Interactive Effect of Covid-19 Risk and Hospital Measures on Healthcare Workers Turnover Intentions

Abstract

COVID-19 has led to a global health emergency worldwide. As a result, healthcare workers undergo distress mainly due to the perceived risk of contracting the virus. Such stress might cause them to leave their jobs. In this context, the current study: (1) introduced perceived risk of COVID-19 and measured it by adapting and validating an existing scale available on risk of infectious diseases and (2) investigated its outcomes, underlying mechanisms, and boundary conditions for healthcare workers. With the support of conservation of resources (COR) theory, the current study proposed the perceived risks of COVID-19 as a way to predict turnover intention among healthcare workers. Moreover, the present study examined the buffering role that perceptions of hospital measures against COVID-19 could have on diminishing workers’ turnover intentions. Data was collected through a three time-lag email survey questionnaire of healthcare workers in Pakistan (n=178) who currently provide treatment to COVID-19 patients. The results supported that perceived risk of COVID-19 enhances fear of COVID-19 among healthcare workers and, consequently, their turnover intentions. Perceptions of hospital measures against COVID-19 weaken the relationship between perceived risk of COVID-19 and fear of COVID-19, which in turn reduces turnover intentions of health care workers. The current study offers implications for theory, practitioners, and society. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.