Time and space: Respite experience of B&B innkeepers

Ruyi Shen, Purdue University

Abstract

With an increasing consumer demand for Bed & Breakfast (B&B) type of accommodation arrangements, many individuals choose to become B&B innkeepers as a lifestyle choice. Innkeepers' work and life are often highly integrated and the physical, temporal and psychological boundaries between work and life are blurred (Hsieh, 2010). In addition, innkeepers experience high levels of emotional exhaustion (Vallen & Rande, 2002). Thus, certain respite experience can help innkeepers recover from overwhelming work demands and better cope with a lifestyle characterized by high integration of work and life. Respite is a short period of rest that can decrease the risk of both psychological and physical illness and enhance well-being (Westman & Eden, 1997). By applying respite and recovery theories (Hobfoll, 1989; Meijman & Mulder, 1998), the present study evaluates B&B innkeepers' respite experience and explores how they manage to find respite from work by creating time and space to facilitate physical and mental recovery. A web-based survey, including both structured scales and open-ended questions, was conducted among 327 innkeepers recruited through the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII). The results from hierarchical regression analysis show that innkeepers' overall respite experience significantly contributes to their subjective well-being that innkeeper who enjoy a better quality of respite life tend to experience a higher level of subjective well-being. The negative relationship between innkeepers' perceived need for recovery and subjective well-being is particularly strong. In addition, innkeepers' perceived recovery opportunity is positively related to their subjective well-being. The results from canonical correlation analysis between respite activities and respite experience indicate that innkeepers' proactive activity-experience bundle contributes more to their overall respite life than passive activity-experience bundle. After further clustering innkeepers based on their frequencies in taking different types of respite, the study finds that lifestyle innkeepers enjoy better respite experience and subjective well-being compared to seasonal innkeepers and career innkeepers. The present research contributes to B&B literature by evaluating innkeepers' respite experience related to recovery and well-being and by exploring how innkeepers manage time and space to experience an enjoyable and meaningful respite life. This research also yields critical implications for innkeepers to adjust work and life pace to create quality respite, and to better manage the use of respite time for a lifestyle career.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Miao, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Occupational psychology|Recreation

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