Linking polychronicity to hotel frontline employees’ job outcomes: Do control variables make a difference

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of polychronicity on frontline employees’ (FLEs) service recovery performance, perceived role overload, and work stress in a hotel work setting.

In this survey, a total number of 267 usable questionnaires were personally retrieved from a sample of full-time FLEs in the research location. The hypothesized relationships were tested using hierarchical regression analysis.

Results based on hierarchical regression analysis reveal that polychronicity had positive impact on service recovery performance and negative impact on role overload and work stress. Significantly, while education was found to be positively related to service recovery performance, on the other hand, age, education, and job tenure were found to be negatively related to role overload and work stress.

This paper provides implications for managers in terms of minimizing FLEs role overload and work stress and maximizing their service recovery performance. Also, this study provides useful guidelines to implement effective management practices and improve organizational outcomes within a hotel work setting.

Theoretically, the current study by examining the untried effects and relationships such as the effect of polychronicity on FLEs’ service recovery performance and work stress lends further contribution to the tourism and hospitality management literature.