The hospitality industry is recognised as an important contributor to the New Zealand economy. The hospitality industry contributes $22.7 billion of New Zealand's total GDP. Additionally, the hospitality industry provides significant job opportunities in New Zealand. This suggests that the New Zealand hospitality industry plays a prominent role in New Zealand’s economic wellbeing. However, the New Zealand hospitality industry has a high level of employee turnover. This could decrease the competitiveness of the New Zealand hospitality industry with negative consequences for New Zealand’s economic wellbeing.

To understand the impact of motivating factors on front-line employees’ turnover intentions and service-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour along with the potential moderating effects of power distance as a cultural dimension, this study conducted a quantitative online survey of 203 hospitality employees from Auckland, New Zealand.

Findings revealed that employees’ perceptions of hygiene factors have more significant impacts on employee turnover intention and employees’ perceptions of motivating factors have significant impacts on employees’ exhibitions of SOCB. The moderating role of power distance in the impact of employees’ perceptions of hygiene factors on turnover intention was significantly positive. The moderating role of power distance on the impact of employees’ perceptions of motivating factors on SOCB was significantly negative.

This study provides several theoretical and practical implications for researchers, and hospitality practitioners, especially with regard to how managers could work to reduce employee turnover and encourage more SOCB.