Job Stress and Employee Performance in Five-Star Hotels: The Mediating Roles of Work–Family Conflict and Family–Work Conflict in Guwahati, Assam

Abstract

The hospitality industry is characterized by demanding working conditions, including extended working hours, rotational shifts, customer-related pressure, workload demands, and the requirement to maintain consistent service quality. These conditions may expose hotel employees to Job Stress, which may be associated with their ability to perform effectively. At the same time, the demanding nature of hospitality employment may interfere with employees' family responsibilities, resulting in Work–Family Conflict (WFC), while family-related demands may interfere with work responsibilities, resulting in Family–Work Conflict (FWC). This study examines the relationship between Job Stress and Employee Performance and investigates whether WFC and FWC function as mediating mechanisms in this relationship among employees working in selected five-star hotels in Guwahati, Assam. A quantitative, explanatory, cross-sectional research design was adopted. Primary data were collected from 100 employees working in five selected hotels in Guwahati: Radisson Blu Hotel, Guwahati; Vivanta Guwahati; Mayfair Spring Valley Resort, Guwahati; Novotel Guwahati GS Road; and Kiranshree Grand. Data were collected using a structured 45-item questionnaire measuring Job Stress, Work–Family Conflict, Family–Work Conflict, and Employee Performance. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. The analysis included descriptive procedures, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and Sobel mediation analysis. The findings demonstrated a strong and statistically significant negative association between Job Stress and Employee Performance (r = −.701, p < .001). The corresponding regression model yielded R = .701 and R² = .492, indicating that Job Stress accounted for approximately 49.2% of the variance in Employee Performance in the sample. Job Stress was positively associated with WFC (r = .459, p < .001) and FWC (r = .536, p < .001). WFC was negatively associated with Employee Performance (r = −.450), while FWC was also negatively associated with Employee Performance (r = −.505). The correlation between WFC and FWC was weak and not statistically significant (r = .138). The reported Sobel mediation results indicated an indirect effect of −.063 through WFC (z = −1.86, p = .063) and −.082 through FWC (z = −1.95, p = .052). Because the study specified a 10% significance level, both mediation effects were interpreted as statistically significant at α = .10 but marginal at the conventional 5% level. The findings indicate that Job Stress is strongly associated with Employee Performance and that work–family dynamics may represent potential mechanisms linking workplace stress with performance. However, the cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions.