Effects of emotional culture of joy on employee happiness: A moderated-mediation model in hospitality

Employee happiness at work is vital for improving performance, engagement, and retention, especially in the hospitality industry. This study explores how an emotional culture of joy (ECJ), a workplace atmosphere that promotes shared feelings of joy and positivity, shapes happiness at work (HaW). Specifically, we examine whether psychological safety (PsySaf) and relational attachment (RA) explain this relationship and whether work autonomy (WA) strengthens these effects. Data were collected from 522 hotel and restaurant employees in Sinop, Türkiye, using a three-wave survey to reduce bias. Results from covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) show that ECJ has both a direct and indirect positive effect on HaW through PsySaf and RA. Furthermore, WA amplifies these indirect effects, indicating that employees experience greater happiness when they have autonomy. Overall, the findings highlight that fostering a joyful emotional culture and supporting employee autonomy can build psychologically safe and connected workplaces that enhance happiness. This study contributes to the Broaden-and-Build and Conservation of Resources theories and offers practical insights for hospitality managers aiming to create positive, resilient, and engaged teams.