Examination into the Mediating Role of Optimism on the Relationships between Work-life Balance, Job Embeddedness and Turnover Intention: Evidence from Central African Context of Cameroon

Abstract

In a modest environment, hospitality businesses do their best to attract and maintain loyal customers. Centered on the conservation of resource theory, the study confirms that employees, in face-to-face contact with customers serve as the key to the business- stakeholders' relationship and they play a critical part in the execution of business policies that lead to improved results. This study aims to examine if optimism (OPT), acts as a mediating variable between work-life balance (WLB), job embeddedness (JE), and turnover intention (TOI). This study leveraged on a quantitative cress sectional research design using of a convenience sampling method to distribute questionnaire for data collection. The present study leverages on 200 usable using self-administered questionnaires, using convenience sampling method were collected from the local bar and restaurant salespeople in Yaounde, Cameroon, and were used for data analysis.   All above proposed hypotheses were supported. WLB is an important job resource for growing salespeople's confidence. Furthermore, WLB raises salespeople's confidence, which makes them more concentrated and connected to their job. In conclusion, findings suggest that optimism plays a role in the above-mentioned relationship as a partial mediator. Contrary to the past contributions in the related literature, and in addition to the extant literature, it is clear that studies on WLB on its antecedents and outcomes need further insights into the African culture.  Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of optimism in the relationship between work-life balance (WLB), job embeddedness (JE), and turnover intentions (TOI) of restaurants and bars servers in the context of Central African with focus on Cameroon