Research on Employee Personality Traits and Job Performance at Hilton

This report presents a qualitative analysis of employee personality traits and their impact on job performance within Hilton Hotel in Australia. The research employs a post-positivist methodology, utilizing ethnographic approaches to explore the connection between personality traits and job performance. Data collection involved primary sources through surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups, focusing on both management and staff-level employees. The analysis incorporates open and axial coding techniques to interpret the collected data, with ethical considerations such as informed consent and non-disclosure of participant information. The study acknowledges limitations, including the focus on a single geographical location and the absence of quantitative data analysis. The report provides insights into the research methods, data collection procedures, analysis techniques, and ethical considerations employed to understand the relationship between employee personality and job performance within the hotel setting. The study aims to connect personality traits with job-related performances within the hospitality sector by analyzing weak personality traits against stronger ones.

Part 2: Research Methods (Qualitative
Analysis)
Student Name: Student ID:
Subject Name: Subject ID:
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Research Methods.................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Methodology.....................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Population, Sampling technique, Population sample (characteristics)..............................................5
2.3 Data Collection..................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Analysis..............................................................................................................................................6
2.5 Ethical considerations........................................................................................................................7
2.6 Limitations.........................................................................................................................................8
References...................................................................................................................................................9
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................11
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1.0 Introduction
Personality trait has been found to a characteristic that allows determining level of performance
for particular employees (Bryman, 2015). Within the scope of hospitality sector personality trait
has been found to be a factor that affect job performance hence can allow distinguishing an
employee from another. There have been found to be a number of characteristics of personality
traits that can be used to predict behavior and hence performance relative to an employee.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has been used for conducting personality tests based on several
parameters. This Indicator helps analyze relevant trends of personality as openness, neuroticism,
extroversion and conscientiousness. Through survey among the hotel staffs and management
level employees and analyzing collected data, the scholar will aim at connecting these trends in
personality to their performance levels. The scope of this current discussion pertains to analyzing
personality traits of employees in Hilton Hotel of Australia by analyzing weak personality traits
against stronger ones. The scholar in this section of the study aims at providing a suitable
research method that is well match and can help determine results for the study through data
collection procedures and techniques.
2.0 Research Methods
Research methodology is the most critical part for any project as it entails identification of
procedures adopted for completion of a study. It defines techniques and processes adopted for
purpose of data collection along with its analysis for arriving at desired results for the study
(Hair, 2015). For the purpose of this study, the scholar had selected post-positivists research
method, which is based realistic point of view. It is a rather critical realist approach that
establishes theory being revisable with observation having errors. Ethnography approach with
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post-positivists methods were used for describing employee cultures with their habits and mutual
differences. The study will aim at connecting job performance with that of personality traits. The
foundation of this method is based on analysis of personality traits based on various models of
personality (Neuman, 2013). The primary data was collected here with open ended as well as
closed ended questions. Open ended as well as axial coding was used for interpretation of the
collected sample data based on five personality traits of the subjects.
2.1 Methodology
The core aim of defining a research methodology is to delineate factors that cause the problem to
arrive at solution for the study. Selecting an appropriate research design helps in-depth analysis
relative to the challenge (Gläser, 2013). Qualitative research design has been adopted for this
study to correlate personality traits of individual employees with that of job performance.
In order to analyze the phenomenon stated, there needs to either be inductive reasoning or
deductive reasoning adopted. In Inductive reasoning a process of observing phenomenon then a
conclusion is drawn (Zikmund, 2013). In order to conduct this study the process of inductive
reasoning has been applied, where personality traits theories are analyzed for connecting them to
job related performances. Questionnaire (as detailed in the appendix) was used as instrument in
the study. Open ended questions were used to collect data from the employees. Closed ended
questions were also used to cover a wider spectrum in the limited time period of the survey.
It is integral to adopt a research process particular to a study as constructivism or positivism or
critical realism or pragmatic be selected (Bernard, 2017). In Constructivism method, primary aim
of the scholar is to understand senses that are derived from the world. As per this method, often
qualitative analysis is selected. On the contrary positivism is much more a scientific research
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procedure for arriving at results of a study based on experiments. The other two methods as
critical realism or constructivism mixed approaches are used (Eriksson, 2015). In this study
scholar has adopted constructivism process for drawing results from real world understanding.
2.2 Population, Sampling technique, Population sample (characteristics)
In order to analyze data for a particular study, a population for conducting such study has to be
ascertained (Gill, 2010). The population is selected such that it can reveal trends and features of
the entire set evenly. From the entire population a sample set is designed that can reflect nature
and characteristics for the entire population set. A population sample is selected such that it can
allow conducting the study in limited span of time period. Moreover, the population sample has
to have diversified characteristics of the entire population set such that results can be arrived at
accordingly. The scholar has collected data from management level employees and staff level
employees at Hilton in Australia for analyzing personality traits of employees. Non probabilistic
sampling technique has been used for the purpose of this study. In random stratified sampling
technique samples are drawn from the entire population in an even manner randomly. For
primary data collection employees were divided into different strata were asked about their
experience of working at the hotel Hilton. There were staffs who were working from last 20
years in hotel Hilton and some of them were just six months in their jobs, these employees were
not included in the sample survey. Management level employees were also interviewed for their
views on staff requirement criteria for job execution and about ways of staff handling. A priori
approach was taken to select the sample size.
