African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
AJTHM is a peer-reviewed and open access journal published by the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Cape Coast. The journal seeks to; Publish and disseminate widely, research findings relating to the subjects of Tourism and Hospitality management on Africa or the rest of the world. Promote scholarship and research collaboration among tourism and hospitality academics and professionals on the African continent and beyond. Help bridge the gap between industry and academia by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas between the two entities. Provide an international forum for the discussion of a wide range of applied research relating to tourism and hospitality management in Africa and beyond.
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Cape Coast
ANALYSING DESTINATION IMAGE UNDER HEALTH RISKS IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA IN UGANDA
After COVID-19, health risks have increasingly influenced tourists’ perceptions of destinations, yet research on risks remains limited in emerging tourism markets. This study, mainly guided by the Risk Perception Theory, Protection Motivation Theory and the Cognitive-Affection framework, examined how health risks (disease, food safety, and road accidents) influence destination image in Uganda. A quantitative approach employing PLS-SEM was used to analyse data from 384 international tourists collected via a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that only disease risk had a statistically significant influence on destination image, though the effect size was small and the predictive power limited. This suggests that in Uganda, destination perceptions may be influenced more by factors such as tourist attractions and tour experiences than by health risks, thereby contributing to the literature on post-pandemic travel normalisation. Therefore, destination marketing should focus on promoting Uganda’s unique attractions, while also prioritising the management of perceived health risks.
Copyright (c) 2026 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
EXPLORING THE CONNECTION: ENGAGEMENT, EMBEDDEDNESS, AND PERFORMANCE OF HOTEL STAFF
This study employed the Job Embeddedness and Conservation of Resources theories to examine the significant direct and moderating effects of job embeddedness and work engagement on the job performance of hotel employees. Using an explanatory research design, a structured questionnaire was administered to 379 employees, and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyse the quantitative data. The results revealed that both work engagement and job embeddedness significantly and positively affect job performance, implying that increases in these factors lead to measurable improvements in performance. However, job embeddedness alone does not significantly moderate this relationship. These findings highlight the importance of considering both job embeddedness and work engagement in human resource strategies to effectively enhance employee job performance.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES OF EMPLOYEES IN HOTEL AND RESTAURANT KITCHENS IN ACCRA
This study assessed employees' health and safety practices in selected hotel and restaurant kitchens in Accra, Ghana. A cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected through structured interviews with 320 kitchen staff and unstructured observations of staff practices between June and August 2021. The data were analysed using the chi-square test of independence. The study found that kitchen staff at hotels and restaurants in Accra primarily used personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their health and safety. However, the PPEs used were inappropriate, and there were lapses in the execution of staff roles as stipulated in the Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and the Ghana Labour Act (Act 651). It was also established that demographic factors such as sex, educational level, and positions held within hotel and restaurant kitchens significantly influenced all health and safety practices undertaken by staff, including updating knowledge and skills, use of PPE, reporting hazards/accidents, and adhering to established instructions/procedures carried out by the staff. It is recommended that the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Ghana Fire Service continue to sensitize hotel and restaurant staff and to ensure that managers supervise and enforce adherence to health and safety measures.
HOSPITALITY MANAGERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECT OF GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN GHANA
This study examined hospitality managers’ perceptions of the effect of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices on perceived progress toward SDGs 6, 11, 12, and 14 among hospitality establishments in Accra, Ghana. Specifically, the study assessed the effects of green recruitment and selection, green performance management and appraisal, green training and development, and green reward and compensation on SDGs 6, 11, 12, and 14. A quantitative approach and explanatory research design were adopted. Data were collected from 105 hospitality establishments selected through simple random sampling. All 105 questionnaires administered were returned and used for analysis, representing a 100% response rate. Data were analysed using Smart PLS-SEM 4. The findings revealed that green recruitment and selection, green training and development, and green reward and compensation had statistically insignificant relationships with the SDGs. In contrast, green performance management and appraisal demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship with the SDGs. The study concludes that while GHRM practices remain important for promoting sustainability, their effectiveness varies across dimensions. Hospitality establishments should strengthen the integration of environmental performance indicators into appraisal systems to enhance employee accountability and support progress toward SDGs 6, 11, 12, and 14. The findings contribute to the growing literature on GHRM and sustainable development in Ghana’s hospitality sector.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND CATERING OFFICERS' PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SERVICE INNOVATION IN GHANA
Training is a cornerstone of service delivery excellence, yet the mechanisms through which in-service training influences employee performance in the hospitality and catering sector remain underexplored, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the impact of in-service training on catering officers' performance in Greater Accra, Ghana, with service innovation performance as a mediating variable. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, a survey-based design was employed, yielding 284 usable responses from frontline hospitality and catering employees. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) with maximum-likelihood estimation in AMOS 23.0. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between employees' perceived access to training, perceived benefits of training, and perceived support for training and their overall job performance. Service innovation performance was found to partially mediate the relationships between access to training, benefits of training, and employee performance, while fully mediating the relationship between support for training and performance. These results carry important implications for human resource management practice and theory in the Ghanaian hospitality context, underlining the need for organisations to invest in structured, innovation-oriented training programmes.
