Rethinking Worker Wellbeing and Human Resource Management in Hospitality and Tourism

Hospitality and tourism work is defined by its human intensity. Employees across roles, from front-of-house staff and housekeepers to kitchen workers, seasonal laborers, and managers, are asked to perform at the intersection of service, emotion, physical demands, and social complexity. Yet the systems designed to support them have often lagged behind the realities they face.This Research Topic invites scholarship that examines worker wellbeing holistically, moving beyond narrowly defined constructs to capture the full spectrum of challenges and resources shaping the lives of hospitality and tourism (H-T) employees. We are particularly interested in the organizational, managerial, and institutional mechanisms (including the design of HRM systems, the behavior of leaders, the structure of teams, and the ethics of technology) that determine whether work in this sector sustains or depletes the people who do it.We seek empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions that illuminate what happens inside organizations, teams, and careers, and what HR practitioners, managers, and leaders closest to the frontline can actually do about it. Our focus is on the worker’s experience within the organization and its surrounding conditions, rather than on macro labor policy or structural labor market reform. However, research that examines the roles of macro-level factors, such as policy, culture, and labor conditions, on worker experiences would be highly relevant to this call.We welcome contributions engaging with worker wellbeing in H-T from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to industrial-organizational psychology, organizational behavior, human resources, management, consumer psychology, sociology of work, public health, and cross-cultural studies. Interdisciplinary works that integrate novel perspectives are particularly welcome. Submissions may be quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, or conceptual. Both single-context and comparative or global studies are encouraged.Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:1. Dimensions and experiences of worker wellbeingEmotional and psychological wellbeing• Emotional labor, burnout, stress, and recovery in service roles• Psychological safety, dignity, and the experience of workplace incivility or abuse• Work-life balance and off-work recovery (detachment, restoration, leisure)• Mental health, career disillusionment, and the “calling” literature in H-T contextsPhysical and occupational health• Physical demands, injury risk, and chronic pain in labor-intensive roles (e.g., housekeeping, kitchen work)• Occupational safety, chemical exposure, noise, and environmental conditions• Sexual harassment and physical security of frontline workers• Health consequences of irregular schedules, 24/7 operations, and shift workCareer, financial, and social dimensions of work• Career development pathways, plateaus, and the workforce retention challenge• Financial wellbeing, wage fairness, tipping practices, and compensation equity for frontline workers• Retirement, exit transitions, and financial literacy among H-T employees• Social bonding, team cohesion, and peer support as wellbeing resources2. Organizational drivers of wellbeingLeadership, management, and HRM systems• Leadership behaviors that buffer versus amplify employee stress• Inclusive and person-centered HRM practices across diverse H-T contexts• Small and medium enterprise perspectives on employee wellbeing investment• Aging workforce management, workforce sourcing challenges, and sustainable labor practicesTechnology, AI, and the changing nature of work• Algorithmic management and its effects on autonomy, stress, and burnout• AI-driven job displacement, role transformation, and employee preparedness• Organizational and managerial responses to digitalization in H-T settings• Ethical frameworks and governance of technology in the workplaceInclusion, equity, and workforce diversity• Experiences of immigrant and migrant workers, undocumented employees, and first-generation workers• Inclusive HRM practices and the design of equitable workplaces• Generational differences (including Gen Z) in work values, expectations, and wellbeing• DEI initiatives and their organizational effectiveness in H-T3. Global perspectives and research innovation• Global and cross-cultural perspectives• Comparative wellbeing experiences across national, cultural, and development contexts• Expatriate wellbeing and the contemporary expat cycle in H-T• Geographic and regional factors shaping HRM practice and employee outcomes4. Methodological and theoretical innovation• Novel methods including experience sampling, intervention designs, and AI-assisted data collection• Development of interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks applied to H-T workforce issuesThis Research Topic is deliberately worker-centered and organizationally grounded. Rather than framing H-T workforce challenges primarily through the lens of labor market structure or policy reform, we ask: what is the lived experience of work in this sector, and what can organizations, managers, and HR systems concretely do to improve it? We encourage work that takes seriously the full complexity of wellbeing (psychological, physical, financial, social, and career-related) as an integrated set of outcomes.We also welcome scholarship engaging with populations historically underrepresented in H-T management research, as highlighted in the Inclusion, Equity, and Workforce Diversity themes above, including migrant and undocumented workers, aging frontline employees, workers in remote or under-resourced settings, and those navigating the intersections of race, gender, disability, and class in H-T workplaces. Topic editors: Tiffany S. Legendre, Heyao Yu, Lenna Shulga, Dustin Maneethai Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81961/rethinking-worker-wellbeing-and-human-resource-management-in-hospitality-and-tourism