How does ethical climate enhance work–family enrichment? Insights from psychological attachment, psychological capital and job autonomy in the restaurant industry

Purpose This study aims to propose a conceptual model that examines the role of ethical climate on work–family enrichment in the restaurant industry, which is one of the most vulnerable sectors affected by global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The mediating effects of psychological attachment and psychological capital and the moderating effects of job autonomy were also investigated to enrich understanding of ethical climate and work–family enrichment. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model was evaluated by using a quantitative–qualitative mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, survey data was collected from a sample of 405 restaurant frontline employees and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. In Study 2, interviews were conducted with eight restaurant frontline employees and analyzed thematically. The data for Study 1 and Study 2 was collected from Jharkhand, a state in eastern India. Findings The results of Study 1 show a direct relationship between ethical climate and work–family enrichment. The mediating effect of psychological attachment and psychological capital on that direct relationship was also established, whereas job autonomy was found to be a significant moderator that negatively affects psychological attachment and work–family enrichment. The qualitative insights in Study 2 shed additional light on the rationales of the effects observed in Study 1 through the voices of restaurant frontline employees whilst triangulating the quantitative findings in Study 1. Research limitations/implications This research contributes novel insights that explain how ethical climate positively shapes work–family enrichment through the lens of psychological attachment and psychological capital, albeit cautiously, given the negative effect of job autonomy. Nevertheless, this research remains limited to restaurant frontline employees, thereby necessitating future research in other service industries to improve the generalizability of its findings. Originality/value This research offers a seminal extension of the direct effect of ethical climate on work–family enrichment (i.e. the “what”) by theorizing and validating the mediating (i.e. the “why”) and moderating (i.e. the “how”) effects of psychological attachment, psychological capital and job autonomy.