The Effect of Perceived Employability on Front-Line Employee’s Job Outcomes: Evidence from Two Service Settings

The concept of perceived employability is conceptualized in existing literature as a subjective measure that concerns the beliefs of a person and how easy it is to find new jobs. Employability is dependent on specific circumstances, context, and time. In this thesis perceived employability has been investigated via two distinct studies in the hospitality industry. The first study purposes to investigate a conceptual model that examines the consequence of job insecurity as a moderator on the associations between perceived employability and employee well-being. It tests the impact of perceived employability on work engagement likewise. For this specific study, data were collected from frontline workers working full-time in five-star hotels in Northern Cyprus to examine the study variables; the (PLS-SEM) partial least square structural equation model was conducted and supported the research hypotheses. Consistent with the study predictions and results from the literature, perceived employability was found to have a significant positive impact on work engagement. According to the revealed results, job insecurity negatively as a hindrance stressor affects the association between perceived employability and work engagement. The knowledge gathered in this research is a cause of stress on the significance of employability in the enhancement of employee skills and qualifications, as well as in the reduction of perceived job insecurity, particularly in the tourism sector, which has a sensitive structure. As stated before, the topic of “Employability” has gained significant attention in recent years and its impact on organizational behaviour could be seen through the research literature of job loss and job search. Employability is all about gaining and maintaining employment, it involves the ability to move autonomously and to deal effectively with the career-related changes occurring in the current uncertain labour market. Therefore, the second empirical study intends to test a conceptual model that investigates employability as a moderator of the relationships between job insecurity (JI) and service sabotage (SS). It also measures the impact of (JI) on the (SS) behaviour. Data for this study was obtained from a sample of staff working full time, in 3 and 4-star hotels in Cameroon. To test the study variables, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted, and research hypotheses were supported. Coherent with the study predictions and previous literature findings job insecurity had a significant and positive impact on service sabotage. According to the study results, employability increases the relationship between (JI) and (S.S). The findings of this study suggest some perceptions about the significance of employability on the selection of staff and their behaviours for organizational performance. Implications of the empirical findings for each study are discussed, and future research directions are provided.