Examining the post-COVID-19 tourism recovery and resilience in the context of the African Tourism Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply disrupted the global tourism and hospitality sectors, with African nations particularly affected due to their dependency on tourism as a critical economic driver. Despite the sector's importance, limited research exists on the recovery and resilience of African tourism during the pandemic. Understanding these dynamics is vital to addressing the challenges and capitalising on opportunities this crisis presents. This study critically examines the recovery and resilience strategies in the post-pandemic context of the African tourism industry. By integrating insights from literature and case studies, it identifies sectoral challenges, including economic vulnerabilities, policy gaps, and structural inefficiencies. It also explores adaptive, innovative, and sustainable approaches to recovery, underscoring the need for inclusive growth and resilience-focused planning. The findings offer actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders, advocating multi-level strategies that prioritise sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation to guide Africa's tourism sector toward a robust recovery.
Copyright (c) 2025 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Is emotional connectedness possible in Tourism? An examination of Residents' Emotional Attitudes and Behaviour Towards Tourists.
This study examines the influence of residents' emotions on their relationships with tourists, focusing on three core constructs: welcoming nature, emotional closeness, and sympathetic understanding. A quantitative research design was employed, drawing responses from 650 residents of the Kwahu Traditional Area. The Discrete Emotion Scales were utilised to assess various emotional states, with data collected through self-reported questionnaires and interview guides. Findings indicate a notably high level of emotional connectedness within the Emotional Solidarity Scale's three-factor structure, with welcoming nature receiving the highest endorsement, followed by emotional closeness and sympathetic understanding. Among these, residents expressed the strongest emotional bond with tourists in the dimension of welcoming nature. The study underscores residents’ emotional attachment to tourists, particularly in their openness and receptiveness, which can significantly enhance efforts to attract and retain visitors. These insights offer valuable implications not only for destination management and branding strategies but also for helping tourists form realistic and informed perceptions of the destination.
Impact of Sea Erosion on Sustainable Coastal Tourism Development in Ghana. The Case of Saltpond Beach Resorts.
Sea erosion forms one of the major negative impacts of climate change on sustainable coastal tourism development worldwide. Generally, this negative impact is more pronounced in developing countries where available beach resorts are struggling to persist. Principally, the challenge of operating a successful coastal beach resort in Ghana is aggravated by unexpected destruction of beach resort facilities by sea erosion that leave some affected facilities unsafe for public use (e.g. Saltpond @ the Beach resort along Saltpond coast). Based on the experiences of Saltpond beach resorts, the study analysed the impact of sea erosion on sustainable urban coastal tourism development in Ghana. Mainly, the study found that climate change and human induced factors contribute to the persistent sea erosion along the coast of Saltpond. Finally, the study recommended the implementation of three principal sea erosion mitigation strategies; Integrated Coastal Development Planning, Building of Sea Defence Wall, and Combined Mitigation Measures.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION OF WATER-BASED ECOTOURISM: THE PERSPECTIVE OF MANAGEMENT OF THE PAGA CROCODILES’ PONDS IN NORTHERN GHANA
Ghana boasts of several ecotourist sites such as the Paga crocodile ponds which are contributing to the development of local communities. However, ecotourism is climate sensitive thus any changes in climate consequently affect it. It is therefore, not surprising that climate change is affecting ecotourism. Evidence abounds in Ghana of an increase in temperature and a decrease in mean annual rainfall in all the country’s ecological zones with this having an impact on ecotourism such as the Paga Crocodiles ponds. To promote ecotourism under this changing climate, local communities in the country have put in place some measures to adapt. This article, therefore, interrogates the management of the Paga crocodiles’ pond of the existing practices, perceptions and impacts of climate change, and the nature of the current institutional arrangements to promote adaptation. It specifically addresses these objectives: (i) the practices of the Crocodile ponds as tourist sites (ii) climate change perceptions of and impacts on crocodiles’ ponds and (ii) the nature of current institutions in promoting adaptation. Considered the first study, an exploratory design that used in-depth interviews, observation and desk review was applied to generate primary and secondary data for analysis. Tourist guards, the earth priest, local tourist committee members, elders and other opinion leaders of the two tourist sites were contacted. The results revealed that climate change manifestations in the form of an increase in temperature and a decrease in temperature have significant impacts on the ponds and their tourist activities. Water levels in the ponds decreased while water temperature increased causing the crocodiles out of their habitats which sometimes resulted in their death. The ponds have also been invaded by alien crocodile species that sometimes attack the local reptiles. To adapt, management recombines informal practices and institutions with formal institutions resulting in what is called institutional bricolage.
