There has been considerable research in the area of employee absenteeism behavior. However, few studies have focused on absenteeism likelihood. This study researches on the effect of job demands (physical and emotional) on employee’s voluntary absenteeism likelihood using nurses working in public hospitals in Malawi as the study sample. The study further explores the mediating effect of perceived negative consequences of absenteeism, work engagement, and organization commitment on the relationship between job demands and voluntary absenteeism likelihood. The study also explores the moderating role of supervisor coaching on the effect of physical and emotional job demands on organization commitment, work engagement, and perceived negative consequences of absenteeism. Using a sample of 487 nurses whose responses were analyzed in SPSS, the study findings establish that there are positive significant relationships between both physical and emotional demands on employee’s voluntary absenteeism likelihood. The study also establishes that perceived negative consequences of absenteeism, work engagement, and organization commitment all mediate the relationship between job demands and employee’s voluntary absenteeism likelihood. Only the moderating role of supervisor coaching on the relationship between job demands (physical and emotional) and work engagement is supported by this study’s findings.

Contents
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. THEORETICAL BASE AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 3
2.1 The Job Demand-Resource Model 3
2.2 Moderating Role of Supervisor Coaching 4
2.3 Mediating Role of Organization Commitment 5
2.4 Mediating Role of Work Engagement 6
2.5 Mediating Role of Perceived Negative Consequences of Absenteeism 7
3. METHODOLOGY 8
3.1 Sampling Method and Procedure 8
3.2 Measurement for Dependent Variables 8
3.3 Measurement for Independent Variables 9
3.4 Measurement for Moderator 9
3.5 Measurement for Mediators Variables 9
3.6 Measurement for Control Variables 10
3.7 Data Analysis 10
4. STUDY RESULTS 12
4.1 Descriptive Statistics 12
4.2 Reliability Analysis 12
4.3 Hypothesis Testing 13
4.3.1 Testing for Direct Effects 13
4.3.2 Testing for Moderation Effects 13
4.3.3 Testing for Mediation Effects 15
5. DISCUSSIONS 18
6. CONCLUSIONS 21
References 22
Appendix 36
Questionnaire 36

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