The accelerating effect of intrinsic motivation and trust toward supervisor on helping behavior based on the curvilinear model among hotel frontline employees in China

This study investigated the effect of intrinsic motivation on hotel employees' helping behavior and the moderating effect of leaders' trustworthiness on this relationship. Drawing on both self-determination and conservation of resources theories, this study is one of the first to propose a potential nonlinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior. The survey data were gathered from 185 employee–supervisor dyads working for 27 hotels in China. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a curvilinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior, such that the facilitative effect of intrinsic motivation on helping behavior became incremental when intrinsic motivation was at a higher level than at a lower one. Furthermore, leaders' trustworthiness was found to moderate the curvilinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior, such that the pronounced side of the curvilinear relationship was weakened under lower leaders' trustworthiness. These results imply that hospitality firm managers need to invest in enhancing employees’ intrinsic motivation, develop the trustworthiness of supervisor—thereby improving leader–employee relationships—and promote openness, truthfulness, and the use of sound principles to guide behavior within these relationships.