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Workplace Flexibility and Engagement towards Employee’s Well-Being and Sustainable Behavior

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 51611

Special Issue Editors

Center for Converging Humanities, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
Interests: hospitality; organizational culture; psychological well-being; employee behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Interests: employee behaviour; workplace climate; emotional labor; leadership; hospitality industry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Hotel and Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
Interests: restaurant strategic management; relationship marketing and management; sustainable business management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the fierce competitive market in the hospitality industry at present, we find it is necessary to search for ways to improve employees' well-being, work engagement, and commitment to the job through flexibility of the working environment. We sincerely ask you to participate in this Special Issue from a perspective of the principle of sustainable development. Workplace flexibility is a core variable for management and it is particularly important in the hospitality industry to secure excellent competitiveness in the contemporary management environment. From an aspect of sustainable development of industry, the level of well-being that employees experience in an organization has a critical impact on each individual's personal life quality. Therefore, the hospitality industry should make effort to boost employees' psychological welfare and well-being by promoting a cooperative and flexible working environment and supportive culture. Furthermore, organizations can host and keep superior talents by enhancing the working environment, which contributes to the sustainable development and stronger competitiveness of the organization. In this Special Issue, we will talk about diverse methods of human resource management that can improve employees' well-being, engagement, and commitment through the flexibility (numerical flexibility and functional flexibility) of working environment in hospitality industry.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • workplace flexibility
  • engagement
  • commitment
  • well-being
  • sustainable behavior
  • hospitality
  • food-service industry

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 659 KiB  
Article
Workplace Flexibility for Sustainable Career Satisfaction: Case of Handling in the Aviation Sector in North Cyprus
by Huseyin Karsili, Mehmet Yesiltas and Aysen Berberoglu
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6878; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13126878 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2935
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to find out how workplace flexibility affects the employees’ flexibility in order to increase their career satisfaction while reducing their workplace stress with the mediating role of goal orientation. Employees need workplace flexibility to develop a better [...] Read more.
The purpose of this research was to find out how workplace flexibility affects the employees’ flexibility in order to increase their career satisfaction while reducing their workplace stress with the mediating role of goal orientation. Employees need workplace flexibility to develop a better sustainable career. In doing so, the relationship between workplace flexibility and career satisfaction can be affected by two different factors. One of them is job stress, which can be a mediating factor, and the second is goal orientation, which in this study was considered as a moderator between two variables. For this research, a quantitative research method was applied, and a survey was distributed to 216 respondents, namely, everyone working in handling in a single aviation sector of North Cyprus, to obtain better and clearer results from the respondents. A pilot test was completed and data were collected face-to-face in order to observe the reaction of respondents to develop better results and reduce any mistakes that could arise by answering the questionnaire. Moreover, in order to test the reliability of questionnaires, a pilot test was completed with 14% of the respondents and the results were evaluated by examining Cronbach’s alpha. Job stress is a negative term; therefore, surprisingly, there was a positive correlation between workplace flexibility and job stress in the findings. The results were discussed and specifically analyzed with the literature review. Findings of the article clarify that workplace flexibility, along with goal orientation, is expected to positively contribute to the sustainable career satisfaction of employees in the handling sector. This research will make an important contribution to the existing literature pertaining to flexible arrangements in the workplace, sustainable career satisfaction, job stress, and goal orientation, and will contribute to further theories in this field. Full article
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19 pages, 1790 KiB  
Article
Corporate Well-Being Programme in COVID-19 Times. The Mahou San Miguel Case Study
by José M. Núñez-Sánchez, Ramón Gómez-Chacón, Carmen Jambrino-Maldonado and Jerónimo García-Fernández
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6189; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116189 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4385
Abstract
Employees’ health is being affected not only by the possibility of contracting COVID-19, but by all the negative consequences that this pandemic has brought, such as confinement, social distancing, and self-isolation. In recent decades, more companies have opted for corporate well-being programmes in [...] Read more.
