International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET)
Volume 10, Issue 04, April 2019, pp. 62-70, Article ID: IJCIET_10_04_008
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=10&IType=04
ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316
© IAEME Publication
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JOB SATISFACTION AND WORK LIFE
QUALITY AMONG EMPLOYEES OF HOTEL
INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA
Farah Laili Muda Ismail
Faculty of Economics & Muamalat & Centre for Core Studies, Universiti Sains Islam
Malaysia
Nor Ailis Abd Wahab
Faculty of Economics & Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Anita Ismail
Faculty of Economics & Muamalat & Centre for Core Studies, Universiti Sains Islam
Malaysia
Latifah Abdul Latiff
Faculty of Leadership & Management & Centre for Core Studies, Universiti Sains Islam
Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Being in a competitive industry, the hotel employers/managers have to be strict and
firm with the discipline and performance of the employees. This situation sometimes
may affect the job satisfaction and quality of work life among the employees. This study
focuses on the job satisfaction and quality of work life among employees in the hotel
industry. 100 employees from three 4-star hotels in Klang Valley were selected in the
survey. The results show that working conditions, feeling accomplishment, using their
own ability; and being ‘somebody’ in the community as among important elements in
job satisfaction. Besides, in retaining the quality of work life, the employees need a
pleasant work environment, fair pay, jobs that match their skills; and working with
cooperative employees.
Key words: hotel, employees, job satisfaction, quality of work life
Cite this Article: Farah Laili Muda Ismail, Nor Ailis Abd Wahab, Anita Ismail and
Latifah Abdul Latiff, Job Satisfaction and Work Life Quality among Employees of
Hotel Industry in Malaysia. International Journal of Civil Engineering and
Technology, 10(04), 2019, pp. 62-70.
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Farah Laili Muda Ismail, Nor Ailis Abd Wahab, Anita Ismail and Latifah Abdul Latiff
1. INTRODUCTION
Hotel industry is part of services trade, which deals directly with human. It is associated with
hospitality and service quality that should satisfy customers. People always perceive hotels as
a subject matter of comfort and luxury. To achieve customer satisfaction and wants, hoteliers
need to ensure that the services provided are at the proper level. Thus it is very certain that the
staffs that are working in this industry hold very important and significant roles in getting good
reviews from customers (Hassan, et al., 2015)
For instance, the customers always evaluate the behavior and attitude of the staffs when
they interact at the counter. Besides, the way the staffs entertain those when they seek for
information or assistance are also important (Saleh, et al., 2013). All aspects such as
cleanliness, provision of facilities and services are assessed based on the staffs’ work attitude
and performance. Therefore, the duty of a hotel staff is very challenging as they deal directly
with the various characters and customers' woes.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Challenges Working in Hotel Industry
Tourism and hospitality industries create many employment opportunities in different areas
like accommodations, transportation, attractions sites. Therefore, the availability of skilled and
trained manpower is a crucial element in the success of any tourism development plan or
program. However, some constraints of employment in tourism industry such as unstable
employment, low job status, long antisocial working hours and low pay may occur. As the
consequence, this industry may face the difficulty of recruiting suitable staff and high staff
turnover due to the nature of the jobs (Fernandez & Worasuwan, 2017).
It is an unwise action when staffs that are working in tourism and hospitality sectors are
given less attention by the employers. This is because the staffs are the heart for excellent and
prompt service delivery system. According to Aynalem, Birhanu and Tesefay (2016) the
relationship between human resources and tourism can be expressed in two main aspects. First,
tourism can only flourish if the industry can employ an adequate supply of good quality staff
or sustainable workforce. The other issue is that the way in which staffs are treated by both
managers and customers and vice versa should be in line with social equality and justice. The
service providers must always bear in mind that the quality of tourists’ experiences and images
in a destination is highly depending on employees’ professionalism.
When discussing on employees’ responsibilities to deliver quality service and their
contribution to the customers, the employers also need to consider on the happiness and
satisfaction of working among the employees. Two important aspects in work are job
satisfaction and quality of work life.
