The Impact of Work-Life Balance on Job Performance in Hospitality Industry: Special Reference to 5-Star Hotels along the Colombo Coastline of Sri Lanka, Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The hospitality industry is a people-first industry, and work-life balance is essential for employees to be able to provide excellent customer service. When employees are well-rested and have time for their personal lives, they are more likely to be happy and productive at work. Having considered the above reported gaps and evidence, it is clear that work-life balance of hotel sector is crucial to employee performance and job satisfaction is a potential mediator for the above relationship. The major purpose of any hotel or hospitality institution is to achieve the highest employee performance to ensure they deliver a quality service towards customers and guests. Since human resources are a critical asset underlying when achieving goals, it’s important to maintain talented, satisfied, loyal employees in a hospitality organization. Therefore, work-life balance plays a major role on the employees’ performance, and it can be mediated by the factor of satisfaction which they gain by the work-life balance. The study is a quantitative field study in which researcher interference is minimal. Furthermore, this is a crosssectional study that uses primary data collected from non-executive level employees in (5 star) hotels in Sri Lanka, so the unit of analysis is at the individual level. Primary data were collected via an online questionnaire survey given in English, and the questionnaire was designed based on standard measurement scales. The questionnaire link was sent to a sample of 384 non-executive employees selected at the convenience of the researcher from 5 well-known hotels along the coastline of Sri Lanka. The data were analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), which employed correlation and regression. This analysis reveals a significant positive correlation (r = 0.838, p < 0.01) between flexibility in working hours (AV_FWH) and job performance (AV_JP). This strong evidence supports the hypothesis that flexibility in working hours is associated with higher job performance. Additionally, a robust correlation (r = 0.778, p < 0.01) between supportive supervision (AV_FSSB) and job performance is observed, emphasizing its crucial role in enhancing employee performance. The correlation matrix underscores strong associations between AV_JP, AV_FSSB, AV_FWH, and AV_JS. Notably, a substantial correlation (r = 0.860) between flexibility in working hours (AV_FWH) and job satisfaction (AV_JS) suggests that job satisfaction is a crucial variable mediating the relationship between flexibility in working hours and job performance. Further analyses affirm a strong positive relationship (r = 0.778, p < 0.001) between job satisfaction (AV_JS) and job performance (AV_JP). Job satisfaction significantly mediates the effect of supportive supervision on job performance, indicating its integral role in the overall dynamics. The interpretation of results emphasizes that flexibility in working hours and supportive supervision positively influence job performance, with job satisfaction acting as a significant mediator. Enhancing flexibility in working hours and promoting supportive supervision may contribute to higher job satisfaction, ultimately positively impacting job performance in the hospitality industry. The impact of technological integration on work-life balance, job satisfaction, and job performance is crucial, as it reflects the evolving nature of work. Employee well-being interventions, such as mental health programs, mindfulness initiatives, or flexible scheduling policies, can provide actionable insights for organizations aiming to enhance work-life balance and job performance. Other mediators and moderators, such as organizational culture, leadership styles, or personal traits, could also play significant roles.