected on the basis of the purposive manner. The structured questionnaire was prepared and the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method was used in this research. The reliability of the scales used in the survey was tested and afterwards a multigroup path analysis was performed using IBM SPSS AMOS. The model was verified, confirming the presumed relationships between the variables. FINDINGS: It has been proven that the higher the level of e-trust is, the stronger the influence of EDC is on job performance of organizations operating under a crisis caused by a Black Swan event mediated by P-J fit, work motivation, job satisfaction and work engagement. IMPLICATIONS: This study contributes to the current knowledge of management, in particular human resource management. In the theoretical area, the relationships between the factors influencing job performance in the difficult conditions of the crisis caused by the Black Swan event were described. On the other hand, from a practical point of view, indications on how to shape leadership behavior during remote work, with particular emphasis on the e-trust aspect, seem to be important. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This research enriches the considerations regarding the existing Employees’ Dynamic Capabilities model. The role of the e-trust factor, which is an important part of e-leadership, in the context of the impact on this model was indicated and discussed. The conclusions are a solid step in the development of knowledge about managing employees during remote work, which not only became a solution for the time of the crisis, but was also permanently introduced to the current work organization.