Empowerment and Helping Behavior in Luxury Hotels: The Roles of Work Engagement and Psychological Safety

Background – In luxury hotels, where service demands are high and coordination among staff is critical, helping behavior voluntary support beyond formal job duties），is essential for delivering fast and personalized service. However, due to its discretionary nature, such behavior is difficult to sustain. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines how employee empowerment fosters helping behavior, considering the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of psychological safety. Methods – The study surveyed 305 frontline employees across 18 five-star hotels in economically developed regions of Northern and Eastern China. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we tested a moderated mediation model. Results – Empowerment was found to promote helping behavior both directly and indirectly by enhancing work engagement. Moreover, psychological safety amplified the positive effect of engagement on helping behavior. Conclusion – These findings highlight empowerment as a key managerial lever to enhance helping behavior in service settings. Work engagement acts as a psychological bridge in this process, while psychological safety ensures employees can translate their motivation into action without fear of negative consequences.