LAUSR

Purpose The importance of employees’ job embeddedness perception in the airline companies has not been given the required attention. To recognise the role of frontline employees’ perception regarding job embeddedness, the present research aims to develop and investigate a model that examines the determinants and consequences of employees’ job embeddedness in airline industry. The current study also aims to enrich the literature on human resources in the fields of transportation service management as the lifeblood of tourism industry as a related service industry by providing a comprehensive framework and measurement scale regarding the social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach The study used a survey among a sample representative of frontline employees operating in Egyptian airline industry across Egypt. In total, 870 questionnaires were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling using WarpPLS 6.0. Findings The results indicate that both supervisors’ support and employees’ advocacy have a significant effect on job embeddedness. In addition, it found out that job embeddedness has a significant effect on organisational commitment and employees’ intention to leave. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual in nature regarding the social exchange theory in service related industries such as airlines and tourism. Practical implications The authors intend to use these considerations as a basis for future research implications for tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Middle-Eastern and North-African region. Social implications This paper contributes to the literature on social exchange theory by measuring factors affecting employees’ job embeddedness in the Egyptian airline industry, notably its related human resources as a service industry. Originality/value This study developed and empirically tested a comprehensive model of job embeddedness with its drivers and evaluated its impact on both organisational commitment and intention to leave. Such findings hold important implications for tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Middle-Eastern and North-African region.