Employees’ Empowerment, Service Quality and Customers’ Satisfaction in Hotel Industry

Yekini Ojo Bello, Mercy Busayo Bello

Abstract


This study explored the relationship between employees’ empowerment, service quality and customer satisfaction among the front office staff in hotels in Benin City, Nigeria. To achieve the stated objective, questionnaires was used to collect data from respondents.  Multiple regression analysis was used for the analysis of the data.  Findings revealed that two dimensions of employee empowerment had a positive, and non- significant relationship with customers’ satisfaction. Regarding the strength of the relationship, the result showed that both structural and psychological dimensions had a positive, but not significant relationship. The result of the relationship between employee’s empowerment, and service quality showed a positive and significant relationship. The study further showed a positive but not significant relationship between employee’s empowerment, and customer’s satisfaction. Positive and significant relationship also exists between service quality and customer’s satisfaction. Based on these findings, the researchers suggested that authorities in charge of hotel industry in Benin City should structure their organisation to enhance intrinsic motivation of staff towards offering of quality service that could translate to customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it was suggested that emphasis on the right service culture, and organisational structure that promote meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact should be encouraged among the front office staff. 

Keywords: Employee empowerment, Customer’s satisfaction, Structural empowerment, Psychological empowerment.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abu Kassim, Z;. Yusoff, I., & Fong, N. (2012). Job Empowerment and Customer Orientation of Bank Employees in Malaysia . Contemporary Management Research, 8, (2), 131-140.

Ahmed, H., & Rafiq, H . (2003). Marketing Principles and Perspectives (3rd ed.) . New York: Mc Graw Hill.

Andreassen, T. W. (2000). Antecedents to Satisfaction with Service Recovery. European Jounrnal of Marketing, 34 , (1), 156-175.

Ayupp, K., & Chung, T. (2010). Empowerment: Hotel Employees' Perspective. Journal of Industrial Engineering and management, 3, (3), 561-575.

Aziri, B. (2011). Job Satisfaction: A Literature Review. Management Research and Practice , 3, (4), 77.

Baron, R. M., and Kenny, D. A. (1986). The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychology Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, (6), 1173.

Barrett, P. (2007). Structural Equation Modelling: Adjustment Model Fit . Personality and Individual Differences, 42, (5), 815-824.

Bello, Y. O. (2012). Hospitality Economics (A Simplified Approach) in the Nigerian Hospitality Industry (2nd Ed.). Ondo: Grace Excellent Publishers.

Bello, Y. O., and Bello, M. B . (2010). Hotel Reservation Operation and Management. Ondo: Grace Excellent Publishers.

Bello, Y. O., and Bello, M. B. (2015). Lodging Service Management and Administration, Theory and Practice. Benin: Diamond Publishing House.

Bigne, E., Moliner, M. A., & Sanchez, J. (2003). Perceived Quality and Satisfaction in Multi Service Organizations: The Case of Spanish Public Services . The Journal of Services Marketing , 17, (4), 420-442.

Bowen, D. E & Lawler, E. E. (1992). The Empowerment of Service Workers: What, Why, How, and When. Sloan management Review, 33, (3), 31-39.

Coakes, S. J., Steed, L., and Ong, C. (2009). Analysis Without Anguish: SPSS Version 16.0 for Windows. Australia: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Conger, J.A. & Kanungo, R.N. (1988). The empowerment process: integrating theory and practice. Academy of Management Review, 13, (3), 471-82.

Cronin, J. J. (1992). Measuring Service Quality: A Re-examination and Extension. Journal of marketing, 56, (3), 55-68.

Cronin, J. J., & Taylor, S. A. (1992). Measuring Service Quality: Reexamination and Extension. Journal of Marketing, 56, (1), 55-68.

Dawkins, P., & Reichheld, F. (1990). Customer Rtention as a Cmpetitive Wapon. Directors and Board, 14, (1), 42-47.

Dubrovski, D. (2001). The Role of Customer Satisfaction in Achieving Business Excellence. Journal of Total Quality Management, 12, (7/8), 920-925.

Gazzoli, G., Hancer, M., & Park, Y. (2009). Enhancing Workers' Attitudes Towards their Jobs through Customer Orientation: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. International CHRIE Conference. USA: Refereed Track.

Gist, M.E., & Mitchell, T.R . (1992). Self-efficacy: A Theoretical Analysis of its Determinants and Malleability . Academy of Management Review, 17, (1), 183-211.

Grönroos, C. (2001). New Competition in the Service Economy: The Five Rule of Service. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 8, (3), 9-19.

