Author(s): Uddagiri Yojitha, P. Lakshmi Narayanamma
ABSTRACT Purpose: This study examines the influence of developmental organizational resources—perceived organizational support, perceived supervisor support, and distributive justice—on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) among frontline hotel employees. It further investigates the mediating role of work engagement as a key psychological mechanism linking organizational practices to discretionary performance. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 300 frontline employees across three-, four-, and five-star hotels in India using a structured questionnaire. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework, covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis were employed to examine direct, indirect, and contextual relationships. Findings: All developmental resources significantly enhance OCB, both directly and indirectly through work engagement. Perceived supervisor support emerged as the strongest predictor of work engagement, while distributive justice demonstrated the strongest total effect on OCB. Work engagement consistently translated into higher discretionary behavior across all hotel categories. Theoretical implications: The study advances Human Resource Development (HRD) literature by establishing work engagement as a central developmental mechanism linking organizational resources to behavioral outcomes. It also introduces the concept of Contextual Performance Sensitivity (CPS), demonstrating that the effectiveness of developmental practices varies across organizational contexts. Practical implications: Hospitality organizations should strengthen supervisory support, ensure fairness in resource allocation, and implement engagement-driven HR practices to enhance employee motivation and citizenship behavior. Originality/value: This study offers a context-sensitive HRD framework integrating developmental resources, work engagement, and OCB, and provides empirical validation for the novel concept of Contextual Performance Sensitivity.