Job Satisfaction and Service Quality in Uganda’s Hospitality Sector: Mediating Role of Management Support

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the mediating role of management support on the relationship between job satisfaction and service quality in Uganda’s hospitality sector in Kabale District. Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. A sample size of 198 respondents from a target population 262 respondents of selected hotels was used for the study. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews administered to sampled size using proportionate stratified random sampling method. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression, and mediation analysis. Findings: Findings indicate a strong positive and significant relationship between employee job satisfaction and service quality (β = 0.798, t = 8.15, p < 0.001), with job satisfaction explaining 63.7% of variance in service quality. The mediation analysis revealed that management support plays a partial and uneven mediating role. Communication (64.5% agreement) and resource provision (53.8%) emerged as strong mediators, while recognition (37.6%), career development (41.9%), and work-life balance (30.1%) were identified as weak links undermining the overall relationship. The study concludes that while job satisfaction significantly predicts service quality, its sustainability is contingent upon consistent and equitable management support. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study contextualizes management support's mediating role in a developing country's hotel sector, contributing to organizational support theory and hospitality management literature. Findings will help Kabale and Ugandan hotel managers create supportive management practices that boost work happiness and service excellence. Policy relevance insights can help the Uganda Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism build hotel HRM frameworks, boosting Uganda's tourism competitiveness.