HTMI, THE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL

HOTEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT,

SÖRENBERG SWITZERLAND

An investigation of the impact of positive

organisational behaviour practices on
employee’s engagement in relation with
customer loyalty in the hospitality industry:
a case study of Budapest Marriott Hotel,
Hungary

Written by

Panka Demeter

December 2019

A research paper submitted in partial fulfilment for the

degree of BSc (Hons) International Hospitality Management,
Ulster University.

Word Count: 7431 words (excluding cover page, abstract, acknowledgement, table

of contents, figures, appendix and reference list)

1
Statement of Authenticity

This research paper is an original and authentic piece of work carried

out by me. I have fully acknowledged and referenced all secondary
sources of information. It has not been presented in whole or in part for
assessment elsewhere. I have read the examination regulations and am
fully aware of the potential consequences of any breach of them. I
understand that supervisor approval does not necessarily contribute to
a pass.

Signed:
Date: 08.12.2019

Declaration

I hereby declare that, with effect from the date on which this research
paper is deposited in the Module Coordinator Office, HTMi Sörenberg
Switzerland, I permit it to be copied in whole or in parts without
reference to myself, in understanding that such authority applies to
single copies made solely for studying purposes and are not published.
An additional condition is that acknowledgement is credited to the
actual source.
This restriction does not apply to the copying of publication title,
abstract or introduction to this research. It is a condition that anyone
who consults this Research paper must recognise that the copyright
rests with the author and no quotations from the Research Paper or
information derived from it may be published unless the source is
properly acknowledged.

Signed:
Date: 08.12.2019

2
Abstract
Despite of being a relatively new scientific field, the attractiveness of

positive psychology has been recognised by various professionals in a

great range of industries. However, the benefits of focusing on

advancing already existing strengths of employees within hospitality

organisations have not received sufficient attention. Therefore, this

research paper aims to investigate the effects of positive organisational

behaviour practices on employees’ engagement and performance in

relation with customer loyalty. In order to achieve this, the theoretical

and empirical implications of positive organisational behaviour,

employee engagement and customer loyalty were critically assessed

and a qualitative approach interviewing the employees and returning

guests of the Budapest Marriott Hotel was established. Results derived

from the literature review suggest that when positive organisational

behaviour practices are applied in the hotel, employee engagement is

positively affected which leads to enhanced performance, that

eventually contributes to increasing the number of loyal customers,

which is an essential aspect of competitive advantage. Therefore, it is

recommended that hospitality firms incorporate positive organisational

behaviour practices in human resources management, since apart from

being a widely acknowledged and welcomed approach, evidence for

corporate benefits is also presented to justify the effectiveness of

positive psychology at the workplace.

3
Acknowledgements
Hereby I would like to express my deepest gratitude for those who

supported me on this journey. To begin with, I would like to thank Mr.

Peter Robin who did not only establish the fundamentals of writing a

research paper but also inspired me to settle with my exact topic.

Furthermore, I thank Mr. Carlos Oberli who guided my work to remain

meaningful when I was about to focus on irrelevant aspects. Also, I

would like to express my gratitude for Tudor Campan who always

supported me with his rational and firm reasons and pushed me to go

forward when I felt like giving up. In addition, I would like to thank my

family who always pretended to understand me when I was talking

about research but supported me no matter what. Last but not least, I

would like to express how grateful I am for my closest friends who

without hesitation picked me up from the floor when I hit my lowest.

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Table of Contents (page number)

Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 3

List of figures ......................................................................................................................... 7

List of Appendices.................................................................................................................. 8

Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 9

1.1 Background information .............................................................................................. 9

1.2 Rationale .................................................................................................................... 10

1.3 Aim and objectives..................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 2: Literature Review............................................................................................... 12

2.1 Models, theories and concepts.................................................................................. 12

2.1.1 Positive psychology ............................................................................................. 12

2.1.2 Positive organisational behaviour ....................................................................... 13

2.1.3 JD-R model of work engagement ........................................................................ 15

2.1.4 Customer loyalty ................................................................................................. 18

2.2 Review of existing empirical research ....................................................................... 20

2.2.1 Impacts of POB on employee engagement......................................................... 20

2.2.2 The relation between employee engagement and customer loyalty................. 22

2.3 Background to the primary research context ............................................................ 24

Chapter 3: Methodology ..................................................................................................... 28

3.1 Research aim and objectives ..................................................................................... 28

3.2 Research approach .................................................................................................... 28

3.3 Sampling..................................................................................................................... 29

3.4 Data collection ........................................................................................................... 30

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 3.5 Data analysis .............................................................................................................. 31

3.6 Credibility ................................................................................................................... 32

3.7 Confirmability............................................................................................................. 33

3.8 Dependability ............................................................................................................. 33

3.9 Transferability ............................................................................................................ 34

3.10 Ethical issues ............................................................................................................ 34

3.11 Limitations ............................................................................................................... 35

Chapter 4: Discussion .......................................................................................................... 37

4.1 To identify the factors leading to employee engagement and performance ........... 37

4.2 To analyse the effects of positive organisational behaviour practices on these

factors .............................................................................................................................. 39

4.3 To critically assess the findings as means of identifying the relation between

positive organisational behaviour and customer loyalty, based on how it affects

employee engagement and performance in the Budapest Marriott Hotel ................ 41

Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations .................................................................... 43

5.1 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 43

5.2 Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 44

References ........................................................................................................................... 47

Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 66

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List of figures

Figure 1. The JD-R model of work engagement (Bakker and Demerouti,

2008; reproduced from Demerouti et al., 2001) ......................... 16

Figure 2. Performance-loyalty chain model (Adapted from Anderson and

Mittal, 2000) .......................................................................... 19

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List of Appendices

Appendix I: Questions used during semi-structured interviews .......... 66

Appendix II: Participant information sheet ...................................... 69

Appendix III: Participant consent form ........................................... 73

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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background information

Positive psychology is a fairly new field of science which dates back to

1998 when Martin Seligman challenged the community of scientific

researchers to focus on the positive traits of human beings that

contribute to a happy life (Donaldson, Dollwet and Rao, 2014).

Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) stated that this new approach

assists in setting a satisfying working environment by paying attention

to positive qualities. As a consequence, authors began to realise the

emerging need to concentrate on strengths and positive traits instead of

only fixing weaknesses within an organisation. This led to the rising field

of positive organisational behaviour (POB) (Luthans, 2002a) which, if

applied properly, contributes to the improvements of workplace

performance (Youssef and Luthans, 2007). Researchers studying the

factors of employee engagement found that a person’s psychological

state is a key determinant (Anitha, 2014; Dajani, 2015), therefore POB

is not only a contemporary, but an essential approach (Bakker and

Schaufeli, 2008; Kang and Busser, 2018). The link between work

engagement and customer loyalty is also evident, as engaged

employees are seen as a sign of a healthy organisation which is worth

the attention (Harter, Schmidt and Hayes, 2002; Salanova, Agut and

Peiró, 2005). Therefore, companies within the hospitality industry are

advised to apply positive psychology approaches in their organisational

9
behaviour in order to acquire competitive advantage over their

competition (Slatten and Mehmetoglu, 2011).

