Social responsibility and total quality in the hospitality industry: does gender matter?

This empirical study examines the role of gender diversity in top management teams (TMTs) and their impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is an underexplored topic within the hotel sector. Based on stakeholder theory, we argue that the relationship between gender diversity and hotel performance is indirect and mediated by CSR. Our study also analyses how the implementation of total quality management (TQM) and CSR influences hotel stakeholder results, and hence business performance. Using a sample of Spanish hotels, we provide evidence that gender diversity in TMTs increases the level of implementation of CSR within the hotel industry. The results show that the impact of gender diversity on hotel performance is mediated by CSR. The findings also suggest that the adoption of TQM and CSR management philosophies improves the capacity of hotels to benefit their stakeholders, and that this improvement has a positive effect on hotel performance.     

Can innovative behavior be led by management? A study from the lodging business

This study examined the effects of hotel management leadership on employee innovative behavior in Chinese hotel organizations. Using a dyadic sample of 164 hotel supervisors and 603 service employees at 23 four-star and five-star hotels in 11 Chinese cities, we investigated whether organizational commitment mediated the effects of leadership on employee innovative behavior. We also examined how organizational tenure moderated leadership and innovative behavior through organizational commitment. Findings from our moderated-mediation model revealed that organizational commitment mediated the relationship between leadership and innovative behavior. Similarly, organizational tenure moderated the relationship between leadership and organizational commitment: there was a stronger relationship for long-tenured employees and a weaker relationship for short-tenured employees. However, the effect of higher leadership on organizational commitment was stronger for short-tenured employees than long-tenured employees. Our results spotlight the importance of fostering organizational commitment, which directly affects innovative behavior and through which supervisors can influence individual innovative behavior.     

The impact of employee-oriented CSR on quality of life: Evidence from the hospitality industry

This paper builds on recent corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature and on stakeholder theory. Our aim is to analyze the direct and indirect effects of employee-oriented CSR on hotel workers' quality of life (QoL). Based on survey collected from a sample of hotel employees in the Canary Islands (Spain), relationships were empirically examined through partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This study confirms that workers' perceptions of employee-oriented CSR positively and directly enhance their QoL. We found indirect positive effects through several mediators. Our results highlight the key role of working conditions, task significance, turnover intentions, and intrinsic quality on the relationship between employee-oriented CSR and QoL. Moreover, hotel service quality level is an antecedent of employee-oriented CSR. These findings advance the literature on CSR and reveal important managerial implications, especially in a post-pandemic scenario in which workers’ overall QoL is essential to ensure no one is left behind.     

Organizational Learning and Hotel Performance: The Role of Capabilities’ Hierarchy

Building on the capabilities’ hierarchy concept, a model of the effect of organizational learning on hotel performance is proposed and tested in this study. Data was collected from 240 managers in the hotel industry of United Kingdom and Pakistan via survey. The results revealed strong direct inter-relation between different level of capabilities and an indirect relation between organizational learning and performance through these capabilities. This paper makes theoretical contributions to management as well as hospitality and tourism research by generating an integrative and unifying framework for an organizational learning performance relationship, clarifying capabilities inter-relationships and empirically revealing the exact way these capabilities enhance performance. Also, it has practical implications for hotel managers’ understanding on the development and use of capabilities as a hierarchy in enhancing their hotel performance.     

Improving frontline service employees' innovative behavior using conflict management in the hospitality industry: The mediating role of engagement

Conflict within an organization is inescapable. However when frontline hotel employees can overcome conflicts their levels of engagement can increase and innovative behavior may emerge. The purpose of this study was to verify that the conflict management, as perceived by frontline employees, significantly affects their levels of engagement and innovative behavior. The results support this notion. Further, in the sample of 383, those employees expressing a high level of engagement were more likely to engage in innovative behavior. Also, employee engagement fully mediated the relationship between conflict management climate and innovative behavior. These findings have important implications for managing conflict management in the hospitality industry. Finally, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.     

Investigating employees' deviant work behavior in the hotel industry during COVID-19: Empirical evidence from an emerging country

Employees in the hotel industry are among the most vulnerable groups that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anchored on the general strain theory, transactional theory of stress and coping, and theory of justice, this study investigates the mechanism through which hotel employees' perceived job insecurity affects their deviant work behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey method was used to collect three-wave sample data from 988 hotel employees in popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. Multivariate data analysis reveals a positive relationship between perceived job insecurity and deviant work behavior, and this relationship is mediated by psychological distress. Furthermore, abusive supervision positively moderates the association between psychological distress–deviant work behavior and the indirect influence of perceived job insecurity on deviant work behavior through psychological distress. These findings are useful for hotel managers seeking to manage and develop employees in a global health crisis such as COVID-19.     

Tourist motivation and place attachment: the mediating effects of service interactions with hotel employees

Using social facilitation theory, this study evaluates the mediating effects of service interactions with hotel employees on the relationship between tourist motivation and place attachment. The moderating effects of nationality and hotel star-rating on these relationships are also examined. The overall model tested on a sample of 545 international visitors to the island of Mauritius showed that service interactions mediated the relationship between tourist motivation and place attachment. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) multi-group analysis found that the relationships among the constructs differed according to tourists’ nationality and the hotels’ star rating. The findings have important implications for hotel managers and destination marketing and management.     

