Cardiff Metropolitan University MBA Dissertation: Employee Motivation

This MBA dissertation investigates the critical relationship between human resource management (HRM), employee motivation, and job performance within the hospitality industry of Cyprus. The research aims to understand how employee motivation influences job performance in this sector, recognizing the importance of employee engagement for organizational success. The study employs a deductive approach with a positivism philosophy and a descriptive research design, collecting primary data through a survey of 30 employees. It explores factors affecting employee motivation, analyzes relevant theories like Maslow's hierarchy and Herzberg's two-factor theory, and examines the role of HRM in enhancing employee motivation. The dissertation includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion, offering recommendations to improve employee motivation and job performance in the Cyprus hospitality sector. The findings highlight the significance of HRM practices in fostering a motivated workforce, ultimately contributing to improved performance and organizational outcomes, with specific recommendations including appropriate delegation of authority, provision of recognition and appreciation, as well as establishment of job security.

Running head: RESEARCH PAPER
Human Recourse Management in Relation to Employee Motivation and Job Performance in
the Hospitality Industry in Cyprus
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Abstract
The dissertation focuses on the Human Recourse Management in Relation to Employee
Motivation and Job Performance in the Hospitality Industry in Cyprus. The reason for the
selection of the topic for the dissertation is that of the effective functioning of an organisation
depends upon the working of the employees who are employed there. The specific focus is
towards understanding the role of employee motivation in job performance in the hospitality
sector of the country. The dissertation analyses the hospitality industry of Cyprus to
understand how the human resource management framework present across the various
hospitality enterprises of the country manages performance through enhancement of
employee motivation. Cyprus is located in the European continent, just south of the country
of Greece. The research aims to understand the importance of employee motivation that aids
in increasing the work performance of them and how the human resource management plays
a significant role to this regard, by focusing on the hospitality industry of Cyprus. Employee
motivation can be considered as a concept that helps in the encouragement of employees so
that they can increase the productivity. Job performance is a part of an organisational
psychology that also is considered as part of HRM function. Factors affecting employee
motivation include work interest, appreciation and recognition, involvement in work related
process as well as achievement. Theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and
Herzberg’s two-factor theory are analysed and related with motivation of the employees. The
research methods used for the dissertation include the deductive approach, positivism
philosophy and descriptive design. Data is collected in the form of primary collection and a
survey of 30 employees working at the hospitality sectors of Cyprus is undertaken. The
results have been more in favour of the people knowing about employee motivation and
ensuring that job performance is attained with the proper growth of the employees.
Recommendations have been provided which highlights the protective care needed for the

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Cyprus hospitality sector. Recommendations such as appropriate delegation of authority,
provision of recognition and appreciation as well as establishment of job security are
provided.

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Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................5
1.0 Overview..........................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background of the Study..................................................................................................6
1.2 Problem Statement...........................................................................................................7
1.3 Research Aim...................................................................................................................7
1.4 Research Objectives.........................................................................................................8
1.5 Research Questions..........................................................................................................8
1.6 Research Rationale...........................................................................................................9
1.7 Research Structure...........................................................................................................9
1.8 Summary........................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................................12
2.0 Overview........................................................................................................................12
2.1 Concept of employee motivation...................................................................................12
2.2 Factors affecting employee motivation..........................................................................12
2.3 Theories related to employee motivation.......................................................................15
2.4 Concept of job performance...........................................................................................18
2.5 Effectiveness of employee motivation on job performance skill...................................19
2.6 Role of human resource management for employee motivation...................................20
2.7 Conceptual framework...................................................................................................22
2.8 Summary........................................................................................................................22

