ABSTRACT
The study examined the staff involvement in decision making and hotel performance in Umuahia, Abia State. The objectives of the study are; to examine the extent to which staff involvement in decision making influence staff productivity in hotel establishments in Umuahia, Abia State, to determine the influence of staff involvement in decision making on hotel productivity, to examine the extent to which staff involvement in decision making influence sales growth in hotel establishments and to identify the factors militating against staff involvement in decision making in hotel establishments in Umuahia, Abia State. To achieve the objective of the study, survey research design was adopted. The researcher adopted primary data in getting the required information through the use of structured questionnaire. The population of the study is 38 registered hotels in Umuahia, Abia State with 520 staff strength. The sample size of the study is 226 after adopting Taro Yamane formula. In analyzing the data, simple regression analysis was used. The findings revealed that staff involvement in decision making has a significant influence on staff productivity in hotel establishments. The findings further revealed that staff involvement in decision making has a significant influence on hotel productivity in Umuahia, Abia State. The findings also revealed that staff involvement in decision making has a significant influence on sales growth of hotels in Umuahia, Abia State. However, the study recommends that Hotels should provide an enlightenment program for workers on their rights to seize the opportunity of involvement in decision making. Also, hotels should liberalize management structure so as to allow for greater workers involvement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 5
1.3 Objectives of the study 6
1.4 Research questions 6
1.5 Research hypotheses 7
1.6
Significance of the study 7
1.7
Scope of the study 8
1.8
Operational Framework 9
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual framework 10
2.1.1
Decision Making 13
2.1.2 Organizational Performance 13
2.1.3 Forms of Involvement. 16
2.1.4 Participative Decision Making Indicator 17
2.1.5 Benefits of Employee
Involvement in Decision Making 19
2.1.6 Enhancing Hospitality
Productivity through Employee Involvement 24
2.1.7 Effects of Worker Involvement
in decision-making hospitality growth. 26
2.1.8 Relationship between Employee
Involvement in Decision Making
and hospitality performance 28
2.1.9 Impact of Employee involvement
in decision making on Job Satisfaction,
Employee Commitment and Employee
Productivity. 29
2.1.9.1 Job Satisfaction 30
2.1.9.2 Employee Productivity 31
2.1.9.3Employee Commitment 32
2.2 Theoretical framework 33
2.2.1 Human relations and
Participatory Theory. 33
2.2.2 Agency theory 34
2.2.3 Stakeholders Theory 35
2.3
Empirical review 36
2.4 Summary of related literature 46
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design 48
3.2 Area of the study 48
3.3 Population for the study 48
3.4 Sampling and sampling technique 49
3.4.1 Sample size determination 49
3.4.2 Sampling
Technique 50
3.5 Instrument for data
collection
50
3.6 Validity of the instrument 51
3.7 Reliability
of the instrument
51
3.8 Method of data collection 52
3.9 Method of data analysis
52
CHAPTER
4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results
53
4.1.1 Socio-economic
Characteristics
53
4.2 Analysis of research
questions
54
4.3 Test of hypotheses
59
4.3.1 Hypothesis one
59
4.3.2 Hypothesis two
60
4.3.3 Hypothesis three
61
4.3 Discussion of
Findings
63
CHAPTER
5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
65
5.1.1 Restatement
of the Problem 66
5.1.2 Description of Methods Used
67
5.1.3 Major
Findings 67
5.2
Conclusion
68
5.3 Recommendations
68
5.4 Contribution to knowledge
69
5.5 Suggestion for Further
Studies
69
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The hotel industry being a vital part
of the wider hospitality industry occupies an important place in the economy of
most countries, the industry was forecast to generate 555 billion U.S dollars
in revenue in 2016 (Smith, 2010). The
main purpose of hotels is to provide accommodation, food and drink to travelers
(Wellington, 2015). They are meant to provide a hospitality service that is
basically composed of accommodation, food and drink but in a warm friendly
environment (Wilson and Ariffian, 2012). However, this is usually extended to
cover the aspect that people need a clean, comfortable place to rest and sleep,
to have quality food service, to socialize and meet others and to access stores
and shops within a secure surrounding while travelling (Wilson and Ariffian,
2012). There are various types of establishments that are used to provide
accommodation namely an inn, hotel, motel or motor inn, lodge, tourist home or
guest house, bed and breakfast, hostel, condominium, hospital, resort,
commercial hotel, conventional hotel or conference centre, casino hotel, health
spa, and nursing home or hospice (Poretla and Thanassoulis, 2015).
