The effect of paradoxical leadership on extra-role service in the hospitality industry Rescalvo Martín, Silvia Elisa Gutiérrez Gutiérrez, Leopoldo Lloréns Montes, Francisco Javier The authors want to thank for the research sponsorship received by the European Regional Development Fund (European Union) and the Government of Spain (Research Project ECO2017-84138-P) and the Regional Government of Andalusia (Research Project A -SEJ-154-UGR18). Purpose – This study aims to examine the influence of paradoxical leadership (PLSH) on the extra-role service behavior of frontline employees. It analyzes not only direct but also indirect influence through mechanisms that improve the learning (self-improvement) and communication (voice) capabilities of hospitality employees. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered through structured questionnaires administered to a sample of frontline employees from Spanish hotels. A structural equations model was used to evaluate the theoretical model proposed. Findings – The results show both a direct positive effect of PLSH on extra-role service and a mediating effect of employees’ improvement-oriented behaviors on this relationship. These results support the idea that employees under paradoxical leaders seek both self-improvement and organizational improvement through their voice to provide guests with excellent service. Research limitations/implications – The findings extend understanding of PLSH’s effects on the hospitality industry through its impact on extra-role service, an essential element of hotel success. Originality/value – This study addresses the lack of research on hospitality leadership by analyzing the effects of PLSH on employees’ communication and learning behaviors, as well as on their extra-role service. The authors argue that some behaviors that help hotels compete (e.g. extra-role service) can have paradoxical implications for employees. 2025-04-09T06:49:05Z 2025-04-09T06:49:05Z 2021-10-20 journal article Rescalvo-Martin, E., Gutierrez-Gutierrez, L. and Llorens-Montes, F.J. (2021), "The effect of paradoxical leadership on extra-role service in the hospitality industry", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 33 No. 10, pp. 3661-3684. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2021-0198 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/103535 10.1108/IJCHM-02-2021-0198 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ open access Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License Emerald