Ex post i-deals, work-life balance, and work well-being in the hospitality industry: the moderating role of gender
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 9 January 2023
Issue publication date: 2 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of several types of ex post idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) on work–life balance and work well-being, focusing on the mediating effect of work–life balance on the relationship between ex post i-deals and work well-being as well as the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between ex post i-deals and work–life balance in the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a questionnaire survey of 642 hotel managers from developed cities in China and analyze the data with structural equation modeling. This study also conducts on-site interviews among 20 hotel managers to support conclusions of the survey.
Findings
The results indicate that task i-deals as well as career and incentives i-deals significantly promote work–life balance, thereby indirectly improving work well-being. However, the impact of flexibility i-deals on work–life balance and work well-being is insignificant. The influence of career and incentives i-deals on work–life balance for males is slightly stronger than that for females.
Practical implications
This study has practical implications for hotel employers in terms of using various ex post i-deals to motivate and retain hotel managers by improving personal work–life balance and work well-being.
Originality/value
As one of early attempts to highlight the potential of i-deals to serve as solutions for work–life conflicts and unhappiness issues among hotel managers, this study provides novel insights into the mediating process between ex post i-deals and work well-being from the work–life balance perspective as well as distinct influences of various ex post i-deals on work–life balance for male and female managers.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is the achievement of Tianjin Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Research Project (China, TJGL21-034).
Declarations of interest: none.
Citation
Sun, N., Liang, S., Li, H. and Song, H. (2023), "Ex post i-deals, work-life balance, and work well-being in the hospitality industry: the moderating role of gender", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 35 No. 9, pp. 3077-3094. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2022-0350
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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