An examination of restaurant employees' work-life outlook: The influence of support systems during COVID-19

Jeong-Yeol Park; S Kyle Hight; Diego Bufquin; Jessica Vieira de Souza Meira; Robin M Back

doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102992

An examination of restaurant employees' work-life outlook: The influence of support systems during COVID-19

Int J Hosp Manag. 2021 Aug:97:102992. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102992. Epub 2021 May 31.

Authors

Jeong-Yeol Park¹, S Kyle Hight², Diego Bufquin¹, Jessica Vieira de Souza Meira¹, Robin M Back¹

Affiliations

¹ Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, 9907 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL 32819, USA.
² Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration, Georgia State University, 35 Broad Street, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.

Abstract

The main objective of this research paper is to examine the influence of perceived support (i.e., organizational support and social support) on life satisfaction (i.e., current and anticipated life satisfaction), which is hypothesized to increase restaurant employees' loyalty organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and decrease their intentions to leave the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the moderating effects of employees' resilience and employment status are also examined. Analyzing the responses of 609 restaurant employees using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings revealed that all direct effects were supported, except for the effect of anticipated life satisfaction on intention to leave the restaurant industry. Lastly, the moderating role of resilience in the relationships between current life satisfaction and restaurant employees' loyalty OCB and intentions to leave the industry was confirmed. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.

Keywords: Employment status; Intentions to leave; Life satisfaction; Loyalty organizational citizenship behavior; Organizational and social support; Resilience.