Investigating the impact of sensitivity to terrorism on employee psychological well-being: the mediating role of psychological resilience

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee sensitivity to terrorism (STT), employee psychological well-being (EPW) and the mediating role of employee psychological resilience (EPR) for both male and female employees in an environment characterized by discontinuous terrorist incidents.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data collected from a sample of 432 university employees working in geographic areas impacted by discontinuous terrorist incidents. The study is cross-sectional.

Findings

Study findings reveal a significant relationship between employee STT and EPW. EPR mediated the impact of STT on EPW. Multigroup analysis highlighted significant causal order differences in STT between male and female employees. Females scored higher on STT.

Practical implications

Findings highlight important implications for organizational practitioners. Because STT leads to EPW and differs for males and females, practitioners should consider group differences when selecting interventions to enhance psychological resilience. Organizations should use customized training programs and development interventions to enhance psychological well-being.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is one of the few studies to investigate the relationship between STT and EPW and compare male and female employees. The study generates new insights into the experiences of male and female employees working in terrorist-ridden areas.

Citation

Soomro, S.A., Roques, O., Garavan, T. and Ali, A. (2023), "Investigating the impact of sensitivity to terrorism on employee psychological well-being: the mediating role of psychological resilience", Gender in Management, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 412-429. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-04-2020-0106