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOLODOLOGY................................................................23
3.0 Overview........................................................................................................................23
3.1 Research philosophy......................................................................................................23
3.2 Research approach.........................................................................................................24
3.3 Research design..............................................................................................................24
3.4 Research strategy...........................................................................................................25
3.5 Data collection technique...............................................................................................26
3.6 Sampling method...........................................................................................................27
3.7 Ethical consideration......................................................................................................27
3.8 Limitations of the study.................................................................................................28
3.9 Timeline.........................................................................................................................29
3.10 Summary......................................................................................................................30
CHAPTER 4: DATA AND ANALYSIS.................................................................................31
4.0 Overview........................................................................................................................31
4.1 Results and discussion....................................................................................................31
4.2 Summary........................................................................................................................37
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION................................................38
5.0 Conclusion......................................................................................................................38
5.1 Linking with objectives:.................................................................................................39
CHAPTER 6: RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................48
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................54

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Overview
The effective functioning of an organisation is dependent upon the working of the
employees who are employed there. Their level of job performance on the other hand
depends upon their level of motivation (Cloutier et al. 2015). This is significant because if the
employees are properly motivated, there is a considerable chance that they would work
harder and more efficiently in their place of work, thereby directly affecting their level of job
performance. The research study under investigation is focused towards understanding the
performance of the hospitality industry in Cyprus.
The specific focus is towards understanding the role of employee motivation in job
performance in the hospitality sector of the country (Bohlmann, van den Bosch and Zacher
2018). Hospitality industry is one of the most important industries in the world in terms of
growth and development. The study analyses the hospitality industry of Cyprus to understand
how the human resource management framework present across the various hospitality
enterprises of the country manages performance through enhancement of employee
motivation (Malik, Butt and Choi 2015).
The country of Cyprus is located in the European continent, just south of the country
of Greece. Due to its beautiful location just bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the country of
Cyprus has always attracted many tourists. People, from all over the country, flock in this
region in search of climatic relief and a change in the scenic beauty. Due to its strategic
location in the globe, the hospitality industry of this region has bloomed over the subsequent
decades (Al-Madiet al. 2017).

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This has attracted the tourist to a significant level. The increase in the number of
tourist and the subsequent increase in the hospitality industry have made it necessary to
ensure that the different hotels are working in an effective manner so as to cater to the
satisfaction of the travellers. In this regard, the understanding and the deep examination of the
importance of the hospitality industry of Cyprus is considered significant. This in turn,
depends upon the job performance of the concerned employees who are engaged in the
working of such hospitality industry in Cyprus.
1.1 Background of the Study
Cyprus is a country that has some of the most important tourist destinations in the
world. It is a Mediterranean island with close proximity with Greece and is home to many
important scenic locations in the region. Naturally, this has led to the growth of a strong
hospitality industry in the country to serve the many international tourists who come from
various countries across the world (Mone and London 2018). The tourism industry has
contributed the most towards the growth of the economy of Cyprus in the recent years. The
most important factor contributing towards this is the year round influx of tourists in the
country that has been witnessed in the recent years.
Recently, the country has a growth rate of 4%. In 2018, the tourist arrivals in Cyprus
increased by 14.5% form the figures in 2017. As a result of the same the job prospects in the
hotel industry are increasing. This means that the industry now employs more people than it
has done ever in the past. This is a great opportunity and at the same time is a significant
challenge for the hospitality industry for the country (Martin, McNally and Taggar 2016).
Some of the motivational challenges that have been identified in the human resource
functions of the hospitality industry of the country are low accomplishments, high stress due

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to constant customer interactions and lack of work life balance (Rodriguez and Walters
2017).
In this case, it becomes very important to find out more about the human resources
functions in the hospitality industry of Cyprus and its relationship with the performance of
the employees. In all, as the hospitality sector of the country continues to rise important
challenges are being created concerning employee motivation and employee performances. In
order, to sustain the growth of the hospitality industry the tourism ministry of Cyprus should
now focus towards improving the motivational factors that tend to affect the employees in the
hospitality sector of the country (Massingham and Tam 2015).
1.2 Problem Statement
Motivation is a very important aspect that is required for providing essential
performance in any industrial sector. Employee motivation is important for sustaining
performances of the employees towards the effective development of the company. The
factor of motivation plays a positive role in increasing the work performance of the
concerned employees.
However, often times it is seen that the main role of the human resource management
in motivating the employees to work in an effective manner is often over looked. This
research study under investigation enables the researcher to understand the determining role
of the human resource management in motivating the employees so that they can
subsequently increase their job performance.
1.3 Research Aim