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., and Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate Data Analysis (6th Ed.) . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Ham, L., & Hayduk, S. (2003). Gaining Competitive Advantages in Higher Education: Analyzing the Gap between Expectations and Perceptions of Service Quality. International Journal of Value-Based Management, 16, (3), 223-242.

Hamborstad, S., & Perry, C. (2011). Employee Empowerment, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment: An In-depth Empirical Investigation . Chinese Management Studies, 5, (3), 325-344.

Hocutt, M., & Stone, T. (1998). The Impact of Employee Empowerment on the Quality of a Service Recovery Effort. Journal of Quality Management, 3, (1), 117-132.

Igbojekwe, P. (2002). Skill and Techniques of Food and Beverage Service . In C. I. Okoli, Food and Beverage Service Operations in the Hospitality Industry. Owerri: Webs Media Communication.

Igbojekwe, P. A., Okoli, C. I., Ugo-Okoro, C. (2013). Attitude to Recreation: A Hindrance to Development of Tourism Industry in Nigeria. International Journal of Art and Commerce, 2, (2), 12-23.

Isimoya, A. O., & Bakarey, B. E. (2013). Employees’ Empowerment and Customers’ Satisfaction in Insurance Industry in Nigeria. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 3, (5), 1-11.

Ivanka, A.H., Suzana, M., & Sanja, R . (2003). Consumer Satisfaction Measurement in Hotel Industry. Content Analysis Study, 3.

Kanter, R. (1993). Men and Women of the Corporation (2nd ed.) . New York : Basic Books.

Ketchum, L. D., & Trist, E . (1992). All Teams are not Created Equal. How Employee Empowerment Really Works. Newbury Park, and CA 106: Sage .

Khan, N. R., Ghouri, A. M., Siddiqui, U. A., Shaikh, A., & Alam, I. (2010). Determinant Analysis of Customer Switching Behavior in Private Banking Sector of Pakistan. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 2, (7), 96-110.

King, J.H., and Cichy, R. F. (2006). Managing for Quality in the Hospitality Industry. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kothari, C. .. (1990 ). New Age Research Methodology; Methods and Techniques (2nd Ed). New Delhi: New Age International (P) Limited.

Lassar, W. M., Manolis, C., & Winsor, R. D. (2000). Service Quality Perspectives and Satisfaction in Private Banking. Journal of Service Marketing, , 14, (3), 244-271.

Lee, Y., Nam, J.; Park, D., & Lee, K. (2006). What Factors Influence Customer-oriented Prosocial Behavior of Customer-contact Employees? . Journal of Services Marketing , 20, (4), 251-264.

Lewis, R.C., & Booms, B. H. (1983). The Marketing Aspects of Service Quality. In L. Berry, Shostack, G, & Upah, G, Emerging Perspectives on Services Marketing (pp. 99-107). Chicago: American Marketing.

Menon, S. (2001). Employee Empowerment: An Integrative Psychological Approach. Applied Psychology: An International Review , 50, (1), 153–180.

Naeem, H., & Iqbal Saif, M . (2010). Employee Empowerment and Customer Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the Banking Sector of Pakistan. African Journal of Business Management, 4, (10), 2028-2031.

Niehoff, B.P., Enz, C.A., & Grover, R.A . (1990). The Impact of Top Management Actions on Employee Attitudes and Perceptions . Group & Organization Studies , 15, (1), 337-52.

Nikki, F., Pietro, C., Sunet, L., Basheena, B., Osere, A., Nicolas, V, & Michael, M. (2015). The African Traveller. Sunninghill, South Africa: PWC'S Hospitality Industry Group.

Nunnally, J. C. (1978 ). Psychometric Theory (2nd ed.) . New York : McGraw Hill.

Nwanna, O. C. (1992). Introduction to Educational Research. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books Nigeria Plc.

Odindo, C. & Delvin, J. (2010). Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty and Retention in Financial services. Retrieved from Financial Service Research Forum: www.nothingham.ac.uk/business/forum/documents, on 11th November

Ogutu, M., & Oloko, M. (2012). nfluence of Power Distance on Employee Empowerment and MNC Performance: A Study of Multinational Corporations in Kenya. Educational Research Journal , 2, (2), 47-61.

Olive, R. (1980). Theoretical Bases of Consumer Satisfaction Research: Review, Critique, and Future Direction . In C. L. Dunne, Theoretical Developments in Marketing, 206-210. Chicago : American Marketing Association.

Pallant, J. (2010). SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS. McGraw-Hill International.

