Abstract:
High turnover rate represents one of the most significant challenges the hotel industry
faces. High turnover rates mean labor shortages, resulting in high costs of recruiting,
staffing and training. Turnover also has a negative impact on service quality. Scholars
continue to search for the root causes of turnover and propose solutions. To further
understand employees’ turnover intention, this study reveals the role of stress on hotel
front-line employees’ turnover intention through the mediation of burnout. Moreover, the
study examines the moderating effect of service climate on the underlying mechanism
that links role stress with turnover intention. Using a sample of 583 questionnaires
from front-line hotel employees in South China, this study reveals that role stress
as a four-dimensional construct (i.e., conflict, ambiguity, qualitative overload and
quantitative overload) has a statistically significant impact on burnout, which leads
to turnover intention. Burnout completely mediates the relationship between role
stress and turnover intention, that is, employees under role stress do not resign
immediately unless they experience high levels of burnout. In addition, service climate
moderates the influence of role stress on burnout, suggesting a moderated mediation
relationship. The study contributes to the organizational management literature by
confirming the four dimensions of role stress and demonstrating how role stress impacts
employees’ turnover intention. Furthermore, the critical effect of service climate is further
investigated. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed based
on the findings. the study also investigates the moderating effect of service climate on
role stress (challenge-hindrance stressors) and burnout.