1.2 Rationale

There has been a significant number of researches done on employee

engagement. Saks (2006) examined the antecedents and consequences

of organisation engagement. Dajani (2015) investigated the relationship

between employee engagement and job performance in Egypt. Milliman,

Gatling and Kim (2018) found that workplace spirituality affects the

engagement level of frontline hospitality employees. However, the

amount of studies examining the effects of psychological factors on

employee engagement is limited (Kang and Busser, 2018). In addition,

analysing the effects of positive organisational behaviour on developing

guest loyalty is scant (Gracia, Salanova, Graub and Cifre, 2013).

Furthermore, by examining the mentioned gap, the author believes that

the present study will strengthen the understanding of the importance

of positive psychology applications in hospitality organisations. The

results will identify the connection between positive organisational

behaviour and employee engagement which eventually affects customer

loyalty and therefore contributes to developing competitive advantage.

Bakker and Schaufeli (2008) stated that POB is necessary in order to

improve employee engagement and suggested further research to

support this claim. By investigating customer loyalty as an outcome of

POB driven employee engagement, this study will contribute to the

10
results of Bakker and Schaufeli (2008) and Bakker and Demerouti

(2008).

1.3 Aim and objectives

The aim of this research paper is to investigate the effects of positive

organisational behaviour practices on employees’ engagement and

performance in relation with customer loyalty in the Budapest Marriott

Hotel.

In order to support this aim, the following objectives have to be

achieved:

• To identify the factors leading to employee engagement and

performance.

• To analyse the effects of positive organisational behaviour

practices on these factors.

• To critically assess the findings as means of identifying the

relation between positive organisational behaviour and customer

loyalty, based on how it affects employee engagement and

performance in the Budapest Marriott Hotel.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

As various authors agree that the essence of gaining competitive

advantage lies within the employees of a company, many researches

focused on examining the nature of fostering an engaged workforce

(Gutiérrez, Alcaraz, Susaeta, Suárez and Pin, 2015). However, the

number of studies proving the importance of a positive approach

towards employee development is scant. Therefore, the following

chapter is to support the aim and objectives of this study by setting the

theoretical and empirical fundamentals of the incidents in question. First,

relevant theories and concepts regarding positive organisational

behaviour, employee engagement and customer loyalty are assessed to

call out the need for supporting the above-mentioned claim. Then, a

review of existing empirical evidence is presented to reinforce the

proposition. Finally, the current tourism circumstances of Budapest and

the organisational culture of Marriott hotels is presented, as it provides

relevant information for being chosen as the site of this research.

2.1 Models, theories, and concepts

2.1.1 Positive psychology

Due to the dreadful impacts that World War II has left on humanity,

psychology shifted into a scientific field focusing exclusively on healing

damage (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). This phenomenon lead

to the emerging need for a new approach, since thriving and

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improvement of individuals cannot happen as long as attention is aimed

at negative aspects of life (Sheldon and King, 2001). Seligman and

Csikszentmihalyi (2000) proposed a solution for the issue and therefore

positive psychology appeared. The purpose of this new field is to

identify and develop the strongest qualities of an individual and

promote mental health (Antoine, Dauvier, Andreotti and Congard,

2018). On the contrary, Gable and Haidt (2005) argued that positive

psychology tends to neglect the opportunity of comforting suffering, as

it only focuses on character strengths. Seligman, Steen, Park and

Peterson (2005) recognised this problem and encouraged positive

psychologists to grant support for working on instabilities as well. Thus,

Sheldon and King (2001) claimed that psychology itself should have

originally consisted of all the practices that positive psychology offers

nowadays. Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) stated that positive

psychology can be applied on both individual and group level in order to

attain a happier life. Consequently, a great number of researchers

studied the applications of positive psychology and confirmed the

effectiveness of positive interventions in various areas including

education (Seligman et al., 2005), health care (Flink, Smeets, Bergbom

and Peters, 2015) and hospitality (Paul and Garg, 2014).

2.1.2 Positive organisational behaviour

The purpose of studying organisational behaviour (OB) in the workplace

is to understand the interconnection between individuals and groups

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(Cole, 1995). However, in the past century OB appeared to focus

exclusively on detecting errors and fixing weaknesses amongst

employees. Bakker and Schaufeli (2008) argued that organizations

cannot flourish unless they implement a radical change in their

practices. In addition, Turner, Barling and Zacharatos (2002) explained

that apart from leading to burnout, neglecting the psychological well-

being of employees can deteriorate their physical health as well which

affects work effectiveness. Likewise, Luthans (2002a) pointed out that

positive feelings were sought in OB, as their connection to performance

enhancement was evident. Hence, positive organisational behaviour

(POB) offered a solution for the arising demand for developing character

strengths at work (Luthans, 2002b). According to Luthans (2002a), POB

is “the study and application of positively oriented human resource

strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed,

and effectively managed for performance improvement in today’s

workplace” (p. 59). Thus, the attention of POB is on advancing

capacities that are conveniently adaptable and therefore easy to change

(Saks and Gruman, 2011). This approach underlines the need for a

more thorough application of positive states of people within the

company, which are also known as psychological capital (PsyCap)

(Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). PsyCap can be defined as the return on

investment to create competitive advantage (Luthans and Youssef,

2004). It consists of four major competencies: confidence, optimism,

resilience, and hope. Luthans, Youssef and Avolio (2007) stressed that

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even though various factors affect the psychological state of a person,

the focus of POB is on the above-mentioned capacities of PsyCap, as

they can be measured and enhanced through training and coaching.

Luthans (2002b) stated that flourishing these states can be beneficial

for performance management, leadership development and employee

improvement. Furthermore, Luthans, Luthans and Luthans (2004)

added that developing PsyCap requires little to no monetary

investments, yet it notably improves work effectiveness, which is

essential for gaining competitive advantage. In opposition, Fineman

(2006) argued that the polarity and perceived value of emotions heavily

depend on culture, therefore POB is not suitable for all organizations.

Similarly, Judge, Klinger, Simon and Yang (2008) stated that while

measuring PsyCap competencies, employees might fake the level of

their states to improve the results. As a consequence, organizations

should be cautious when applying POB and assess all possible

inaccuracies.

2.1.3 JD-R model of work engagement

Employee engagement is an essential feature of thriving organizations

(Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). As engaged associates are more

committed to the company, they undeniably put more effort in

achieving organisational accomplishments which leads to higher

performance (Rothbard and Patil, 2011). Hence, engagement is a

crucial instrument for acquiring competitive advantage (Anitha, 2014).

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Slatten and Mehmetoglu (2011) added that due to their direct

connection with guests, engaged employees should be the most vital

assets of hospitality organizations. There has been a great number of

research done on examining the working environment in relation with

engagement (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner and Schaufeli, 2001;

Macey and Schneider, 2008; Kang and Busser, 2018). Demerouti et al.

(2001) developed a model which classifies the features of the working

environment into two categories; job demands require psychological or

physical effort from the associates, whereas job resources, such as

autonomy, performance appraisal or coaching offer support in

accomplishing work achievements. Based on their work, Bakker and

Demerouti (2008) educed the job demand-resources (JD-R) model of

work engagement.

