The COVID-19 pandemic has forced employees to adapt and adjust to the new normal in an unprecedented way. While some employees have been able to move to work-from-home (WFH) relatively easily, many find it challenging. Notwithstanding the magnitude of change, little is known about the determinants of WFH employees’ mental health during COVID-19. This study therefore aims to explore (1) the salient factors that contribute to the mental health issues of WFH employees and (2) strategies to overcome WFH challenges. A qualitative approach using phenomenological inquiry was adopted. Forty-one employees who worked from home in Pakistan were sampled using the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, employees believe that organizations offer inadequate support in both work-related and non-work-related matters. Five themes were elicited and coded as factors that contribute to mental health issues among WFH employees. Technical issues and system complexities, the absence of flexible working arrangements, distractions, a lack of communication, and inadequate social support were found to obstruct WFH and cause mental distress. Behavioral and cognitive coping strategies were also determined to tackle these mental issues. This study complements the human resource literature by exploring the factors that obstruct WFH and cause mental health issues in the context of the pandemic crisis. As mental well-being is more intricate than administrative arrangements, the study is useful for organizations to develop a feasible mechanism that facilitates the smooth execution of WFH for employees while ensuring their mental health is preserved. Using a phenomenological inquiry, the present study is one of the few to explore the factors that contribute to the mental health of WFH employees in the context of the pandemic crisis. Apart from its contribution to knowledge on human resource management and organizational behavior, it provides useful implications for managers, policymakers, and practitioners to manage WFH employees more effectively.

Enhancing employee performance involves setting clear expectations and providing continuous feedback. It is essential to create a positive workplace. This study creates the necessity of performance appraisal activities to improve employee performance and achieve organizational goals. It investigates the impact of performance appraisal on employee performance in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Sindh, Pakistan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed using SmartPLS to analyze the relationships between variables. It includes Performance Appraisal, Organizational Commitment, Job Involvement, and Employee Performance. A sample of 127 participants was selected from various HEIs in Sindh, Pakistan. The findings reveal a significant mediating effect of organizational commitment and job involvement on the relationship between performance appraisal and employee performance. On the other hand, effective performance appraisals enhance employee performance when supported by strong organizational commitment and job involvement. It includes recommendations that hold valuable knowledge and implications for executive bodies and policymakers of HEIs.

Service industries are fast turning digital, and they are disrupting the manner in which firms organize and relate to their customers. Nevertheless, mechanisms that allow digital capabilities to be converted to better customer experience remain poorly understood, especially in the emerging economies. This paper presents the dual-mediation model to investigate the effects of Digital Supply Chain Integration (DSCI) and capabilities of digital customer engagement (DCEC) on Customer Experience Outcomes (CXO) based on Sustainable Business Model Innovation (SBMI) and Customer Value Co-Creation (CVC) with references to Dynamic Capabilities Theory and Service-Dominant Logic. The data were collected by a cross-sectional survey of 360 managers of the banking, telecom, healthcare, and hospitality organizations in Pakistan and analyzed with the help of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that the customer experience is enhanced well beyond what is feasible alone by means of Sustainable Business Model Innovation due to the Digital Supply Chain Integration, whereas customer experience is enhanced by the Digital Customer Engagement Capabilities through Customer Value Co-Creation. The results also show that the mechanisms of co-creation have the largest impact on the outcome of customer experience. The research is an addition to the body of literature on digital transformation because it illustrates how digital integration, innovation that is focused on sustainability, and relational co-creation can collectively convert digital capabilities into experiential value. The results also provide practical factors that should be considered by service companies when embarking on digital transformation programs to align the programs with sustainability and customer engagement mechanisms.

Purpose: The central premise of this study is to enhance the understanding of the intangible aspects of environmental sustainability in the hospitality sector. It aims to determine the association between green human resource management (GHRM) and green organizational citizenship behavior (G-OCB), with perceived organizational support (POS) acting as a mediator. Design/Methodology/Approach: To gather data, a survey was conducted among 240 employees in the hotel business. The researchers used convenience sampling to select the respondents, focusing on the hospitality industry. The unit of analysis comprised employees of restaurants operating in Pakistan’s major cities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected. Findings: The study findings reveal a direct correlation between the implementation of GHRM procedures and the resulting behavioral outcomes exhibited by employees. The impact of GHRM techniques on G-OCB is mediated by POS, which functions as a contextual characteristic defining the effectiveness of GHRM practices. Practical Implications: The outcomes of this study demonstrate that GHRM techniques can be effectively utilized to foster green OCB among employees. The deployment of GHRM practices should be preceded by organizational support to achieve beneficial outcomes. This research provides valuable insights for senior executives and HR professionals in implementing SHRM techniques within the hotel industry. Originality/Value: The underlying study enriches the growing body of knowledge on the dimensions that characterize effective GHRM practices, yielding positive green behavioral outcomes. This paper examines the influence and mechanism of GHRM in an emerging economy and provides insights into POS as a characteristic of effective GHRM configurations.