Abstract
The aim of this research is to shed light on the effects of fear of COVID-19 on stress and work engagement of employees working in the hospitality industry of Pakistan. The hypotheses are underpinned in terror management and conservation of resources theory. A time lagged survey was designed for data collection, in which 255 employees participated. SPSS and SmartPLS were utilized for data analysis. The results demonstrated that fear of COVID-19 elevate the stress level of employees resulting in poor work engagement. However, the more is the element of religiosity in the employees, the lesser would be the effect of fear on their mental health and job engagement. Our study also provides evidence for the presence of moderated mediation i.e. the indirect effect of fear of COVID-19 on work engagement through stress is weakened in the presence of religiousness. During the days of a pandemic, fear of contamination poses a credible threat to well-being of employees. Organizations might consider religiousness as a resource for employees in countering their stress. During wide-spread fear, terror and damaging influence of COVID-19 on economies and organizations worldwide, this study has implications for policy makers, researchers, practitioners and academics.
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