The Dual Capacity of Happiness at Work: A Systematic Narrative Review in the Hospitality Industry

Ita Juwitaningrum; Diah Zaleha Wyandini

doi:10.36256/ijtl.v7i1.612

The Dual Capacity of Happiness at Work: A Systematic Narrative Review in the Hospitality Industry

Ita Juwitaningrum, Diah Zaleha Wyandini

Abstract

This study aims to synthesize and examine existing research on happiness at work (HAW) within the hospitality industry. This paper identified how the construct is conceptualized, what organizational mechanisms shape it, and how it influences key organizational outcomes. A systematic narrative review methodology was adopted, combining the structured transparency of systematic selection with the interpretive depth of narrative synthesis. Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 15 peer-reviewed articles published between 2016 and 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, Taylor & Francis, and Emerald databases and analysed using thematic synthesis. HAW in hospitality operates not merely as an organizational endpoint but as a dual-capacity construct. The review further highlights that the specific conceptual lens through which HAW is approached determines which mechanisms are most effective and which outcomes are most likely to follow. The hospitality context also introduces industry-specific conditions that shape how happiness manifests and must be managed. Our article offers a more organizationally precise foundation by restricting its scope to workplace happiness, in contrast to prior review that incorporated broader well-being constructs.

Keywords

Happiness at Work; Employee Happiness; Hospitality Industry; Systematic Narrative Review; Dual Capacity

Full Text:

PDF

References

Ahmad, N., Han, H., & Kim, M. (2024). Elevated emotions, elevated ideas: The CSR-employee creativity nexus in hospitality. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 34(6), 891–914. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-11-2023-0288

Ahmad, N., Samad, S., & Han, H. (2024). Charting new terrains: How CSR initiatives shape employee creativity and contribute to UN-SDGs in a knowledge-driven world. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100557

Akgunduz, Y., Bardakoglu, O., & Kizilcalioglu, G. (2023). Happiness, job stress, job dedication and perceived organizational support: A mediating model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(2), 654–673. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-07-2021-0189

Al-Edenat, M., & Al Hawamdeh, N. (2025). Revisiting happiness at work within the hospitality sector: Revealing the power of ethical leadership and group diversity. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 12(4), 844–863. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-04-2024-0153

Alhammadi, S. M. K., & Alshurideh, M. T. (2023). Factors Affecting Customers’ Happiness: A Systematic Review in the Service Industries. In A. E. Hassanien, V. Snášel, M. Tang, T.-W. Sung, & K.-C. Chang (Eds.), Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics 2022 (Vol. 152, pp. 510–526). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20601-6_43

Atan, A., Ozgit, H., & Silman, F. (2021). Happiness at work and motivation for a sustainable workforce: Evidence from female hotel employees. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147778

Aydin, N. (2012). A grand theory of human nature and happiness. Humanomics, 28(1), 42–63. https://doi.org/10.1108/08288661211200988

Bani-Melhem, S., Zeffane, R., & Albaity, M. (2018). Determinants of employees’ innovative behavior. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1601–1620. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2017-0079

Bellet, C. S., De Neve, J.-E., & Ward, G. (2024). Does Employee Happiness Have an Impact on Productivity? Management Science, 70(3), 1656–1679. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4766

Bibi, S., Khan, A., Hayat, H., Panniello, U., Alam, M., & Farid, T. (2022). Do hotel employees really care for corporate social responsibility (CSR): A happiness approach to employee innovativeness. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(4), 541–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1889482

Bruce, K., & Nyland, C. (2011). Elton Mayo and the Deification of Human Relations. Organization Studies, 32(3), 383–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840610397478

Chia, Y. M., & Chu, M. J. T. (2016). Moderating effects of presenteeism on the stress-happiness relationship of hotel employees: A note. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 55, 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2016.02.005

Ciarlante, K., Mejia, C., & Broker, E. (2024). A research agenda for occupational safety, health, & well-being in hospitality & tourism management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 123, 103887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103887

Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.34

Dogru, T., McGinley, S., Sharma, A., Isık, C., & Hanks, L. (2023). Employee turnover dynamics in the hospitality industry vs. The overall economy. Tourism Management, 99, 104783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104783

Fisher, C. D. (2010). Happiness at Work. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(4), 384–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00270.x

Goel, D., & Singh, M. (2015). Personality and employee happiness: A study of working women in Delhi/NCR. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 6(2).

