How does organizational culture affect employees’ mental health during COVID-19? The mediating role of transparent communication

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over the years, the workplace landscape has significantly evolved, demanding an optimal psychological approach to establish an environment that values individual work and health. A firm’s culture inspires it to adopt business practices that enable its employees to live healthier lives. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to measure the mediating relationship of transparent communication between organizational culture and mental health in the Pakistani healthcare industry. The study also explores the relationship between organizational culture and mental health. METHODS: The study collected primary data via purposive sampling from the healthcare employees of Pakistan between March and May 2022. The study’s sample size consists of 509 respondents from the healthcare industry sector, and the research used Smart PLS software to measure the relationship through bootstrapping and algorithms. RESULTS: Organizational culture has a positive effect on the employee’s mental health. The study has found significant positive mediation of transparent communication and moderation of organizational trust between organizational culture and mental health. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has deteriorated workers’ mental health, causing considerable changes in the healthcare sector. Positive mental health at work is a critical factor that improves the working environment. As such, this study highlights the importance of mental health in the workplace setting. It extends the literature in the context of the healthcare industry, thus supporting employees’ well-being. The findings suggest a significant relationship between an organization’s culture and mental health. This study suggests the theoretical and practical implications for policymakers’ and researchers’ perspectives concerning employees and organizational culture.