Associate Professor, College of International Management
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Employee Happiness Unlocks the Future of Hospitality
Categories:
Hospitality managementManagementTourism
#Hospitality management#Employee well-being#Diversity management#Service management
Overview
Focusing on the “inside” that supports the tourism and hospitality industry:
research on employee well-being contributes to sustainable growth
The tourism and hospitality industry is a significant pillar of Japan’s national growth strategy, aiming to establish the country as a tourism-driven economy. However, in recent years, the labor shortage in this sector has intensified as inbound demand recovers, leading to challenges related to the working environment and hours. Furthermore, since it is impossible to meet all domestic labor needs, the influx of foreign workers is on the rise, resulting in the increased emergence of “hybrid workplaces” where individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds collaborate. The roles undertaken by workers in tourism and hospitality involve emotional labor and incur exceptionally high levels of stress, impacting both their physical and mental health. Nonetheless, these jobs are directly linked to service quality and customer satisfaction and are so critical that they can influence overall business performance. How can we foster environments where every employee works with enthusiasm, enjoys good psychological and physical health, and experiences a sense of social well-being?
This is a vital question for the industry’s sustainable growth. Unfortunately, issues such as these are often trivialized and responses deprioritized, particularly in Japan. My research centers on the under-explored topic of employee well-being in the hospitality industry—the “inside” element that underpins the entire sector. I employ scientific methods to illuminate the causes of workplace stress, recovery mechanisms, and the factors that influence these aspects. Additionally, based on the insights derived from this research, I aim to propose practical measures for enhancing the workplace environment and contributing to the sustainable growth of the tourism and hospitality industry.
This research aims to elucidate previously unclarified relationships between stress factors, resources, and practices at the individual, group, and organizational levels in the hospitality industry. (Related Research [1])
Novelty/Originality
A distinctive research approach that highlights the sustainability of the hospitality industry from the perspective of its workers
Research on the hospitality industry to date has included numerous studies from the field of marketing. This research differs in that it sheds light on the “inside” of the industry, specifically focusing on employee well-being, and seeks to pioneer a distinct field of research.
The core of this research is the empirical study of the conditions of employees within organizations. There has been little research in this area to date, owing to the difficulties of data collection and scientific analysis, but my research tackles these difficulties head on. Drawing on the perspectives of researchers from three countries – Japan, Australia, and Scotland – I aim to shed light on the realities of employee well-being in diverse cultural environments.
Additionally, this study examines the impact of specific factors in the workplace environment, such as the actual conditions of employee break times and the roles of break rooms, on employees’ psychological and physiological recovery. I hope this research will provide insights that lead to practical enhancements in workplace environments.
There is nearly no prior research on employee well-being in Japan. Globally, some studies have emerged from fields like psychology and sociology in recent years, but there is still no comprehensive research. The unique approach taken in my research is drawing attention from researchers and academic conferences around the world.
Analysis of the break time recovery of customer-facing workers in the hospitality industry
The ▲ symbol denotes new recovery experiences identified through this study’s analysis. (Related Research [2])
Efforts towards Community Outreach
Aiming for practical contributions to issues confronting the hospitality industry at various levels
The findings of this research can contribute to solutions for various problems facing the hospitality industry.
Firstly, in the context of enhancing human resource management in companies, the findings will provide concrete insights into the factors that determine employees’ satisfaction and sense of happiness. There's also potential to propose designs for break rooms that cater to employees’ physical and mental health and to develop environments where employees from diverse cultural backgrounds can collaborate effectively. These will undoubtedly lead to practical measures that reduce employee stress and improve work efficiency.
Furthermore, the findings from practice-based research hold significant potential to aid the development of the local tourism industry in areas like human resource recruitment, training, and management, through collaborations with local accommodation providers and other partners, extending beyond the scope of any single hotel or facility.
In the future, the aim is to collaborate with industry bodies and local government authorities, contributing to policymaking activities. Recommendations based on empirical data can provide a scientific basis for promoting work style reforms tailored to Japan’s characteristics, as well as developing programs related to the increasing intake of foreign workers.
In the seminar course I teach at university, I run a series of ongoing classes where we invite managers from hotels and other businesses in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture to join us as guest speakers, explaining the human resource management challenges they face and discussing possible solutions alongside my students, who come from a variety of national and cultural backgrounds. By combining these consistent, local activities with global perspectives gained through fieldwork at hotels overseas, I am exploring practical approaches to community outreach.
Left: Associate professor Saito presents at an international conference. Right: The associate professor often invites hotel operators and other businesspeople to attend his seminar classes as guest speakers.
Related Research
Related Research [1]
Well-being of hospitality employees: A systematic literature review
International Journal of Hospitality Management
Related Research [2]
Fostering employee well-being and workplace recovery in the hospitality industry: The role of supportive break times at work
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Principal Investigator
SAITO Hiroaki
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What prompted me to embark on this research was my experience studying in Australia. As a major tourist destination, Australia has many regions where tourism and hospitality are the core industries, and I had opportunities to observe the diverse workers who are part of this sector.
Meanwhile, I was also concerned that Japanese people have extremely low levels of happiness compared to other countries: in other words, very few people in Japan are happy at work.
This led me to consider doing research on tourism and hospitality – an industry with significant future potential – from the standpoint of employee well-being. I can provide valuable insights that will help build relationships in which people can work happily and maintain good physical and mental health, as well as contribute to the industry's growth.
This goal is not something that can be achieved overnight, which is precisely why this research is so worthwhile. I plan to continue my research focusing on practical workplace contexts, hoping to enhance the well-being of those working in tourism and hospitality while supporting the growth of the industry.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Faculty Information
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