Over the years, employee unrest and
agitations has astonished many organizations the world over and the
non-involvement of employees in the management process has accounted for many
of these. Decision-making in organizations has been the domain of top
management but without the involvement of those on the lower treads of the
ranking of management, yet they are the very ones expected to see to the
implementation of these decisions (Adu-Amankwah, &Kerster, 2019).
The non-involvement of lower level
management in decision-making also means that vital input from employees is
often not factored into decisions made. This gives rise to the glitches that
are experienced in organizations when it comes to the acceptance of these
decisions and its implementation because employees feel insulted and of no
importance because their views were not sought. They also do not feel involved
in the decision making process but rather decisions are taken and ‘pushed down
their throats’ (Adu-Amankwah, &Kerster, 2019).
Worker
involvement implies arrangements designed to involve staff in the enterprises
decision making process. This allows staff involvement in the initiation,
formulation and implementation of reasons within the enterprise. The concept
can also be understood in terms of a new approach to industry and society in
which people want to be interested with the king of decisions which have direct
bearing on them.
Adu-Amankwah,
&Kerster (2019), contends that worker involvement consist basically in
creating opportunity under suitable conditions for people to influence
decisions which affect them. It is a special case of delegation in which the
subordinate gain greater control, greater freedom of choice with respect to
bridging the communication gap between the management and the staff. This
serves to create a sense of belonging among the staff as well as a conducive
environment in which both the staff would voluntarily contribute to healthy
industrial relations.
Employee involvement in
decision-making creates a sense of belonging among staff and an agreeable
environment in which both management and employees willingly contribute to
healthy relations (Noah, 2012). Thus, staff’ involvement in decision-making can
be seen as a motivational tool for encouraging high productivity and positive
attitude (Noah, 2012). Skepticism regarding the relevance and value of employee
participation in decision-making to firm performance persists, and as such this
study assesses whether employee participation in decision-making has a
significant impact on firm performance.
The
concept of worker involvement represents a popular theme in the analysis of the
world of work among scholars in the fields of industrial sociology, industrial
relations as well as management (Noah, 2012). It refers to any arrangement
which is designed to involve employees (staff) in decision making within the
workplace. This implies that rather than saddling only a group within the
enterprise (for instance, management) with the responsibility of making
decision, all those who are to be affected by these decisions (including the staff)
would be involved in its formulation and implementation.
In
recent times, scholars have directed increasing attention to the issue of
worker involvement and its broader corollary, industrial democracy (Mankidy,
2014). These concerns reflect a growing interest in finding ways to make work
more meaningful and satisfying to the staff. This rest on the belief that the organisation
goals of high productivity and harmonious industrial relations are best
achieved when the higher level of the human elements (staff) are
satisfied.
The
implication of these society, rising education and wider contact among people
resulting from the break-up barriers was to shift these aspirations to a more
organisation of work greater opportunity for personal development and under
scope in exercise of initiatives.
Employees have understood that
organizations want to increase employee involvement, given that the involved
employees were willing to devote themselves fully in their work by way of a positive
role (Adewumi, 2013) and remain in them longer work (Adu-Amankwah&Kerster
2019).
Employee involvement concerns the
extent to which individuals use all the resources of cognitive, emotional, and
physical to perform roles associated with the job (Greenberg, 2011). Employees
who feel involved and willing to engage in their work generally is the employee
who has the characteristics of an energetic, fun, enjoyable, and effective in
carrying out their work (Manning & Curtis 2009).
Pateman (2010) is of the view that participative decision making
can be possible in a certain sector of the economy and not in all government
owned enterprises and parastatal because of the government intention to
mobilize popular support for development purposes. He goes further to say that staff involvement
in the multinational companies, on the other hand has at best remained
elusive. Most of these companies are
controlled by and depend on their parent bodies abroad for policies and
decision. Among the indigenous
employers, particularly the small and medium sized organization, their attitude
to staff is paternalistic and authoritarians.
Their activities are often shrouded on secrecy. They are suspicious of the staff and
therefore cannot afford to share information and decision with them. We have experiences of some managers that
fail to delegate, as they do not go on leaves, where some go, they are on
working leave; still attending work, some while on leave lock up certain
jobs/documents in their drawers, thus making such pending till they resume,
whereas participative management involves nothing more than sharing information
with subordinates.
Despite
this recognition, there has been no study on the impact of worker involvement
in decision making and productivity. This paper or research work attempts to
fill this gap by providing data on the level of worker involvement in decision
making and other factors which aid or hinder the observed level of involvement
for the purpose of understanding the type of involvement system, the general
attitude of staff towards staff involvement and the implication of staff involvement
on organizational performance.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There is no democratic participation/involvement
of staff in the decision making process in most of our organizations especially
in hospitality industry. Consequently, the staff are forced to cope with the
autocratic style of government. Specifically, the refusal of management of
organizations to recognise the human element in production and services through
greater involvement of employees in its management decision-making would lead
to create serious human problems. The staff are restricted and denied the
opportunity to utilize their potentials fully and effectively. Under such
management control, the employees engage in negative behaviours like
absenteeism, apathy, low commitment and low productivity. Specifically, the
refusal of work organisation to recognize the human factor in industrial
production through greater involvement of employees in its management decision
making would tend to create several human problems in this setting. A worker is
a social being who brings his personality, hopes, aspirations, anxieties,
feelings and attitude to the work place. He seeks satisfaction and meaning in
his work as he does in other spheres of life. Despite these evidences of the existence of
participative management in the Nigerians industrial set up, some people in
other countries and some Nigerians are of the view that real participatory
management does not exist and cannot exist due to under development,
inexperience in democratic process, political instability and economic instability
caused by frequent changes in economic policy by the federal government. It is unfortunate that most hospitality
establishments if not all do not involve their staff during decision making.
The decision is only made by the owner of the establishment and their managers.
Most staff are educated and knowledgeable enough to give suggestion that can
lead to the growth of that organization. However, denying them that chance to
involve in decision making would hamper the performance of that organization
(e.g. hospitality establishment). Participative decision making can be well
practiced only in a stable economic environment because of its time consuming
nature and investment in training to enable staff have a contributing
capacity. Also the negative attitude of
the Nigerian worker to work does not encourage participatory management. They are more interested in what they will
get from the employer in terms of salaries and other employment benefit and not
the job itself. Such attitudes
definitely cannot give rise to effective participation.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to
examine staff involvement in decision making and hotel performance in Umuahia,
Abia State.
The specific
objectives of the study are to:
(i)
examine the extent to
which staff involvement in decision making influence staff productivity in hotel
establishments in Umuahia, Abia State.
(ii)
determine the influence
of staff involvement in decision making on hotel productivity in Umuahia, Abia
State.
(iii)
examine the extent to
which staff involvement in decision making influence sales growth in hotel
establishments in Umuahia, Abia State.
(iv)
Identify the factors
militating against staff involvement in decision making in hotel establishments
in Umuahia, Abia State.
1.4
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions guided the
study
(i)
To what extent does staff
involvement in decision making influence staff productivity in hotel
establishments in Umuahia, Abia State?
(ii)
What is the influence of
staff involvement in decision making on hotel productivity in Umuahia, Abia
State?
(iii)
To what extent does staff
involvement in decision making influence sales growth in hotel establishments
in Umuahia, Abia State.
(iv)
What are the factors
militating against staff involvement in decision making in hospitality
establishments in Umuahia, Abia State?
1.5
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the purpose of the study, the
following hypotheses is stated in null form
H01:
Staff involvement in decision making has
no significant influence on staff productivity in hotel establishments.
H02:
Staff involvement in decision making has
no significant influence on hotel productivity in Umuahia, Abia State.
H03:
Staff involvement in decision making has
no significant influence on sales growth of hotels in Umuahia, Abia State.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The study will be
significant to the following group of people
Hotel establishments: the
study will enable hotel industry to know the influence of staff involvement in
decision making on hospitality performance. The findings of this study will
also help hotel establishments to know how staff involvement in decision making
will affect both staff job commitment and job performance. Also the findings
from this study will help hotel establishments to identify those factors affect
staff involvement in decision making in hospitality establishments.
Employees: the findings
and recommendations of is study will also educate employees on the need to involve
and participate in decision making for the purpose of enhancing their
productivity and increasing their performance.
Government: The findings
of this study will help government and policy makers especially in the area of
participatory management where the managers and other staff of an organization
can as well involve in decision making process of an organization (like hotel establishments).
Students; this study will
enlighten students of this noble institution and other institutions on staff
involvement in decision making and hotel performance.
Researchers: this study
will serve as a reference material to researchers who would want to carry out a
similar topic in future.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The content scope is staff
involvement in decision making and hotel performance. The geographical scope is
Umuahia, Abia State. While the unit scope are the staff of the selected hotels
in Umuahia, Abia State.
1.8 Operational Framework
The
operational framework showing the independent variable (staff involvement) and
the dependent variable (hotel performance).
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