Employee motivation and organizational commitment in hotels

Abstract

This study was carried out in Ridar and Rivonia hotels in Seeta and Kampala respectively. The study sought to establish a relationship between employee motivation and organizational commitment in the hotel industry. The problem examined was based on low levels of employee commitment in the hotel industry in Uganda attributed to lack of employee motivation believed to be the cause. The specific objectives were: to find out the different forms of employee motivation applied by hotels in Uganda; to examine the different approaches to organizational commitment in hotels as well as to establish the relationship between employee motivation and organizational commitment in the Ugandan hotel industry. Data were collected using a cross sectional survey design with qualitative research paradigm applied. Data were analyzed in SPSS in order to show the results from the field It was found that employee motivation is an important element of the hospitality industry in today’s increasingly competitive business environment. Hospitality management must hence identify and improve upon the factors that can increase employee motivation and its benefits also it is concluded that employee motivation is one of the most important things in the hotel industry. It can further be concluded that employee commitment in the hotel industry is one other thing to which hotel establishments and hotel managers need to devote most of their energy. The study recommends that hotels should clarify roles to employees this creates organizational commitment and refers to practices used by the employer to assist the employee in understanding the job or work role. Decentralized decision making, and employee participation can equally be practiced in the hotel since it is believed to increase employee commitment. The recruitment process should be checked to hire employees who display appropriate behavioral characteristics.