2.2. Job Satisfaction (JS)
The concept of JS has been defined in many ways. However, the most frequently used
definition of JS in organizational study is Locke (1976), who describes JS as a pleasurable or
positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experiences. Statt (2004)
definition is parallel with Locke (1976) particularly in terms of intrinsic motivation. Spector
(1997) added up that JS is the extent to which people like (satisfaction) which means positive
feelings or dislike (dissatisfaction), their negative feelings to their jobs. When an employee is
employed in an organization, he/she brought the needs, desires, experiences as well as
expectations. If these desires and expectations are met, they will have positive feelings and
tend to be loyal (Kerber and Campbell, 1987). It also represents the extent to which
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Analysis of the Development Pattern of Merauke City
expectations are and match the real awards. Lastly, JS is closely linked to individual's behavior
in the work place (Davis et. al 1985).
JS is a complex variable and is influenced by situational factors of the job as well as the
dispositional characteristics of the individual (Sharma and Ghosh, 2006). JS is the key
ingredient, which leads to recognition, income, promotion, and the achievement of other goals
that lead to a feeling of fulfillment (Kaliski, 2007). According to Kerber and Campbell (1987),
measurements of job facet satisfaction may be helpful in identifying which specific aspects of
a job require improvements. Spector (1997) lists three important features of JS which are; (i)
organizations should be guided by human values; (ii) the behavior of workers depending on
their level of JS will affect the functioning and activities of the organization's business; and
(iii) JS may serve as indicators of organizational activities.
On top of that, Spector (1997) comes to an understanding that high level of JS may be a
sign of good emotional and mental state of employees. They believe that the organization
would have a tremendous future in the long run and care about the quality of their work. Hence,
if they are more committed to the organization, higher retention rates and productivity are the
tangible consequences (Ishigaki, 2004).
Management conditions. Malhotra and Mukherjee (2004) highlight the significant impact
on service quality from the affective commitment of the top management. A study by Seta et
al. (2000), Abdul & Raheela (2015) and Celik (2013) point out that if the management knows
the factors contributing to the employees’ satisfaction; they can plan things properly. Antoncic
and Antoncic (2011) advise the management to share relevant and sufficient information with
employees toward effectiveness in services. Kvist (2012) stresses on low level of JS also reflect
in lacking of opportunities to participate in organizational decision-making due to bureaucracy.
Personal Fulfillment. Droussiotis and Austin (2007) opine the influence of JS levels for
employees. They also develop recommendations for employees to improve their JS. Bhuian et
al. (1996) through their work show that indifference respect in employee will benefits an
organization. Rafikul and Ahmad Zaki (2008) also agree that improvement in productivity
depends largely on the motivation of the employees.
Using ability in the job. Nurul Muniroh & Sentot (2014) and Christen et al. (2006) show
the effort in maintaining high job performance would influence JS. Through training, it
prepares employees with knowledge and skills required by the job, and at the same time it holds
a stable position in the future. As a result, it is expected that they will perform better by
completing tasks hence satisfaction would be an outcome towards their job.
Job conditions. Roznowski (1989) says that it includes work atmosphere, job content and
work technology. There is a tendency to increase productivity by increasing quantity and
quality of output per hour. Abdul & Raheela (2015) in their study find that job safety, security
and hours have positive relation with JS.
2.3. Quality of Work Life
The quality of work life refers to the level of satisfaction, motivation, involvement, experience
and individual talent as they are related closely to their work (Singhapakdi et al., 2015). The
central thrust to this perspective is that organizational productivity can be served by providing
people with the opportunity to use their human capacities, pursue self-improvement. Thus,
quality of work life responds to both organizational needs and worker growth needs for
improved work and working conditions.
Today, quality of work life is seen as an important dimension of quality of life for the
organization to attract and retain workers. It is considered as an "asset" to an organization rather
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Farah Laili Muda Ismail, Nor Ailis Abd Wahab, Anita Ismail and Latifah Abdul Latiff
than cost the incurred when organizations look for new ways of conducting businesses in order
to meet the challenges of a dynamic business environment (Indumathy and Kalamraj, 2012).
