Well! Fun forms and friendship uplift frontline employees' positive affect for workplace well-being in the hospitality industry

PurposeThis study aims to reveal the positive effects of workplace fun forms on employee positive affect state and workplace well-being. This study also aims to examine workplace friendship opportunity and workplace friendship prevalence in the context of fun events and workplace well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe research model developed and tested with responses from 1,000 thousand Indian frontline employees of five-star hotels who have worked in the hospitality industry for at least two years and who have been exposed to fun committees at their workplace.FindingsThis study revealed that workplace fun forms are the main causes of employee positive affective reactions, and they have positive effects on frontline employees' positive affect. The study also found that fun activities, customer interaction with fun and manager support for fun as workplace events are strong proximal causes for forming positive affect when they have workplace friendship opportunity. Coworker socialization can induce employee positive affect in the workplace, even without the moderating effect of workplace friendship opportunity. Additionally, the positive effect of positive affect was found to be significant on workplace well-being.Practical implicationsHospitality management is required to foster fun culture with fun activities, coworker socialization, manager support for fun and customer interaction with fun that enhance employee affective reactions to uplift employee positive affect state. This study also presents more interesting practical implications for practitioners and managers.Originality/valueThis study empirically tested deferential workplace fun forms on positive affect, and study provides novel insights into positive affect and workplace well-being. Four mediation mechanisms examined on fun forms and workplace well-being. Four moderating roles of workplace friendship opportunity tested on positive affect and fun events. Workplace friendship prevalence moderation on positive affect and workplace well-being helped to understand employee cognitive mechanism.