Open AccessService Workers’ Well-Being During COVID-19: A Strengths-Based Inclusive Theory of Work Perspective
Author(s) -
Rhea L. Owens,
Erika E. Meierding,
Blake A. Allan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of career assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.07
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1552-4590
pISSN - 1069-0727
DOI - 10.1177/10690727211050898
Subject(s) - dignity , psychology , privilege (computing) , structural equation modeling , social psychology , psychological contract , context (archaeology) , applied psychology , political science , paleontology , mathematics , law , biology , statistics
This study tested the Strengths-Based Inclusive Theory of Work (S-BIT of Work), a vocational theory that emphasizes positive psychological and cultural factors, among a sample of service industry workers during COVID-19. Service industry workers ( N = 320) were recruited via social media sources across the United States, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the model. This model included privilege and COVID-19 impact as contextual variables; organizational support and workplace dignity as promotive workplace variables; hope, strengths use, adaptability, empowerment, and perceived COVID-19 threat as individual variables; and fulfilling work and psychological distress as outcome variables. Privilege and workplace dignity were identified as particularly important variables; results suggested privilege was positively associated with a promotive work context and negatively related to psychological distress. Additionally, the greater the amount of privilege and dignity the service industry workers experienced, the greater their positive individual characteristics were able to flourish.