Employees’ health is being affected not only by the possibility of contracting COVID-19, but by all the negative consequences that this pandemic has brought, such as confinement, social distancing, and self-isolation. In recent decades, more companies have opted for corporate well-being programmes in their workplaces, improving the health and quality of life of their employees. The effects generated by the current COVID-19 pandemic require these programmes to adapt to this new situation. The objective of this case study is to analyse the corporate well-being programme, in times of COVID-19, of Mahou San Miguel, a benchmark company in corporate well-being in Spain. A mixed method approach to data collection was used. The findings show the benefits achieved in its adaptation to this new physical-virtual environment. This paper could help other companies around the world to adapt their corporate well-being programmes to the new reality brought about by COVID-19. Full article
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14 pages, 582 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Emotional Labor and Burnout among Sports Coaches in South Korea: Moderating Role of Social Support
by Jae-Pil Ha, Jae-Hwan Kim and Jaehyun Ha
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5754; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105754 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2598
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of social support in the relationship between three strategies of emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting, and genuine expression) and burnout among sports coaches in South Korea. Data were collected from 259 [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of social support in the relationship between three strategies of emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting, and genuine expression) and burnout among sports coaches in South Korea. Data were collected from 259 athletic coaches who were working at secondary schools at Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Results indicated that three emotional labor strategies explained a significant amount of variance in each of the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). In regard to the moderating effect, social support significantly moderated the relationship between surface acting and overall burnout. Specifically, the positive effect of surface acting on burnout was weaker for coaches with a high level of social support than those with a low level of social support. Some ways to engage in appropriate emotional labor strategies and to create environments where social support can be easily accessed were discussed. Full article
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14 pages, 401 KiB  
Article
Everyday Life Information Seeking Patterns of Resident Female University Students in Pakistan
by Sadaf Rafiq, Abid Iqbal, Shafiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Asif Naveed and Shakeel Ahmad Khan
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3884; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13073884 - 01 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3326
Abstract
Purpose: Everyday life information seeking (ELIS) is essential for the mastery of life and plays a central role in the daily problem-solving activities of all human beings. This study aimed to investigate the everyday life information seeking of female university students residing at [...] Read more.
Purpose: Everyday life information seeking (ELIS) is essential for the mastery of life and plays a central role in the daily problem-solving activities of all human beings. This study aimed to investigate the everyday life information seeking of female university students residing at hostels in Lahore, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach using a survey method was adopted to identify the dimensions of ELIS and to fill the paucity of research on the topic. Two-hundred and forty-eight female students living in various university and private hostels in Lahore, Pakistan, were surveyed, and the collected data was analyzed using Statistics Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Findings: Results of the study revealed that hostel living expanded the social circle of students, as it offered exposure to diverse multicultural social groups. Female students living in hostels required information related to their academic needs, safety concerns, social life, and self-help issues. They relied mainly on mobiles phones, the internet, social media, and inter-personal relationships for everyday information. Cultural differences, natural hesitation, language barriers, time concerns, and difficulty in identifying reliable information were the primary obstacles in meeting everyday life information needs. Originality/value: The findings of this study can be used as a premise for developing interventions and information services for female students that allow them to live comfortably in a safe environment in hostels and achieve their educational goals. The study results may also provide useful insights for university administrations to establish libraries in hostels to better cater to their female residents’ information needs. Full article
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19 pages, 781 KiB  
Article
Understanding Customer Responses to Service Failures during the COVID-19 Pandemic for Sustained Restaurant Businesses: Focusing on Guanxi
by Chenyu Zhang, Junkyu Park, Mark A. Bonn and Meehee Cho
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3581; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063581 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6431
Abstract
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants worldwide, including China, have been forced to protect public health by following food safety standards and adapting to the necessary social distancing practices. Accordingly, restaurant diners who are concerned about food safety and unsure of whether it [...] Read more.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants worldwide, including China, have been forced to protect public health by following food safety standards and adapting to the necessary social distancing practices. Accordingly, restaurant diners who are concerned about food safety and unsure of whether it is truly safe to dine out, put more importance on the entire stages of service consumption. Restaurants must make their best efforts to minimize service failures in their service provision process and outcomes. Given that customers from different cultures are reported to evaluate service quality differently, this study was designed to investigate what actions Chinese customers who encounter service failures would take under the influence of Guanxi. Guanxi represents Chinese attitudes towards long-term individual and business relationships and ultimately involves moral obligations and mutual favors. Analyzing our structural equation model using 439 responses obtained from Chinese diners, this study determined that Chinese consumers would react differently in the service process failures and outcome failures in terms of negative word-of-mouth, direct complaints, switching intention, and revisit intention. More importantly, this study confirmed the significant moderating effects of Guanxi within the proposed relationships. Based on the study’s findings, useful implications are provided for academics and practitioners regarding sustained restaurant businesses. Full article
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14 pages, 650 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Workplace Loneliness on Work Engagement and Organizational Commitment: Moderating Roles of Leader-Member Exchange and Coworker Exchange
by Hyo Sun Jung, Min Kyung Song and Hye Hyun Yoon
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 948; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020948 - 18 Jan 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 9080
Abstract
This study aims to examine the effect of workplace loneliness on work engagement and organizational commitment and the moderating role of social relationships between an employee and his or her superior and coworkers in such mechanisms. Workplace loneliness decreased employees’ engagement with their [...] Read more.
