Servant Leadership and Employee satisfaction in the Hospitality Industry in South Africa

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of servant leadership on employee’s satisfaction in the hospitality industry. A quantitative approach was used, and a self-administered questionnaire was employed during the data collection process. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between servant leadership and employee’s satisfaction. The Cronbach’s alpha was used as a measure of reliability. The results of the study revealed that servant leadership significantly positively impacts on employee’s satisfaction in the hospitality industry. While existing studies have explored the indirect effect of servant leadership on employee attitudes through diversity climate, this study investigated the impact of servant leadership on employee’s satisfaction in the hospitality industry. Recommendations to improve the leadership in the hospitality are suggested. These recommendations offered meaningful insights into hotel owners, government, nongovernment organisations and other organisations for the improvement of their businesses while providing room for future research studies.

Keywords

• servant leadership
• employee satisfaction
• social exchange theory
• hotel industry
• south africa.