Palmer, A. (2001). Principles of Services Marketing (3rd ed.). Berkshire: McGraw-Hill.

Parasuraman, A. Z., Valarie, A., and Berry, L. L. (1988). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing, 49, (4), 41-50.

PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2015). Hospitality Outlook; 2015-2019. South Africa: PCWC.

Robbins, S. P. (2001). Organizational Behaviour;Concepts Controversies and Applications. USA: Prentice Hall International Inc.

Rubinstein, S. (1993). Democracy and Quality as an Integrated System. Quality Progress, 26, (9), 51-55.

Schiffman, L. G., & Kanuk, L. L . (2005). Consumer Behavior, Introduction: The Impact of Digital Revolution on Consumer Behavior. New York: McGraw Hill.

Scott, S., & Bruce, R . (1994 ). Determinants of Innovative Behavior: A Path Model of Individual Innovation in the Workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37, (1), 580-607.

Sparks, B., Bradley, G., Callan, V . (1997). The Impact of Staff Empowerment and Communication Style on Customer Evaluations: The Special Case of Service Failure. Psychology and Marketing, 14, (3), 475-493.

Spiro, R.L., & Weitz, B.A. (1990). Adaptive Selling: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Nomological Validity. Journal of Marketing Research, 27, (1), 61-93.

Spreitzer, M. (1995). Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38, (5), 1442-1465.

Spreng, R. A., & Mackoy, R. D. (1996). An Empirical Examination of a Model of Perceived Service Quality and Satisfaction. Journal of Retailing, 72, (2), 52-64.

Sun, L., Zhang, Z., & Chen, Z. (2012). Empowerment and Creativity: A Cross-level Investigation. The Leadership Quarterly, 23, (1), 55-65.

Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using Multivarite Statistics (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Teas, R. K. (1993). Expectations, Performance Evaluation and Consumers' Perceptions of Quality. Journal of Marketing, 57, (4), 18-34.

Timothy, A. L., & Abubakar, H. (2013). Impact of Employee Empowerment on Service Quality- An Emperical Analysis of the Nigerian Banking Industry. British Journal of Marketing Studies, 1, (4), 32-40.

Tsaur, S., Chang, H., & Wu, C. (2004). Promoting Service Quality with Employee Empowerment in Tourist Hotels: The Role of Service Behavior. Asia Pacific Management Review , 9, (3), 435-461.

Vavra, T. (1997). Improving you rMmeasurement of Customer Satisfaction: A Guide to Creating, Conducting, Analysing, and Reporting Customer Satisfaction Measurement Programs. American Society for Qualit, 42.

Yang, S. B., & Choi, S. O. (2009). Employee Empowerment and Team Performance: Autonomy, Responsibility, Information and Creativity. Journal of Team Perform Management , 15, (5/6), 289-30.

Zeglat, D., Aljaber, M., & Alrawabdeh, W. (2014). Understanding the Impact of Employees Empowerment on Customers Satisfaction. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 6, (1), 1-13.

Zemke, R., & Schaaf, D. (1989). The Service Edge: 101 Companies that Profit from Customers Care. New York: American Library.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v4i4.598

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

PAST ISSUES:
20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014
Vol 11, No 2 [2024]Vol 10, No 4 [2023]Vol 9, No 4 [2022]Vol 8, No 4 [2021]Vol 7, No 4 [2020]Vol 6, No 4 [2019]Vol 5, No 4 [2018]Vol 4, No 4 [2017]Vol 3, No 4 [2016]Vol 2, No 2 [2015]Vol 1, No 2 [2014]
 Vol 11, No 1 [2024] Vol 10, No 3 [2023] Vol 9, No 3 [2022]Vol 8, No 3 [2021]Vol 7, No 3 [2020]Vol 6, No 3 [2019]Vol 5, No 3 [2019]Vol 4, No 3 [2017]Vol 3, No 3 [2016]Vol 2, No 1 [2015]Vol 1, No 1 [2014]
  Vol 10, No 2 [2023] Vol 9, No 2 [2022]Vol 8, No 2 [2021]Vol 7, No 2 [2020]Vol 6, No 2 [2019]Vol 5, No 2 [2018]Vol 4, No 2 [2017]Vol 3, No 2 [2016]  
  Vol 10, No 1 [2023] Vol 9, No 1 [2022]  Vol 8, No 1 [2021]Vol 7, No 1 [2020]Vol 6, No 1 [2019]Vol 5, No 1 [2018]Vol 4, No 1 [2017]Vol 3, No 1 [2016]   


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.