COVID-19: prevalence of job-demands, stress, work-life difficulties and work-life balance among international business travelers

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022-06-22

Authors

Kumpikaite Valiuniene, V (Author) Other; Luisa Helena Pinto (Author) FEP; Gurbanov, T (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Global Mobility

Vol. 10- Special IssueSI No. 2

Pages: 172-191

ISSN: 2049-8799

Publisher: Emerald

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citations

Scopus - 2 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-XQW

DOI: 10.1108/jgm-03-2021-0030

Abstract (EN): Purpose International business travelers (IBTs) face daily challenges pertaining to the frequency and duration of travel. Following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the study aims to draw upon the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and the literature on work-life balance (WLB) to examine how this crisis have disrupted IBTs routines and the implications for their WLB. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in April 2020 with an online survey answered by 141 IBTs from different locations. The first set of analyses examined the perceived change in job-demands (i.e. business travel and workload) including stress and work-life difficulties following the outbreak of COVID-19. The second set of analyses tested the hypotheses that the perceived change in workload and stress predict IBTs' work-life difficulties, which, in turn, affect their WLB. Findings The results show that the decline in job-demands (i.e. business travel and workload) after the outbreak of COVID-19 was not enough to reduce IBTs' stress and ameliorate their work-life difficulties and WLB. Only respondents who experienced a decrease in workload, including less relational difficulties, reported a superior WLB. Originality/value The study widens the scope and relevance of global mobility studies in crisis settings by timely reporting the changes in job-demands, stress and work-life difficulties among IBTs following the outbreak of COVID-19. Additionally, the research extends the use of the JD-R model in the international context by advancing our knowledge of the interplay between contextual demands and job-demands in affecting IBTs' stress, work-life difficulties and WLB.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 20