Study by Wittenborg Researchers Analyses Post-COVID-19 Effects on Hotel Industry

20.01.2025

Paper Focuses on Factors that Influence Employee Retention

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the hospitality sector, leading to workforce losses and mental health challenges for many employees. To explore these effects further, Wittenborg lecturers Vanessa Menezes, Emmah Muchoki and René Rijnders, along with graduate Sofiia Norenko, authored the paper ‘Post-COVID-19 Effects on the Dutch Hotel Industry: The Role of Competence and Relatedness in Staff Retention’. The work was presented by Menezes at EuroCHRIE Qatar 2024, held from 4 to 7 November.

The study highlights that the hospitality industry was one of the first to experience the impact of the pandemic. According to the Netherlands’ National Bureau of Statistics (CBS), there was a decline of 33.9% in the industry’s turnover in 2020 compared to the previous year. In response to these difficulties, many businesses reduced their workforce to diminish costs associated with maintaining employees when the amount of work decreased. This resulted in approximately 100,000 fewer hospitality positions at the beginning of 2021 compared to the beginning of 2020, with on-call workers being the most affected. Moreover, the sector faced difficulties retaining and recruiting employees, as many hotel workers chose to transition to other industries during the health crisis.

The main objective of the research was to analyse the role of competence and relatedness in the retention intentions of Dutch hotel staff after COVID-19. Associate Professor Vanessa Menezes explains that relatedness goes beyond simple social interaction; it includes the inherent human need to foster strong relationships, to feel valued and connected to others.

“In a professional setting, relatedness can be a sense of belonging within a team or organisation and the ability to nurture positive relationships with colleagues and supervisors, with open and meaningful communication playing a vital role in facilitating this sense of belonging. In industries such as hospitality, where teamwork is common, the significance of relatedness is heightened as it promotes greater team performance,” she says.

Competence, in turn, involves multiple distinct components and is not simply a measure of capability. One of its facets is perceived competence, representing an individual’s confidence in their ability to complete tasks and achieve goals.

The authors underscore that when considering competence in the hospitality industry, it is crucial to keep in mind that various roles necessitate different needs and expectations. Managerial roles, for instance, often require a wide set of skills like flexibility, adaptability, industry knowledge, leadership and interpersonal skills. On the other hand, when discussing hospitality employees, interpersonal and soft skills such as communication and customer service are considered essential.

“Our study is based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which emphasises that motivation is an active interaction between internal and external elements rather than a one-dimensional drive. Engaging in activities that result in personal fulfilment is intrinsic motivation, which promotes creativity and engagement,” the associate professor points out.

To collect data for their paper, the researchers designed and administered an online survey to 298 Dutch hotel staff members, of whom 149 had managerial roles and the rest employed in non-managerial positions. The data was analysed using a mixed-methods approach, incorporating the quantitative technique of descriptive statistics and the qualitative method of thematic analysis.

The study finds that relatedness and competence are relevant in human motivation and have also grown in importance after the pandemic for both managerial and non-managerial staff in Dutch hotels. Respondents identified perceived choice, perceived competence and the experience of success as the most relevant factors for their retention. These same elements increased in importance the most following the pandemic both among managers and non-managers, as well.

Nevertheless, differences were found between the perceptions of managers and non-managers. For example, it is evident that relatedness resonates more with the group of non-managerial staff than with managers. Regarding whether the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the respondents’ perceptions of the significance of having open and meaningful communication with colleagues, the results of both groups incline toward agreement. However, the non-management staff expresses very strong agreement with the statement, significantly more so than those in managerial positions.

About EuroCHRIE

EuroCHRIE is a European federation that brings together educators from hospitality, tourism and event management schools and universities in a global network in cooperation with industry representatives. It organises a conference every year, held in different countries. In Doha, the event was attended by more than 200 people representing the Americas, Europe and Asia.

According to Menezes, presenting this study at EuroCHRIE was a great opportunity to discuss the labour market and changes in staff perceptions of work. “It was also an excellent chance to showcase Wittenborg's work to a wider audience, as not all academics are familiar with the institution and what we are doing. Attending these events is essential for scholars and industry professionals, since it keeps us updated with current discussions and sparks ideas for further research and innovation,” she concluded.