Trauma and Coping in Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Malaysian Healthcare Workers

Introduction: Prolonged COVID-19 pandemic with high morbidity and mortality may cause traumatic events to Healthcare Workers (HCW), resulting in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Hence, this study aims to determine the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and its association with coping strategies among HCW in managing COVID-19 pandemic at Klang Valley Public Hospitals in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study with total of 424 eligible respondents were recruited through stratified random sampling. Data was collected from 6th May until 6th June 2021 using a self-administered online questionnaire adopted from MPCL-5 and Brief COPE instruments. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 26 was used to analyse data. Result: 25% of the respondents demonstrated PTSD symptoms. Respondents who are single (aOR=3.319, 95% CI: 1.912, 5.762, p-value <0.001) and had history of positive COVID-19 (aOR= 2.563, 95% CI:1.058, 6.209, p-value=0.037) were more likely to experience PTSD symptoms. Frequently coping with self-blaming (aOR= 7.804, 95% CI: 3.467, 17.568, p-value < 0.001), behavioural disengagement (aOR= 7.262, 95% CI: 1.973, 26.723, p-value =0.003), humour (aOR= 5.303, 95% CI: 1.754, 16.039, p-value =0.003), venting emotion (aOR= 3.287, 95% CI: 1.521, 7.105, p-value =0.002) and less planning (aOR= 2.006, 95% CI:1.154, 3.487 p-value =0.014) are significant predictors for PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: One in four HCW managing COVID-19 in Klang Valley public hospitals experienced PTSD symptoms. Therefore, urgent interventional program targeting HCW who are single with history of positive COVID-19 is beneficial to prevent PTSD. Maladaptive coping strategies like self-blaming, venting emotion, humour and behavioural disengagement should be replaced with more adaptive coping strategies like planning, self-compassion, self-care and self-reflection. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Big Data Analytics Capability and Firm Performance in the Hotel Industry: The Mediating Role of Organizational Agility

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on international mobility have negatively impacted the tourism market. Tourism players, particularly the hotel industry, have turned to big data analytics to mitigate uncertainties and offer better products and services. Nonetheless, the central question for researchers and practitioners is how the usage of big data analytics can help the hotel industry improve firm performance. Drawing on the resource-based view and dynamic capability theories, this study analyses the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance in the hotel industry. This study expands the current research by examining the role of organizational agility in mediating the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance. To empirically test the research model, the author used survey data from 115 star-rated hotels throughout Malaysia. Through partial least square equation modeling, the findings revealed that big data analytics capability positively affects organizational agility and firm performance. The result also demonstrated that organizational agility mediates the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance. This study can also guide hoteliers to identify resources required to build big data analytics capability and further highlight the significance of organizational agility in improving firm performance in the hotel industry. © 2023, World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society. All rights reserved.