Business Administration and Business Economics
Abstract
Employee retention can be measured quite accurately by the actual number of years that
employees have worked in an organisation. This study investigates relationships between hotel
employees’ length of service and responses to individual variables explaining employee retention
factors. A structured questionnaire survey of 217 hotel employees in Cape Town, South Africa was
used to obtain information that were subjected to bivariate and multivariate analyses. Key results
show that the employees who have worked longer in the hotel have particular characteristics: they
perceive that working hours in the hotel do not infringe on their personal quality time with friends;
they perceive it will be difficult for them to leave the hotel; they want to remain in the hotel for a long
time; and quite interestingly, they perceive they do not receive continuous training in the hotel.
Further costs of hiring and developing new employees can be reduced if loyal and talented employees
are retained for longer periods through continuous career development. This study is of particular
interest to the hotel sector management, as it is focussed on retaining those staff who really want to
build a career in the hospitality industry.
References
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hospitality industry. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Science, Vol.
4, No. 2, pp. 45-52.
Davidson, M.C.G. & Wang, Y. (2011). Sustainable labour practices? Hotel human resource managers
views on turnover and skill shortages. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, Vol.
10, No. 3, pp. 235-253.
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Commercii, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-9.
Ezeuduji, I.0. & de Jager, K. (2015). Choice of intermediary for leisure travel arrangements. Journal
of Economics and Behavioral Studies, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 65-78.
George, D. & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0
update. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Gliem, J. & Gliem, R. (2003). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability
Coefficient for Likert-type scales. Midwest Research-to-Practice conference in Adult, continuing, and
community Education, the Ohio State University held in Columbus, OH, October 8-10.
Hon, A.H.Y.; Chan, W.W.H. & Lu, L. (2013). Overcoming work-related stress and promoting
employee creativity in hotel industry: the role of task feedback from supervisor. International Journal
of Hospitality Management, 33, pp. 416-424.
IBM Corporation (2016). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
Ineson, E.M.; Benke, E. & László, J. (2013). Employee loyalty in Hungarain hotels. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 32, pp. 31-39.
Jung, H.S. & Yoon, H.H. (2015). Understanding pay satisfaction: the impacts of pay satisfaction on
employees’ job engagement and withdrawal in deluxe hotel. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Vol. 48, pp. 22-26.
Karatepe, O.M. & Karadas, G. (2012). The effects of management commitment to service quality on
job embeddedness and performance outcomes. Journal of Business Economics and Management, Vol.
13, No. 4, pp. 614-631.
Karatepe, O.M. & Ngeche, R.N. (2012). Does job embeddedness mediate the effect of work
engagement on job outcomes: a study of hotel employees in Cameroon. Journal of Hospitality
Marketing and Management, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 440-461.
Kim, S.S.; Im, J.H. & Wang, J. (2015). The effects of mentor on role stress, job attitude, and turnover
intention in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 48, pp. 68-82.
Kong, H.; Cheung, C. & Song, H. (2011). Hotel career management in China: developing a
measurement scale. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30, pp. 112-118.
Kong, H.; Cheung, C. & Song, H. (2012). From hotel career management to employees’ career
satisfaction: The mediating effect of career competency. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 76-85.
Kuria, S.; Alice, O. & Wanderi, P.M. (2012). Assessment of causes of labour turnover in three and
five star-rated hotels in Kenya. International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 3, No. 15,
pp. 311-317.
Lee, A.P.; Teng, H. & Chen, C. (2015). Workplace relationship quality and employee job outcomes in
hotel firms. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 398-422.
McNamara, M.; Bohle, P & Quinlan, M. (2011). Precarious employment, working hours, work-life
conflict and health in hotel work. Applied Ergonomics, Vol. 42, pp. 225-232.
Mohanty, S. & Mohanty, K. (2014). Employee retention: a key driver to the growth of tourism and
hospitality in Odisha. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, Vol. 2, No. 12,
pp. 94-112.
