Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
NOVEMBER 1, 2019
JAJA KENNETH EJINI
AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF COMMERCE
Applied Research
Applied research is a methodology employed to either solve or answer specific problems or questions.
It involves the practical application of science through systematic investigation to solve problem of an
individual or a group. The study and research are usually applied in medicine, education and business
so as to find solutions that may solve scientific problems, cure illnesses or develop technology.
Applied research is considered by (Oecd.org, 2019) as one of the three forms of research, together
Basic Research and Experimental Development.
Employee Motivation
Employee motivation is very important in an organisation because motivation helps to increase the
performance level of employees. It also increases employees’ commitment in the organisation.
Employees working in hotels are unique and have their particular goals, needs, values and potentials.
It is believed that job satisfaction will lead to job motivation. Therefore, when employees of an
organisation are satisfied, they are likely motivated to be more productive. The research points out
the strategies that are more effective to motivate employees in hotel industries in Hobart. The results
from the study will help the managements within the organisations in improving employee level of
performance.
Types of motivation
There are basically two types of motivation, extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation arises from the external work environment with respect to the job and
most times the motivation is applied by an individual or employee that is different from who
is person being motivated. It can be referred to a behaviour that is influenced by external
rewards such as pay, praise, promotion, grades or avoid consequences that are negative. This
type of motivation stems outside the person that is being motivated. Extrinsic motivation
occurs when one is motivated to engage in an activity so as to avoid punishment or receive a
reward. It is usually applied in cases where individuals possess little initial interest in carrying
out a task or in situations where the necessary skill is missing.
Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation arises from the direct relationship between the individual being
motivated and the task. It can be referred to a behaviour that is influenced by internal rewards
or it includes engaging a particular behaviour due to it being internally rewarding. This could
include freedom to act, responsibility, feelings of achievement and accomplishment. Put
differently, the motivation to engage in a behaviour stems from within the person or
employee being self- motivated because the individual enjoys carrying out a task or the
challenge of completing a task.
Literature Review
A review of the applied research methods and techniques used in articles relating to employee
motivation strategies will be discussed in this section. We are also going to evaluate these methods
and techniques used data collection and analyses in these studies with examples.
The survey comprised of two sections; the first section contained the special socio-demographic
information about the research participants, which consisted of variables that were independent. The
second section contained questions to determine the effectiveness of the motivational indicators in
the study. The second part also employed a five-point Likert scale, the respondents had to select
options which they best agreed or disagreed with. The data collected was analysed using the statistical
SPSS software. The study also employed descriptive statistical indicators and ANOVA to check patterns
of frequency, spreading and central tendency and the connection between characteristics of the
subjects and the most and least motivation strategy.
The research sample consisted of a total of 202 employees of the Serbian spa tourist centres. The
result of the research showed that financial factor is the most influential factor in motivating workers
of the spa tourist centres in Serbia due to the standard of living.
(K. Wasike and Mutinda Ndivo, 2019) conducted a research to determine the extent to which the
motivation strategies employed in Kenya hotel industries meet the required motivation desires of the
employees in the current socio-economic trends. The research discovered that strategies devised by
the hotels in motivating employees did not meet the expectations of the intended employees. The
data collection method that the researchers employed in conducting the research the Kenya city of
Nairobi was a cross-sectional survey. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used to
collect data from operational employees and supervisors of the various departments respectively.
A total sample size of 324 respondents participated in the research of which 216 was made up of
operational employees and 78 department supervisors. The results from the research showed that
operational employees were more interested in high wages in order to meet the high standard of
living, than the bonus payments strategy employed by the management. It also showed that there is
disconnect between the views of the hotel management in Kenya and their employees. The strategies
devised by most hotel management in Kenya have not fully met the desires and expectations of their
employees.
(Ristic, Qureshi and Selakovic, 2017) carried out a research in order to identify the strategy that
motivates workers in the public sector of a post-socialist transformation society in Serbia. The country
is experiencing a post-socialist transformation process. The research was a quantitative research and
the data collection was carried out using a survey questionnaire method. A total sample size of 455
research participants, which included employees from different professional and educational
backgrounds, took part in the research.
