Effects of empolyee engagement factors on staff turnover in the hospitality industry: A survey of rated hotels in Uasin Gishu County

Abstract

Most of the hotels in Kenya have been facing challenges where most employees do not stay for long in the industry hence they move to other firms due to poor salaries and job dissatisfaction. This has seriously affected the performance of hotels especially in Kenya and specifically Uasin Gishu County. It is against this insight that the study examined employee engagement factors affecting staff turnover in the hospitality industry in rated hotels in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to determine the effects of organizational justice on staff turnover in the hospitality industry in Uasin Gishu County; to establish the effects of leadership on staff turnover in the hospitality industry in Uasin Gishu County; and to establish the effects of high performance work practice on staff turnover in the hospitality industry in Uasin Gishu County. The study was based on Theory of Reasoned Action by Martin and Icek (2015). A descriptive survey design was employed. The target population comprised of 430 employees from Bomma inn hotel, Noble conference hotel, PoaPlace Resort, Hotel Winstar, Hotel Comfy and Lodge, Ciccada Hotel, Kenmosa Resort, Star bucks Hotel, and The Pearl Tourist Hotel. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 205 respondents while questionnaire was used as data collection instruments. Data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics include percentages, frequencies and means. Inferential statistics was multiple regression analysis. It contented that organizational justice has a significant effect on employee turnover in hotels withinUasin Gishu County (p=0.016). The study reported that leadership affects employee turnover in hotels within Uasin Gishu County (p=0.000). The study found out that high performance work practices affects employee turnover in hotels within Uasin Gishu County (p=0.001). The study concludes that employee engagement factors affects employee turnover in hotels within Uasin Gishu County. The study recommends that hotels should take employee engagement factors seriously if they are to deliver high quality services to their customers; the hotel management needs to offer good communication channel in order to solve employee complaints hence increasing employee retention and decrease employee turnover; the management of the hotels need to offer reward and training programs in order to increase service delivery in hotels; and management of the businesses should establish the reasons for employees leaving their organizations and therefore come up with measures to stop this trend