Mohsin, A.; Lengler, J. & Kumar, B. (2013). Exploring the antecedents of intentions to leave the job:
the case of luxury hotel staff. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 35, pp. 48-58.
Nasurdin, A.M.; Ahmad, N.H. & Tan, C.L. (2015). Cultivating service-oriented citizenship behavior
among hotel employees: the instrumental roles of training and compensation. Serv Bus, Vol. 9, pp.
343–360.
O’Neill, J.W. & Davis, K. (2011). Work stress and well-being in the hotel industry. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30, pp. 385-390.
Pearlman, D.M. & Schaffer, J.D. (2013). Labor issues with the hospitality and tourism industry: a
study of Louisana’s attempted solutions. Journal of Human Resource in Hospitality & Tourism, Vol.
12, No. 3, pp. 217-242.
Solnet, D.; Kralj, A. & Kandampully, J. (2012). Generation Y employees: An examination of work
attitude differences. The Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.
37-54.
Stewart, J. & Rigg, C. (2011). Learning and Talent Development. London: Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development publishing.
Tavakol, T. & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s Alpha. International Journal of
Medical Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, pp. 53-55.
Till, R.E. & Karren, R. (2011). Organisational justice perceptions and pay level satisfaction. Journal
of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 42-57.
Veal, A.J. (2011). Research methods for leisure and tourism: a practical guide. 4th Ed. Essex:
Pearson.
Yam, L. & Raybould, M. (2011). Employee retention: job embeddedness in the hospitality industry.
9th Apac. HRIE Conference. Hospitality and tourism education: from a vision to an icon. Hong Kong.
June. Retrieved from http://epublications.bond.edu.au/business_pubs/504, date: 20 June 2015.
Yang, J.; Wan, C. & Fu, Y. (2012). Qualitative examination of employee turnover and retention
strategies in international tourist hotels in Taiwan. International Journal of Hospitality Management,
Vol. 31, pp. 837-848.
Yee, R.W.Y.; Yeung, A.C.L. & Cheng, T.C.E. (2011). The service-profit chain: an empirical analysis
in high-contact service industries. International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 130, pp. 236-
245.
Zopiatis, A.; Constanti, P. & Theocharous, A.L. (2014). Job involvement, commitment, satisfaction
and turnover: evidence from hotel employees in Cyprus. Tourism Management, Vol. 41, pp. 129-140.
hospitality industry. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Science, Vol.
4, No. 2, pp. 45-52.
Davidson, M.C.G. & Wang, Y. (2011). Sustainable labour practices? Hotel human resource managers
views on turnover and skill shortages. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, Vol.
10, No. 3, pp. 235-253.
Ezeuduji, I. (2013). Nigerian tourists to South Africa: challenges, expectations and demands. Acta
Commercii, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-9.
Ezeuduji, I.0. & de Jager, K. (2015). Choice of intermediary for leisure travel arrangements. Journal
of Economics and Behavioral Studies, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 65-78.
George, D. & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0
update. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Gliem, J. & Gliem, R. (2003). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability
Coefficient for Likert-type scales. Midwest Research-to-Practice conference in Adult, continuing, and
community Education, the Ohio State University held in Columbus, OH, October 8-10.
Hon, A.H.Y.; Chan, W.W.H. & Lu, L. (2013). Overcoming work-related stress and promoting
employee creativity in hotel industry: the role of task feedback from supervisor. International Journal
of Hospitality Management, 33, pp. 416-424.
IBM Corporation (2016). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
Ineson, E.M.; Benke, E. & László, J. (2013). Employee loyalty in Hungarain hotels. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 32, pp. 31-39.
Jung, H.S. & Yoon, H.H. (2015). Understanding pay satisfaction: the impacts of pay satisfaction on
employees’ job engagement and withdrawal in deluxe hotel. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Vol. 48, pp. 22-26.
Karatepe, O.M. & Karadas, G. (2012). The effects of management commitment to service quality on
job embeddedness and performance outcomes. Journal of Business Economics and Management, Vol.
13, No. 4, pp. 614-631.
