Huo, M.-L., Jiang, Z., Cheng, Z. et al. (1 more author) (2022) Restaurant employees' attitudinal reactions to social distancing difficulties : a multi-wave study. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 32 (2). pp. 302-322. ISSN 2055-6225
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in the job demands–resources (JD-R) theory, this study investigates how the difficulty in social distancing at work, resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, may lead to intention to quit and career regret and how and when these effects may be attenuated.
Design/methodology/approach
Three-wave survey data were collected from 223 frontline service workers in a large restaurant company during the COVID-19 crisis.
Findings
The results show that difficulty in social distancing reduced employees' work engagement, and consequently, increased their turnover intention and career regret. These relationships were moderated by external employability, such that the influence of difficulty in social distancing weakened as external employability increased.
Originality/value
Social distancing measures have been applied across the globe to minimize transmission of COVID-19. However, such measures create a new job demand for service workers who find it difficult to practice social distancing due to the high contact intensity of service delivery. This study identified personal resources that help service workers cope with the demand triggered by COVID-19.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Service Theory and Practice. This version is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
Keywords: | Social distancing; COVID-19; employability; work engagement; turnover intention; career regret |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Management School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 11 Mar 2022 07:36 |
Last Modified: | 14 Mar 2022 20:09 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald Publishing |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/jstp-08-2021-0180 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:184628 |