THE SERIAL MEDIATING ROLE OF THE MEANING OF WORK AND WORK ENGAGEMENT IN THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ANXIETY ON LIFE SATISFACTION OF WORKERS FROM HOME

Abstract

The shift to remote working due to the COVID-19 pandemic has created positive and negative results for both businesses and employees. The epidemic has altered both human health and corporate practices in accordance with the restrictions. It is essential to evaluate how the obligation to work from home affects the emotional state that employees feel about their work. This study aims to investigate the serial mediating role of the work meaning and work engagement in the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on the life satisfaction of employees who have to work from home, within the framework of protection motivation theory (PMT), utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The survey research was conducted using the convenience sampling method on employees across several occupations (secretaries, healthcare professionals, technicians/engineers, and self-employment) in Hatay. The survey results from 427 participants, who completed scales with confirmed validity and reliability were analyzed, were analyzed using SEM based on Partial Least Squares (PLS). PLS-SEM model analysis revealed that the serial mediation of work meaning and work engagement in the effect of COVID-19 anxiety on life satisfaction. Contrary to the conventional belief that anxiety reduces positive states and emotions in employees, the finding that COVID-19 anxiety increases the work meaning and life satisfaction in employees is thought to be due to the home working conditions created by the pandemic. These findings indicate that home working conditions should be reconsidered in order to increase work engagement and life satisfaction for both managers and employees.

Keywords

• COVID-19 pandemic
• work meaning
• work engagement
• life satisfaction

COVID-19 KAYGISININ EVDEN ÇALIŞANLARIN HAYAT TATMİNİNE ETKİSİNDE İŞİN ANLAMI VE İŞE ADANMIŞLIĞIN SERİ ARACILIK ROLÜ

Öz

COVID-19 pandemisiyle birlikte uzaktan çalışmaya geçiş işletmeler ve çalışanlar açısından olumlu ve olumsuz sonuçlar doğurmuştur. Salgın kısıtlamalar doğrultusunda insan sağlığını ve kurumsal uygulamaları değiştirmiştir. Evden çalışma zorunluluğunun çalışanlar açısından işlerine yönelik olarak hissettikleri duygu durumları üzerinde nasıl bir etki yaptığının değerlendirilmesi önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, korunma motivasyonu teorisi (PMT) kapsamında, evden çalışmak zorunda kalan çalışanların COVID-19 kaygısının hayat tatminleri üzerindeki etkisinde işin anlamı ve işe adanmışlığın seri aracılık rolünün Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesiyle (SEM) incelenmesidir. Saha araştırması Hatay’da farklı mesleklerde çalışanlar (sekreter, sağlık çalışanları, teknisyen/mühendis ve serbest meslek erbabı) üzerinde kolayda örneklem yöntemi kullanılarak yapılmıştır. Geçerlilik ve güvenirliği sağlanmış ölçeklere cevap veren 427 katılımcının anket verisi Kısmi En Küçük Kareler tabanlı (PLS) SEM kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Oluşturulan PLS-SEM modelinin analiz sonuçlarına göre COVID-19 kaygısının hayat tatminine etkisinde işin anlamı ve işe adanmışlığın seri aracılığı bulunmuştur. Kaygının çalışanlardaki olumlu durumları ve duyguları azalttığına yönelik kalıplaşmış düşüncenin aksine, Covid 19 kaygısının çalışanlarda işin anlamını ve hayat tatminini arttırdığı bulgusunun pandeminin oluşturduğu evde çalışma şartlarından kaynaklandığı düşünülmüştür. Bu sonuçlar hem yöneticiler hem de çalışanlar açısından işe adanmışlık ve hayattan zevk almayı arttırmak için evden çalışma şartlarının yeniden düşünülmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19 pandemisi
• işin anlamı
• işe adanmışlık
• hayat tatmini.