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The aim of the research is to understand the importance of employee motivation that
aids in increasing the work performance of them and how the human resource management
plays a significant role to this regard, by focusing on the hospitality industry of Cyprus.
1.4 Research Objectives
The research objectives can be stated as follows:
1. To examine the factor of employee motivation
2. To understand how the factor of employee motivation affects the job performance skill of
such employees.
3. To analyse the significant role played by the human resource management in this sphere of
employee motivation within the field of hospitality industry of Cyprus.
4. To recommend certain measures that would help to motivate the employees to work harder
so that their work performance increases to a significant level
1.5 Research Questions
The research questions can be stated as follows:
1. How is the factor of employee motivation defined?
2. How does the factor of employee motivation affect the job performance skill of such
employees?
3. What is the significant role-played by the human resource management in this sphere of
employee motivation within the field of hospitality industry of Cyprus?
4. What are the various recommendations, which would help to motivate the employees to
work harder so that their work performance increases to a significant level?

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1.6 Research Rationale
The capitalist nature of the market system has made it compulsory on the part of the
different business organisations to ensure that it competes with the others in order to earn a
high level of profit margin. The functioning of the various firms depends largely on the
employees who work there (Bhuvanaiah and Raya 2015). It is the hard work of the
employees, which determine the level of production of a concerned firm. In the field of a
hospitality industry, the work of the employees is vital as they deal directly with the
customers.
Consequently, their behaviour and attitudes would determine the level of customer
satisfaction (Herzberg 2017). This in turn, would determine the profit margin earned by that
concerned hotel. As a result of this, the factor of employee motivation is quite essential in
improving the work performance of the employees (Anitha 2016). In this respect, the efforts
of the human resource management are important as they have the vital function of ensuring
the smooth working of the business organisation. The research significance is on the fact that
it allows the researcher to understand the important role of the human resource management
in the efficient functioning of the employees (Huang et al. 2016).
1.7 Research Structure
Chapter 1 introduces the purpose of the researcher. The research aims to understand
the importance of employee motivation that aids in increasing the work performance of them
and how the human resource management plays a significant role to this regard, by focusing
on the hospitality industry of Cyprus. This chapter also lays down the research objectives and
the research questions that is examined and answered in the course of the research study
under investigation.

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Chapter 2 discusses the various sources of literature that has been examined in detail
in order to find out the importance of factor of employee motivation and human resource
management. Various articles, books, journals and other similar sources have been analysed
to identify and comprehend a comprehensive picture about the research.
Chapter 3 examines the research methodology that has been followed in the course of
the research. The research has employed the use of deductive research approach, positivism
research philosophy and descriptive research design in order to find the suitable information
about the research. Furthermore, secondary sources of data collection process have been
employed in order to understand the factors of employee motivation and the role of human
resource management to boost such motivation. The data so collected has been analysed with
the help of qualitative data analysis technique to get a subjective view about the research.
Chapter 4 discusses the data that has been found in the course of the research. This
data has been analysed in a qualitative manner in order to get a subjective in-depth view
about the research study under investigation.
Chapter 5 provides the concluding chapter on the research study under investigation.
In this chapter, the information has been linked with the research objectives as to get a
comprehensive understanding about the purpose of the research. Certain recommendations
have also been provided in this chapter to improve the morale of the employees associated
with the hospitality industry.
1.8 Summary
To summarise this chapter provides an overview about the aim of the research. The
aim of the research is to understand the importance of employee motivation that aids in
increasing the work performance of them and how the human resource management plays a