Han, L. T. B., Long, N. T., & Khanh, P. N. K. (2024). Factors Affecting Working Happiness and Organizational Commitment at Tourism Enterprises in The Central Region, Vietnam. Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 52(1), 331–339. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.52127-1209

He, J., Morrison, A. M., & Zhang, H. (2019). Improving Millennial Employee Well-Being and Task Performance in the Hospitality Industry: The Interactive Effects of HRM and Responsible Leadership. Sustainability, 11(16), 4410. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164410

Hogreve, J., Iseke, A., Derfuss, K., & Eller, T. (2017). The Service–Profit Chain: A Meta-Analytic Test of a Comprehensive Theoretical Framework. Journal of Marketing, 81(3), 41–61. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0395

Huang, G. I., Karl, M., Wong, I. A., & Law, R. (2023). Tourism destination research from 2000 to 2020: A systematic narrative review in conjunction with bibliographic mapping analysis. Tourism Management, 95, 104686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104686

Jaswal, N., Sharma, D., Bhardwaj, B., & Kraus, S. (2024). Promoting well-being through happiness at work: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Management Decision, 62(13), 332–369. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-08-2023-1492

Junoh, N., Mustafa@Busu, Z., Mustapha, A. M., Mohamad, A. M., & Hashim, N. M. (2022). The Reality of Happiness According to Scholars’ Viewpoints: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) Analysis. International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022, 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2022082077

Kaur, R., Kaur, G., & Pathak, R. (2024). Managerial leadership and work-life balance to curtail turnover intentions: Does employee happiness play any mediating role. International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 23(6), 751–773. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMDM.2024.141913

Kesebir, P., & Diener, E. (2008). In Pursuit of Happiness: Empirical Answers to Philosophical Questions. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00069.x

Kim, E. (2023). Publishing international library and information science journals: The changing landscape. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 55(2), 478–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006221090958

Kim, K.-S. (2019). The Influence of Hotels High-Commitment HRM on Job Engagement of Employees: Mediating Effects of Workplace Happiness and Mental Health. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14(2), 507–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9626-z

Köşker, H., Unur, K., & Gursoy, D. (2019). The effect of basic personality traits on service orientation and tendency to work in the hospitality and tourism industry. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 19(2), 140–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2018.1522990

Lagrosen, Y., & Lagrosen, S. O. (2019). Workplace health in wellness – a study of Swedish spa-hotels. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 11(3), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-03-2018-0025

Lee, J.-S., Back, K.-J., & Chan, E. S. W. (2015). Quality of work life and job satisfaction among frontline hotel employees: A self-determination and need satisfaction theory approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(5), 768–789. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-11-2013-0530

Lee, K. J. (2018). Antecedents and Consequence of Frontline Employees’ Commitment to Service Quality in Hotels: Proactivity, Organizational Learning Culture, Empowerment, and Job Efficacy. Global Business Finance Review, 23(4), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.17549/gbfr.2018.23.4.23

Liu-Lastres, B., & Wen, H. (2021). How do ethnic minority foodservice workers perceive employee well-being? An exploratory study. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 46, 376–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.01.013

Liu-Lastres, B., Wen, H., & Okumus, F. (2024). Exploring the impacts of internal crisis communication on tourism employees insights from a mixed-methods study. Tourism Management, 100, 104796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104796

Ma, W., Li, R. Y. M., Manta, O., & Alzuman, A. (2024). Balancing Wellbeing and Responsibility: CSR’s Role in Mitigating Burnout in Hospitality under UN-SDGs. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083374

