Motivation and Satisfaction of Lodging Employees: An Exploratory Study of Aruba

Motivating employees and keeping them satisfied are some of the ways that managers and organizations retain employees and provide excellent service. There is a paucity of research regarding Caribbean lodging employees, especially as it relates to various demographic factors including age groups. The current study analyzed the motivational factors of hotel employees of different ages in Aruba. The study also looked at employee satisfaction with a variety of job components in order to help management develop better policies and practices that can help to keep employees satisfied in their jobs. Using Kovach's (1987) model this study found that the most important ranked motivational factor was “appreciation for a job well done,” and the most highly rated job component as it relates to satisfaction was the “work accomplishment” that the respondents get done on the job. The study also found that having a “feeling of being in on things” in general was less important to younger employees than to older employees, using ANOVA statistical analysis. Younger employees also tended to be less satisfied with the job security that they felt and the career advancement and development that they received in their jobs. Managerial implications are also discussed.