The effects of transformational leadership and HRM practices on employee outcomes and productivity in the Greek hospitality industry during COVID-19

PurposeThe present study investigates the role of "Transformational Leadership (TFL)” on employees' work engagement and its effect on their "Productivity” and "Extra-Role Customer Service” behaviors. In doing so, the present study examines the mediating role of two crucial variables, namely the creation of a "Service Climate” and the role of "Trust” that employees show toward their managers. Last but not least, this research examines the potential role of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachPartial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used on a sample of 459 customer-contact employees across thirteen 4- and 5-star Greek hotel organizations.FindingsThis study reveals the mechanism through which "TFL” impacts employees' productivity. Specifically, "TFL” first impacts employees' "Trust” toward their managers and helps toward creating a "Social Climate”. In turn, both "Trust” and "Social Climate” directly impact employees' "Work Engagement” who respond by showing increased "Productivity” and by exhibiting "Extra-Role Customer Service” behaviors. Nevertheless, the role of HPWS as a moderator was not confirmed.Practical implicationsThe present study underscores the need for hotels' management to pay the required attention on creating an employment relationship based on "Trust”, as well as on creating a "Service Climate” in order for their employees to become work engaged and highly productive.Originality/valueThis is among the first studies that examine the "TFL” effects on employee outcomes in the Tourism and Hospitality sector, during the COVID-19 era.

Transformational Leadership, HRM practices and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of personal stress, anxiety, and workplace loneliness.

The present research investigates the crucial role of "Transformational Leadership (TFL)" on employees' "anxiety", "personal stress", and "workplace loneliness", and finally on employees' "burnout". Moreover, this survey investigates the moderating role of "HRM practices" in the relationship between TFL and burnout. For the needs of the research, "Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)" was conducted on a sample of 459 Greek "customer-contact employees" based on thirteen hotels during the "COVID-19 pandemic". First, the findings uncover the dynamic of TFL in reducing all three stressors, namely "personal financial stress"; "anxiety"; and "workplace loneliness", thus prohibiting employees' "burnout". Moreover, the study underscores the moderating role of "HRM practices" in strengthening the negative relationship between TFL and "burnout". Overall, the findings provide additional evidence on the process through which "HRM practices" interact with "TFL", "job stressors", and employees' "burnout", a vital knowledge for HRM professionals and hotels' managers.