For an organization to be successful and achieve the company's objectives, it is important
that workers are satisfied with their work, because work occupies an important place in the
lives of many people. The condition may affect not only their physical but also their social,
psychological and faith well (Wright and Bonett 2007).
Organizations should contribute the development of workers’ sense of coherence by
providing information in a consistent, structured, ordered and understandable format. In order
for workers to perceive that work expectations are manageable and within their, or important
other peoples power, they should ensure the necessary knowledge, skills, material, instruments
and other resources, and that there is a balance in the load of tasks to be handled (Zulkarnain
Amin 2013).
Fair and adequate pay and benefits rights, observance of safety and health factors,
opportunities to continue growth and security of staff, acceptance work organization, work life
and social dependence on society and individual life, governing the overall living space in the
environment, integration of social improved human abilities (Seyed Mehdi 2010).
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This preliminary study adopted surveys to 100 employees who are working in three hotels in
Klang Valley, Malaysia. The number of employees selected were equal between male and
female. Majority of them fell in the age range of 21 to 30 years old. They were also selected
from various position such as general managers, departmental managers and line employees.
The description of the respondents is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Demographic Information of the Respondents
Profile
Gender
Age
Marital Status
Monthly Income
Education Level
Department
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Item
Male
Female
20 years old and less
21-30 years old
31-40 years old
41 years old and over
Married
Single
RM1,000 and less
RM1,000- RM3,000
RM3,001- RM10,000
RM10,001 and above
Primary education
Secondary education
Certificates/Diploma
University Graduate
Front office
Food and beverages
Housekeeping
Accounting
65
Total
50
50
12
64
18
6
36
64
32
53
12
3
7
23
47
23
33
20
17
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Technical
Sales and Marketing
Human Resources
Others
Task
General Manager/Assistant
Department Manager
Chief
Line employee
Tenure in Organization
Tenure in Tourism Sector
Frequency Job Changes
2 years and/or less
3-5 years
6-8 years
9 years and over
2 years and/or less
3-5 years
6-8 years
9 years and over
2 times or less
3-5 times
6 times and/or over
4
7
5
7
11
12
9
68
57
29
12
2
64
27
6
3
72
25
3
The employees were asked to fulfill a questionnaire about the job satisfaction and work life
quality in hotels they were working. Based on the literatures, there are four factors that lead to
job satisfaction: (1) management condition, (2) personal fulfillment, (3) using ability in the job
and (4) job conditions. While for the work life quality, it is identified through the fulfillment
of (1) health and safety, (2) economics needs; (3) self-actualization and esteem needs; and (4)
social, knowledge and aesthetic needs.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Job Satisfaction
The result received is showed in Table 2. Based on the result, management condition was
seemed as the most influencing factor for employees’ job satisfaction. Among the management
condition items, working condition was the most preferable element for the employees. When
discussing on job satisfaction among employees in hotel industry, the working condition is
very important to influence the happiness of the employees. The result is in lined with the
finding by that indicates a positive relationship between working environment and employee
job satisfaction (Abdul Raziq & Raheela, 2015).
In the factor of personal fulfillment, the employees chose the feeling of accomplishment
that they received from the job as the most preferred element. This point can be related to the
above explanation when the employees felt satisfied and happy after fulfilling the personal
goals in their career. Besides, satisfaction of an employee is very much related to the feeling of
accomplishment that one gets from the job even though for some people it is just a common
thing. The accomplishment may create a positive vibes to employees as they work happily. The
finding is similar to a study by Charoensukmongkol, et al. (2016) that identifies a direct positive
effects between employees’ accomplishment and job satisfaction.
