Buffering Job Demands and Burnout During a Crisis: The Interplay Between Personal and Job Resources

Abstract

The mental wellness of hospitality workers has been alarming since the onset of the pandemic. Underpinned by the Job Demand–Resource (JD–R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this research examines the interactive effect of personal and job resources on burnout with job complexity exacerbated by the pandemic. Specifically, the research examines the relationships between job complexity, employee burnout, and organizational commitment. The research also scrutinizes the moderating effect of proactive personality on the job complexity–burnout nexus; and three-way interactions between job complexity, proactive personality, and two types of workplace support; namely organizational and supervisor support. A valid sample of 610 employees working in 5-star and 4-star hotels in Macao was analyzed with PLS-SEM and PROCESS. The results reveal that job complexity triggers employee burnout, which adversely influences organizational commitment. Surprisingly, a proactive personality does not mitigate the positive job complexity–burnout nexus. Instead, it aggravates the detrimental effect of job complexity. Fortunately, such detrimental impacts can be alleviated by organizational and supervisor support. The findings also offer practical insights for hotel practitioners to safeguard their employees’ well-being during an uncertain era.