Figure 1. The JD-R model of work engagement (Bakker and Demerouti,

2008; reproduced from Demerouti et al., 2001)

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The model illustrates the relation between job resources and

engagement. It is assumed that even if the extent of job demands is

significant, provided resources lead to enhanced engagement which

eventually results in higher performance (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007).

It is also indicated that better performing employees are able to

generate the resources they need on their own, which results in a

continuous cycle between resources and performance (Bakker and

Demerouti, 2008). However, apart from job resources the authors

added a category for personal resources. This consists of optimism,

self-efficacy, resilience, and self-esteem – the main competencies of

psychological capital. Hence, it is indicated that PsyCap indeed has

positive impacts on engagement (Kang and Busser, 2018). Similarly, as

Rothbard and Patil (2011) claim that work engagement is more of a

psychological state rather than a behavioural outcome, it can be

enhanced by developing the psychological capital of employees (Vohra

and Goel, 2009). Furthermore, Bakker and Schaufeli (2008) argued that

the application of POB practices in order to provide sufficient job

resources overrides even a tremendous volume of job demands.

Nevertheless, Schaufeli and Taris (2014) proposed a critical assessment

of the JD-R model. They stated that the nature of resources and

demands is not obvious in every situation. Crawford, LePine and Rich

(2010) found that employees might consider the challenges of job

demands a motivating factor for engagement. In addition, as the JD-R

17
model can only be applied on an individual level, an adjustment for

examining teamwork engagement is recommended (Schaufeli and Taris,

2014).

2.1.4 Customer loyalty

In the accelerated world of the 21st century, retaining customer loyalty

is more essential for businesses than ever (Gremler and Brown, 1996;

Jones and Taylor, 2007). Jones and Taylor (2012) identified the practice

of repurchasing services or goods as a behavioural indicator of loyalty.

Thus, if companies manage to satisfy customer needs continually,

higher profit is expected to be generated (Trasorras, Weinstein and

Abratt, 2009). Likewise, Chiou and Droge (2013) argued that attaining

new guests consumes a significantly high amount of money and effort

of the companies, therefore positive word of mouth by loyal guests can

decrease the extent of investment of the mentioned resources. When it

comes to determinants of customer loyalty, several elements are

recognised. Harter, Schmidt and Hayes (2002) stated that engaged

employees contribute to increased profit by developing loyal customers.

In addition, Salanova et al. (2005) found that enhanced employee

performance promotes loyalty by providing higher quality of service.

Slatten and Mehmetoglu (2011) also supported this claim by examining

the success of highly performing frontline employees on interpersonal

connections with guests. Similarly, Jones and Taylor (2012) proved that

positive interactions between associates and guests contribute to

18
 establishing loyalty. Kumar (2002) indicated that loyalty can also be

positively linked to the degree of satisfaction perceived by customers,

which is affected by the level of employee performance.

Based on the above-mentioned findings, the following model illustrates

the relation between employee performance, service quality, customer

satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Employee Service Customer Customer

Performance Quality Satisfaction Loyalty

Figure 2. Performance-loyalty chain model (Adapted from Anderson and

Mittal, 2000)

The figure indicates that employee performance has significant impacts

on service quality; the higher the performance, the more outstanding

the service will be anticipated by guests. Likewise, the quality of service

received leads to increased customer satisfaction, with great emphasis

on interpersonal connections. As a consequence, satisfied consumers

are likely to commit to the organization and become loyal. Hence,

acquiring guest loyalty is a process in which the steps follow each other

in a linear way. On the contrary, Ruyter and Bloemer (1999) stated that

when the perceived value of purchase is high and positive connection

between employee and guest is evident, satisfaction does not appear to

be an influencing factor on loyalty. This may indicate that customer

19
satisfaction is not recognized to be present between service quality and

customer loyalty. However, several studies (Anderson and Mittal, 2000;

Yu and Dean, 2001; Kumar, 2002) justify the fact that customer

satisfaction is a result of high service quality, therefore its position in

the performance-loyalty chain is relevant. In addition, Kandampully,

Zhang and Bilgihan (2014) argue that the connection between customer

satisfaction and loyalty is the strongest within the hospitality industry,

thus it is vital that these organisations focus on satisfying their guests if

they wish to maintain brand loyalty.

2.2 Review of existing empirical research

2.2.1 Impacts of POB on employee engagement

Despite the fair amount of theoretical evidence for the relation between

POB and employee engagement, the number of empirical research done

on testing the hypothesis is limited. In order to examine the relation

between positive mood and work engagement, Albrecht (2013)

surveyed employees in different positions within different sectors. He

found that positive mood as a psychological state plays a mediating role

between job resources in the JD-R model and employee engagement.

This indicates that applying POB practices to ensure a common positive

mood for employees is beneficial for the company. Similarly, when

examining Korean employees in different industries, Joo, Lim and Kim

(2015) learnt that employee empowerment mediates the effect of

PsyCap on employee engagement. As a consequence, PsyCap can serve

20
as a measuring instrument for empowering employees in order to

enhance engagement. Pouramini and Fayyazi (2015) studied the extent

PsyCap impacts both employees and managers in the public sector in

Iran. They confirmed that fostering positive emotions positively affected

organisational citizenship behaviour, therefore indicating that optimistic

employees are more engaged and perform better in the workplace. In

addition, Grover, Teo, Pick, Roche and Newton (2018) examined how

PsyCap affects the working environment based on the JD-R model in

the Australian nursing industry. They found that the further

psychological capital is enhanced, the less burdening employees will

perceive job demands (stress, emotional and physical pressure). This

signifies the importance of developing PsyCap, as it can minimise the

possibilities of burnout and increase efficiency. Likewise, Luthans, Avolio,

Avey and Norman (2007) observed the effects of PsyCap competencies

(confidence, optimism, resilience, and hope) on employee engagement.

They sampled American students involved in management courses and

full-time employees in the service and technology industry. Based on

their findings, they concluded that PsyCap itself as a capacity has

greater influence on engagement than the competencies individually.

Therefore, it is suggested that organizations focus on developing all

competencies equally, even if one is stronger than the other in an

employee.

However, Youssef and Luthans (2007) came to a different conclusion. In

their research, they measured to what extent PsyCap competencies

21
affect commitment. They found that only hope and resilience

demonstrate significant contribution to engagement. They explained

this result by assuming that organisational commitment and enhanced

performance anticipate hope, resilience, and optimism, rather than the

other way around. Nonetheless, while surveying Indian employees in

the banking and insurance sector, Jena, Pradhan and Panigrahy (2018)

discovered that though psychological well-being of associates

contributes to engagement, it is not necessarily a result of POB, but a

state that depends on the mentality of the individual. Therefore, the

necessity of POB application in order to promote engagement might be

debatable. Drawing on the previously mentioned results, the author of

this research concludes that even though POB is proven not to be the

only enhancing factor for employee engagement, organizations indeed

should take its application into account, considering the numerous

positive outcomes it offers.