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2.3 Data Collection
Data collection is the key procedure for conducting any type of research. Data Collection can be
done from sources primary or secondary in nature. Primary data is information that is collected
by scholar and is first-hand information (Taylor, 2015). Primary data was collected from panels,
focus groups, interviews, surveys and so on. Secondary data on the other hand has been collected
from Hilton hotel employee service records. Few of the secondary data sources were company
publications, newspapers, internet sources, government publications and so on (Williams, 2011).
The scholar for this study has adopted primary data collection method by means of survey
through questionnaire. The scholar met the hotel employees in the staff cafeteria after their
working shifts. The location was chosen to provide the correct ambience for the interview. The
interviews were recorded after obtaining verbal agreement and the interviewer kept a separate
note of nonverbal cues during the interview. After the interview session, focus groups were
created with careful attention to diverse variables from ethnography down to length of service.
The survey data was gathered and collated across all focus groups based on their customer
interaction levels. Special attention was paid during the interview while the scholar was
collecting qualitative data about customer satisfaction and experience about any untoward
instances recalled by the interviewees.
2.4 Analysis
Qualitative data analysis is a recursive procedure which helps interpreting results from nonlinear
pattern of data for which data coding techniques are used. There are two data coding techniques
used for the study as Open Coding and Axial Coding (Kolb, 2012). The collected data was
labeled considering the common behavioral properties and type of employment. Open coding
theory (Sekaran, 2016) was applied by analyzing every answer line by line, even word by word.
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The subjective responses were parameterized based on the themes and pattern of the responses.
Axial Coding core theme is disaggregated through qualitative data analysis (Grounded Theory)
where axial coding is utilized using deductive and inductive techniques. For the purpose of this
analysis axial technique is used and all codes and parameters thus generated are integrated for a
graphical as well as quantitative analysis in the study. The sample data were organized with the
help of fuzzy scoring where more weightage was given to the open ended question than closed
ended ones. The weighted average score of each participant was collected for further analysis.
The names of the participants were validated and the biasness factor was also taken into account
as the interview was conducted after the duty schedule of the employees (Lincoln and Guba,
1985).
2.5 Ethical considerations
In order to conduct any research procedure it is important that ethical procedures are used. The
scholar for the purpose of this study has adopted ethical procedures (Cohen, 2013). The research
has abided by all basic procedures needed to conduct the study. The following ethical procedures
have been adopted for the study.
 The scholar in order to conduct the study disclosed all details of the study along with its
aims to all its participants. All participants consent was obtained prior to conducting the
study.
 Assurance of the non-disclosure of participants name was given before the study, only
feedback and results obtained from them were used.
 The scholar has not adopted personal biasness in any form for the purpose of conducting
the study.
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2.6 Limitations
The study has tried to attend to all possible areas of the problem; however there have still been
certain limitations that the study has not been able to attend as below;
 The study has been conducted on Hilton Hotels in Australia hence employee feedback
has been obtained from that region. The scholar has not made any efforts to collect data
from employees of Hilton Hotel from worldwide locations.
 The scholar has conducted the study using qualitative data and its subsequent analysis.
The scholar has not made efforts to collect quantitative data and analytical procedures for
the same.
 Moreover, the study is not a representation of the entire population.
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References
Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches. Rowman& Littlefield.
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2013). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Eriksson, P., &Kovalainen, A. (2015). Qualitative methods in business research: A practical
guide to social research. Sage.
Saunders, M. N. (2011). Research methods for business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India.
Gläser, J., &Laudel, G. (2013, March). Life with and without coding: Two methods for early-
stage data analysis in qualitative research aiming at causal explanations. In Forum
Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research (Vol. 14, No. 2).
Hair, J. F. (2015). Essentials of business research methods. ME Sharpe.
Kolb, S. M. (2012). Grounded theory and the constant comparative method: Valid research
strategies for educators. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy
Studies, 3(1), 83.
Neuman, W. L. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Pearson education.
Sekaran, U., &Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill building approach.
John Wiley & Sons.
Saunders, M. N. (2011). Research methods for business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., &DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A
guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Williams, C. (2011). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economics Research
(JBER), 5(3).
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Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., & Griffin, M. (2013). Business research
methods.Cengage Learning.
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Appendix
A. QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HILTON HOTEL FOR EMPLOYEES
Employee Job Satisfaction
Please spend some of your time to answer the questions to tell us about
your job experience with Hotel Hilton group. Please share your answers
within 25 words in every question.
1. Name:
2. Department:
3. Designation:
4. Gender: Male Female
5. What it is like working in the hotel?
6. Do you think that Hotel Hilton is major brand in Australia, if yes then why or even if no then
any particular reason.
7. What is the motto of Hotel Hilton?
8. According to you who has the highest or lowest power in management?
9. What do you think are your strengths and weakness are?
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10. How the management does motivate you to bring the best out of you? (incentives or any
other way)
11. Please provide an example of high pressure situation dealt by you within last three months
where customer was dissatisfied. (if any)
12. Please provide example of an instance where you have to convince the customer and the
reason.
13. Would you feel comfortable to interact with your immediate supervisor?
14. What are the inadvertible rules which you are bound to follow during your job hours?
15. Who according to you are the actual heroes to run the hotel smoothly?
16. How much extra effort do you put to achieve the daily targets?
17. How do you try to make the customers happy from your performance?
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