The effects of on-the-job embeddedness and its sub-dimensions on small-sized hotel employees’ organizational commitment, work engagement and turnover intentions

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impacts of links, fit and sacrifice as the sub-dimensions of on-the-job embeddedness (JE) on turnover intentions through the mediating roles of affective organizational commitment (AOC) and work engagement (WENG) and explore AOC and WENG as the two mediators linking on-the-JE to quitting intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from small-sized hotels in three waves in Ghana were used to assess the aforesaid relationships. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings reveal that on-the-JE is negatively related to turnover intentions. Additionally, the relationship between on-the-JE and turnover intentions is partly mediated by AOC and WENG. The findings further demonstrate that AOC and WENG partly mediate the impact of links on turnover intentions. Practical implications Management of hotels should enhance formal and informal connections between employees and their coworkers and supervisors through socialization tactics. Establishing and maintaining an environment that fosters social support would increase employees’ sense of belongingness and their proclivity to remain with the organization. Originality/value Little is known about the effects of the sub-dimensions of on-the-JE on work-related consequences in the hospitality and tourism literature. The literature is also devoid of evidence concerning affective variables as the potential mediators relating the sub-dimensions of on-the JE to turnover intentions. The study sets out to fill in these gaps.

Living with Infection Risk and Job Insecurity during COVID-19: The Relationship of Organizational Support, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover Intention

“…Findings of the studies carried out during the pandemic also point out that employees’ levels of TI decrease as their levels of OC increase. The findings of the studies by Ampofo and Karatepe [ 34 ] in Ghana, Tsaousoglou et al [ 36 ] in Greece, Murray and Holmes [ 35 ] in Canada, and Yan et al [ 93 ] in Chinese hotel employees correlate with the findings of this study. OC is a variable that is intricately linked with TI [ 165 ].…”

“…We believe that providing support to employees in the tourism sector who have been adversely affected by the pandemic, reducing their TI, and increasing their organizational commitment (OC) will provide various advantages. Numerous studies in the literature regarding the pandemic revealed remarkable results such as OS increasing OC [ 29 , 30 , 31 ], and OS [ 24 , 32 , 33 ] and OC [ 34 , 35 , 36 ] decreasing TI. Still, we believe that examining the links between OS, OC, and TI in detail and in relation with employees’ infection status and perceived JI is also very important, because the perceived OS, level of OC, and TI of employees, who were infected during the pandemic, will differ from those who were not infected, despite the direct exposure of both groups to the crisis.…”

“…OC is defined as an employee’s strong belief in and adoption of organizational goals and values, efforts to sustain their organizational membership, and psychologically committing to the organization [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]. Relevant literature in this field shows that a number of variables have statistically significant relations with OC, such as burnout [ 73 ], emotional labor, job performance [ 74 ], job satisfaction [ 75 ], job stress, job insecurity [ 76 ], turnover intention [ 34 ], leadership, productivity, organizational effectiveness [ 77 ], organizational citizenship [ 78 ], organizational justice [ 79 ], and organizational support [ 30 ]. Moreover, a number of studies [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ] concluded that OS improves employee loyalty towards the organization.…”

“…High levels of OC naturally reflect positive attitudes and behaviors toward their organization, which is why this term is approached as a variable related to decreasing employees’ likelihood of quitting their jobs [ 92 ]. There are many studies in the literature pointing out a negative relationship between OC and TI [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 93 ]. Bulşu and Gümüş [ 94 ] and Guzeller and Celiker [ 95 ] found in their studies, conducted with hotel employees in Turkey, a negative relationship between OC and TI.…”

“…In another study, conducted in Indonesia, a negative relationship between OC and TI was identified with the prediction that such relationships undertake the mediating role between job satisfaction and TI [ 99 ]. Ampofo and Karatepe [ 34 ] identified a partially mediating role between OC’s job embeddedness and TI in the study they conducted with small-scale hotels in Ghana. The literature review shows that this subject matter is analyzed in different countries and in different fields, while the research findings generally indicate that OC has a negative effect on TI.…”