Examining Coping Strategies and Organizational Support in Mitigating Uncertainty and Enhancing Engagement During University Restructuring
Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Workplace Transformation for Employee Experience and Organizational Resilience
Publication Date
8-7-2026
Abstract
The financial pressures caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic pushed universities to implement structural reforms that disrupted engagement and increased uncertainty. Coping strategies affect how individuals adjust, while Perceived Organizational Support (POS) is crucial for maintaining commitment. This study explores how coping strategies and POS influence work engagement and uncertainty among 85 faculty and administrators at a national university in the UAE during restructuring. Using a quantitative design, survey data were analyzed with SPSS to test relationships among variables. Results show POS is a strong predictor of engagement, whereas coping strategies have a weaker influence. Faculty reported higher engagement than administrators, and POS buffered uncertainty. The findings stress the importance of clear communication, visible leadership, and formal support during institutional change. Although coping assists adaptation, organizational support is the stronger driver of engagement. Future research should examine long- term effects on satisfaction and retention.
DOI Link
ISBN
[9798260035702, 9798260035726]
Publisher
IGI Global Scientific Publishing
First Page
269
Last Page
301
Disciplines
Education
Keywords
Psychology (0.7) | Coping (psychology) (0.69) | Restructuring (0.62) | Work engagement (0.59) | Perceived organizational support (0.54) | Social psychology (0.48) | Social support (0.41) | Applied psychology (0.41) | Survey data collection (0.39) | Organizational commitment (0.38) | Organizational change (0.38) | Job satisfaction (0.37) | Burnout (0.35) | Coping behavior (0.35) | Occupational stress (0.34) | Public relations (0.32) | Pandemic (0.31) | Affect (linguistics) (0.31) | Organizational behavior (0.28) | Structural equation modeling (0.27) | Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (0.26) | Organizational structure (0.26) | Job insecurity (0.25)
Scopus ID
Recommended Citation
AlHammadi, Khuloud and Mohebi, Laila, "Examining Coping Strategies and Organizational Support in Mitigating Uncertainty and Enhancing Engagement During University Restructuring" (2026). All Works. 8288.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/8288
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
no