Impact of Work-Life Balance on Staff Turnover: A Study

This research dissertation investigates the impact of work-life balance on staff turnover within the hospitality industry, specifically focusing on Marriott Hotels. The study explores the significance of work-life balance, identifies factors contributing to staff turnover, and examines the relationship between these elements. The research employs a comprehensive literature review, covering conceptual clarifications, the prevalence of work-life balance, its benefits in the hotel sector (including increased productivity, reduced stress, and improved employee wellbeing), and the impact on staff turnover. The methodology chapter details the research philosophy, approach, design, data collection, sampling, and ethical considerations. Findings are presented through quantitative analysis, including frequency tables, correlation matrices, and regression analysis. The dissertation concludes with recommendations and limitations, offering insights into fostering a better work-life balance to enhance employee retention and satisfaction within the hospitality industry. The study also highlights the importance of employee satisfaction and its effects on the performance and profitability of the organization.

Running Head: RESEARCH DISSERTATION
RESEARCH DISSERTATION
Name of the Student:
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................2
1.1 Enquiry overview..............................................................................................................2
1.2 Research aims...................................................................................................................2
1.3 Research objectives...........................................................................................................3
1.4 Research questions............................................................................................................3
1.5 Research hypothesis..........................................................................................................3
1.6 Background of the study...................................................................................................3
1.7 Research rationale.............................................................................................................4
1.8 Scope of the study.............................................................................................................4
1.9 Summary................................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Literature review............................................................................................................6
2.1 Conceptual clarifications.......................................................................................................6
2.2 Prevalence of work-life balance in organisation...................................................................6
2.3 Benefits of work-life balance in hotel industries...................................................................8
2.3.1 Increase in productivity..................................................................................................8
2.3.2 Less stressed at work......................................................................................................8
2.3.3 Improvement in employee health and wellbeing............................................................8
2.3.4 Positive workplace culture..............................................................................................9
2.3.5 Enhancing employee commitment.................................................................................9
2.3.6 Better time management...............................................................................................10
2.3.7 Personal growth of employees......................................................................................10
2.3.8 Reduction of employee turnover..................................................................................11
2.4 Impact of work-life balance of staff turnover in hotel industries........................................11
2.5 Staff turnover in Marriott Hotel...........................................................................................13
2.6 Summary..............................................................................................................................13
Chapter 3: Methodology................................................................................................................15
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................15
3.2 Research philosophy............................................................................................................15
3.3 Research approach...............................................................................................................16
3.4 Research design...................................................................................................................16
3.5 Data collection and Analysis...............................................................................................16
3.6 Sampling..............................................................................................................................17
3.7 Reliability and Validity........................................................................................................18

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3.8 Ethical consideration...........................................................................................................18
Chapter 4: Findings and analysis...................................................................................................19
4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................19
4.2 Reliability and Validity........................................................................................................19
4.3 Quantitative Analysis...........................................................................................................22
4.3.1 Frequency Table...............................................................................................................22
4.3.2 Correlation Matrix............................................................................................................31
4.3.3 Regression Analysis..........................................................................................................33
4.4 Summary..............................................................................................................................35
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendation.................................................................................36
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................36
5.2 Recommendation.................................................................................................................37
5.3 Limitation............................................................................................................................38
References......................................................................................................................................39
Appendix........................................................................................................................................44

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Topic: Impact of work life balance on Staff turnover in Marriott hotels
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Enquiry overview
Work-life balance is considered to be an important aspect in the professional field where
the immense pressure and competiveness in the market leads to expand the business
orientation to a great extent. It is important for the business organisation to check the
satisfaction level of the employees by providing them adequate time to spend time with
family and friends. Monotony in professional field can be burn out by getting adequate time
for family and friends and it can generate high satisfaction level for the employees as well
(Deery and Jago 2015). Based on this understanding, this research puts a great deal of
emphasis on the hospitality industry where high pressure on the employees are delivered due
to immense customer orientation in business. Moreover, the research also tries to identify
lack of work-life balance that will create an extensive impact on the satisfaction level of the
hotel staffs and leads the way to develop an extensive rate of employee turnover (Zheng et al.
2016). Therefore, the research is also intends to emphasize on the impact of the work-life
balance on the rate of employee turnover in hotel. For a more deep insights into the
relationship between the work-life balance and the staff turnover, the research is going to
take the Marriott Hotel UK as the case study organisation.
1.2 Research aims
This research aims to focus on the impact of work-life balance on the rate of staff turnover in
Marriott hotels.

