An Exploratory Study of Perceptions of Hotel Working Conditions on the Promotion Decision

Abstract

This exploratory paper focuses on identifying the working conditions that may impact an employee’s decision to apply for a promotion in the pursuit of a management position in the hotel industry in Canada and possibly moving up to that of executive position of hotel general manager. A survey sent to a sample of hotel employees in a mid-sized Atlantic Canada city addressed 21 working conditions that may impact employees when considering applying for a promotion. Findings include the working condition with the greatest impact was “having the empowerment to make changes”. The one with the least impact was “having to work overtime”. These findings would assist management to understand the factors that may motivate employees to pursue job promotions and fill the current talent gap. Significant differences were noted for the impact of some of the working conditions on the promotion decision based on age, gender, education, marital status, and level of position within the firm.