Leadership and HPWS in the Greek hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The present study investigates the role of leadership and Human Resource Management (HRM) Practices on employees in the Greek hotel industry. In doing so, “Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)” was applied based on a convenient sample of 278 customer-contact hotel employees across thirteen 4- and 5- star Greek hotel organizations. The research demonstrates the relationship between HRM practices, leadership, employees’ attitudes and working environments. In summary, the study reveals firstly the important role of leadership towards the service climate and the levels of employees’ trust, which in turn, influence positively their work engagement. As a consequence, employees respond by exhibiting extra role customer behavior and increased productivity. Furthermore, the findings clarify the mechanism behind High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS), a process which is known as the “black-box”, a valuable knowledge for professionals practicing Human Recourse Management.