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1.3 Research objectives
i. To analyse the factors behind staff turnover in business.
ii. To evaluate the relationship between work life balance and staff turnover in Marriott
Hotel.
iii. To recommend plausible measures to create work-life balance in workplace in Marriot
Hotel.
1.4 Research questions
i. What is the significance of work-life balance in workplace?
ii. What are the factors that escalate the rate of staff turnover?
iii. How work-life balance will affect the rate of staff turnover?
1.5 Research hypothesis
a) H1: Work-life balance has a positive impact on the rate of employee turnover
b) H0: Work-life balance has no impact on the rate of employee turnover.
1.6 Background of the study
Work-life balance is a concept that pushes the employees to split his entire time and
energy between profession and personal life. From the research of Mas-Machuca, Berbegal-
Mirabent and Alegre (2016) it can be stated that work-life balance separates the occupational
activity of a person from the personal life in such a manner that not any of the element can
hamper other. Therefore, it is essential for the employees and the staffs to carry out a balance
between the personal and professional life and shapes the daily schedule in such a manner
that will ensure a healthy development of both the work life and personal life of an
individual. While finding out the origin of the concept of work-life balance is more of a

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product of globalisation. It can be stated that the advent of globalisation is not only increase
the activities of the organisation rather bring more transparency in the organisational practice
where the companies are willing to take care of the interests of the employees. In association
with this, concepts like sustainability and competitive advantage have become pertinent
aspect for the business organisations in order to bring more efficacy and effectiveness into
the organisational practice (Sommerlad 2016). As a result of that it becomes relevant aspect
for the business companies to put intense focus on the employees and their abilities so that
the employee satisfaction can influence the performance and profitability of the organisation.
Therefore, the company management tries to incorporate the employee engagement within
the organisational practice so that it will generate strategic advantage for the companies to
maximise their operation effectively.
1.7 Research rationale
The hospitality industry especially the hotel companies are always tried to develop their
quality of service to the customers. It is the most important aspect that intrigues the
employees to facilitate a strategic advantage in the high competitive business practice.
However, in course of establishing an effective measure the interests of the employees are
overlooked or skipped by the hotels. As a result of that it becomes impossible for the hotel
staffs to make a balance between their personal and professional life. It leaves a negative
impact on the performance of the employees and affecting the high profitable opportunity for
the hotels.
1.8 Scope of the study
This research will care to develop a great deal of focus on impact of work-life balance on the
turnover of the employees. In this regard, it can be stated that one of the important scope for

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this research is to deliver an effective investigation into the practice of establishing work-life
balance as one of the core components of employee turnover. Moreover, highlighting on the
Marriott hotel also provides a unique research opportunity to identify the importance of
work-life balance as a satisfaction quotient for the employees in hospitality industries.
1.9 Summary
The introduction part tries to highlight the aims and objectives of the research in order to set
an outline for the research. Moreover, the objectives and the research questions try to set a
background of the research topic so that the research can go towards the right direction and
bring more efficacy into the organisational practice.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Conceptual clarifications
This research is comprised of two variables in terms of the dependent and independent
variables. Therefore, the independent variable is the work-life balance in organisation and the
dependent variable is the high rate of employee turnover. Based on this perception, it can be
stated that the role of this literature review is to conceptualise the idea of work-life balance in
business organisations. Moreover, the benefits of the Work-life balance are also discussed in
the literature review so that an importance of the Work-life balance on organisation can be
evaluated along with the role of Work-life balance on employee turnover in general
conception. Furthermore, the literature review also tries to elucidate on the trend of
employees turnover in Marriott Hotel so that it will be effective for the development of
findings and analysis of the research.
2.2 Prevalence of work-life balance in organisation
Work-life balance is considered to be an important aspect for the business organisations
to maintain. As per the research of Holtgrewe (2018) it can be stated that Work-life balance is an
idea that the organisations are generally practiced in order to set a balance between the
professional life of the employees and the personal life. As a matter of fact, Lee, Dai and
McCreary (2015) opined that the purpose of the Work-life balance was to make a division
between the professional and personal life because often the employees brought back their
personal issues in professional activities. It can hamper the quality of the performance that an
employees can generate. Furthermore, a high professional characteristics of the Work-life
balance can be identified through the research of Köffer et al. (2015) The research pointed out

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that the business entrepreneurs did not want to divert the high professional orientation of the
employees by the intervention of the personal issues of the staffs. It can be argued that the impact
of globalisation transforms the modern business orientation in a rapid scale with adding dynamic
and complex attributes to the business orientation (Chan et al. 2016). High professionalism and
performance are identified are highly required for the business organisations in order to achieve
strategic advantage in the organisational context.
Moreover, the work-life balance is also associated with the practice of healthy workplace
practice. In this regard, the focus of the organisation is also fixed on the practice of establishing
rational and pragmatic organisational activity that can cope with the interests of both the
employees and the organisation. In fact, Zheng et al. (2015) articulated that the practice of Work-
life balance valued the interests of the employees so that they would be highly satisfied and
engage with the organisational objectives. It is very important for the companies to align the
interests of the employees with the organisational performance so that it will facilitate high
performance for the business organisations. Apart from that the prevalence of Work-life balance
in organisation is also associated with the gratification of the employees. Ali et al. (2017)
mentioned that it is desired from the business organisation to set a practice that will suitable for
the employees. Satisfaction of the employees are the key concern for corporate farms so that they
will stay focused and committed to the organisational practice. The research of Ghislieri et al.
(2017) pointed out that engagement of the employees with the organisational objectives in terms
of meeting their needs and interests that are coupled with the organisational objectives.