The questionnaire which comprised of 15 items was the data collection instrument employed in the
study. A five-point Likert scale was attached to each of the 15 items on the questionnaire. The scale
ranges from 5 – strongly agree to 1 – strongly disagree. The statistical software package SPSS was
utilised in analysing and processing the data obtained in the research. It was discovered from the study
that out of a total of 15 motivation strategies, majority of the research participants claimed high salary
is the most important motivation factor.
The data collection technique was carried out using the survey questionnaire, which was randomly
distributed to health care professionals comprising of medical doctors (including dentists) and nurses.
A total sample of 386 employees participated in the research. The ratio of nurses to medical doctors
that participated in the research was 219:67 respectively with a response rate of 76.6%.
The data from the survey was analysed using ANOVA and t-tests and the result of the research showed
that achievements was ranked the number motivation factor among the four factors, which was
followed by remuneration, co-workers and job attributes respectively.
Data collection was done using a semi-structured interview technique. The semi-structured interview
contained several important questions from which the motivation components were determined. The
sample size of the research consisted of six 6 employees from several hotels in Perlis working in
different work positions. The data collected from the employees through the semi-structured
interview was analysed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis was chosen because it is suitable
for studies that intend to interpret qualitative data.
The result of the research showed a direct relation between employee motivation and their
productivity in the hospitality industry. The outcome of the research can be adopted by managers in
the hospitality industries in order to motivate their employees.
(Nnenna E. Ukandu and Wilfred I. Ukpere, 2011) conducted a research to investigate the strategies
that could be utilized to improve the level of motivation of employees working in the fast food
industry. The study also determined the reason for low employee motivation within the industry. The
aim of the research was to develop a motivation mechanism for the fast industries in Cape Town. The
research method employed the triangulation technique by applying both quantitative and qualitative
research methods in order to understand the opinions of the fast food workers in terms of motivation.
A closed-ended questionnaire technique and open-ended, semi structured interview questions were
employed in the data collection. The semi-structured interview technique was used to collect
information from store and senior managers of the fast food centres. A total of 200 questionnaires
was shared of which 123 employees participated in the research. Content analysis was employed in
analysing the data collected in the research.
The result from the research showed that the employee’s personal growth was not encouraging in the
fast food industry and the employees were dissatisfy with the flexible time plan. The study also
Research Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the strategies that work best in motivating hotel
employees in Hobart, Tasmania. For the purpose of this study, different employees including
managers working in 3-5 stars hotels will be considered. It is obvious that greater employee motivation
leads to more productivity as well as more profitable business growth. As great as it would be, there
is no one method to motivate your employees. Employees are all very different from one another, so
different factors affect their motivation. Therefore, it is important for managers to understand the
important motivational strategies in order to harness the best results and productivity from their
worker.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis of this research is that high wages is the number one motivational tools for hotel
employees in Hobart
The target group for this research are hotel employees in Hobart, Tasmania. The employees will
include managers and staff members of several hotels in Hobart. The research will be cover six (6)
hotels in Hobart.
According to (Simons and Enz, 1995) in their research, they listed ten (10) employee motivation
strategies which can be employed in the hotel industry by management to motivate workers. They
include; 1. Good Wages, 2. Promotion and Organisation growth, 3. Job security, 4. Good working
conditions, 5. Personal loyalty to employees, 6. Tactful discipline, 7. Interesting work, 8. Feeling of
being “in on things”, 9. Full appreciation of work done 10. Sympathetic help with personal problems.
The research will determine which of these strategies work best in motivating hotel employees in
Hobart, Tasmania.
The hotel sector in Hobart is classified under the hospitality industry in Tasmania. The hospitality
industry in Tasmania is one of the biggest in terms of employer of labour and this makes it a key
contributor to the economy of Tasmania. The industry comprises of Tasmanian cafes, clubs,
restaurants, bed and breakfasts, catering business and hotels. The hotels are operated by local
residents who are dedicated and work really to offer a variety of hotel services to visitors and local
guests.
For the purpose of this research, I will create some questionnaires and also organise interview thereby
applying a quantitative research method. The detailed questionnaire will be effectively used to collect
information on both specific components of the system and overall performance of the test system.in
order to achieve this, the following steps will be taken.
In order to commence this research certain policies and requirement statements will be discussed in
this section. This will include all ethical requirements that are relevant to the hospitality industry. The
research will be carried out in compliance with the Australian code for conducting a research. These
guidelines need to be adhere to for the research to be conducted with integrity and all honesty.
