Hospitality employees’ citizenship behavior: the moderating role of cultural values

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of self-efficacy and reciprocity in predicting the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of hospitality employees and the moderating role of cultural values in the hypothesized relationship. Design/methodology/approach The proposed model of this study has been tested on the basis of the responses from 432 full-time employees who work at hospitality fields in South Korea. This study has conducted frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor, correlation analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings The empirical results indicate not only that self-efficacy significantly influenced reciprocity, consideration, civic virtue and sportsmanship but also that reciprocity had positive influences on the same virtues as well as conscientiousness. The moderating role of cultural values has also been investigated resulting in significant differences in six of the nine cultural values measured (i.e. power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism I and II, assertiveness and gender egalitarianism). Practical implications From a practical perspective, the findings of this study yield several strategies relevant to hospitality employee development and training. Especially, the management in hospitality organizations needs to look at multicultural management and leadership styles within their own particular context. Originality/value Findings of this study suggest that both self-efficacy and reciprocity are important determinants of OCBs, and indicate the fundamental embeddedness of employment relations within the wider cultural value setting in non-Western contexts.