Theory of Affective Events

A critical theory, the affective events theory (AET), has been widely applied to tourism and hospitality research. It originated in the field of organizational behavior and it has received significant research attention in recent years. The theory provides a comprehensive conceptual and analytical framework for explaining the origins and consequences of employee emotions, emphasizing causes. Based on the assumption that employees’ feelings and emotions triggered by an affective event shape their attitudes and behaviors, AET provides insight into favorable organizational results such as enhanced performance at work, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational commitment. Furthermore, negative outcomes, such as turnover intention, quiet quitting, decrease in performance, or motivation, can be explained with AET. The theory’s antecedents, assumptions, and applications to tourism and hospitality research are discussed in this chapter. Future research directions are also recommended.