Firstly, before the hotel employees will participate in the research, they will be informed of the
purpose of the research, what sort of information will be required in the process so that they can
decide whether to proceed with the research or not. The information
It is important to ensure that the researcher’s privacy policies are align with the policies of the
organisation the research will be conducted. It is necessary for the personal information of employees
collected to be well protected. I will ensure that records of the research methods employed are well
documented and the data sources such questionnaires, notes and diary entries are well maintained.
We will ensure that hotel employees in Hobart that will be participating the research will be respected,
the research participants will voluntarily participate and in the research together with the right
information. We will also inform the participants of the benefits that may result from the knowledge
gained from the research.
We will also ensure all Ethical considerations are taken into account.
• I will seek and obtain consent from the employees that will be participating the research
• I will ensure the employees know that they have the right to withdraw from the research
at any time.
• The data will be obtained through questionnaires and interviews from the employees
and that the participants of the research have to be staff members of hotels in Hobart, Tasmania
(Nl.edu, 2019).
A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed out of which 190 participants responded and the
research analysis was carried with that number of participants. The participants of the research were
proportionally selected from five hotels in Hobart. The questionnaire was created after a literature
review to collect information for the research (Bowen & Radhakrishna (1991); Harpaz (1990); Kovach
(1987). The collection of data was through the use of a computer-typed questionnaire distributed
among the participants. The questionnaires were completed by the research participants and
returned to the organisation’s intra-mailbox.
Instrument:
The questionnaire was designed to meet the objectives of the research. A five point Likert scale format
and multiple choice relating to the demographics of the research participants was employed in the
design of the questionnaire. The questionnaire also consists of two sections; the first part contains
information on demographic characteristics of the participants such as employee name, gender, age
group and position. The second part comprises of questions that are intended to determine the best
strategy to motivate hotel employees.
The questionnaire asked participants to choose the appropriate motivation factors relevant to them,
ranking the importance of factors that motivated them in doing their work from 1=strongly disagree
to 5= strongly agree.
Pilot Testing:
A pilot test of the questionnaire was carried out in order to see the effectiveness of the questionnaire.
It was distributed to some experts in the research field of Australian School of Commerce and after
filling out the questionnaires. The completed questionnaires, corrections and feedbacks were sent
back to the researcher. Several minor modifications were made in word selection and instructions
were made to the questionnaire from the result of the pilot test. The title of the questionnaire was
modified to ‘Employee Motivation and Hotel Commitment’
In order to optimise the collection of data in this research, the qualitative and quantitative research
methods and techniques will be employed in the research. This will enable the researcher know the
opinions of the operational employees and managers of the hotels in the aspect of motivation.
Questionnaire:
Privacy Statement
Please fill out this employee questionnaire as conducted by the researcher. All information will be kept confidential. Any
concerns can be communicated to
Kenneth Jaja, 0412374789. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Position:
1. What age bracket do you fall under?
19 and under
20 - 29
30 - 39
40 - 49
50 - 59
60 +
2. Sex:
Male
Female
A) Less than 1 year B) 01-05 years C) 06-10 years D) 11-15years E) More than 15 years
7. Do you think your performance can be influenced by incentives and other benefits?
8. Does the management involve you in decision making which are connected to your
department?
A) Yes B) No C) Occasionally
9. How satisfied are you with the management’s recognition towards you?
A) Highly satisfied B) satisfied C) neither satisfied nor dissatisfied D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied
11. Does the mission and purpose make you feel the importance of your job?
12. Do you agree that frequent chance has been given to improving your skill and job knowledge?
A) Highly agree B) Agree C) neither agree nor disagree D) Disagree E) Highly Disagree
13. How satisfied are you with the stress relief programs carried out by the company?
A) Highly satisfied B) Satisfied C) Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied
Factors Rate
Reasonable periodical increase in salary
Job security exist in the company
Good relationship with co-workers
Effective performance appraisal system
Effective promotional opportunities in the organization
Good safety measures adopted in the organization.
