Boosting Engagement: Effects of Wellness Programs in Hospitality Workplaces

The objective of the study is twofold: to investigate the direct effect of employee wellness programs on employee engagement in the hospitality industry, and to examine the mediating role of corporate social responsibility as well as the moderating role of employees’ health conditions in these relationships. This study adopted a cross-sectional survey method on a sample of 347 U.S. hotel employees to evaluate the proposed conceptual model. With a series of data analyses, including analysis of variance and mediation and moderation analysis, the study results validated the mediator role of corporate social responsibility, the moderator role of employees’ health conditions, and the direct effect of employee wellness programs on employee engagement at hotels. Specifically, wellness programs, perceived positively as CSR by hotel employees, significantly influenced employee engagement, with the impact moderated by employees’ health conditions. The study findings contribute to the theory in the fields of employee wellness and engagement in the hospitality fields and provide valuable implications for practitioners who intend to adopt corporate social responsibility strategies in promoting employee engagement at hotels.