2.2.2 The relation between employee engagement and

customer loyalty

Even though customer loyalty is a greatly researched topic, the number

of studies measuring loyalty as a result of employee engagement is

scant. Salanova et al. (2005) examined the nature of the relation

between employee engagement and customer loyalty. They surveyed

both employees and customers in various hotels and restaurants. Based

on their findings they concluded that by providing job resources and

22
enhancing engagement, employees create a distinguished service

climate which promotes customer loyalty as a consequence. In addition,

Chang (2016) conducted a similar study within Taiwanese hot spring

resorts, confirming that an engaged service scape indeed establishes

satisfactory emotions of customers which positively influences their

buying intentions. Moreover, Gracia et al. (2013) analysed the Spanish

hospitality sector. They found that improving the workplace quality

positively impacts employee engagement which contributes to acquiring

guest loyalty. Therefore, POB and the JD-R model not only support

employee engagement but indirectly predict customer loyalty.

Additionally, Jones and Taylor (2012) observed that an outcome of

employee engagement is the increased tendency to create interpersonal

connections. According to their study, this is a motivating factor for

customers to commit to a certain organization, therefore employees

should pay a great amount of attention on cultivating relationships with

guests. Nevertheless, Kumar, Batista and Maull (2011) came to a more

intense conclusion. When they surveyed a telecommunication company

in the UK, they found that if engagement is not present within

employees, performance is likely to decrease which leaves a negative

effect on customer loyalty. In addition, Kumar and Pansari (2015)

studied various firms throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

After implementing interventions enhancing employee satisfaction and

commitment, the majority of the companies showed profit increase in

the following period. They also found that the higher level of employee

23
engagement a company reached, the more revenue they earned. This

indicates that enhancing employee engagement is not only an idealistic

suggestion, but a proved convenience. Hence, providing resources for

employee engagement is a crucial aspect for organizations.

However, customer loyalty is not solely dependent on employee

performance. Kaura, Prasad and Sharma (2015) proved that the buying

intention of customers is affected by different aspects such as price,

product convenience, loyalty programs, brand experience and service

quality. Therefore, it is indicated that even though employee

engagement positively affects customer loyalty, there are other

contributing factors that companies should not neglect, as loyalty is a

result of various aspects taken into consideration. Despite the

reasonably insufficient empirical evidence for the connection between

employee engagement and distinguished guest loyalty, based on the

previously mentioned findings, the author of this research believes that

engaged employees are indeed vital for developing loyal customers.

Hence, organizations should pay attention to providing sufficient

resources for enhancing engagement as the outcomes undoubtedly

exceed the investments.

2.3 Background to the primary research context

The author of this paper decided to investigate the five-star hotel

segment in Budapest, Hungary, therefore the Budapest Marriott Hotel

will serve as the research site. An increasing tendency can be observed

24
when it comes to Hungarian tourism, therefore the development of the

hospitality segment is justifiable in the region (MTU, 2018). The reason

for conducting this research in the capital city is that Budapest attracts

most of both domestic and foreign visitors in the country (Győrffy,

2017). According to Wu and Liang (2009), five-star hotels promise

excellent quality of service which captivate a great number of

customers. Additionally, Kara, Uysal and Magnini (2011) claimed that

five-star hotels are likely to operate with a higher number of employees

and customer loyalty is more evident, which facilitates the data

collection of this study.

In order to limit the scope of the study, the author decided to focus on

one particular property. The five-star Budapest Marriott Hotel is situated

in one of the most treasured landmarks of the capital. It is located on

the banks of the Danube, offering a breath-taking view of the castle

district and the river itself (Marriott, 2019a). All of the 364 recently

redesigned and renovated rooms present panorama view of the heart of

the city, and the property has two stylish restaurants – the DNB

Budapest and the Liz and Chain Bistro – that welcome hotel guests and

locals as well (Hotel-Ds.com, 2019). Marriott Budapest is also

nominated as Hungary’s Leading Hotel every year since 2007 (World

Travel Awards, 2019).

As part of Marriott International, organisational behaviour practices of

the Marriott Budapest Hotel are influenced by the core values of the

international corporation itself. John Willard Marriott established the

25
fundamentals of the biggest hotel chain in the world in 1927, which was

reinforced by his son, Bill Marriott who became the GM of the first

Marriott hotel and the CEO of the company (Marriott, 2019c). The well-

being of employees has always been a primary concern of the

organisation, which is also reflected in two of their five core values

(Leisure Jobs, 2019). Firstly, putting people first reflects the principle

that employees must be the ones primarily taken care of by the

company to be able to foster high quality service for guests. Secondly,

embrace change refers to the notion of always thriving to be better

(Marriott, 2019b). It is supported by an extensive portfolio which is

available for Marriott associates for training and development in all

positions (HM, 2010). By combining these two assumptions it can be

concluded that valuing employee engagement is embedded into the

organisational culture of Marriott International, which creates desirable

circumstances for practicing POB. In addition, empirical evidence also

supports this claim. Chiang (2010) founds that managing the

organisation according to the core values of Marriott International

enhances the working environment which leads to employee satisfaction

and commitment. The reason for by choosing the Budapest Marriott

Hotel is to examine whether the organisational behaviour of the hotel

reflects these values on a daily basis, ensuring a favourable

environment for applying POB practices.

Based on the above-mentioned aspects, the researcher assumes that

the Marriott Budapest Hotel is an appropriate place for conducting the

26
research, as studying both employees and customers of the property

contributes to understanding the relation between POB and employee

engagement in relation with customer loyalty.

27
Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Research aim and objectives

The aim of this research paper is to investigate the effects of positive

organisational behaviour practices on employees’ engagement and

performance in relation with customer loyalty in the Budapest Marriott

Hotel.

In order to support this aim, the following objectives have to be

achieved:

• To identify the factors leading to employee engagement and

performance.

• To analyse the effects of positive organisational behaviour

practices on these factors.

To critically assess the findings as means of identifying the relation

between positive organisational behaviour and customer loyalty, based

on how it affects employee engagement and performance in the

Budapest Marriott Hotel.

3.2 Research approach

In order to achieve the determined aim and objectives, the author

decided to apply a qualitative approach. According to Jackson,

Drummond and Camara (2007), this method allows the researcher to

understand the experiences of human beings in an interpretive and

thorough way, which reflects the intentions of this study. Similarly,

28
Denzin and Lincoln (2011) argued that qualitative research examines

the perceptions, behaviours and attitudes of participants which is in line

with the previously mentioned objectives. Moreover, studies examining

the service industry need to be flexible to adapt to the fast changing

pace of the business environment, for which reason a qualitative

approach is not only an adequate, but a recommended choice (Johns

and Lee-ross, 2004). Furthermore, there has been a significant number

of quantitative research done on employee engagement and guest

loyalty (Salanova et al., 2005; Gracia et al., 2015; Jones and Taylor,

2012), therefore the author intends to contribute to a more

comprehensive understanding of the incidents being studied by

investigating the perceptions of the participants in-depth. In addition,

Flick (2009) argued that the validity of quantitative research involving

psychological indicators of behaviour is doubtful, as it tends not to

express the relation between the experience and its consequences of

people, which is an essential aspect for this study.