This study aims to examine the effect of workplace loneliness on work engagement and organizational commitment and the moderating role of social relationships between an employee and his or her superior and coworkers in such mechanisms. Workplace loneliness decreased employees’ engagement with their jobs and, as such, decreased engagement had a positive relationship with organizational commitment. Also, the negative influence of workplace loneliness on work engagement was found to be moderated by coworker exchange, and employees’ maintenance of positive social exchange relationships with their coworkers was verified to be a major factor for relieving the negative influence of workplace loneliness. Full article
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18 pages, 1410 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development of an Individual as a Result of Mutual Enrichment of Professional and Personal Life
by Katarzyna Mikołajczyk
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 697; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020697 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3498
Abstract
Presently, the development of civilization requires a vision of balancing the interests of employees and employers in the sphere of work as never before. Work-life balance is directly linked to social sustainability. The aim of this article is to analyze various dimensions of [...] Read more.
Presently, the development of civilization requires a vision of balancing the interests of employees and employers in the sphere of work as never before. Work-life balance is directly linked to social sustainability. The aim of this article is to analyze various dimensions of mutual enrichment of the professional and private life of an individual and to describe how positive experiences in professional and non-professional life influence the improvement of satisfaction, health, and achievements, thus enabling the sustainable development of the individual. The conducted research was of a qualitative nature. Thematic exploration was used to analyze the findings of 34 in-depth interviews with experienced HR managers and employees at various levels of enterprises in Poland. The research shows that the work and personal life of the respondents interact, complement, and enrich in different ways, depending on the stage of the employee’s life. Habits developed by practicing a specific sport discipline or other type of hobby are helpful in the effective implementation of professional tasks. In addition, non-professional interests, including communing with culture and art, have a positive impact on professional activities. On the other hand, the respondents emphasized that thanks to their professional activities, specific to the type of work they perform, they are sometimes more extroverted, meticulous, organized, and consistent when performing activities outside of work and in other aspects of private life. Full article
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15 pages, 1399 KiB  
Article
Job Insecurity and Employee Engagement: A Moderated Dual Path Model
by Shengxian Yu, Xiaoxiao Gong and Na Wu
Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10081; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122310081 - 03 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3215
Abstract
In a new stage of booming platform economy, improving the employees’ job security is the key factor to ensure the sustainable development of a platform organization. Based on the cognitive behavior theory, this study introduces the perceived insider status as the moderator variable, [...] Read more.
In a new stage of booming platform economy, improving the employees’ job security is the key factor to ensure the sustainable development of a platform organization. Based on the cognitive behavior theory, this study introduces the perceived insider status as the moderator variable, and constructs the process mechanism model of job insecurity on employee engagement. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between job insecurity, emotional response and employee engagement, and provide suggestions for reducing job insecurity and improving employee engagement. Using a 2-wave time-lagged survey data of 341 workers in China firms, data were collected with a self-report questionnaire and analyzed with the statistical package for the social science (AMOS, SPSS). The research result found a negative relationship between job insecurity and employee engagement, and that this negative relationship was mediated by negative emotion or positive emotion. Furthermore, perceived insider status moderated the relationship between job insecurity and positive emotion or negative emotion; the higher the perceived insider status is, the weaker the negative impact of job insecurity on positive emotion and the weaker the positive impact on negative emotion. The research results provide theoretical guidance for organizations to improve employee engagement and help to strengthen the importance of organizations to employees’ job insecurity. Full article
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16 pages, 2451 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Application of Kiosk Service as the Workplace Flexibility: The Determinants of Expanded Technology Adoption and Trust of Quick Service Restaurant Customers
by Kyung Hwa Seo
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8790; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12218790 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 14427
Abstract
This study presents fundamental data on the technology acceptance of kiosks in QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) and the marketing plans for efficient management performance. In this paper, the combined concept model was established through the acceptance literature, and an expanded UTAUT2 (Unified Theory [...] Read more.
This study presents fundamental data on the technology acceptance of kiosks in QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) and the marketing plans for efficient management performance. In this paper, the combined concept model was established through the acceptance literature, and an expanded UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) model was then presented by empirical analysis. This study was evaluated by 303 customers with experience using QSR kiosks. The results show that the seven factors suggested by the UTAUT2 and trust have a positive direct and indirect effect on behavioral intention. In addition, this study confirmed the significant influence relationship between the variables in UTAUT2. It was also found that facilitating conditions and price value have a significant positive effect on trust. Lastly, trust has a significant positive effect on performance expectancy and behavioral intentions. As a result, this research demonstrates an extended and integrated UTAUT2 by verifying the relationship between basic UTAUT2 and trust. The limitations of this study and recommendations for future research are also discussed. Full article
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