No one is safe! But who\u2019s more susceptible? Locus of control moderates pandemic perceptions\u2019 effects on job insecurity and psychosocial factors amongst MENA hospitality frontliners: a PLS-SEM approach

Ali B Mahmoud,Dieu Hack-Polay,Leonora Fuxman,William D Reisel

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-12071-2

Abstract

BackgroundThe research aimed to formulate and test a model concerning COVID-19 perceptions effects on job insecurity and a set of psychosocial factors comprising anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation in the Middle East and North African (hereafter, MENA) regional context. Also, the study attempted to examine whether locus of control can moderate these hypothesised linkages amongst customer service employees working in MENA hospitality organisations.MethodsThe study is based on a sample of 885 responses to an online survey and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).ResultsThe main findings show the existence of a significant correlation between COVID perceptions and job insecurity and all psychosocial factors, i.e., more intense COVID-19 perceptions accompany higher levels of job insecurity, anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation. Furthermore, our results revealed that, in pandemic time, hospitality customer service employees with external locus of control are more likely to suffer higher alienation, anxiety and depression than those with internal locus of control.ConclusionsThe research originality centres on the establishment that COVID-19 has a severe negative impact within the hospitality customer service labour force (in the MENA region). These effects were more profound for participants who claimed external locus of control than those with internal locus of control.

Highlights

The research aimed to formulate and test a model concerning COVID-19 perceptions effects on job insecurity and a set of psychosocial factors comprising anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation in the Middle East and North African regional context
Our study has offered evidence suggesting positive relationships between COVID-19, job insecurity and psychosocial factors; this suggests that organisations should place emphasis on those initiatives that are within their control as COVID-19 is largely beyond the scope of a management team to address on a corporate level
The main goal of the current study was to establish whether COVID-19 perceptions predict job insecurity, anxiety, burnout, alienation and depression amongst the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s hospitality frontliners

Summary

Introduction

The research aimed to formulate and test a model concerning COVID-19 perceptions effects on job insecurity and a set of psychosocial factors comprising anxiety, depression, job burnout and job alienation in the Middle East and North African (hereafter, MENA) regional context. The COVID-19 era has rendered service delivery difficult or impossible in the face of social distancing requirements [4]. Businesses such as air travel, hotels and catering, etc. Survival required compliance with government and international regulations, which sought assurances that businesses provide a hygienic and safe environment [5]. Complying with these additional safety measures has affected efforts to balance the use of machines and human employees, an ongoing debate in social sciences and business & management [6]. The robot vs human conflict has intensified because of the need for compliance and worker safety due to COVID-19 [6]

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