Harnessing workaholism for employees’ innovation: the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the hospitality industry

Purpose While employee behaviors related to work vary, few hospitality researchers have explored the link between workaholism and organizationally valued outcomes. This article scrutinizes the associations among different facets of workaholism – “low enjoyment,” “drive” and “involvement” – and their impact on hotel frontline employees’ innovation behavior. Additionally, it examines the mediating effect of perceived organizational support (POS). Design/methodology/approach Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. The study adopts partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the data with the final sample of 259 hotel frontline employees in Jordan. Findings Our findings revealed that while the “involvement” facet of workaholism significantly correlates with innovative behavior, “low enjoyment” and “drive” do not directly influence innovation. However, when POS is introduced as a mediator, both “low enjoyment” and “drive” exhibit significant indirect effects on innovation, with POS enhancing the positive impact of “drive” and mitigating the negative influence of “low enjoyment” on innovation. Practical implications Hospitality managers should foster supportive work environments that enhance the positive aspects of employee dedication while mitigating potential negative effects. The findings highlight the importance of POS in promoting innovative behaviors and sustaining employee well-being. By cultivating a culture of recognition, collaboration and balanced workloads, organizations can harness employee commitment to drive innovation and improve overall performance, creating a sustainable and productive workplace. Originality/value This study offers a groundbreaking perspective by dissecting workaholism into its three facets – low enjoyment, drive and involvement – and exploring their distinct impacts on employee innovation in the hospitality industry. By integrating the mediating role of POS, it highlights how organizational environments can transform workaholism’s challenges into drivers of innovation. This novel approach addresses key gaps in the literature, providing actionable insights for fostering innovation while safeguarding employee well-being in high-pressure hospitality settings.