A Parallel Mediation Analysis on the Effects of Pandemic Accentuated Occupational Stress on Hospitality Industry Staff Turnover Intentions in COVID-19 Context

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, working, and life situation of employees in the Swedish hospitality industry

Introduction

Previous studies reported that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of employees in the hospitality industry internationally, however, its effect in Sweden has not been studied. Unlike several other countries, Sweden never enforced a lockdown. Restaurants, bars, and hotels could remain open and host a limited number of guests but had to abide by certain restrictions.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was distributed among hospitality industry employees containing questions regarding the perceived effects of the pandemic on the respondents' working and life situations and their physical and psychological health. The sample consisted of 699 individuals, with a response rate of 47.9%.

Results

Although several respondents had been laid off or furloughed, the majority of the sample remained at the same employer. However, more than half of the respondents reported that their economic situation had deteriorated. Compared to before the pandemic, 38.1% experienced elevated levels of stress, 48.3% experienced elevated levels of worry, and 31.4% reported worsened mood. A deteriorating personal economy and difficulty in following COVID-19-related restrictions at work were associated with the worsening of these three mental health aspects. While the fear of becoming infected with COVID-19 was related to higher levels of stress, the fear of infecting others was related to higher levels of worry.

Conclusion

Although Sweden imposed less strict measures than most other countries, the personal economy and mental health of hospitality workers were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determining the effect of selected mental factors on turnover intention through two modulators - stress and resilience over COVID-19 period

INTRODUCTION

Turnover intention among nurses has risen in an alarming rate since the onset of the pandemic. There are various underlying factors to turnover intention. The present study aims to determine the effect of a number of mental factors on nurses' professional-turnover intention through two modulators of stress and resilience over COVID-19 period.

METHODS

The current cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in Khuzestan Province, southern Iran, during the winter of 2021. To collect the data, given the restrictions in place during COVID-19 period, the web link of electronic self-reported questionnaires (including general health, mental workload, work-family conflict, resilience, job stress, corona fear, and turnover intention) were sent to 350 nurses through e-mail and other social media (WhatsApp and Telegram). Accordingly, they were asked to complete the questionnaire during rest periods within two weeks. Totally, 300 people (85% participation) filled out the questionnaires. Finally, a model was constructed in the Amos software.

RESULTS

The results showed that the four independent parameters of decreasing general health, increasing mental workload, increasing WFCs and fear of COVID-19 can indirectly increase nurses' turnover intention by increasing job stress. Among these variables, the highest indirect effect coefficient on turnover intention was related to the general health parameter (-0.141). The results also demonstrated a negative correlation between job stress and resilience, with lower resilience raising job stress and, consequently, increasing intention to quit the job.

CONCLUSION

Mental factors affecting turnover intension were identified in this study through path analysis. Therefore, it is recommended that the required resilience-enhancing measures to be taken by hospitals and nursing administrations to reduce psychological pressures caused by mentioned variables with the aim of minimizing job-related stress and fostering nurse retention.

Workplace flexibility, work-family interface, and psychological distress: differences by family caregiving obligations and gender

Drawing on data from the 2008 U.S. National Study of the Changing Workforce, this study (1) examines the associations between access to three types of flexible working arrangements-flextime, flexplace, and culture of flexibility-and psychological distress, (2) tests the mediating roles of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment, and (3) investigates whether these relationships differ by workers' childcare or elder-care obligations as they intersect with gender. Results show that a flexible workplace culture, but not access to flextime or flexplace, is associated with lower psychological distress. Work-family conflict and work-family enrichment partially mediate the relationship between culture of flexibility and psychological distress. In addition, the negative effect of culture of flexibility on psychological distress is stronger among workers sandwiched between preschool childcare and elder-care compared with those with neither caregiving obligations, a pattern especially pronounced among women. We discuss these results and their implications for organizational practices and worker well-being.

The impact of transformational leadership on the turnover intention of the new generation of knowledgeable employees: A moderated mediation model

The relationship between transformational leadership and employee behavior has been a popular topic in organizational research. However, while various factors have been identified for the influence of transformational leadership on employee behavior, researchers have so far failed to explore the impact of transformational leadership on the turnover propensity of the new generation of knowledge workers in terms of a specific orientation. Based on the social exchange theory, this study explored the influence of transformational leadership on the turnover intention of the new generation of knowledgeable employees, considering the mediating role of person-organization fit and the moderating role of job embeddedness. Through using SPSS 25.0, Amos 24.0, and PROCESS 3.3 to analyze the data of 326 workers, the results showed that transformational leadership has a negative predictive effect on the turnover intention of the new generation of knowledgeable employees. Person-organization fit plays a partial mediating role between transformational leadership and the turnover intention of the new generation of knowledgeable employees. The relationship between transformational leadership and person-organization fit is positively moderated by job embeddedness. Therefore, there is a moderated mediation model between transformational leadership and the new generation of knowledgeable employees. This research is a good reference and guide for management practices between transformational leadership and the new generation of knowledge workers.