Resumo: Little is still known about the effects of job insecurity derived from the current economic crisis on the behaviour and performance of employees in the tourism sector. This study examines the likely impact that job insecurity can have on anxiety and depression among hotel employees, and whether these psychological states, in turn, influence their organisational citizenship behavior (OCB) and task performance. Data from 188 employees were collected in seven hotels (three to five-star category) in the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). The results highlight the significant effects of job insecurity on employees’ anxiety and depression. In turn, depression negatively affected the predicted organisational citizenship behavior (OCB) but only when directed at the organisation as a whole (OCB-O). Contrary to expectations, anxiety increased the OCB-O and task performance of employees, perhaps due to attempts to protect their jobs. The findings confirm that the current economic crisis is having a significant impact on hotel employees, negatively affecting their well-being and, through depression, their OCB-O.