Performance appraisal activities are helpful to get motivated
Support from the co-worker is helpful to get motivated
Company recognize and acknowledge your work
15. Please rate the following strategies that motivate you the most?
(5- Highly, 4- Normal, 3-Neutral, 2-Not much, 1-Not at all)
Factors Rate
Salary increase
Promotion
Leave
Motivational talks
Recognition
A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed to employees of five different hotels in and around
Hobart, out of which 190 employees participated in the survey giving a participation rate of 95%. Out
of the 190 participants, 120 of the respondents were male (63.2%) and total of 70 were female
respondents (36.8%)
Gender Number %
Male 120 63.2
Female 70 36.8
Total 190 100
The research showed that male respondents were more than the female participants in the hotel
sector in Hobart. It implies that working conditions may not be favourable for female employees in
the industry.
Experience Number %
(years)
Less than 1 29 15.3
1–5 49 25.8
6 – 10 63 33.2
11 – 15 29 15.3
More than 16 20 10.5
Total 190 100
From table 2, the research shows that the largest respondents were hotel employees that have been
working between 6 to 10 years, followed by employees who have experience of 1-5 years.
Job Number %
Resort Manager 4 2.1
Hotel Manager 3 1.6
Hotel Sales Manager 9 4.7
Housekeeping Manager 8 4.2
Hotel Maintenance Engineer 10 5.3
Concierge 20 10.5
Front Desk Receptionist 20 10.5
Night Auditor 14 7.4
Room Attendant 34 17.9
Hotel Housekeeper 36 18.9
Others 32 16.8
Total 190 100
From table 4 it can be seen that majority of about 77% of the employees were aged below 40 years
while the most age groups 40-59, which were head of departments had a 23% of the respondents.
The study shows that a good number of young employees compared to heads of department.
The result of the analysis showed that the best strategies that motivate employees in the hotel sector
in Hobart are; good working conditions followed by good wages, job security and promotion and
Limitations
One of the limitations of the research the inability to access the employees and management of the
hotels in Hobart. There was also no access to organisation’s policies on employee motivation. The
reason for this was I could not go the various hotels to obtain the necessary data samples or
information from the employees required for this study. The information used for this research was
obtained from literatures. I could not get first-hand information via questionnaires and interviews
from the management and employees.
Another limitation of the research is the sample size of the hotel employees involved in the research.
Considering the total number of hotel employees in Hobart and the sample size of the research, the
number may be seen as insignificant to give a proper representation of the actual hotel employees
which also have an effect on the data collected.
Hotel management
It is important for managements of hotels in Hobart to review their employee motivation strategies
so as to improve the working conditions of workers. Most hotel managements in Hobart have already
devised strategies they employed in motivating workers in their organisations, which places good
wages as the number one motivating factors. The management need to carry out more investigation
to understand the expectations of hotel employees in Hobart.
Further research on employee motivation strategies and age group in Hotel sectors in Tasmania
Lambrou, P., Kontodimopoulos, N. and Niakas, D. (2010). Motivation and job satisfaction
among medical and nursing staff in a Cyprus public general hospital. Human Resources for
Health, 8(1).
Md Sabri, S., Abd Mutalib, H. and Azwani Hasan, N. (2019). EXPLORING THE ELEMENTS OF
EMPLOYEES’ MOTIVATION IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and
Environment Management, 4(14).
Nnenna E. Ukandu and Wilfred I. Ukpere (2011). Strategies to improve the level of employee
motivation in the fast food outlets in Cape Town, South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, 5(28).
Perić, G., Gašić, M. and Ivanović, V. (2015). RESEARCH OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN THE
SPA TOURIST CENTERS IN SERBIA. ЗБОРНИК РАДОВА ЕКОНОМСКОГ ФАКУЛТЕТА У
ИСТОЧНОМ САРАЈЕВУ, 1(10), p.65.
Ristic, M., Qureshi, T. and Selakovic, M. (2017). EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION STRATEGIES AND
CREATION OF SUPPORTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN SOCIETIES OF POST-SOCIALIST
TRANSFORMATION. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 15(2), pp.205-216.
Simons, T. and Enz, C. (1995). Motivating Hotel Employees. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant
Administration Quarterly, 36(1), pp.20-27.
UKEssays. November 2018. Research Strategy for Employee Motivation Research. [online].
Available from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/research-methodology-for-
study-into-employee-motivation-business-essay.ph?vref=1 [Accessed 5 December 2019].