Fear of Covid-19 and Hotel Frontline Employees’ Sense of Work Alienation: Intervening and Interactional Analysis

Abstract

The present study examines the role of death anxiety as an important mechanism underlying the relationship between fear of Covid-19 and hotel frontline employees’ (FLEs) sense of work alienation. Importantly, the study proposes FLEs’ intrinsic spirituality as being a relevant boundary condition. Results, based on time-lagged survey data (three rounds, 2 weeks apart) from 203 FLEs in 91 hotels and analyzed using structural equation modeling, reveal that death anxiety mediates the association between fear of Covid-19 and work alienation. In addition, FLEs’ intrinsic spirituality moderates the direct relationship between fear of Covid-19 and death anxiety and the indirect relationship between fear of Covid-19 and work alienation, such that the relationships are weak when intrinsic spirituality is high (vs. low). The study offers several important suggestions that can help hospitality managers address FLEs’ sense of work alienation during traumatic conditions. Highlights Death anxiety mediates the relationship between fear of Covid-19 and work alienation. Intrinsic spirituality moderates the link between fear of Covid-19 and death anxiety. Intrinsic spirituality moderates the indirect fear of Covid-19-work alienation link. The findings can help hotel managers address FLEs’ sense of work alienation.