Impact of Anxiety, Work-Life Balance, and Diversity on Employee Performance in Bangladesh's Hospitality Industry During COVID-19

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COVID-19 pandemic not only affected the mental and physical health of the people but also had a devastating effect on the work environment in almost all industries. During this pandemic, one of the most affected industries is the Hospitality sector due to severe travel restrictions, lockdowns, and isolations imposed by the authorities. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of anxiety, work life balance (WLB) and diversity (age, gender and tenure in the current organization) of the employees during this COVID-19 pandemic on their work performance in the hospitality sector. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed among 222 respondents who are currently working in the hospitality sector of Bangladesh. Regression analysis was conducted using SPSS26 with self-rated work performance as the dependent variable and anxiety, WLB, age, gender and tenure in the current organization as the independent variables. Several tests were conducted to identify any significant impact of the independent variables on employee performance. It was found that during this COVID-19 pandemic, the work performances of the employees working in the hospitality sector are significantly impacted by their level of anxiety and diversity (age, gender and work tenure) in their current organization. The effect of WLB on work performance was found to be insignificant. The impact of anxiety on performance was negative, whereas diversity (age, gender and tenure in their current organization) have positive impact on work performance. This means employee work performance decreases as they become more anxious regarding their uncertain future in their work environment. On the other hand, their performance increases as they become aged and worked more years in their current organization. Therefore, it’s recommended that, during this crucial time of the pandemic, managers must try to bring some certainty in their work environment to minimize the anxiety level of the employees and also retain their existing employees for more years in order to enhance their work performance in the hospitality industry.