Does mortality salience produce positive effects on hotel employee behaviors? A temporal distance perspective
Author Identifier
Songshan (Sam) Huang: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4990-2788
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Tourism Management
Volume
110
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Business and Law
Publication Unique Identifier
10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105193
RAS ID
78490
Funders
National Social Science Foundation of China (23CGL030)
Abstract
Drawing on generativity theory and terror management theory, this study investigates how mortality salience influences proactive service behavior and helping behavior through anxiety and reflection as two death awareness dimensions. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of temporal distance. Three experiments, employing different mortality salience manipulations across various contexts (e.g., fire and pandemic), were conducted. The findings reveal that: (1) mortality salience positively influences proactive service behavior and helping behavior among hotel employees; (2) mortality salience suppresses these behaviors through death anxiety but enhances them through death reflection; and (3) the direct and indirect effects of mortality salience on proactive service and helping behaviors are moderated by temporal distance. This research provides practical insights for hotels on managing internal and external mortality threats, fostering positive employee behavioral responses.
DOI
10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105193
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Zhang, J., Xie, C., Li, W., & Huang, S. S. (2025). Does mortality salience produce positive effects on hotel employee behaviors? A temporal distance perspective. Tourism Management, 110, 105193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105193