Mindfulness training for tourism and hospitality frontline employees

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore mindfulness training as a viable intervention for frontline employees in tourism and hospitality as a way to aid in the regulation of emotions and reduce or prevent employee burnout while increasing levels of work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing related literature, the authors explored the relationships between mindfulness training and emotional labor, and mindfulness, burnout and work engagement.

Findings

The authors suggested the following propositions: mindfulness training can potentially help to regulate emotional labor of tourism and hospitality frontline employees, and mindfulness training can potentially reduce burnout and enhance levels of work engagement of tourism and hospitality frontline employees.

Research limitations/implications

This study can guide scholars to initiate empirical research to examine the influence of mindfulness training on diverse outcomes related to tourism and hospitality employees.

Practical implications

This study can help to improve the awareness of leaders and managers of mindfulness training as an intervention to alleviate emotional exhaustion of frontline employees in tourism and hospitality.

Originality/value

This study provides theoretical insights and useful practical implications for ways to establish a suitable work environment that encourages frontline employees to perform genuine or deep acting while minimizing incidents of surface acting and the consequences of emotional labor.

Citation

Johnson, K.R. and Park, S. (2020), "Mindfulness training for tourism and hospitality frontline employees", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 52 No. 4, pp. 185-193. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-10-2019-0095