Job insecurity and employee commitment during COVID-19: mediating the role of quitting intention in family-owned hotels

ABSTRACT

Using the social exchange theory, this article explores how quitting intention mediates job insecurity and organisational commitment in family-owned hotels during the COVID-19 period in Ghana. A conceptual model was developed to give a clear perspective of the study. Literature was empirically reviewed on job insecurity, the link between job insecurity and employee commitment, and employee job insecurity vis-a-vis quitting intention. Questionnaires, were used to elicit employees’ views on the key variables of the study. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique using SmartPLS-3 for the analysis. The result shows that job insecurity significantly impacts the various dimensions of organisational commitment. Also, quitting intention mediates the relationship between job insecurity and commitment. The study sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms linking job insecurity to organisational commitment in family-owned hotels. The study will provide insights to practitioners in the hospitality and tourism industry in the formulation of policies which are merged with economic recovery strategies during crisis management.

KEYWORDS:

• social exchange theory
• organisational commitment
• Ghana
• crisis management
• structural equation Modelling