The Relationship Between Covid-19 Risk Perception and Job Stress: Serial Multi-Mediation Effect of Job Insecurity and Quality of Work Life

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to examine the serial multiple mediator roles of job insecurity and quality of work life in the relationship between Covid-19 risk perception and job stress. Design/methodology/approach – The causal screening model which is one of the quantitative research designs is used in this study. The research population consists of healthcare professionals working in Turkey. 947 health workers were reached with convenience and snowball sampling method and face-to-face survey, but 906 data were used in the analyses. Data analyzes were tested with the SPPS 26.00 program, the AMOS 24.00 program and the serial multiple mediation model (Model 6) in the SPSS Process Macro extension developed by Hayes (2013). Findings – It is determined that Covid-19 risk perception positively affects job insecurity but negatively affects the quality of work life; job insecurity perception negatively affects the quality of work life but positively affects job stress; the quality of work life negatively affects job stress and Covid-19 risk perception has a favorable direct and indirect impact on job stress. It is discovered that Covid-19 risk perception influences job stress positively in 3 indirect ways: first, via job insecurity; second, through work-life quality; and third, through multiple serial mediation effects of both job insecurity and work-life quality. Consequently, there is partial, complementary, serial mediation of job insecurity and work-life quality on the relationship between Covid-19 risk perception and job stress. Discussion – The results support the previous studies in the literature. Within the scope of the results, in order to reduce the work stress of the employees, it can be suggested to the managers to evaluate the conditions, variables and individual characteristics affecting the Covid-19 risk perception, to provide assurance to their employees that their jobs will continue in the future, and to take initiatives to increase the quality of work-life.