Kaynakça

1. Adisa, T.A., Antonacopoulou, E., Beauregard, T.A., Dickmann, M., & Adekoya, O.D. (2022). Exploring the impact of COVID‐19 on employees’ boundary management and work–life balance. British Journal of Management, 33(4), 1694-1709.
2. Ajzen, M., & Taskin, L. (2021). The re-regulation of working communities and relationships in the context of flexwork: A spacing identity approach. Information and Organization, 31(4), 100364.
3. Akçakanat, Ö., & Kılınç, Z. (2021). Muhasebe meslek mensupları mutlu mu? İşin anlamı ve yaşamın anlamının mutluluk üzerine etkisi. Muhasebe ve Vergi Uygulamaları Dergisi, 14(2), 665-693.
4. Anderson, A.J., Kaplan, S.A., & Vega, R.P. (2015). The impact of telework on emotional experience: When, and for whom, does telework improve daily affective well-being?. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(6), 882-897.
5. Arnold, K.A., Turner, N., Barling, J., Kelloway, E.K., & McKee, M.C. (2007). Transformational leadership and psychological well-being: The mediating role of meaningful work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12(3), 193-203.
6. Aydemir, C., & Endirlik, H. (2019). İşe adanmışlığın bazı demografik değişkenler açısından incelenmesi: Bankacılık sektöründe bir araştırma. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosoyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 23(3), 1093-1107.
7. Bailey, D.E., & Kurland, N.B. (2002). A review of telework research: Findings, new directions, and lessons for the study of modern work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(4), 383-400.
8. Bakker, A.B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands-Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology. 22(3), 309–328.