The relationship between purpose of performance appraisal and psychological contract: Generational differences as a moderator

This study aims to explore the relationship between performance appraisal and psychological contract (PC) from the perspective of U.S. hotel employees, as perceived by different generational cohorts. The current study also examines the moderating role of generational difference on the relationship between perceived performance appraisal purpose (PAP) and hotel employees’ PC. A sample of 230 full time frontline U.S.-based hotel employees was employed to investigate these relationships. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used for data analysis and the results indicated that both administrative and developmental PAP were positively associated with PC. The positive relationship between administrative PAP and PC was significantly strengthened for Generation Y employees than for Baby Boomers and Generation Xers. There was no significant moderation effect of generational difference on the positive relationship between developmental PAP and hotel employees’ PC. The research recommended HR management practices related to designing performance appraisal systems for diverse workplace in U.S.-based hotels.     

Direct and indirect contribution of HRM practice to hotel company performance

The research problem is the measurement of direct and indirect HRM contributions to hotel company financial performance. The theoretical multi-level model developed in this paper is based on Resource Based View theory, the Motivation–Ability–Opportunity framework and a universalistic, contingency and configurational approach to measurement relationships. It investigates whether HRM results measured at an individual level (employee engagement, skills, attitudes and behaviour) and at an organisational level (consequences of employee loyalty) mediate in the link between HRM practice (quantitative and perceived data) and hotel company financial performance and whether hotel company ownership and size are moderating the link. Data was obtained from HR managers and employees in hotel companies in all regions of Croatia. The results suggest the key HRM activities which make the largest contribution to employee engagement, skills, attitudes and behaviour, loyalty and hotel company financial performance. Management implications of the results are discussed and avenues for further research are proposed.     

Does cultural value exacerbate or mitigate the effect of perceived compensation gap between locals and expatriates in hotel industry?

Within the expatriation system in the hospitality industry, a large compensation gap exists between expatriates and local employees. Drawing upon equity and social exchange theories, this paper examines the relationship between the perceived reasonableness of the expatriate–local compensation gap and workplace deviance behaviors (organizational and interpersonal). Moreover, the paper discusses the moderating effect of power distance and traditionality as important cultural boundaries in this relationship. Results of a survey among 46 expatriates and 297 local employees in the Chinese hotel industry indicated that the perceived compensation gap is positively related to the organizational and interpersonal deviance of local subordinates. High traditionality mitigates the effect of the compensation gap on deviance. However, contrary to our expectation, high power distance exacerbates such effect. The paper likewise discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.     

Employee satisfaction,customer satisfaction,and financial performance: An empirical examination

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction, and to examine the impact of both on a hospitality company’s financial performance utilizing service-profit-chain framework as the theoretical base. Specifically, this study explores four major relationships: (1) the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and financial performance; (2) the direct relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance; (3) the direct relationship between customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction; and (4) the indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance. Furthermore, this study examines the mediating role of customer satisfaction on the indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance. Data for this study was collected from employees, customers and managers of three- and four-star hotels. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with a two-step approach was utilized to empirically test the proposed hypotheses and the relationships between the constructs. Findings suggest that while customer satisfaction has positive significant impact on financial performance, employee satisfaction has no direct significant impact on financial performance. Instead, there is an indirect relationship between employee satisfaction and financial performance, which is mediated by customer satisfaction.     

Effects of psychological contract breach on attitudes and performance: The moderating role of competitive climate

The performance of hotel employees is an important driver of customer satisfaction, which in turn affects hotels’ financial outcomes. Hotel managers should encourage their staff to deliver quality service and should inspire them to perform their best. This study advances a multilevel model that draws connections among competitive climate, organizational identification (OID), job performance, affective commitment (AC), and psychological contract (PC) breach from a sample of hotel staff. The results indicate that (1) PC breach is negatively related to OID and AC, (2) OID and AC have a significant positive relationship with job performance, and (3) competitive climate at the organizational level moderates the effects of OID and AC on hotel workers’ in-role performance. These results offer valuable implications for managers to produce more efficient hotel human resource management techniques.     

How do dynamic capabilities explain hotel performance?

This research study explores the relationship between three dynamic capabilities and their impact on hotel performance. Specifically, we examine the relationship between human resource management (HRM), quality management (QM) and sustainability. In addition, we analyse how QM and sustainability explain hotel performance measured by occupancy rate, average daily rate (ADR) and revenues per available room (RevPAR). These capabilities can generate income, enabling hotels to adapt as quickly as possible to the changing environment. Findings show a significant relationship between HRM, QM and sustainability. The relationship between QM and hotel performance and between sustainability and hotel performance is fully mediated by the differentiation competitive advantage. Our results represent an advance in hotel theory and management because they integrate HRM, QM and sustainability, and show their ability to be a source of competitive advantage and profitability.     

