MODEL FOR UNPACKING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE JAFFNA HOTEL INDUSTRY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND WORKPLACE OSTRACISM

Abstract

This study addresses the critical issue of employee engagement within the demanding Sri Lankan hospitality industry, a sector vital to the nation's economy. While existing literature has explored direct relationships between these variables, there remains a notable gap in understanding the underlying psychological processes, particularly the mediating role of psychological empowerment. This research investigates how organizational justice and workplace ostracism influence employee engagement, specifically examining the crucial mediating function of psychological empowerment among hotel employees in the Jaffna district, where context-specific research is limited. The study employs a quantitative approach. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 150 hotel employees in the Jaffna district, selected through a simple random sampling technique. The collected data is analysed using regression analysis and correlation analysis through SPSS to examine direct and mediating effects. The results revealed that organizational justice positively influences employee engagement and psychological empowerment, while workplace ostracism negatively impacts both. Crucially, psychological empowerment serves as a bridge explaining how perceptions of fairness or experiences of exclusion translate into varying levels of engagement. The conclusion of this research will contribute to a more precise theoretical framework for understanding how justice and ostracism impact engagement in the hospitality sector. This research seeks to guide human resource departments and policymakers in hotels to enhance employee engagement, mitigate the detrimental effects of workplace ostracism, and foster a positive, socially connected, and inclusive work environment.