The Impact of Mental Health on Job Satisfaction and Worker Performance in the Small & Medium Enterprises in the Energy Industry in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Mental health cases have been on the rise during the past years in Zimbabwe. The Unexpected COVID-19 pandemic which led to a lockdown in March 2020 led to a drastic increase in cases of mental health-related issues. Most companies were forced to operate virtually in which most were not prepared to do so since it was a new strategy that could not be implemented suddenly. This forced most companies to shut down or cut down their numbers since they could not afford to produce and sustain their employees. These factors affected not only production but the well-being of employees which reduced job satisfaction and employee performance and organisational productivity. The human resource as a key player in the means to production cannot perform better is their well-being is not stable. The research therefore sought to find out the impact of mental health on job satisfaction and worker performance in the SMEs in the energy industry in Zimbabwe. The relationship between mental health, job satisfaction, and performance was established. The study adopted the interpretivist stance which aligns with the qualitative approach and the population which was accessible and interviewed was 37 drawn from various SMEs in the energy industry in Harare. The study found that there is a significant relationship between mental health and worker performance. It was also found out that work-related stress is a major contributor to mental health at work which results in depression and anxiety. The study recommends that organizations should set up policies and systems regarding mental health to improve the well-being of employees as well as provide flexible working conditions, and work-life balance, and good working conditions, and recognize and reward good performance. It is further recommended that future researchers consider extending the scope surrounding mental health since this study has only focused on a specific industry.