The Interconnected Effects of Financial Constraints, Social Connections, and Health on the Subjective Well-Being of the Unemployed in Abu Dhabi

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Congratulations for your work. Please consider the following minor suggestions.

1. Rewrite the abstract by including the study's overall research objective, methodology, key findings, recommendations, and novelty.

2. Incorporate the introduction section with the rationale for conducting this research

3. The conclusion section should be supported with existing findings.

 

Minor modifications

Author Response

 

#	Reviewer #1 Comments	Author Response
1	Rewrite the abstract by including the study's overall research objective, methodology, key findings, recommendations, and novelty.	Abstract amended
2	Incorporate the introduction section with the rationale for conducting this research.	Rationale added
3	The conclusion section should be supported with existing findings.	The discussion and conclusion sections were supported by existing findings, further references to results were added.

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Hello,

Thank you very much for allowing me to review the manuscript entitled The Interconnected Effects of Financial Constraints, Social Connections, and Health on the Subjective Well-being of the Unemployed in Abu Dhabi.

The following is a summary of the needed revisions.

1.       Copy editing is needed as I found grammatical errors throughout the manuscript.

2.       Overarching theory. The manuscript is developed without an established theoretical framework. In other words, a theory needs to be discussed to build the connection between the argument with the theory.

3.       Figure 1 needs to be revised since some boxes do not show the full variable names and one box is totally blacked out.

4.       Measurement model. Section 3.2 mentions variables, however, how each variable is measured is not clear.

5.       Since variables were measured by multiple indicators, a confirmatory factor analysis is needed to test the measurement model fit (e.g., Chi-square, TLI, CFI, SRMR).

6.       About common method bias. The authors tested common method bias by observing the HTMT and VIF. The authors should consider a more rigorous approach, such as using a post-hoc method to test if common method bias is an issue in the study. For example, the unmeasured latent method constructs (ULMC).

Williams, L. J., & McGonagle, A. K. (2016). Four research designs and a comprehensive analysis strategy for investigating common method variance with self-report measures using latent variables. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31(3), 339-359.

7.       Studies conducted. This manuscript only includes one study, with online panel data and a single-source report. This is inadequate to support these hypotheses (not to mention part of the hypotheses were not supported). The authors should consider adding another study to replicate the results in the current study. 

I hope that the above comments help you improve the quality of your manuscript.

Good luck!

Reviewer

 

 

 Moderate editing of the English language is required.

Author Response

 

#	Reviewer #2 Comments	Author Response
1	Copy editing is needed as I found grammatical errors throughout the manuscript.	Copy editing done
2	Overarching theory. The manuscript is developed without an established theoretical framework. In other words, a theory needs to be discussed to build the connection between the argument with the theory.	A review of the literature reveals that currently, an overarching theory bringing together unemployment and happiness is a growing area. This gap is addressed with proper references. The contributions towards existing theories is discussed in a new section (5.1)
3	Figure 1 needs to be revised since some boxes do not show the full variable names and one box is totally blacked out.	Revised accordingly
4	Measurement model. Section 3.2 mentions variables, however, how each variable is measured is not clear.	Noted the measurement for each (scales) in Section 3.2
5	Since variables were measured by multiple indicators, a confirmatory factor analysis is needed to test the measurement model fit (e.g., Chi-square, TLI, CFI, SRMR).	This is a great suggestion and will be addressed as a limitation and future study in a new section (6.1)
6	About common method bias. The authors tested common method bias by observing the HTMT and VIF. The authors should consider a more rigorous approach, such as using a post-hoc method to test if common method bias is an issue in the study. For example, the unmeasured latent method constructs (ULMC). Williams, L. J., & McGonagle, A. K. (2016). Four research designs and a comprehensive analysis strategy for investigating common method variance with self-report measures using latent variables. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31(3), 339-359.	Addressed this point in the limitations (6.1) and added the suggested reference for use in future studies.
7	Studies conducted. This manuscript only includes one study, with online panel data and a single-source report. This is inadequate to support these hypotheses (not to mention part of the hypotheses were not supported). The authors should consider adding another study to replicate the results in the current study.	Added this point as a limitation in 6.1

 

