“Impact of employees’ internal factors and job performance on organizational commitment in government organizations during COVID-19: Evidence from Kuwait”

Modern hiring practices based on qualification, gender discrimination, person-job fit, and life satisfaction can allow employees to perform effectively and significantly contribute to organizational commitment. Thus, the study aims to develop and test a struc- tural model that integrates the relationships between overqualification, life satisfaction, person-job fit, employees’ job performance, and organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the public organizations of Kuwait. The person-job fit theory was applied to obtain fair results. Thus, the data were collected from 275 employees working in healthcare institutions, the education sector, and the Ministry of Defense in Kuwait. Overall, the results show a significant and direct impact of overqualifica- tion and life satisfaction on employees’ job performance; accordingly, employees’ job performance also affects organizational commitment. Thus, results indicate that per- son-job fit negatively affects employees’ job performance. Surprisingly, employees’ job performance mediates the relationship between overqualification, life satisfaction, and organizational commitment. However, employees’ job performance does not mediate the relationship between person-job fit and organizational commitment. The current paper contributes to understanding the broad impact of overqualification, life satisfaction, and employees’ job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly in public organizations.


INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic challenges almost all economic sectors worldwide (Kumar et al., 2020;Nundy et al., 2021;Lu et al., 2021). In the current pandemic, it is hard for organizations to achieve their business goals and sustain competitive advantages in the market (Rahman et al., 2022). However, the human resource management departments mainly stress identifying and implementing modern business trends and accordingly train employees to perform at their maximum levels (Aurelia & Momin, 2020; Elsafty & Ragheb, 2020). Thus, public and private organizations pay more attention to engaging and motivating their employees to perform at their maximum during the pandemic. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hard for most employees to manage social, personal, and professional life together, more likely women (WHO, 2020). Recently, Waizenegger et al. (2020) reported that several public and private companies enforced new norms to work from home (remotely), which was challenging for several employees to perform, particularly in the public sector. Liu and Wang (2012) defined overqualification as inequality between the specific job and individuals' qualifications, experience, skills, and knowledge. Overqualification may also be defined as the less or more skills and/or education of an individual at a particular job position. Lee et al. (2021) pointed out that the overqualification of employees negatively affects their job performance and organizational commitment. Likely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, overqualified employees face several challenges to perform significantly while working from home (Wu et al., 2022). Another indicator is the lack of information on using technological devices and interacting with teams or customers online, likely in public organizations (Pandey, 2022). Akuoko (2008) identified that human resource management departments in most public organizations are practicing a traditional selection and appointing (staffing) system, in which they are not able to hire the "right person for the right job." Moreover, prior studies confirmed that overqualification negatively affects employees' job performance, conversely, organizational commitment ( Zhang et al. (2021) examined the relationship between overqualification and job performance, concluding a positive relationship. They suggested that human resource management departments should practice modern appointing and selecting practices based on the individuals' previous experiences, skills, education, seniority, and knowledge. Atmojo (2015) found that organizational commitment is based on employees' job performance, and job performance is based on employees' skills, knowledge, qualification, and experiences. In addition, Erdogan and Bauer (2021) confirmed a positive and direct link between overqualification and employees' job performance in the public sector. However, Wu  According to Suharto and Hendri (2019, p. 193), "organizational commitment is the degree to which individuals adopt organizational values and goals and identify with them in fulfilling their job responsibility." Employees' job performance is based on their satisfaction and motivation to achieve organizational goals (Loan, 2020 Previously, a lack of studies shed light on the relationship between employees' job performance and organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in a public organization. Moreover, Markovits et al. (2010) investigated the link between employees' job performance and organizational commitment in private organizations. They found a positive impact of employees' job performance on organizational commitment and overall productivity. Furthermore, Srivastava (2013) pointed out that the employees' achievement and output recognize the organization where they work and are characterized by the effort, experience, and development of professional skills integrated to expressed overall job performance. Employees' job performance shows how they are committed to the organization.

LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENT
Several researchers discussed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the turnover of employees was very high. Moreover, employees with overqualification, lack of skills, and experience did not feel more satisfied with the job resulting in their not performing effectively ( Following the literature review, the study proposed the following hypotheses: H1: Overqualification has a significant and direct impact on employees' job performance.
H2: Life satisfaction has a significant and direct impact on job performance.
H3: Person-job fit has a significant and direct impact on employees' job performance.
H4: Employees' job performance has a significant and direct impact on organizational commitment.
H5: Employees' job performance mediates the link between overqualification and organizational commitment.
H6: Employees' job performance mediates the link between life satisfaction and organizational commitment.
H7: Employees' job performance mediates the link between person-job fit and organizational commitment.

METHODOLOGY
Data were collected from 275 respondents working in different government organizations from various cities in Kuwait. Data were gathered from August 2021 to November 2021. The measurement items were translated into the Native language of Kuwait (Arabic). To confirm the reliability of the items, the "forward and backward translation" practice was performed by the experts to ensure the subject of the items was understandable. Therefore, all the items were adopted from previous studies and modified as per the context of the respondents (see Table 2 for sources).
In total, 283 participants returned the filled questionnaires, eight questionnaires were not considered for the final data analysis because most ticked on the same answers for all items.

RESULTS
Present study aimed to investigate the impact of person-job fit, life satisfaction, overqualification, and job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations in Kuwait; thereby, the mediating role of job performance was also tested. However, all constructs were evaluated through reliability and validity tests. To confirm the reliability, Cronbach's Alpha (α), Composite Reliability (CR), and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) tests were performed to assess the convergent validity (Tables 1 and 3). Accordingly, the factor loading values for all measurement items were measured above the criterion of the threshold value range of 0.7 (Wong, 2016). Therefore, Shrestha (2021) argued that factor loading of an item range between 0.6 to 0.7 is also acceptable. Furthermore, the measurement item values are presented in Table 2.

Figure 1. Structural model
As elaborated earlier, PLS-SEM approaches were applied to validate the hypothetical model after validating the measurement model. Bootstrapping with 5000 sub-samples and t-statistic were obtained to test the path coefficient. Therefore, coefficients of determination (R 2 ) and path coefficients were systematically illuminated in the structural model of the current study ( Figure 1). Additionally, mediation analysis was performed to specify the indirect relationship between constructs (Tables 4 and 5). The statistical values were extracted from the SEM analysis, presenting the direct and indirect relationships, significance level, and variance explained (R 2 ) for the structural model (Nakagawa et al., 2017). Sub-samples with 5000 through bootstrapping were calculated to know the relationship between person-job fit, overqualification, life satisfaction, job performance, and organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations of Kuwait.
Discussing H1, it was identified that the variance for job performance was R 2 = 0.257 and R 2 = 0.398 for organizational commitment, while person-job fit, overqualification, and life satisfaction explained 39.8% of the variance in organizational commitment. Accordingly, the overall hypothetical results show a positive impact of overqualification and life satisfaction on job performance, and person-job fit negatively impacts job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in public sectors of Kuwait. The present study also found a positive impact of job performance on organizational commitment; thus, H1, H2, and H3 were accepted, and H4 was rejected.
In addition, the mediating role of job performance was also performed between overqualification, life satisfaction, person-job fit, and organizational commitment. Three indirect hypotheses were developed to understand the mediating role of job performance; results indicate that job performance mediates the relationship between overqualification, life satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Surprisingly, results indicate that job performance does not mediate the relationship between person-job fit and organizational commitment. Hence, H5 and H6 show a full mediation effect, and H7 shows no mediation effect.

DISCUSSION
This study investigates the impact of overqualification, life satisfaction, person-job fit, and job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations in Kuwait. Thereby, the mediating role of job performance was also assessed. Thus, a structural model was developed to test the direct and indirect relationship between constructs through SEM analysis.
Present study investigated and concluded that for the first hypothesis (overqualification significantly affects job performance), the statistical values were β = 0.247, t-value = 2.345, and p-value = 0.019. The previous studies also support these results. Therefore, skills, experience, and education are the key indicators of overqualification. These indicators may be more or less of employees, impacting their job performance. Likely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the turnover of overqualified employees was very high, mainly in government organizations.
Similarly, H2 results indicates that the life satisfaction significantly impact job performance (β = 0.244, t-value = 2.46, p-value = 0.014). Prior studies on job performance have confirmed that life satisfaction is a dominant factor ensuring maximum job performance, although positive satisfac-tion leads to positive job performance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hard for employees to be focused and satisfied with the work from home. As a result, it also affects employees' job performance. Hence, before the COVID-19 pandemic, employees from most sectors were more satisfied with contributing to achieving organizational goals and sustaining competitive advantages (Rahman et al., 2022).
Finally, H3 emphasized a significant impact of job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, in which statistical results show β = 0.631, t-value = 8.603, and p-value = 0.000. Job performance and organizational commitment have been studied widely in different contexts. Most studies found a positive and robust relationship. Thus, maximum job performance leads to higher organizational commitment, which significantly enables organizations to achieve their business goals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hard for employees to perform effectively and be committed to their organizations; thus, identifying and implementing modern work-from-home practices retain the maximum level of employees' job performance.
Surprisingly, H4 shows a negative impact of person-job fit on employees' job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait; statistical results are β = 0.151, t-value = 1.813, and p-value = 0.070. Empirical studies elaborated on the same findings. However, there is a lack of studies that developed measurements to investigate the link between person-job fit and job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mediating hypotheses indicate that job performance mediates the relationship between overqualification, life satisfaction, and organizational commitment; thus, the statistical values of H5 are β = 0.156, t-value = 1.079, and p-value = 0.050; H6 showed β = 0.154, t-value = 2.390, and p-value = 0.017. Therefore, job performance does not mediate the relationship between person-job fit and organizational commitment, and statistical results are β = 0.095, t-value = 1.793, and p-value = 0.073; thus, H7 was rejected. However, the probable reason was justified why job performance did not mediate the relationship between person-job fit and organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations of Kuwait. It was due to the lack of strategic human resource management practices in Kuwait's public sector, which does not allow human resource management departments to identify and select the right person for the right job, mainly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the current pandemic creates several challenges for organizations to hire a reliable individual for a specific job in public organizations. In addition, public organizations in Kuwait are still practicing traditional selection and hiring (staffing) practices, which are ineffective in recognizing the right person for a particular job.

CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS
The study aimed to examine the impact of qualification, person-job fit, life satisfaction, and employees' job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait's public organizations, applying the person-job fit theory. Thereby, the mediating role of employees' job performance was tested.
Previously, limited studies investigated and concluded the impact of overqualification, life satisfaction, and person-job fit on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations of Kuwait. In this regard, the current study may contribute new knowledge to job performance and organizational commitment literature. This is the first paper that provided a quantitative analysis of the direct and indirect relationship between qualification, gender discrimination, person-job fit, life satisfaction, job performance, and organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several recent studies have noticed that it is a severe issue for public organizations to sustain their performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, the study contributes by exploring whether qualification, person-job fit, life satisfaction, and employees' job performance maximize organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The present study recognized certain limitations. This paper investigated and concluded the impact of overqualification, life satisfaction, person-job fit, and job performance on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic in public organizations in Kuwait. Thus, as stated earlier, a cross-section method was applied to obtain the data from targeted respondents. Future research can conduct a longitudinal study using the same research model and theory.
Furthermore, the current study was limited to only the public sector in Kuwait. Thus, future research is advised to analyze different organizations, i.e., private or/and semi-public organizations in Kuwait. This may add novel knowledge to the organizational commitment literature.