Job embeddedness and employee performance of some selected federal medical centres in North-central, Nigeria: A moderating effect of job stress

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of job embeddedness on employee performance in some selected public hospitals in North-Central Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the moderating effect of job stress. The research is grounded in the Conservation of Resources Theory, aiming to explore how psychological attachment, social connection and career alignment influence employee performance through the lens of job stress.This study utilized a cross-sectional survey research design to examine the proposed relationships. The target population comprised 7,503 medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals across five Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) in North-Western Nigeria, A sample size of 380 respondents was calculated using Yamane’s formula, based on a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire employing a five-point Likert scale and subsequently analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that career alignment, job stress, psychological attachment, social connection have positive and significant effect on employee performance. For the indirect
relationship, job stress significantly moderate the relationship between psychological attachment and employee performance, job stress significantly moderate the relationship between social connection and employee performance, that job stress significantly moderate the relationship between career alignment and employee performance. The study recommended that public hospitals should create structured career development plans, including training, mentoring, and opportunities for advancement, to ensure employees’ career goals align with organizational objectives.