3.3 Sampling

Marshall and Rossman (2006) defined population as the group of

individuals the study can be conducted on. The population of this

research consists of the employees and customers of the Budapest

Marriott Hotel. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009) state that in order

to decrease the amount of data available for a given research, a

sampling technique is advised to be applied to the population of the

29
study. In addition, Vanderstoep and Johnston (2009) argue that since

processing the data collected in a qualitative approach takes a

considerable amount of time, using a smaller sample size is reasonable.

As the population of this research must meet certain criteria, the author

decided to apply non-probability sampling. Saunders et al. (2009)

describe this technique to be used in cases where not every member of

the population is suitable to be included in answering the question of

the study. In order to collect relevant data, homogeneous purposive

sampling will be carried out in this research. This approach enables the

author to objectively select the samples based on shared attributes and

characteristics, which would not be represented equally in the whole

population (Tongco, 2007). In this research, employees must work

directly with guests and have been staying with the organisation for

more than a year in order to be eligible for participating. Similarly, the

study will involve recurring guests to the above-mentioned property

who appear to be loyal to the given brand.

3.4 Data collection

In order to achieve the set objectives of this study, semi-structured

interviews will be conducted, which facilitates a more in-depth

understanding of the views and experiences of participants, as it

provides a framework to stay within the research context, yet leaves

room for interpretation (Saunders et al., 2009; Marshall and Rossman,

2006) (see Appendix I). The author decided to interview five employees

30
and five guests that are eligible for the study based on the criteria

mentioned before. These interviews will be executed on a one-to-one

and face-to-face basis, in a separated but common area of the hotel.

The reason for this decision is to ensure a quiet, yet comfortable

atmosphere for participants and eliminate possible distracting factors to

be able to provide relevant and honest answers. Before each session,

the participants will be briefed about the purpose of the research, the

procedure of the interviews and the rights that they possess during

their involvement within the study. They will be asked to sign a written

document about their agreement of voluntary participation and

permission for video recording the interview process (see Appendix II

and III). The latter is an essential tool for analysing the data gathered,

since it allows the researcher to re-examine the mentioned experiences

which facilitates the coding process (Saunders and Lewis, 2012).

3.5 Data analysis

After all expected interviews are completed, it is vital to organise data

in a systematic manner to be able to analyse them (Mason, 2005).

Saunders et al. (2009) argued that since data in a qualitative research

cannot be as obviously interpreted as those of quantitative studies, a

categorisation of information pieces aids to solve this problem.

Therefore, the author will conduct a thematic data analysis after

transcribing the recordings. Marshall and Rossman (2011) describe this

method as collecting data together based on patterns and clusters that

31
emerge from the coding process. Braun and Clarke (2006) added that

thematic analysis is able to provide detailed record of data yet remains

complex regarding the examined phenomenon. Furthermore, data will

be studied in an inductive approach, as this method allows the

researcher to explore new phenomena emerging from the raw data,

which reflects the purpose of this study (Thomas, 2006).

3.6 Credibility

As per Shenton (2004), the trustworthiness of qualitative research may

be assessed based on four criteria: credibility, confirmability,

dependability, and transferability.

Credibility indicates that the data gathered from responders is relevant

and reflects the intentions of the study (Miles and Huberman, 1994).

Similarly, Johns and Lee-Ross (2004) explain that the researcher’s

understanding of the results must be acknowledged by other

researchers and professionals in the industry. Marshall and Rossman

(2006) add that this can be achieved by establishing appropriate

limitations concerning the theoretical framework, population, and

design of the study. To achieve this, the author will ensure that

responders are guided to stay within the setting of the study. Moreover,

Shenton (2004) argues that since credibility is the most essential

criterion of guaranteeing trustworthiness, researchers should acquire

certain procedures from previous studies that were considered

32
successful. Therefore, the author intends to develop the interviewing

process based on similar research.

3.7 Confirmability

Confirmability indicates that the results of the study are objective (Miles

and Huberman, 1994), and do not reflect the views of the author

(Marshall and Rossman, 2006). This can be ensured by having an

external researcher evaluating the context of the findings (Erlandson et

al., 1993). In order to provide confirmability, the author of this research

intends to invite an expert in the field to read the study before

publishing it. Furthermore, Johns and Lee-Ross (2004) added that the

ability to achieve identical findings in similar research contexts ensures

confirmability. By comparing the results of this research with related

ones the author expects that the findings are in line with previous

studies within the topic. In addition, an audit trail will be provided that

reflects the processes of the research and ensures that results are

derived from participants and not the researcher (Cutcliffe and McKenna,

(2004).

3.8 Dependability

Dependability implies the consistency of the study (Miles and Huberman,

1994). This refers to getting very similar results after repeating the

same research within the same settings and the same participants

(Shenton, 2004). Furthermore, the findings of the study must

33
contribute to predictions of related concepts (Johns and Lee-Ross,

2004). As this research is more concerned with the behavioural

indicators of responders rather than their emotional status, the results

might differ less significantly if conducted a second time, since

behaviour is less likely to radically change (Michie, Hyder, Walia and

West, 2011).

3.9 Transferability

Transferability suggests whether the study can be conducted in a

different environment with different participants, indicating similar

results (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper and Allen, 1993). Johns and Lee-

Ross (2004) add that the findings of the study should be applicable to

alternative situations. However, Marshall and Rossman (2006) point out

that generalising the results of a qualitative study is in contrast with its

original intentions. This problem may be solved by focusing on the

theoretical framework instead. This research provides the base for

similar future studies examining positive psychology, employee

engagement and customer loyalty.

3.10 Ethical issues

Saunders et al. (2009) argue that any research should take possible

ethical issues into consideration, as they can affect the study at any

stage. According to Erlandson et al. (1993), privacy and confidentiality

must be granted for all participants at all times. Similarly, even though

34
psychological indicators of participants are to be discovered, the author

will make sure that no self-esteem or dignity is harmed by discharging

sensitive questions. In addition, the researcher must ensure that the

data collected is to be used for the purpose of the research only and will

not be provided to third parties under any circumstances (Miles and

Huberman, 1994; Mason, 2005). Apart from these practices, the author

will also make sure that responses happen thoroughly on a voluntary

basis.

3.11 Limitations

As per Marshall and Rossman (2006), there is no perfect research

design. Therefore, the limitations of this study must be acknowledged.

First, it is essential to point out that the data of this research is more

difficult to analyse compared to a quantitative approach, since the

findings are not mathematical results (Vanderstoep and Johnston,

2009). In addition, the transcription of the data collected is noticeably

time consuming, therefore the sample size is relatively small. Similarly,

Saunders et al. (2009) mention that purposive sampling might not

represent the total population. Moreover, this study was conducted only

in Budapest Marriott Hotel, therefore the findings cannot be generalised

for the whole industry. Lastly, the interviews will be carried out in

English due to the high international rate within the hospitality sector in

Hungary. However, English is not the mother tongue for all employees

and customers, therefore responders might not be able to express their

35
thoughts and views as they would, which can generate misleading

results.

