Person-organization fit, person-job fit and organizational commitment among hotel employees: the roles of positive affect and calling

Purpose: Drawing on affective events theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediation effect of positive affect on the association between fit (e.g. person-organization fit and person-job fit) and organizational commitment in the hospitality industry. The secondary aim is to investigate the moderated mediation effect of hospitality employees’ calling on these associations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected data from 248 hotel employees in China at three different time points. A moderated mediation model was examined by using the bias-corrected bootstrapping method. Findings: Results revealed that person-organization fit and person-job fit indirectly influenced organizational commitment via positive affect. Calling was found to moderate the indirect influences of person-organization and person-job fit on organizational commitment via positive affect. Practical implications: Managing employees’ affective experiences in the hospitality industry and promoting their organizational commitment are key strategies for hospitality organizations to promote service quality and retain their employees. This study suggests that hospitality organizations should actively attempt to improve employees’ fit perceptions and promote their sense of calling. Originality/value: By theorizing and investigating the mediating role of positive affect and the moderating role of calling in the association between fit and employee commitment, this research extends existing knowledge on the association between fit–job attitudes and makes notable contributions to the hospitality literature on fit, affect, calling and job attitudes.