Effect of job insecurity on frontline employee’s performance: Looking through the lens of psychological strains and leverages

Purpose - The aim of present research is to examine the mediating role of psychological strain and also the moderation role of psychological leverage on the relation between job insecurity and job performance. Methodology - A sample of 288 frontline employees was selected through random and non-random sampling from five and four star hotels in north Cyprus. Findings - Results showed that anxiety as a psychological strain mediate the impact of job insecurity on job performance. Also, psychological leverages (supervisor support and intrinsic motivation) play a role as a delimiter against negative effect of job insecurity on job performance. Implication/limitation - This research extends the job insecurity literature to better understand the work stress consequences, and further takes note of the effective role of supervisor support and intrinsically motivated employee to cope with stress in workplace. By implication, lacking time lag is considered as the limitation. Originality/value – The main thrust of this research is the effect of job insecurity on frontline employees in the hospitality industry which has been overlooked by most contemporary researches. Therefore, particular focus is to test the role of intrinsic motivation as a damper on the relationship between job insecurity and its behavioral consequence. Keywords: Job Insecurity, Job Performance, Hotel, KKTC, Tourism Industry