Karatepe, O.M. & Ngeche, R.N. (2012). Does job embeddedness mediate the effect of work
engagement on job outcomes: a study of hotel employees in Cameroon. Journal of Hospitality
Marketing and Management, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 440-461.
Kim, S.S.; Im, J.H. & Wang, J. (2015). The effects of mentor on role stress, job attitude, and turnover
intention in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 48, pp. 68-82.
Kong, H.; Cheung, C. & Song, H. (2011). Hotel career management in China: developing a
measurement scale. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30, pp. 112-118.
Kong, H.; Cheung, C. & Song, H. (2012). From hotel career management to employees’ career
satisfaction: The mediating effect of career competency. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 76-85.
Kuria, S.; Alice, O. & Wanderi, P.M. (2012). Assessment of causes of labour turnover in three and
five star-rated hotels in Kenya. International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 3, No. 15,
pp. 311-317.
Lee, A.P.; Teng, H. & Chen, C. (2015). Workplace relationship quality and employee job outcomes in
hotel firms. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 398-422.
McNamara, M.; Bohle, P & Quinlan, M. (2011). Precarious employment, working hours, work-life
conflict and health in hotel work. Applied Ergonomics, Vol. 42, pp. 225-232.
Mohanty, S. & Mohanty, K. (2014). Employee retention: a key driver to the growth of tourism and
hospitality in Odisha. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, Vol. 2, No. 12,
pp. 94-112.
Mohsin, A.; Lengler, J. & Kumar, B. (2013). Exploring the antecedents of intentions to leave the job:
the case of luxury hotel staff. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 35, pp. 48-58.
Nasurdin, A.M.; Ahmad, N.H. & Tan, C.L. (2015). Cultivating service-oriented citizenship behavior
among hotel employees: the instrumental roles of training and compensation. Serv Bus, Vol. 9, pp.
343–360.
O’Neill, J.W. & Davis, K. (2011). Work stress and well-being in the hotel industry. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30, pp. 385-390.
Pearlman, D.M. & Schaffer, J.D. (2013). Labor issues with the hospitality and tourism industry: a
study of Louisana’s attempted solutions. Journal of Human Resource in Hospitality & Tourism, Vol.
12, No. 3, pp. 217-242.
Solnet, D.; Kralj, A. & Kandampully, J. (2012). Generation Y employees: An examination of work
attitude differences. The Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.
37-54.
Stewart, J. & Rigg, C. (2011). Learning and Talent Development. London: Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development publishing.
Tavakol, T. & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s Alpha. International Journal of
Medical Education, Vol. 2. No. 1, pp. 53-55.
Till, R.E. & Karren, R. (2011). Organisational justice perceptions and pay level satisfaction. Journal
of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 42-57.
Veal, A.J. (2011). Research methods for leisure and tourism: a practical guide. 4th Ed. Essex:
Pearson.
Yam, L. & Raybould, M. (2011). Employee retention: job embeddedness in the hospitality industry.
9th Apac. HRIE Conference. Hospitality and tourism education: from a vision to an icon. Hong Kong.
June. Retrieved from http://epublications.bond.edu.au/business_pubs/504, date: 20 June 2015.
Yang, J.; Wan, C. & Fu, Y. (2012). Qualitative examination of employee turnover and retention
strategies in international tourist hotels in Taiwan. International Journal of Hospitality Management,
Vol. 31, pp. 837-848.
Yee, R.W.Y.; Yeung, A.C.L. & Cheng, T.C.E. (2011). The service-profit chain: an empirical analysis
in high-contact service industries. International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 130, pp. 236-
245.
Zopiatis, A.; Constanti, P. & Theocharous, A.L. (2014). Job involvement, commitment, satisfaction
and turnover: evidence from hotel employees in Cyprus. Tourism Management, Vol. 41, pp. 129-140.
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Published
2021-06-04
How to Cite
Collective Authors. (2021). Business Administration and Business Economics: Array. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, 13(2). Retrieved from https://dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDOE/article/view/1127
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