The relationship between female leaders’ empathetic leadership on LMX, organizational attachment, and turnover intention among hotel employees

This study aims to assess how hotel employees' perception of female leaders' empathetic leadership affects Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), organizational attachment, and turnover intention. To achieve the purpose, a research model was established based on five hypotheses derived from the existing literature. Data were collected from 232 hotel employees working in luxury hotels in the metropolitan area to test the proposed hypotheses and research model. The study utilized a structural equation model with reliable and valid scales for analysis. The results are as follows: First, female leaders' empathetic leadership had a significant positive effect on hotel employees' LMX. Second, female leaders' empathetic leadership also positively influenced organizational attachment. Third, LMX had a significant positive effect on organizational attachment. Fourth, LMX had a significant negative effect on turnover intention. Fifth, organizational attachment negatively affected turnover intention. These results provide practical implications for hotel companies, suggesting that female leaders can enhance LMX through employees relationships by exercising empathetic leadership, thereby improving organizational attachment, reducing turnover rates, and improving customer satisfaction. This study contributes to the advancement of the hospitality and tourism literature by expanding the concept of female leaders' empathetic leadership to the context of hotel organizations and presenting significant findings to human resources management within hotel organizations.