9. Barlow, D.H. (2002). Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
10. Baron, R.M., & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173.
11. Bastemur, Y. (2006). İş tatmini ile yaşam tatmini arasındaki ilişkiler: Kayseri Emniyet Müdürlüğü’nde bir araştırma. Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Tezi, Erciyes Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kayseri.
12. Bekiroğlu, Ç., & Sırkıntıoğlu Yıldırım, Ş. (2021). Çalışmaya tutkunluğun iş ve yaşam tatmini üzerindeki etkisini belirlemeye yönelik tekstil sektörü çalışanları üzerinde bir araştırma. İş ve İnsan Dergisi, 8(2), 169-184.
13. Brief, A.P., & Nord, W.R. (1990). Meanings of occupational work. Lexington: Lexington Books.
14. Brislin, R., Lonner, W., & Thorndike, R. (1973). Cross-Cultural Research Methods. New York: John Wiley.
15. Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (2011). Quantitative data analysis with IBM SPSS 17, 18 & 19: A guide for social scientists. London: Routledge.
16. Bulut Serin, N., & Aydınoğlu, N. (2013). Investigation of life satisfaction predictors of school counsellors. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 53, 345‒360.
17. Çağlın, C., & Uğurlu, F. (2022). COVID-19 korkusu, psikolojik iyi oluş ve işgören performansı arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi: Öğretmenler üzerine bir araştırma. Journal of Institute of Economic Development and Social Researches, 8(32), 1-17.
18. Cartwright, S., & Holmes, N. (2006). The meaning of work: The challenge of regaining employee engagement and reducing cynicism. Human Resource Management Review, 16, 199–208.
19. Casey, C. (1995). Work, self and society: After industrialism. London: Routledge.
20. Chalofsky, N. (2003). An emerging construct for meaningful work. Human Resource Development International, 6(1), 69-83.
21. Chen, S., & Wan, Z. (2025). The influence of depression, anxiety, and stress on ageism among undergraduates: mediating roles of life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosociality. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 18, 119-137. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S497371
22. Chen, Z. (2021). Influence of working from home during the COVID-19 crisis and HR practitioner response. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 710517.
23. Chin, W.W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern Methods for Business Research, 295(2), 295-336.
24. Chu, A.M.Y., Chan, T.W.C., & So, M.K.P. (2022). Learning from work-from-home issues during the COVID-19 pandemic: Balance speaks louder than words. PLoS ONE, 17(1), e0261969.
25. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
26. Diener, E., & Lucas, R.E. (1999). Personality and subjective well-being. D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), in Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 213–229). Russell Sage Foundation.
27. Diener, E., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R.J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.
28. Dikmen, A.A. (1995). İş doyumu ve yaşam doyumu ilişkisi. Ankara Üniversitesi, SBF Dergisi, 50(3), 115–140.
29. Domínguez-Amorocho, O., Contreras-Ramos, L.M., & Domínguez-Amorocho, M.F. (2023). Telecommuting and COVID-19: how has the pandemic changed workers' perception on physical and mental health?. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho, 21(1), e2023856.
30. Elibol, F., & Canbek, M. (2022). İçsel pazarlamanın çalışanların yaşa doyum düzeylerine etkisinin ve bu etkide işe adanmışlığın aracı rolünün belirlenmesi. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 10(3), 1187-1199.
31. Gajendran, R.S., & Harrison, D.A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1524.
32. Gao, J., Kenyon, B., Choi, Y., Echavarria, I., Qiu, L., & Leichter, H. J. (2022). Blurred Boundaries: An Examination of Learning and Working in the Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 24(2), 31-49.
33. Gazi, M.A.I., Masud, A.A., Kaium, M.A., Amin, M.B., Mahmud, P., Senathirajah, A.R.B.S., & Abdullah, M. (2025).
34. Unraveling employee life satisfaction: exploring the impact of psychological contract breach, self-efficacy, mental health, and abusive supervision, with work engagement and job satisfaction as mediators. Cogent Psychology, 12(1), 2455783.
35. Gerçek, M., & Özveren, C.G. (2025). From self and career perceptions to life satisfaction: A sequential mediation approach to general self-efficacy, future work self, career anxiety, and life satisfaction in the emerging workforce. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-024-09721-3
36. Ghislieri, C., Dolce, V., Sanseverino, D., Wodociag, S., Vonthron, A.M., ... & Molino, M. (2022). Might insecurity and use of ICT enhance internet addiction and exhaust people? A study in two European countries during emergency remote working. Computers in Human Behavior, 126, 107010.
37. Grant, C.A., Wallace, L.M., Spurgeon, P.C., Tramontano, C., & Charalampous, M. (2019). Construction and initial validation of the E-Work Life Scale to measure remote e-working. Employee Relations, 41(1), 16-33.
38. Greenhaus, J.H., & Beutell, N.J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76-88.
39. Hackman, J.R. & Oldham, G.R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250-779.
40. Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage.
41. Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C.M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24.
42. Heller, D., Judge, T.A., & Watson, D. (2002) The Confounding role of personality and trait affectivity in the relationship between job and life satisfaction. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 815–835.
43. Holmes, E.A., O'Connor, R.C., Perry, V.H., Tracey, I., Wessely, S., ... & Bullmore, E. (2020). Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science, The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6), 547-560.
44. Hu, J., & Hirsh, J. B. (2017). Accepting lower salaries for meaningful work. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1649, 1-10.
45. Kahn, W.A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692-724.
46. Keleş, H.N. (2017).Anlamlı iş ile psikolojik iyi oluş ilişkisi. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 5(1), 154-167.
47. Kock, N. (2020). Harman’s single factor test in PLS-SEM: Checking for common method bias. Data Analysis Perspectives Journal, 2(2), 1-6.
48. Konkoly Thege, B., Stauder, A., & Kopp, M.S. (2010). Relationship between meaning in life and intensity of smoking: Do gender differences exist? Psychology and Health, 25(5), 589-599.