Mayer, V. F., Machado, J. D. S., Marques, O., & Nunes, J. M. G. (2020). Mixed feelings?: Fluctuations in well-being during tourist travels. The Service Industries Journal, 40(1–2), 158–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2019.1600671

Melief, A. E. F., Schulp, J. A., & de Boer, M. R. (2020). Happiness at work: A phenomenological study of the experiences of hospitality industry employees. Research in Hospitality Management, 10(1), 63–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2020.1790212

Met, D. İ., Erkoç, A., İpek, B., & Kızıldere, N. A. (2023). Being a game changer with happy workers: The Ziraat Bank example. Heliyon, 9(7), e18027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18027

Muralidhar, S., Schmid Mast, M., & Gatica-Perez, D. (2017). How may I help you? Behavior and impressions in hospitality service encounters. Proceedings of the 19th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction, 312–320. https://doi.org/10.1145/3136755.3136771

Nithya, L. (2025). Cultivating Happiness and Insight for Enhanced Organizational Health: The Science of Happiness at Work. In M. T. Tran (Ed.), Advances in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development (pp. 203–234). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8457-2.ch008

Obedgiu, V. (2017). Human resource management, historical perspectives, evolution and professional development. Journal of Management Development, 36(8), 986–990. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-12-2016-0267

Park, J., & Min, H. (Kelly). (2020). Turnover intention in the hospitality industry: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90, 102599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102599

Rastogi, M. (2019). A psychometric validation of the happiness at workplace scale. Industrial and Commercial Training, 52(1), 15–34. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-04-2019-0034

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 141–166. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141

Ryan, R. M., Huta, V., & Deci, E. L. (2008). Living well: A self-determination theory perspective on eudaimonia. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(1), 139–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9023-4

Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. H. (2008). Know Thyself and Become What You Are: A Eudaimonic Approach to Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(1), 13–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9019-0

Salas-Vallina, A., & Alegre, J. (2021). Happiness at work: Developing a shorter measure. Journal of Management & Organization, 27(3), 460–480. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2018.24

Salas-Vallina, A., Alegre, J., & Fernández Guerrero, R. (2018). Happiness at work in knowledge-intensive contexts: Opening the research agenda. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 24(3), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2018.05.003

Santhanam, N., & Srinivas, S. (2020). Modeling the impact of employee engagement and happiness on burnout and turnover intention among blue-collar workers at a manufacturing company. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(2), 499–516. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-01-2019-0007

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive Psychology: An Introduction. In M. Csikszentmihalyi, Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology (pp. 279–298). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9088-8_18

Sharma, D., & Dhiman, N. (2025). Employee happiness in the tourism industry: A systematic review, synthesis and future research agenda. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-09-2024-0577

Son, J. H., Kim, J. H., & Kim, G. J. (2021). Does employee satisfaction influence customer satisfaction? Assessing coffee shops through the service profit chain model. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102866

Sovbetov, I. (2025). Does employee happiness create value for firm performance? Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 703. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05024-2

Teoh, M. W., Wang, Y., & Kwek, A. (2019). Coping with emotional labor in high stress hospitality work environments. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(8), 883–904. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1571979

Teoh, M. W., Wang, Y., & Kwek, A. (2021). Conceptualising co-created transformative tourism experiences: A systematic narrative review. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 176–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.013

Toros, E., Maslakçı, A., & Sürücü, L. (2022). Fear of COVID-19 and job insecurity among hospitality industry employees: The mediating role of happiness. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 32(5), 431–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2022.2121054

Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375

Vada, S., Prentice, C., Scott, N., & Hsiao, A. (2020). Positive psychology and tourist well-being: A systematic literature review. Tourism Management Perspectives, 33, 100631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.100631

Zhang, Y., Moyle, B., Dupré, K., Lohmann, G., Desha, C., & MacKenzie, I. (2023). Tourism and natural disaster management: A systematic narrative review. Tourism Review, 78(6), 1466–1483. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-08-2022-0377

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36256/ijtl.v7i1.612