The Role of Reflection in Predicting Stress Coping, Turnover, Absenteeism and Lateness: A Study of the Hospitality Industry

A Study of the Hospitality Industry

Abstract

Occupational stress is a problem in the hospitality industry, and stress coping strategies are worthwhile to understand. To the extent that employees constructively reflect on work challenges and gain insight into ways to deal with them, they may experience less withdrawal. This research assesses employee reflection on work challenges as predictors of stress coping and employee withdrawal. Two underlying dimensions of reflection are considered: causal analysis (CA) and future improvement (FI). A survey of 193 front-line employees in the hospitality industry explores the relationship between dimensions of the reflection process and three withdrawal behaviors. Results show that future improvement was related to more positive stress coping but also, unexpectedly, to more negative stress coping. Further, negative stress coping was related to more withdrawal in the form of absenteeism and turnover. Results of the study are discussed in terms of contributions to research and practice.