49. Kossek, E.E., Lautsch, B.A., & Eaton, S.C. (2006). Telecommuting, control, and boundary management: correlates of policy use and practice, job control, and work–family effectiveness. Journal Vocational Behavior, 68, 347–367.
50. Kossen, C., & van der Berg, A. (2023). When the exception becomes the norm: A quantitative analysis of the dark side of work from home. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 36(3), 213-237.
51. Lei, J., & Suntrayuth, S. (2023). The impact of job demands and resources on occupational well-being, job engagement, and turnover intention: The mediating role of occupational well-being. Journal of Namibian Studies, 33(S2), 1232-1257.
52. Masuda, A.D., Holtschlag, C., & Nicklin, J.M. (2017). Why the availability of telecommuting matters: The effects of telecommuting on engagement via goal pursuit. Career Development International, 22(2), 200-219.
53. May, D.R., Gilson, R.L., & Harter, L.M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11-37.
54. Michinov, E., Ruiller, C., Chedotel, F., Dodeler, V., & Michinov, N. (2022). Work-from-home during COVID-19 lockdown: When employees’ well-being and creativity depend on their psychological profiles. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 862987.
55. Millroth, P., & Frey, R. (2021). Fear and anxiety in the face of COVID-19: Negative dispositions towards risk and uncertainty as vulnerability factors. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 83, 102454.
56. Neck, C.P., & Milliman, J.F. (1994). Thought self-leadership: Finding spiritual fulfillment in organizational life. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 9(6), 9-10.
57. Öksüz, S., & Erkılıç, E. (2022). İş yaşam kalitesi ve kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk algısının işe adanmışlık üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi: Zincir otel işletmeleri üzerine bir araştırma. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 10(4), 1492-1511.
58. Özdevecioğlu, M. (2003). ̇İş tatmini ve yaşam tatmini arasındaki ̇ilişkinin belirlenmesine yönelik bir araştırma. 11. Ulusal Yönetim ve Organizasyon Kongresi, 22–24 Mayıs. Afyon.
59. Özer, M., & Özsoy Karabulut, Ö. (2003). Yaşlılarda yaşam doyumu. Geriatri, 6(2), 72-74.
60. Özkan, A., & Özdevecioğlu, M. (2013). The effects of occupational stress on burnout and life satisfaction: a study in accountants. Qual Quant, 47, 2785-2798.
61. Pahl, R. (1994). After success, fin-de siècle anxiety and identity. Cambridge: Polity Press.
62. Park, N., Park, M., & Peterson, C. (2010). When is the search for meaning related to life satisfaction. Applied Psychology Health and Well-being, 2(1), 1-13.
63. Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J.Y., & Podsakoff, N.P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879.
64. Polatcı, S., & Sobacı, F. (2021). Covid-19 küresel salgınında iş performansı için aranan kaynak olarak işin anlamı: doktorlar üzerine bir araştırma. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 26(2), 185-207.
65. Pratt, M.G., & Ashforth, B.E. (2003). Fostering meaningfulness in working and at work. K.S. Cameron, J.E. Dutton, & R.E. Quinn (Eds.), in Positive organizational scholarship (pp. 309–327). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
66. Rapaport, R., & Bailyn, L. (1998). Rethinking life and work. Waltham, MA: Pegasus Communications.
67. Reyhanoğlu, M., & Akın, Ö. (2023). COVID-19 Pandemisinde evden çalışan öğretmenlerin iş talepleri, iş tatmini, tükenmişlik ve iş-aile / aile-iş çatışması ilişkileri. Kastamonu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 25(2), 622-647.
68. Rogers, R.W. (1975). A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change. The Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93-114.
69. Rosso, B.D., Dekas, K.H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91-127.
70. Saks, A.M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600-619.
71. Schaufeli, W.B., & Bakker, A.B. (2003). UWES – Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: test manual. https://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl (Erişim tarihi:10.12.2024)
72. Schaufeli, W.B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A.B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71-92.
73. Scroggins, W. (2008). Antecedents and outcomes of experienced meaningful work: a person-job fit perspective. The Journal of Business Inquiry, 7(1), 68-78.
74. Shamir, B. (1991). Meaning, self, and motivation in organizations. Organization Studies, 12, 405-424.
75. Shimazu, A., & Schaufeli, W.B. (2009). Is worhaholism good or bad for employee well-being? The distinctiveness of workaholism and work engagement among Japanese employees. Industrial Health, 47, 495-502.
76. Silva, W.A.D., de Sampaio Brito, T.R., & Pereira, C.R. (2022). COVID-19 anxiety scale (CAS): Development and psychometric properties. Current Psychology, 41(8), 5693-5702.
77. Song, X., Shi, K., & Zhou, W. (2022). Mechanisms of organizational cultural tightness on work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of transformational leadership. Behavioral Sciences, 13(27), 1-16.
78. Song, Y., & Gao, J. (2020). Does telework stress employees out? A study on working at home and subjective well-being for wage/salary workers. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(7), 2649-2668.
79. Soper, D.S. (2024). A-priori sample size calculator for structural equation models. https://www.danielsoper.com/statcalc (Erişim Tarihi:10.12.2024)
80. Spreitzer, G.M. (1995). Psychological empowerment in the workplace: Dimensions, measurement, and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38(5), 1442-1465.
81. Steger, M. F., Dik, J. B., & Duffy, R. D. (2012). Measuring meaningful work: The Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment, 20(3), 322-337.
82. Tang, M., Hofreiter, S., Reiter-Palmon, R., Bai, X., & Murugavel, V. (2021). Creativity as a means to well-being in times of COVID-19 pandemic: results of a cross-cultural study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 601389.
83. van Belle, J.P., Mthwazi, G., Ablay, M., Cheng, M., Cottriau, S., ... & Claes, J. (2023). Managing the work-life balance when working from home: the experience of Flemish parents. Proceedings of Society, 93, 228-239.
84. Wrzesniewski, A., Dutton, J.E., & Debebe, G. (2003). Interpersonal sensemaking and the meaning of work. R. M. Kramer & B. M. Staw (Eds.), in Research in Organizational Behavior (Vol. 25, pp. 93–135), Elsevier Science Ltd.
85. Wrzesniewski, A., McCauley, C., Rozin, P., & Schwartz, B. (1997). Jobs, careers, and callings: People's relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31(1), 21-33.
86. Zhao, X., Lynch Jr, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206.