ABSTRACT
The ultimate quality of service provided will depend on the collective ability of staff, training and individual motivation to produce the services demanded by the guest. Hotels are physical structures supported by human resources that enable the delivery of service. Key in the process of delivering quality service is the individual motivation of all employees whether professional, skilled or unskilled. With the growth of the service industry the hospitality industry now competes for quality service employees.The research design used in this study is descriptive survey method, were simple random sampling was used to obtain information as to the population of the firm, getting a sample size of 44 persons. The data collection was based on primary data like questionnaire, personal interviews and data like organization’s annual reports were also used. Statistical tools like chi-square, simple percentage were used to analyze the data. The research findings showed that worker’s productivity does not necessarily depend on motivation since every employee have a target to meet and also has obligations to carryout. It was also established that motivation has relationship with personnel officers‟ productivity but the basic fact underlying the issue is that what appear to create motivation on one personnel in a particular hospitality company might not act similarly in other hospitality company, most especially in commercial hospitality companies. This can be deduced in the sense that motivation does not work in all situations as panaceas to increase productivity in all corporate organizations. Every indication shows that environment and fringe benefits play significant role in personnel manager’s job satisfaction. Based on the findings above, the researcher made this recommendation on how motivation in the Hospitality industry can be enhanced to have an impact in productivity. The management should be able to identify what can actually make the workers in their own hospitality companies have adequate motivation and whether such motivation packages are capable of boosting high productivity. Lastly, the management should also endeavor to include some packages like compensation that will ensure adequate job security and if possible, work towards developing a policy for pensionable service.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The motivation of employees, whether professional, skilled or unskilled, is a major issue in all service organizations. For the hotel industry, employee motivation is a major issue. It is a challenge for the management of the hotel industry to motivate employees to stay on the job and to offer the efficient and good service which customers expect (Cheng, 1995). One of a human resource manager’s functions is related to ensuring employees’ workplace motivation. Human resource management’s function is to assist the general manager in keeping the employees satisfied with their jobs. If employees are not satisfied, they will not perform to expected tasks. Workplace dissatisfaction and poor performance usually lead to low employee turnover in the hospitality industry, particularly in developed countries. According to a Hotel and Catering Training Company in the United Kingdom, turnover is the United Kingdom was estimated to have cost the hotel and catering industry 430 million pounds a year, and turnover was higher among men than women (Lucas, 1995). The Hong Kong Hotels Association found in its 1994-1995 annual survey that 41.26 percent of the employees in 63 hotels changed jobs or resigned.
Yu (1999) reported that in order to reduce labor turnover and retain productive employees, management has to improve working conditions and keep the employees properly motivated. Human resource managers need to understand the motivational processes and human needs in different cultures.
To understand employees’ needs, managers should understand key theories that help them learn the basic needs of people. Maslow’s theory is one of many theories that pointed out the basic sorts of needs. They are Physiological needs, Security needs, Belongingness needs, Esteem needs, and Self-actualization needs. The lower level needs must be satisfied before the next higher level. Another theory, Hertzberg’s is based on two distinct sets of factors: hygiene factors such as pay, organizations, policies, working environment and motivating factors such as recognition, promotion, achievement and the intrinsic nature of the work.
