Empowering impact: the influence of charismatic leadership via corporate social responsibility on employee quality of life in hotels

Purpose Hotel management and academia are increasingly interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and charismatic leadership. In this context, the present study examines how charismatic leaders affect employee quality of life through CSR practices in hotels. Design/methodology/approach The survey encompassed employees working at either three-star or five-star hotels in Oman. The model was tested using data gathered from 396 hotel employees. Findings Results showed that charismatic leadership positively affects CSR-induced intrinsic and extrinsic attributions. CSR positively affected task significance and intrinsic quality and negatively affected turnover intention. Quality of life predictors had a considerable impact, with intrinsic quality and turnover intention standing out. There was no significant effect of task significance on quality of life. The relationship between charismatic leadership and CSR was stronger for employees in five-star hotels and weaker for employees in three-star hotels. The CSR role mediates the relationship between charismatic leadership and quality of life. Practical implications The results indicate that charismatic leaders exert a substantial impact on employees’ attributions of CSR. Upper-level management must emphasize fostering the cultivation of charismatic leadership attributes among non-charismatic leaders as a means to enhance employees’ perceptions of CSR. Originality/value Few studies have focused on analyzing employees’ perceptions of CSR activities on a micro level. Investigating CSR phenomena in the context of internal stakeholders, especially employees, is very rare.