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2.3 Benefits of work-life balance in hotel industries
2.3.1 Increase in productivity
The Work-life balance is highly associated with the productivity of the organisation.
From the research of Fernandez-Crehuet, Gimenez-Nadal and Recio (2016) it can be argued that
the work life balance makes the employees ample time to get connected with the family and
friends so that they will never feel any kind of monotony in job. As a matter of fact, the company
will provide them enough time to relax and get afresh that are important for any employees. As a
result of that they feel more relaxed and committed to the organisation and put rapt attention to
the organisational performance. It will help the organisation to increase the productivity at a
rapid pace.
2.3.2 Less stressed at work
Ren and Caudle (2016) articulated that stress in work can damage the steady growth of
both the organisation and the employees. It is essential to gain strategic advantage in the
competitive market. The advent of globalisation creates high value for the employees and the
companies are forced to put great deal of emphasis on the benefits of the employees. It is
associated with the practice of establishing an effective measure that can bring a good workplace
practice where the employees does not feel overstressed due to the complex dynamics of the
organisation. Less stressed in workplace can usher a good environment that fosters benefit for
both the employees and the employers.
2.3.3 Improvement in employee health and wellbeing
The Work-life balance is further associated with the practice of the corporate farms to
establish better health and wellbeing. In fact, Pradhan, Pattnaik and Jena (2016) argued that it is

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a pertinent aspect for the companies to take extra care for the benefits and health condition of the
employees. The coming of globalisation not only creates havoc transformation in the business
orientation of the companies but emphasises on the external factors such as the government
policies that are entitled to influence the internal policies of the organisation (Richert-
Kaźmierska and Stankiewicz 2016). Therefore, wellbeing of employees is considered to be an
important aspect for the business organisations to shape effective business practice. In this
context, the Work-life balance will facilitate a better health and wellbeing for the staffs.
2.3.4 Positive workplace culture
For the success of an organisation, it is highly important to put emphasis on the positive
workplace culture. One of the important prospect of shaping good organisational culture can be
identified in terms of establishing better understanding between the employees and the
employers. In this regard, Wepfer et al. (2015) pointed out that the focal point of positive
workplace culture is relied on the good relation between the employees and employers. In this
regard, showing respect to the employee interests and render measure to meet the demand of the
employees will provide an effective measure for the business organisations to harness the
interests of employees and employers (Timms et al. 2015). Therefore, it will foster good and
healthy organisational practice by implementing Work-life balance.
2.3.5 Enhancing employee commitment
Using the Work-life balance as a better organisational practice to establish effective
commitment for the employees. In this regard, Sutton et al. (2016) stated that the Work-life
balance highly satisfies the employees due to provide them the relaxation to choose the time of
their working. As a result of that the employees are very happy to perform in the organisation
and committed to perform as per the organisation expects. Moreover, a better understanding will

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also be made between the organisation and the employees and the staffs realises the efforts of the
organisation to ensure their interests. Therefore, it is also obvious for them to meet the
expectation of the organisation through enough commitment and quality performance.
2.3.6 Better time management
For maximising the performance of the employees it becomes an important aspect for the
organisation to facilitate an extensive measure that will help them to concentrate effectively on
the process of increasing the profitability of the employees. As per the research of Dahlgren et al.
(2016) it can be stated that the purpose of establishing an effective employee productivity is
resembled with better time management. Adequate time for family and friends really help the
employees to facilitate effective measure of delivering proper measure to divide the personal
time and professional time. In result the personal problems will never intervene into the
professional time of the staffs.
2.3.7 Personal growth of employees
One of the major benefit of Work-life balance is to create high growth of employees in order to
deal with the rapid change in the market. The employees will feel more responsible to finish the
task within the given time otherwise time will be curtailed from their personal space. Moreover,
a sense of management will also be developed within the employees because they can understand
the utilisation of time positively (Drummond et al. 2017). A positive balance between the
professional and personal times will lead the staffs to concentrate on both part of life and manage
their time as per the need develop an effective measure for the betterment of the employees.