Innovation and performance in the hotel industry

The growing competition in the hotel industry is one of the main challenges of this segment, which increasingly depends on the ability to innovate. Thus, this article aims to analyze the impact of innovation on the performance of employees and hotel organizations. This is an exploratory study, with a quantitative approach using a structured computer-administered questionnaire to 73 managers of hotel chains, located in Brazil, which correspond to 792 hotels. Data analysis used multiple linear regression method with SPSS software to find out the relationship between the factors of innovation (communication, processes, leadership, and strategy) and the performance of employees and hotel organizations. Results show that the factors of communication, leadership, and strategy directly influence the performance of the employees. However, only the leadership factor directly affects the performance of hotel organizations.     

Big Five Personality Traits and Turnover Intention Among Thai Hotel Employees

This study hypothesized that the Big Five personality traits predicted turnover intention, and that hospitality competency and job satisfaction mediated the relationship of the Big Five personality traits to turnover intention among 183 Thai hotel employees. Regression analysis with bootstrapping was used to test the direct and mediation effects. Results supported two hypotheses: the Big Five personality traits negatively predicted turnover intention and job satisfaction mediated the relationship of the Big Five personality traits to turnover intention while hospitality competency did not. Thai hotel employees’ Big Five personality traits were related to their job satisfaction to predict their turnover intention.     

How leader–member exchange,work engagement and HRM consistency explain Chinese luxury hotel employees’ job performance

This paper provides insights into the relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) and employee job performance. An integrative model that includes work engagement and human resource management (HRM) consistency, defined as the extent to which various HR practices are viewed as consistent with one other, was developed to explain this relationship. Results from a hierarchical linear model based on 298 employees (survey data) and 54 supervisors in a large luxury hotel in southern China indicated that LMX was positively related to employee job performance. Moreover, as expected, work engagement mediated this relationship and HRM consistency strengthened the influence of LMX on work engagement. Important research and practical implications are discussed.     

Do employees' perceived compensation system influence turnover intentions and job performance? The role of communication satisfaction as a moderator

Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), the study examined the influence of customer-contact hotel employees' perceived compensation system on turnover intentions and job performance. Also, the study explored the potential moderating role of communication satisfaction in the aforementioned connections. Data obtained from 372 customer-contact employees in 5-star hotels in Nigeria was used to assess the hypothesized relationships. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the findings demonstrated that while customer-contact hotel employees' perceived compensation system reduces turnover intentions, it enhances job performance. More importantly, communication satisfaction moderates the relationships between customer-contact hotel employees' perceived compensation system, turnover intentions, and job performance. Theoretical contributions of the study, managerial implications, and suggestions for further studies are discussed.     

An investigation of the moderating effects of current job position level and hotel work experience between technology readiness and technology acceptance

Rapid technology development has greatly changed the hotel structure in operation or customer relationship management. Most previous studies simply employed either the technology readiness index (TRI) or considered the technology acceptance model (TAM) to predict consumer behavior from the perceptions of consumers. Nonetheless, only limited studies, if ever any, integrated technology readiness (TR) into technology acceptance model in hospitality. Hence, to bridge the aforementioned research gap, the purpose of the present study is to advance and modify TAM by proposing a new research framework which integrates TR into TAM. Online questionnaire survey was conducted with hotel employees through a well-known survey company Qualtrics. Data were then analyzed by structural equation modelling. Findings indicate the direct relationship between technology readiness (TR) and technology acceptance (TA), and reveal the moderating effects of current job position level and hotel work experience on the proposed research framework. Implications are further discussed.     

How hotel owner-operator goal congruence and GM autonomy influence hotel performance

A principal-agent relationship exists between hotel owners and the management companies which often operate their hotels. In addition, they both act as principals to a mutual agent, the hotel's General Manager, who is tasked with trying to achieve each parties' objectives. Extensive research on hotel management agreements which govern the owner-operator relationship has demonstrated that these objectives are often incongruent. However, the property-level managerial and performance implications of their goal incongruence has not been empirically examined. This study analyzes these issues using a matched sample of surveys from both owners and operators across 64 hotels operated under hotel management agreements. Using structural equations modeling, we demonstrate that owner-operator goal congruence positively impacts hotel performance and that this relationship is both mediated and moderated by the hotel General Manager's autonomy.     

Drivers of hotel employee’s voice behavior: A moderated mediation model

This study developed and tested a moderated mediation model for examining the relationships among person-organization fit (P-O fit), employee voice, employees’ perceived nature of the work and employees’ perceived functional quality of their services. Using 265 frontline employees from several 3 star hotels in Taiwan, the analytical results show that P-O fit is positively related to employee voice, and that employees’ perceived nature of the work mediates the positive relationship between these two variables. The analytical results also show that employees’ perceived functional quality of their services moderates the direct effect of P-O fit on employees’ perceived nature of the work, as well as the indirect effect of P-O fit on employee voice via employees’ perceived nature of the work. Theoretical and practical implications for the hospitality literature and hotel practitioners are discussed herein.