Individual efforts to cope with job loss: A research on tourism employees

The aim of this research is to investigate the tourism employees' unemployment process and coping with job loss during a crisis in tourism industry. Within the scope of current research, literature on the meaning of the work, the effects of unemployment on the individual and coping with job loss is discussed. The strategies for coping with the effects of unemployment are also reviewed in detail. While the effects of job loss and unemployment are widely discussed in the literature, there is paucity in the studies examining coping strategies. Qualitative research methods are employed to address the research questions for present dissertation study and the research technique of interviews were used in the data development process. Thematic analysis of qualitative data came from this phenomenological research presented rich findings about the unemployment experiences of tourism employees. First, stages of unemployment and the effects experienced by individuals are presented. Then the strategies of coping with job loss are discussed. According to research findings, two main strategies are used by unemployed tourism workers; problem focused strategies (job search activity, seeking training, seeking relocation, moving into a different sector) and symptom focused strategies (economic measures, temporary works, seeking social support, leisure time activities). While the study findings mostly consistent with literature, moving into a different sector and temporary works are proposed as two additional strategies for coping with unemployment.