The impact of polychronicity on job performance in the hospitality sector: An multi-factor analysis of adaptability, problem-solving, and proactivity

Drawing on Person–Job fit theory, this study examined how polychronicity influences job performance among hospitality employees by testing the mediating roles of adaptability, problem-solving, and proactivity, as well as the moderating role of functional flexibility. Survey data from 389 hotel and foodservice employees in the U.S. and the U.K. were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Polychronicity was positively associated with job performance both directly and indirectly through the three capabilities. Functional flexibility strengthened the relationship between polychronicity and problem-solving in the full sample and moderated all three pathways in the U.S. subsample, but not in the U.K. subsample, indicating contextual variation. The findings provide theoretical and managerial insights by clarifying the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which polychronicity translates into job performance in hospitality settings.