The Leading Causes and Consequences of Citizenship Pressure in the Hotel Industry

Purpose – This study aims to examine the causes of citizenship pressure and to investigate the relationship between citizenship pressure, job stress and turnover intentions. Specifically, the current study examines the effects of the personality trait of neuroticism and the organizational cultures of bureaucracy and the market.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 224 hotel employees in the People’s Republic of China using a self-administered survey questionnaire. The participants completed measures examining citizenship pressure, personality, organizational culture, job stress and intention to quit. Structural
equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings – The results showed that employees who are more neurotic are more likely to experience citizenship pressure. Moreover, citizenship pressure was found to increase job stress and turnover intentions. However, a bureaucratic culture, which prizes stability, was found to reduce citizenship pressure.

Practical implications – This study presents factors that may influence hotel employees’ perceptions of citizenship pressure and reveals the negative consequences of such pressure. Thus, the study results contribute to a better understanding of citizenship pressure and can be used to develop guidelines to reduce citizenship pressure in work environments.

Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first empirical study to examine the antecedents and consequences of citizenship pressure in the hotel industry. Moreover, previous citizenship pressure studies have mainly been conducted in a Western cultural context; it is unclear whether citizenship pressure can be similarly observed in China, where the nature and form of employment relationships differ significantly from those in Western countries.