Employer-Sponsored Sports Programs amid COVID-19: The Approach of Social Capital.

Kwon, Youngbum; Seo, Hyomin

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of bridging social capital through sports programs on the job insecurity - well-being relationship. METHODS A total of 473 Korean employees participated in a cross-sectional survey in May 2020. Using structural equation modeling, we tested the following hypotheses: (a) job insecurity will partially mediate the relationship between perceived threat and well-being and (b) social capital through sports programs will moderate the relationship between job insecurity and well-being. Socioeconomic status was used as a control variable for well-being. RESULTS The hypothesized relationships in the structural model were all significant (P < .001). Bridging social capital through sports programs had a significant moderating effect on the proposed relationship. CONCLUSIONS Strong bridging social capital through employer-sponsored sports programs is likely to buffer the detrimental effect of job insecurity on employee well-being.