High commitment HRM and well-being of frontline food service employees: the mediating roles of job demands and psychological conditions

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between high commitment human resource management (HCHRM) practices and employee well-being in the food service industry, with a focus on the mediating roles of job demands and psychological conditions.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among 296 frontline employees in the food service industry, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS ver26.FindingsThe results showed that HCHRM practices do not directly affect employee well-being. However, psychological conditions play a crucial role in mediating the relationship between HCHRM practices and employee well-being. Specifically, the psychological conditions of meaningfulness and availability significantly predicted work engagement and mediated the relationship between HCHRM practices and employee well-being. On the other hand, job demands did not mediate the relationship between HCHRM practices and employee well-being.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the study addressed common method variance, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits the ability to infer causal relationships among variables. Future studies could adopt a longitudinal research design to investigate the causal relationships among variables. In addition, the study recommends that managers in the food service industry adopt HCHRM practices and provide necessary psychological conditions to promote employee well-being.Originality/valueThis study extends the current literature on HCHRM and employee well-being in the food service industry by providing new insights into the mediating role of psychological conditions. The findings suggest that HCHRM practices can indirectly promote employee well-being through the enhancement of psychological conditions. These insights could help managers in the food service industry to design effective HRM strategies that foster employee well-being and reduce turnover.