Dual-squeeze effect: how job demands fuel overwork and its consequences in the context of hospitality

Overwork is prevalent in labour-intensive industries, such as the hospitality sector, especially in Asia. This paper explores the dual-squeeze effect of professional life on personal life, which constitutes critical antecedents of overwork. Additionally, it investigates the organizational and individual consequences of overwork. A multi-wave, multi-source field study was conducted to verify a two-stage structural equation model. Results show that all three types of job demands (time demand, work intensity, and emotional labour demand) are positively associated with task performance. Not only do job demands directly affect overwork, but they also promote work–family conflict, which indirectly cause overwork. Further, overwork inhibits helping behaviour and aggravates interpersonal conflicts, which are covert organizational outcomes. The impacts of overwork on family satisfaction vary with marital status and gender. Our findings contribute to the literature of overwork by taking a ternary approach to work–family–leisure and elucidate the concealed consequences for organizations and individuals’ well-being.