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200142 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200142 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 55 pages Peters, Heather Kappes, Janelle Davis, Mary Barrett, The Honors College School of International Letters and Cultures Department of Psychology School of Applied Professional Studies The hospitality industry is a fast-paced and demanding environment where employees are expected to provide exceptional service, often under high-pressure conditions. This study uses a survey to examine the relation between transformational leadership and work-related stress among hospitality employees. Hospitality employees, similar to employees in the healthcare or education industry, manage emotions while engaging with people and maintaining professionalism under stress. Comparable to corporate teams or hospital staff, hospitality employees also rely on teamwork and leadership to provide seamless service. While corporate and educational settings may also involve unpredictable workloads, long hours, and emotionally intensive interactions, hospitality workers often face these challenges in a unique context, where the fast-paced environment and direct customer engagement further amplify these demands. Handling customer frustrations and complaints directly requires strong emotional resilience. Further, hospitality jobs often come with lower wages, less job stability, and fewer benefits, further amplifying stress. Transformational leadership, characterized by its focus on motivation, inspiration, and personal development, is correlated with increased job satisfaction and reduced anxiety in various sectors. The hospitality industry, with its uniquely stressful characteristics, makes an especially attractive target for transformational leadership. However, more research has yet to explore transformational leadership’s effects within this industry. Because the hospitality industry has uniquely stressful characteristics this makes an especially attractive target for transformational leadership. Utilizing a quantitative approach, data were gathered through an online survey distributed to 49 hospitality employees in Arizona. This study aimed to examine the correlation between transformational leadership and stress levels among hospitality workers in front-of-house positions, focusing on the role of leadership in fostering a positive and supportive work environment. Contrary to the hypothesis, results revealed a positive correlation (r = 0.59, p < .001) between transformational leadership and employee stress levels. These findings suggest that while transformational leadership is associated with increased engagement and inspiration, it may also be linked to higher levels of job stress if not balanced with adequate support systems for front line service providers. By providing insights on the relationship between leadership and employee well-being, this research aims to inform more effective management practices in the hospitality sector, ultimately enhancing both employee and guest experiences. Transformational Leadership Stress Hospitality Transformational Leadership and Employee Stress in the Hospitality Industry