36
Chapter 4: Discussion

The following chapter provides a comprehensive discussion of the three

objectives that have been previously determined in order to examine

the impacts that POB practices have on employee engagement and how

this affects developing loyal customers in the Budapest Marriott Hotel.

4.1 To identify the factors leading to employee engagement

and performance

Identifying the importance of an engaged workplace, Bakker and

Demerouti (2008) developed the JD-R model of work engagement

which categorises the features of the working environment into

motivating and blocking factors. According to Demerouti et al. (2001),

engagement can be enhanced by providing job resources, such as

autonomy, coaching, and performance appraisal, which results in

increased performance. Based on the model and the findings of

Salanova et al. (2005) examining the impact of job resources in the

hotel sector, it can be derived that employee engagement and

performance in the Budapest Marriott Hotel may be positively affected

when organisational support for training is present. This assumption is

also supported by the company’s principle of valuing employees by

providing various training and coaching possibilities, which is

implemented into the organisational culture of all hotels belonging to

Marriott International (Marriott, 2019b). In addition, as Chiang (2010)

proved that the core values of Marriott contribute to fostering a

37
favourable working environment, it can be expected that the

organisational behaviour of the Budapest Marriott Hotel provides job

resources, such as coaching and performance appraisal that may lead

to employee engagement and increased performance.

Moreover, Bakker and Demerouti (2008) highlighted that personal

resources, such as self-efficacy, optimism and self-resilience also

enhance engagement. Based on the findings of various authors

examining engagement (Luthans et al., 2007; Grover et al., 2018), it is

argued that an individual’s psychological state is also a determinant,

which is expected to be applicable to the employees of the Budapest

Marriott Hotel as well. This assumption is supported by the work of

Luthans et al. (2007) arguing that PsyCap competencies lead to

increased engagement and performance in the service industry.

Furthermore, relying on the theory that engagement is a psychological

state and not a behavioural outcome (Rothbard and Patil, 2011), it is

suggested that providing support for fostering psychological capabilities

in the Budapest Marriott Hotel can increase engagement.

However, it is essential to mention that according to Crawford et al.

(2010), engagement does not solely rely on job and personal resources,

as some employees may consider job demands as a motivating factor to

increase performance, which might be applicable to the Budapest

Marriott Hotel as well. Nevertheless, even if engagement can be

enhanced by alternative methods, based on the previous arguments it

can be assumed that focusing on providing resources undeniably

38
favours the company, as various authors proved its benefits throughout

various industries, including hospitality.

Drawing a conclusion from the above-mentioned factors, it is

recommended that the Budapest Marriott Hotel aims to support

employees by enhancing both job and personal resources in order to

facilitate and maintain an engaged workforce and therefore increase

performance.

4.2 To analyse the effects of positive organisational

behaviour practices on these factors

The fundamentals of POB rely on the principle that companies must

focus on enhancing positive attributes of employees instead of fixing

weaknesses in order to maintain long-term success (Bakker and

Schaufeli, 2008). As Albrecht (2013) argued that a sustained positive

atmosphere enhances the job resources of the working environment, it

is expected that if POB practices are granted in the Budapest Marriott

Hotel, job resources are affected in a positive manner. In addition, this

suggestion is supported by the study of Joo, Lim and Kim (2015), who

found that focusing on strengths and positive emotions of employees

promotes empowerment and autonomy, which inevitably increases

engagement. Therefore, it can be assumed that by focusing on fostering

the positive attributes of employees, the Budapest Marriott Hotel can

provide enhanced job resources that contribute to engagement and

performance.

39
As identified in the previous paragraph, personal resources also affect

engagement. As it offers a positive approach towards employee

management, the impacts of POB practices are most notable when

assessing personal resources (Luthans and Youssef, 2004). Kang and

Busser (2018) noted that these capabilities (optimism, resilience, and

self-confidence) are components of PsyCap, which is the main focus of

POB to develop. Hence, based on this claim and the work of Pouramini

and Fayyazi (2015) confirming that a positive approach towards

individuals fosters psychological capital, it is assumed that companies

that apply POB practices are more likely to provide support for personal

resources which is essential for engagement. In addition, it is also

assumed that the organisational culture of the Budapest Marriott Hotel

enables the company to implement POB practices, since caring for

employees in all manners is an essential feature of the company

(Marriott, 2019b).

On the other hand, Jena et al. (2018) came to a conclusion that

engagement is affected by the mentality of the employee which is not

likely to be subject to environmental impacts, therefore POB is not

inevitable for the Budapest Marriott Hotel to acquire a more engaged

workforce.

However, given the previously mentioned arguments, it can be derived

that applying POB practices in the workplace have undeniably positive

effects on both job and personal resources that lead to engagement and

performance. Therefore, it is advisable that the Budapest Marriott Hotel

40
focuses on fostering an organisational behaviour that embraces a

positive approach for developing strengths and capabilities of

employees in order to promote an engaged workforce.

4.3 To critically assess the findings as means of identifying

the relation between positive organisational behaviour and

customer loyalty, based on how it affects employee

engagement and performance in the Budapest Marriott

Hotel

In order to emphasize the importance of acquiring an engaged

workforce by applying POB practices, the effectiveness of this approach

is measured by examining its contribution to increasing the level of

customer loyalty, since it is an essential indicator for long-term success

of hospitality businesses (Jones and Taylor, 2007). According to

Anderson and Mittal (2000), various factors contribute to developing

loyalty, such as employee performance, service quality and guest

satisfaction that companies must grant. However, it is suggested that

employee engagement is able to provide the majority of these factors at

the same time, therefore loyalty may be most effectively influenced by

a committed workplace (Gracia et al., 2013). Based on these arguments

and the findings of the previous paragraph establishing the link between

POB and work engagement, it is advised that the Budapest Marriott

Hotel invests in fostering a positive working environment that supports

41
character development in order to gain an increasing number of loyal

customers.

Moreover, the JD-R model of Bakker and Demerouti (2008) indicates

that engaged employees with increased performance are able to

contribute to providing the job and personal resources for themselves,

resulting in an ongoing and advantageous cycle between resources and

engagement. Therefore, it is assumed that POB is an approach that

cultivates a working environment in which support for development is

not only given by the company but is also generated by employees

themselves. This argument may justify the significance of applying POB

practices in the Budapest Marriott Hotel, since this approach aims to

sustain long-lasting relations with loyal customers by enhancing

employee engagement.

Given the findings of this research, it can be derived that POB enhances

acquiring devoted customers, since it caters a positive and supportive

environment that fosters engagement, which inevitably favours

establishing loyalty (Jones and Taylor, 2012). Therefore, it is

recommended that the Budapest Marriott Hotel thrives to maintain a

working environment that promotes engagement by developing the

positive attributes of employees, since the results indicate that POB is

not only an appealing humanitarian approach towards employee

management but also an effective and profitable solution that

contributes to long-term and sustained success.

42
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations

5.1 Conclusion

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which positive

psychology applied to organisational behaviour affects employee

engagement and performance by assessing the degree of customer

loyalty towards the company. Even though positive psychology is a

relatively new scientific field (Donaldson et al., 2014), a fair number of

authors began to understand the need for this approach (Seligman and

Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Sheldon and King, 2001). Similarly, Luthans

(2002a) stressed that focusing on positive feelings and developing

character strengths apart from fixing weaknesses increase employee

performance, therefore POB is essential to gain competitive advantage.

