Adapting to Adversity: The Role of Networks and External Linkages in Maintaining Hotel Employee Satisfaction

This study examines how external access and network robustness influence adaptation strategies and employee satisfaction in Taiwan’s hotel industry. Drawing on Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), external access represents sensing, network robustness reflects seizing, and adaptation strategies represent reconfiguration. Survey data from 491 hotel employees were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that external access and network robustness strengthen adaptation strategies, which enhance employee satisfaction. Adaptation strategies also mediate the relationship between organizational resources and employee-centered outcomes. The findings extend DCT by demonstrating how adaptation strategies transform organizational resources into employee-centered outcomes in labor-intensive hospitality contexts and provide practical implications for addressing labor shortages, digital transformation, AI integration, and supply-chain instability.