Career shocks and career sustainability: the role of career crafting and perceived organizational support

Purpose Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this research conceptualizes career sustainability as a process of resource adjustment in response to career shocks. It explores the influence of career shocks on career sustainability, focusing on the mediating function of career crafting. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate whether perceived organizational support moderates the effect of career shocks on career sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through a two-wave survey from 493 hotel employees in China, and the proposed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling. Findings This study shows that career shocks exert divergent effects on hotel employees’ career sustainability, with career crafting mediating this relationship. Perceived organizational support further moderates these effects, indicating that supportive career environments can buffer or amplify the impact of career shocks. These findings advance understanding of how unexpected career events interact with individual and organizational factors to shape long-term career development in the hospitality sector. Practical implications Hotels should strategically manage career shocks by fostering career crafting and strengthening organizational support, thereby enabling employees to accumulate resources, enhance adaptability and sustain long-term careers in dynamic service environments. Originality/value This study applies COR theory to reveal how positive and negative career shocks impact career sustainability through career crafting, and how perceived organizational support moderates these effects. It advances hospitality career research by integrating individual and organizational perspectives within a moderated mediation framework, offering actionable insights for sustaining hotel employees’ careers.