The recent study also investigates the factors contributing to employee

engagement. This objective can be achieved by examining the JD-R

model of work engagement (Bakker and Demerouti, 2008), as it

provides a clear understanding about the subject. It is suggested that

once job and personal resources are provided, they lead to enhanced

work engagement and performance, even if job demands are

overwhelming (Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). Hence, the available

empirical evidence not only confirms the relation between POB and

employee engagement but justifies the importance of applying positive

psychology in organisations (Albrecht, 2013; Luthans et al, 2007;

Bakker and Demerouti, 2008).

43
Furthermore, this study aims to reveal the connection between

employee engagement and customer loyalty. This can be accomplished

by investigating the performance-loyalty chain model (adapted from

Anderson and Mittal, 2000). It is indicated that enhanced employee

performance results in customer loyalty by improving service quality

and therefore creating customer satisfaction (Kumar, 2002; Slatten and

Mehmetoglu, 2011). Hence, a higher level of customer loyalty can be

achieved by implementing POB to promote employee engagement.

In order to expand on the literature, the author conducted a qualitative

research applying semi-structured interviews. Respondents consisted of

frontline employees and returning customers of the Budapest Marriott

Hotel, Hungary. Based on the findings of this study supported by the

existing literature, the author concludes that when positive psychology

practices are applied to the organisational behaviour of a company,

employee engagement and performance is promoted which eventually

leads to a higher level of loyalty of customers.

5.2 Recommendations

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of POB

practices on employees’ engagement and performance in relation with

customer loyalty in the Budapest Marriott Hotel. Based on the findings

discussed in chapter 4, various managerial implementations are

suggested for hospitality organisations. As this research contributes to

understanding the importance of utilizing POB within organisations, it is

44
recommended that companies focus on enhancing positive attributes of

employees in order to promote engagement and performance (Albrecht,

2013). In addition, the study also highlights the positive relation

between an engaged workforce and customer loyalty, therefore

companies are advised to consider engagement as a facilitating factor

for developing devoted guests (Gracia et al., 2013). By acknowledging

the benefits of POB, a great number of hospitality organisations may

comprehend the significance of such approach in order to gain

competitive advantage.

However, as Fineman (2006) argued that POB may not be applicable in

certain cultures, it is recommended to seek for an alternative solution

for applying positive psychology practices in companies. As a

suggestion, it is advised to shift attention from psychological capacities

to strength-based development. By assessing how the advancement of

the already dominating skills of individuals contribute to enhancing

engagement and performance, the need for a positive approach

amongst employee development may be further justified.

Furthermore, when investigating the benefits that companies might

acquire when implementing POB practices, the focus of this study was

particularly aimed at gaining customer loyalty. Therefore, in order to

acquire a more comprehensive picture about the value of POB and its

relation to engagement for a firm, other corporate aspects are

recommended to be examined as a favourable outcome. Therefore,

future studies are advised to assess the extent POB influences

45
employee turnover as it may provide supporting evidence for the need

for a positive approach in human resources management. In addition to

this, cost efficiency might also be looked at as an outcome of enhanced

employee engagement by POB. This way, the positive impacts of POB

practices in the workplace may be further reinforced by providing a

thorough overview about the benefits of focusing on the strengths and

psychological capacities of employees.

Since this research is the first example for investigating the relation

between positive psychology, employee engagement and customer

loyalty with a qualitative method, future studies should focus on

conducting a similar approach in order to validate the results. It is

recommended that researchers collect data by interviews, since this

method allows the researcher to explore the deeper feelings and views

of the responders (Johns and Lee-Ross, 2004). Nevertheless, as this

study used a non-probability purposive sampling, it is suggested to

apply random sampling techniques in the future, since the results are

more likely to represent the views of the whole population of the

research.

In addition, this study was conducted in the Budapest Marriott Hotel

only. Therefore, further research should examine other businesses in

other countries, such as restaurants, cruise lines and the airline sector

in order to get a more coherent knowledge about the benefits of

positive organisational behaviour within the hospitality industry.

46
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Appendices

Appendix I: Questions used during semi-structured interviews

Questions used to interview employees

Theoretical Follow up questions (if

Question
aspect needed)
Tell me a little about What is your position? When
Warm-up yourself as an employee in did you start working? Why
1. question the Budapest Marriott did you choose this hotel?
Hotel.
Positive psychology is a Do you find this approach
relatively new scientific attractive? Do you agree that
Positive field that promotes developing strengths is more
psychology developing strength instead valuable and profitable than
2. of fixing weaknesses. What fixing weaknesses?
is your opinion about this?
Positive organisational Do you find promoting
behaviour promotes that strengths supporting in your
positivity should be organisation? Do you feel
emphasized at the more motivated if you are
POB
workplace too when it praised about your positive
comes to employee attributes? Do you feel
3. development. What do you comfortable in such an
think about this approach? environment?
Do you find autonomy, To what extent do they affect
performance appraisal, and you? How do you feel when
4. Job resources
coaching supportive when these aspects are provided?
it comes to doing your job?
Do you think that your Do these capabilities
level of optimism, self- influence you? Do you feel
Personal efficacy, hope, and more motivated when the
resources resilience is contributing to level of these competencies
5. fulfilling your job well? is high? Do you rely on these
competencies in your work?
Authors stress the Do you find it supporting if
importance of developing the company developed your
an employee’s psychological capital? Do you
PsyCap
psychological capital: think the Budapest Marriott
competencies
consisting of confidence, Hotel should invest in
6. optimism, resilience, and developing these aspects?
hope. Do you agree?
Do you find work pressure To what extend do these
or emotional, mental, and aspects influence you? In
physical demands at your what ways?
Job demands
workplace as a blocking
7. factor to commit yourself
to your work?
What makes you engage What are the factors
with your work? boosting your engagement?
Work Do you find the previously
engagement discussed job resources and
8. psychological capabilities
influencing?

66
 It is argued that enhanced
work engagement leads to
increased performance.
What is your opinion about
Work it?
performance
9.
Would you like to suggest
anything that the Budapest
Marriott Hotel should do
Recommendation regarding the previously
mentioned aspects?
10.
Have you ever experienced
it? What do you consider that
increases your performance
at work? Do you think that
focusing on positive
attributes of employees in
the Budapest Marriott Hotel
is able to promote
engagement and therefore
performance?
Would you recommend
further improvements of POB
practices in the organisation?
What support would you
need from the company to
promote your engagement
further on?

Questions used to interview guests

Follow up questions (if

aspect Question
needed)
1. Tell me about your How would you rate the
Warm-up perception of the Budapest hotel? How are the facilities?
question Marriott Hotel. Do you consider it valuable
for price?
2. Factors of
Please elaborate what What are the circumstances
motivated you to return to of your return? Are your
developing
the property more than stays business or leisure
loyalty
once after the first visit. oriented?
3. How does an engaged Do you spot engaged
employee affect your employees? Do you think
Employee
experience as a customer engagement is important in
engagement
at the Budapest Marriott order to provide a valuable
Hotel? quality service?
4. How do you perceive Do you think employee
Employee employee performance in performance contributes to
performance the Budapest Marriott gaining more loyal
Hotel? customers?
5. How do you value the Do you feel that you get
Service quality customer service at the value for your money?
Budapest Marriott Hotel?
6. How satisfied are you with On a scale of 1 to 10, how
the service provided at the much would you rate your
Budapest Marriott Hotel? satisfaction? What are the
Customer factors that influence your
satisfaction satisfaction? Is it linked to
employee engagement,
performance of the service
quality?
7. Do you consider yourself Please explain why. Is it
loyal to the Budapest positively affected by
Loyalty Marriott Hotel? employee engagement,
performance, service quality
and/or your satisfaction

67
 level?
8. Have you ever Please explain why? Why
recommended the not? What would you
WOM Budapest Marriott Hotel to highlight to others regarding
your friends or would you customer service?
do it in the future?
9. Is there anything you What can the company do to
would recommend to the increase customer loyalty?
Budapest Marriott Hotel to
Recommendation
further enhance regarding
the previously discussed
aspects?

68
Appendix II: Participant information sheet

Appendix IIa: Participant information sheet employees

Researcher: Panka Demeter

HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland
Email: panka.demeter@htmi.ch

An investigation of the impact of positive organisational behaviour

practices on employee’s engagement in relation with customer loyalty in
the hospitality industry: a case study of Budapest Marriott Hotel,
Hungary

I am inviting you to cooperate with a student research study. Before

your decision, I would like you to understand the purpose of this
research and your part in it. Please read this paper carefully and feel
free to ask questions regarding anything that is concerning you. Please
note that you have the rights to decide whether you agree to participate,
or no. Thank you.

1. Who am I and what is the purpose of the study?

I am a student from HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute

Switzerland, and this research is part of my assignment for my Bachelor
of Science degree in Hotel and Tourism Management.

2. What will taking part involve?

In the next ca. 30 minutes you will be asked to talk about your
experience as an employee of the Budapest Marriott Hotel. Questions
will be asked about your working environment, how you perceive the
support the organisation provides, what factors affect your engagement
level. In order to allow me to stay objective during the study, the
interview will be video recorded as it enables me to transcribe the data
collected.

3. Why were you chosen to be invited for the study?

You were selected because have been suggested by your manager as a

frontline employee who has been working with the company for more
than a year and therefore is already familiar with the organisational
culture of the Budapest Marriott Hotel.

69
 4. Do you have to take part?

No, participation happens on a completely voluntary basis and you have

the right to withdraw your agreement at any time during the interview
without any explanation which will bring no kind of consequences
whatsoever.

5. What are the possible risk and benefits of participation?

There is no anticipated risk associated to participating in this study. In

case you get uncomfortable at any point during the interview, please let
me know without hesitation.
You can gain a unique experience from this interview, but apart from
this there are no identified benefits of participating.

6. Will taking part be confidential?

Yes, your participation will only be known between you and me. Your
personal details, such as your name or address will not be asked from
you therefore your answers will not be able to be identified during the
data analysis process. Physical evidence of your participation will be
destroyed as soon as the research paper is accepted. No evidence of
your participation will be handed out to a third party, it will only be
known by me.

7. What will happen to the results of the study?

After finishing the research, it will be handed over to the corresponding

academic professors for assessment. The study will only be shared
within the limits of HTMi.

8. Who should you contact for further information?

In case you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Panka
Demeter as the student researcher (panka.demeter@htmi.ch), or Mr.
Peter Robin, the academic tutor of this project (peter.robin@htmi.ch).

Thank you!

70
Appendix IIb: Participant information sheet customers

Researcher: Panka Demeter

HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland
Email: panka.demeter@htmi.ch

An investigation of the impact of positive organisational behaviour

practices on employee’s engagement in relation with customer loyalty in
the hospitality industry: a case study of Budapest Marriott Hotel,
Hungary

I am inviting you to cooperate with a student research study. Before

your decision, I would like you to understand the purpose of this
research and your part in it. Please read this paper carefully and feel
free to ask questions regarding anything that is concerning you. Please
note that you have the rights to decide whether you agree to participate,
or no. Thank you.

1. Who am I and what is the purpose of the study?

I am a student from HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute

Switzerland, and this research is part of my assignment for my Bachelor
of Science degree in Hotel and Tourism Management.

2. What will taking part involve?

In the next ca. 30 minutes you will be asked to talk about your
experience as a returning guest to the Budapest Marriott Hotel.
Questions will be asked about how you perceive employees and the
service quality in the hotel and what motivates you to return to this
property. In order to allow me to stay objective during the study, the
interview will be video recorded as it enables me to transcribe the data
collected.

3. Why were you chosen to be invited for the study?

You were selected because you are a returning guest to the Budapest
Marriott Hotel, which indicates that you value the organisation.

4. Do you have to take part?

71
No, participation happens on a completely voluntary basis and you have
the right to withdraw your agreement at any time during the interview
without any explanation which will bring no kind of consequences
whatsoever.

5. What are the possible risk and benefits of participation?

There is no anticipated risk associated to participating in this study. In

case you get uncomfortable at any point during the interview, please let
me know without hesitation.
You can gain a unique experience from this interview, but apart from
this there are no identified benefits of participating.

6. Will taking part be confidential?

Yes, your participation will only be known between you and me. Your
personal details, such as your name or address will not be asked from
you therefore your answers will not be able to be identified during the
data analysis process. Physical evidence of your participation will be
destroyed as soon as the research paper is accepted. No evidence of
your participation will be handed out to a third party, it will only be
known by me.

7. What will happen to the results of the study?

After finishing the research, it will be handed over to the corresponding

academic professors for assessment. The study will only be shared
within the limits of HTMi.

8. Who should you contact for further information?

In case you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Panka
Demeter as the student researcher (panka.demeter@htmi.ch), or Mr.
Peter Robin, the academic tutor of this project (peter.robin@htmi.ch).

Thank you!

72
Appendix III: Participant consent form

Researcher: Panka Demeter

HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland
Email: panka.demeter@htmi.ch

An investigation of the impact of positive organisational behaviour

practices on employee’s engagement in relation with customer loyalty in
the hospitality industry: a case study of Budapest Marriott Hotel,
Hungary

1. I confirm that I have read and understood the participant

information sheet. I was given the opportunity to carefully assess
my participation and my decision was not influenced by any
external factors.

2. I understand that my participation is completely voluntary, and I

have the right to withdraw from the study at any moment without
explanation and without any consequences.

3. I understand that my answers will not be identified and linked to

me personally during the data analysis process.

4. I understand that I am welcome to contact any person given as

responsible for my study and I have the right to ask to review my
answers at any moment during the research process.

5. I agree to having the interview video recorded for data analysis

purposes.

6. I agree to participate in the study.

_________________________________ ____________ ____________________

Participant name date signature

_________________________________ ____________ ____________________

Researcher name date signature

73