Understanding Employees’ Career Development Expectations and Job Motivation in the Chinese Hotel Industry: Evidence from Chinese Homegrown Hotels
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Abstract
Background and Aim: The Chinese homegrown hotel industry has experienced remarkable growth in the post-pandemic era, with continued regional expansion despite COVID-19's significant operational challenges and persistent human resource issues, including high staff turnover. This study consists of two objectives: 1) To explore the factors that influence hotel employees’ career development expectations within Chinese homegrown hotels; 2) To examine how employees’ career development expectations relate to their job motivation, using interview thematic analysis with hotel employees.
Materials and Methods: This study employed semi-structured interviews with 13 participants from various positions within H World Group hotels in mainland China, selected through snowball sampling to ensure representation across organizational levels. After that, data were analyzed by thematic analysis using NVivo software to explore factors influencing career expectations and their relationship with job motivation.
Results: The study found that employees' expectations include self-efficacy, higher-level needs, prospects of the hotel industry, career counseling and appraisal, and promotion and training. The study also explored the relationship between employees' career development expectations and job motivation, which was categorized into themes such as goal orientation, hindering factors, and the positive cycle.
Conclusion: This qualitative study identified key factors shaping career expectations and their interconnectedness with job motivation. Self-efficacy, higher-level needs, career support, and growth opportunities significantly shape career expectations in Chinese homegrown hotels, directly impacting employee motivation through goal orientation and a positive reinforcing cycle. Addressing hindering factors like unclear paths and a lack of support is crucial for fostering an engaged workforce. These findings underscore the importance of targeted HR practices that align with employee career aspirations to enhance motivation and retention within this sector.
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