Fear of terror and increased job burnout over time: Examining the mediating role of insomnia and the moderating role of work support

Sharon Toker, Gregory A. Laurence, Yitzhak Fried

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

While the prevalence of terrorism has increased substantially, there is a paucity of research on the effects of terrorism on employee behavior at work. Building on conservation of resources (COR) theory, and its extension, the conservation of social resources theory, we close gaps in the literature by investigating the effect of fear of terror on increased job burnout over time, the mediating effect of insomnia, and the moderating effect of supervisor and co-worker support on these relationships. This longitudinal study followed a large sample of Israeli employees (n=670) across three time measurements over 7years, in a time period characterized by a high number of terror attacks. The results showed fear of terror to be related to elevated job burnout over time, even during a period in which terror attacks were reduced substantially. Further, insomnia mediated the relationship between fear of terror and increased burnout, while co-worker support, but not supervisor support, moderated the relationships between fear of terror and increased insomnia and between increased insomnia and increased burnout. The results further support the notion of loss cycles in COR theory, as well as the importance of social resources, which are the cornerstones of conservation of social resources theory.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)272-291
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Organizational Behavior
Volume36
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2015

Keywords

  • Burnout
  • Co-worker support
  • Fear of terror
  • Insomnia
  • Supervisor support

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Applied Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
  • General Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fear of terror and increased job burnout over time: Examining the mediating role of insomnia and the moderating role of work support'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this