Empowering Employees with Positivity and Creative Confidence to Navigate Discontinuous Competition in the Evolving Hotel Industry

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, where competition can emerge from the most unexpected corners, continuous innovation has become the key to survival. As the hospitality industry faces unprecedented challenges, securing innovative work behavior (IWB) from employees has become a top priority. A recent study by Kumar, Upadhyay, Yadav, and Goyal (2022) sheds light on the complex interplay of factors that contribute to IWB, offering valuable insights for hotel management.

Drawing on broaden-and-build theory and goal orientation theory, the researchers propose that an individual’s psychological capital (PsyCap), a malleable resource developed through employee positivity, plays a crucial role in fostering IWB. The study, conducted in the context of three-star hotels in India’s Delhi National Capital Region, reveals that PsyCap not only directly influences IWB but also indirectly affects it through mastery orientation (MO).

The findings underscore the importance of cultivating a workforce with high PsyCap, as employees who possess hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism are more likely to engage in innovative behaviors. Moreover, the study highlights the mediating role of MO, suggesting that employees who pursue mastery goals and strive to enhance their competencies are more likely to channel their PsyCap resources towards IWB.

However, the relationship between PsyCap, MO, and IWB is not straightforward. The study introduces a boundary condition, revealing that the indirect effect of PsyCap on IWB via MO is only effective when employees possess high levels of creative self-efficacy (CSE). This finding underscores the importance of nurturing employees‘ beliefs in their own creative abilities to fully harness the innovative potential of PsyCap and MO.

For hotel management, these insights offer a roadmap for fostering a culture of innovation. By recruiting and retaining employees with high PsyCap, providing opportunities for competency development, and cultivating CSE through targeted interventions, hotels can create an environment that encourages and supports IWB. As the hospitality industry navigates the challenges of discontinuous competition, investing in employees‘ psychological resources and self-beliefs may hold the key to unlocking their innovative potential and securing a competitive edge.

In an era where the rules of the game are constantly being rewritten, hotels that prioritize the development of their employees‘ PsyCap, MO, and CSE will be better equipped to adapt, innovate, and thrive. By harnessing the power of these psychological resources, the hospitality industry can not only weather the storm of discontinuous competition but also emerge as a leader in innovation and customer experience.