Psychosocial factors in the hospitality sector in Spain: A comparison between front and back-line workers

Abstract

The present study analyses if working conditions differentially affect to front and back-line workers and thus, explores alternatives that contribute to their well-being. Stemming from the Role and the Conservation of Resources theories, a cross-sectional study was conducted, where 270 front-line and 113 back-line workers responded to a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, psychosocial risk factors (i.e. role and ambiguity conflict and emotion work), job resources (i.e. organisational esteem) and well-being. Hierarchical regression analyses showed an explained variance of well-being around 18% and 19% for back-line and front-line, respectively. Differences between groups were found in terms of role ambiguity (only significant for front-line workers). The common significant associated variables with well-being for both groups were organisational esteem and role conflict. In addition, the effect of emotion work on well-being was mediated by organisational esteem only for front-line workers. Consequently, hospitality companies should be aware of the organisational outcomes of designing jobs with healthy working conditions by means of promoting job resources and paying special attention to specific and differentiated lines of action for front and back-line workers.