Thesis (PhD) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Business Administration Department

Includes bibliography (sheets 121-143)

ABSTRACT
The tourism industry has been among the sectors that was severely affected by the
outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic as travelling was banned, interactions were
restricted, and companies especially hotels had to shut down business or minimize
their activities. This has had a severe impact on their ability to manage their talented
employees due to downsizing, reduced salaries, and insecure jobs. Based on a number
of gaps in the existing literature, the current study looks into the topic of talent
management in the hotel industry of Middle East to provide a better understanding on
this matter from the experiences of managers in this sector. In doing so, this study
takes employee engagement as a highly important factor into account that can manifest
both internally (enhanced performance and organizational success) and externally
(increased customer satisfaction). In this respect, this study focuses on strategies, and
tactics that hotel managers implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to retain
their talented employees. The research uses a qualitative approach to address the topic
at hand and obtain in-depth data encompassing issues, challenges, and methods of
talent management during the pandemic. To achieve this aim, a total of 37 managers
from across the Middle Eastern hotel industry were selected based on the context of
research. Based on professionally established networks by the researchers, access to a
number of managerial level individuals was obtained, which paved the way for data
collection. Managers from Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sultanate of Oman participated in semi-structured
interviews held by the researcher. All hotels were among high quality organizations
with majority having 5-star and others 4-star rating. Through qualitative approach via
inductive content analysis and QSR NVivo, data obtained from interviews was
analyzed. The findings of this research show that job satisfaction of employees in
hotels can be improved through appropriate talent management strategies and
encouraging employee engagement. In contrast, lack of adequate resources and
strategies for talented employees can yield in turnover and loss. The importance of
human resource department is also noted in the findings as through different initiatives
and practices, resilience, innovation, and opportunities can be established, which in
turn improve the work environment for talented employees. These results can be
beneficial for scholars and managers in the hospitality sector.
Keywords: Employee Engagement, Job Satisfaction ,Hospitality, Hotels, , Middle
East, Talent Management, Qualitative Research