Drawing on the conservation of resource (COR) theory, this research investigates how developmental idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) and flexibility i-deals provide employees with distinctive resources which further guide employees’ attendance decisions. We conceptualize sickness presenteeism and sickness absenteeism from the resource perspective, and propose career aspiration and psychological job control as the mechanisms underlying i-deals and employees’ choice between preserving performance resource and health resource. Furthermore, we propose employees’ time orientation acts as the moderator of these relationships. This research contributes to the attendance behavior literature by providing a unified framework to conceptualize presenteeism and absenteeism. It also enriches our understanding of the mechanism and boundary condition underlying the influence of i-deals on employees’ attendance behavior. In terms of practical implications, HR managers and practitioners can use different types of i-deals to manage employee attendance behavior.