The next factor that made the employees satisfied and happy with their job was when they
were given opportunity to use their ability in the job. It is true for some situations that the
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Farah Laili Muda Ismail, Nor Ailis Abd Wahab, Anita Ismail and Latifah Abdul Latiff
employees appreciate the nature of the job more than the amount of salary they receive (Smith
& Shields 2013). The employees gain their own satisfaction when they are trusted and
recognized by the organization by showing their ability performing the job. In this item, among
five elements, the highest score was when the employees were given chance to do things for
other people. This shows that the employees feel proud and meaningful when they can
contribute the best to the customers.
Finally, among four elements in factor of job condition, the employees mentioned that the
chance to be “somebody” in the community could be the highest contributor for their job
satisfaction. This shows the employees were happy working when their presence in the
organization would be part of reasons they could benefit the community surrounding.
Table 2: Job Satisfaction among Employees in Hotel Industry
Category
Item
The competence of my supervisor in making
decisions
The way my boss handles his/her workers
Working conditions (warming, clearing, air
condition)
The way my co-workers get along
The praise I get for doing a good job
Management
conditions
Mean
3.5279
3.6338
3.7667
3.7049
3.5840
The feeling of accomplishment I get from the job
Being able to do things that don’t go against my
conscience
The freedom to use my own judgment
The way my job provides for steady employment
Being able to keep busy all of the time
The chance to do something that makes use of my
abilities
The chance to work alone on the job
The chance to do things for other people
The chance to try my own methods of doing job
The chance to tell people what to do
Personal
fulfillment
Using ability in
the job
3.5881
3.5041
3.4053
3.5132
3.4913
3.5884
3.5345
3.6870
3.5610
3.5390
The chance to do different things from time to time
3.5043
The chance to be “somebody” in the community
The chance for advancement on this job
The way company policies and put into place
3.5391
3.5347
3.5473
Job conditions
4.2. Quality of work life
For the quality of work life, in the category of health and safety needs, the employees chose
the pleasant work environment as the most preferable factor. Environment that is surrounded
with happiness and comfort may improve the health quality of employees. The result suits with
the finding by Nafei (2015) that sees the impacts of psychological capital on the quality of
work life.
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In terms of economic needs, fair pay is the most important factor to motivate the employees
happily and sincerely to work in hotel industry. When the employees are being treated justly
this may affect to positive work life quality among them as agreed by Seyed Mehdi (2010).
To fulfill the self-actualization and esteem needs, the jobs assigned to employees should
match with the employees’ skills. Most employees chose this factor as the priority for them to
enhance their work performance. When the job fulfills the employees’ needs, the quality of
work life will be positively affected (Rastogi et al. 2018).
Finally, cooperative employees are very important to fulfill the social, knowledge and
aesthetic needs. A good cooperation among employees may influence the quality of work life
when everyone understands the roles and responsibilities of jobs (Lee, 2015).
Table 3: Work Life Quality among Employees in Hotel Industry
Category
Health and safety
needs
Economic needs
Selfactualization and
esteem needs
Social,
knowledge and
aesthetic needs
Item
Mean
Enough working space
3.7238
Good air quality
Physically safe workspace
Pleasant work environment
Fair pay
Time for social life
Time for family life
3.7705
3.7694
3.7803
3.4412
3.4099
3.3717
Realized employee potential
3.5275
Job matches with employee skill
Adequate decision-making power
Fair appraisal policies
Good reward system
Appreciated at work
3.6091
3.4746
3.5205
3.4517
3.5800
Supportive supervisor
3.6453
Cooperative employees
Good orientation
Effective training system
Opportunities for professional development
Opportunities for developing professional skills
3.7234
3.6464
3.6228
3.5981
3.5800
5. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, job satisfaction and quality of work life are the both important aspects in
retaining employees in hotel industry. To maintain highly- engaged and loyal employees, the
hotel providers have to focus on satisfying the employees and providing a quality work life.
The employers’ fair treatment, working conditions and authority are seemed significant to
them.
Besides, the employees are also the real reflections of a service quality of a hotel. Therefore,
there is a serious need for the providers to ensure the employees are happy and enjoy
performing their jobs.
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