Professional identity as the missing link: Understanding motivational pathways among hotel employees

Hospitality research has often viewed motivation as the primary mechanism linking managerial practices to employee behavior. However, less attention has been paid to how employees interpret such practices before motivational responses emerge. Drawing on professional identity research, this study examines Professional Identity as an interpretive mechanism linking employees’ perceptions of Rewards and Transformational Leadership to Motivation and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). Using survey data from 325 frontline hotel employees in South Korea, we test an individual-level model connecting Developmental Rewards, Material Rewards, Transformational Leadership, Professional Identity, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and OCB. The results show significant indirect associations between Developmental Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation and between Transformational Leadership and Intrinsic Motivation through Professional Identity. Developmental Rewards and Transformational Leadership were also indirectly associated with OCB through Professional Identity and Intrinsic Motivation. In contrast, the hypothesized Material Rewards pathways through Professional Identity and Extrinsic Motivation were not supported. These findings extend hospitality motivation research by highlighting the importance of identity-affirming managerial practices in frontline service settings.