Reviewer 3 Report

A worthwhile study issue that touches on many facets of people's life as well as the larger societal context is the linked impacts of financial restrictions, social ties, and health on the subjective well-being of the unemployed in Abu Dhabi. Following are some of my recommendations. By looking at not just one, but three interconnected aspects that can affect the well-being of unemployed people, this research concept adopts a holistic stance. This is significant since well-being is a complex concept that depends on a wide range of variables. Significant psychological and socioeconomic effects can result from unemployment. Due to its distinctive cultural and economic environment, Abu Dhabi, a multicultural and economically vibrant region, offers an intriguing framework for researching these effects. Add current research and the connections between these three criteria to support your work. Unemployment-related financial constraints can cause stress, worry, and a decrease in life satisfaction. Examining how these restrictions affect people's well-being might help highlight how crucial financial security is to people's general pleasure. Social support from friends, family, and the community is essential in reducing the negative impacts of unemployment. Understanding how these relationships can lessen the negative effects of losing a job on wellbeing offers insights into the significance of social networks. It is commonly known that good health and happiness go hand in hand. Negative effects on one's physical and emotional health might result from unemployment. Examining this connection may demonstrate the importance of comprehensive unemployment support programmes. The way these factors interact may be significantly influenced by the cultural and social norms of Abu Dhabi. Financial limitations, social connections, and health can all have an impact on how well-off the unemployed are, depending on cultural expectations, family arrangements, and societal conventions. Due to its subjective nature, studying subjective well-being is difficult. To effectively record people's impressions, researchers must choose the right assessment equipment and procedures carefully. The findings of research may have an impact on how policies are developed. The development of specialised interventions and support systems that address financial, social, and health-related issues can be guided by an understanding of the particular needs of the unemployed. Given the intricate interplay of these variables, a longitudinal study design might offer more insightful results. Understanding how changes in one area may impact the others and a person's total well-being can be learned through tracking people's experiences over time. Careful ethical concerns are necessary when conducting research on vulnerable populations, such as the unemployed. The privacy, informed consent, and overall wellbeing of study participants must all be guaranteed. A comparative analysis of various demographic groups or regions of Abu Dhabi could be taken into consideration to increase the reliability of the findings. This could show differences in how well-being is impacted by monetary limitations, social ties, and health. Methodology is good, add theoretical, practical, societal and methodological implications. Add clear limitations and future scope in the conclusion section. Overall, this manuscript is written well and it can be considered after revision.

NA.

Author Response

 

#	Reviewer #3 Comments	Author Response
1	By looking at not just one, but three interconnected aspects that can affect the well-being of unemployed people, this research concept adopts a holistic stance. This is significant since well-being is a complex concept that depends on a wide range of variables. Significant psychological and socioeconomic effects can result from unemployment. Due to its distinctive cultural and economic environment, Abu Dhabi, a multicultural and economically vibrant region, offers an intriguing framework for researching these effects. Add current research and the connections between these three criteria to support your work.	The links between the major variables (unemployment, wellbeing, social connections) have been extensively discussed in the literature review, with Abu Dhabi and regional research emphasized.
2	The development of specialised interventions and support systems that address financial, social, and health-related issues can be guided by an understanding of the particular needs of the unemployed.	Indeed. This point is reflected in the rationale of the study.
3	Given the intricate interplay of these variables, a longitudinal study design might offer more insightful results. Understanding how changes in one area may impact the others and a person's total well-being can be learned through tracking people's experiences over time.	This point is added as a potential future study in Section 6.1.
4	Careful ethical concerns are necessary when conducting research on vulnerable populations, such as the unemployed. The privacy, informed consent, and overall wellbeing of study participants must all be guaranteed.	Survey was anonymous and confidentiality maintained.
5	A comparative analysis of various demographic groups or regions of Abu Dhabi could be taken into consideration to increase the reliability of the findings. This could show differences in how well-being is impacted by monetary limitations, social ties, and health	Differences between genders, nationalities, age groups, and marital groups were all discussed in the results (under Table 6).
6	Methodology is good, add theoretical, practical, societal and methodological implications.	Added section 5.1 to discuss theoretical implications, societal and policy recommendations included in the conclusion.
7	Add clear limitations and future scope in the conclusion section. Overall, this manuscript is written well and it can be considered after revision.	Added section 6.1 to discuss limitations and future directions.

 

 

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The revised manuscript looks better than the previous version. However, research methods (e.g., unmeasured latent method construct) were not tested to address common methods bias issues.

The quality of the English language is acceptable.

Author Response

This is a valid point. We have addressed this point in the limitations for consideration in future research, and added additional resources for use as references. 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx