Explore the psychological aspect of employee turnover drivers in the hospitality sector
Csaba Kőmíves, Marcell Kupi, Anne-Marie Lebrun, Marica Mazurek
Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites – Year XIX, vol. 66, no. 2spl, 2026, p.1314-1323
Abstract
The hospitality industry relies heavily on employee satisfaction, which directly influences service quality, guest experience, and long‑term business success, yet workers often face demanding conditions such as irregular schedules, stress, and imited career opportunities. Research shows that supportive leadership, fair working conditions, and development opportunities can significantly improve satisfaction, reduce turnover, and strengthen organisational performance, while customer incivility has been found to harm job satisfaction and increase emotional exhaustion. This study examines the key factors shaping employee satisfaction in the Hungarian hospitality sector, aiming to identify effective practices that can enhance workplace culture and overall employee well‑being. This study aims to explore the indirect psychological factors that influence employees’ length of stay in the hospitality sector, focusing on motivation, organizational culture, and professional development. A questionnaire-based dataset (N = 407) was analyzed using linear regression and K-means cluster analysis to examine how psychological variables predict workplace tenure and identify employee typologies based on turnover tendencies. Motivation and positive organizational culture were strong predictors of long-term employment, while perceived professional development surprisingly correlated with shorter tenure. Three distinct employee clusters were identified with varying retention profiles. The findings provide nuanced insights into the interplay between individual psychological profiles and organizational retention dynamics, highlighting distinct patterns that can inform targeted HR development strategies. Turnover tendencies can be predicted by psychological factors. Tailored retention strategies – based on motivation, development needs, and cultural fit – are recommended to reduce workforce turnover in hospitality settings. Such evidence underscores the importance of integrating psychological profiling into HR decision‑making processes to proactively identify at‑risk employees and strengthen long‑term organizational stability.
Keywords: employee turnover, motivation, organizational culture, hospitality industry, cluster analysis