Psychological Contract Breach, Organisational Identification and Employee Performance: Mediating Role of Prosocial Organisational Behaviour
This study draws on psychological contract and social exchange theories to examine how prosocial organisational behaviour mediates the impact of psychological contract breach (PCB) on employee performance within the hospitality sector in Accra Metropolis, Ghana. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilising a survey design to collect data from a sample of 84 hotel employees. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS software to test the proposed research model. The findings indicate that prosocial behaviour significantly enhances employee performance, while psychological contract breach has a negative but non-significant effect on performance. Additionally, prosocial behaviour partially mediates the positive relationship between organisational identification and employee performance among hotel employees in Ghana. The study recommends that hotel management in Ghana should focus on promoting organisational identification by fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. These measures can contribute to creating a supportive work environment that enhances employee performance.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY OF NEW JUABEN MUNICIPALITY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB SATISFACTION
This study investigated the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between HRM practices and organisational commitment in the hotel industry of Ghana. The study collected primary data from 21 hotels within the New Juaben North and South municipalities. The study population comprised 433 hotel employees within the municipalities. A total of 208 participants were selected using the simple random sampling method and structured questionnaires were administered to the chosen respondents. The study employed a quantitative approach and adopted the explanatory research design. The data gathered were analysed using Smart PLS-SEM 4. The findings indicated that, the relationship between recruitment and organisational commitment is statistically insignificant. Furthermore, job satisfaction does not have a mediating effect on the relationship between recruitment and organisational commitment and training and organisational commitment among hotel employees. However, it is worth noting that job satisfaction has mediation effect in the relationship between compensation and organisational commitment in the hotel industry of Ghana. The study concluded that merely attracting and selecting candidates through the recruitment process may not directly translate into higher levels of commitment within the hotel industry and recommends that management of hotels should utilize behavioural interviews that assess candidates not only for skills but also for their alignment with the hotel values and culture. This approach helps ensure that new hires are more likely to integrate well into the existing team and stay committed in the long term.
Entrepreneurial Intentions of Tourism and Hospitality Graduates: An Application of the Entrepreneurial Event Model
Ghana’s unemployment rate now stands at 14.7%, and entrepreneurship is seen as a solution to the growing graduate unemployment problem. This study therefore examines the entrepreneurial intentions of tourism and hospitality (T&H) graduates in Ghana, using data from 941 graduates. Quantitative methodology was employed for this study, and the data collection was done using snowball sampling. Using questionnaires, the data were collected between February and April 2023 from T&H graduates. The partial least-squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test seven hypotheses. The findings show that propensity to act, innovativeness, self-efficacy, and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic significantly influence graduates’ entrepreneurial intentions. However, they do not see entrepreneurship as a feasible career option. To increase the entrepreneurship intentions of T&H graduates, the study recommends, among others, that universities should teach soft skills like opportunity recognition, business development, and problem-solving through mentorship seminars and pitching activities. Also, graduates should be encouraged to form partnerships to access funding from government initiatives like YouStart and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation programmes.
Emotional Reactions of Inbound Tourists Towards Souvenirs in Cape Coast, Ghana
Souvenirs are tangible reminders of the experiences of tourists and hence an important component of the tourist product despite their centrality to tourists’ experiences. Generally, there have been empirical studies on tourists’ attitudes toward souvenirs. A few studies on souvenirs have concentrated on the cognitive aspect while neglecting the affective and conative components of attitudes toward souvenirs. The research used a cross-sectional survey and collected data from 387 international tourists using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The emotional reactions of tourists were measured using mean scores and standard deviations. Findings from the study revealed that respondents had positive emotions towards the souvenirs they purchased. It was recommended that Organizations like the Centre for National Culture and Aid to Artisans Ghana should periodically organize workshops and on-the-job training for local artisans to enhance their skills to help revive and inculcate extinct designs in the production of souvenirs.
Copyright (c) 2024 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
THEME PARK AS A DRIVER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: SHOPRITE’S THEME PARK, RING ROAD, IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA
Sustainable development involves responsible and judicious utilization of resources by the present generation, while, ensuring that the incoming generation will also be able to meet and use such resources. This study was aimed at examining theme park as a driver of sustainable development, shoprite's theme park, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The sample size for this study was 270 respondents as determined by Cochran's formula. Structured survey instrument was used in collecting data for this study. Based on the research findings, there is no relationship between the park and the indices of sustainable development examined for this study. The research findings revealed that the park has negative impact on the environment. The study also revealed that the park has a positive influence on the economy of the area where the park is located. Keywords: Theme park, sustainable development, environment and waste management.
Innovative Utilization of Information and Communication Technology in Hotels: Perspectives of Managers of Star-Rated Hotels in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area
Even though information and communication technology provide an important role in hotel service and aid service efficacy in customer satisfaction, little literature exists on it in the study area. The study assessed managers’ perception of innovative utilization of ICT in star-rated hotels in the Kumasi metropolitan area. Emphasis was laid on the relevance and reasons for the innovative use of ICT in hotels. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study and 50 hotel managers were sampled. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data solicited. Results of the study established that managers were of the view that the innovative use of ICT in hotel service was relevant and reasons for which the hotels have innovatively used ICT in their service delivery were achieved. However, the innovative use of ICT in hotels may create problems such as high cost of initial investment, cost of training employees and poor employer-employee relations. The study discovered that the hotels have made good use of ICT innovatively to sustain their business. The study unearthed that hotels must be abreast with ICT use as it has become a tool for attracting guests to hotels.
Stakeholder collaboration in tourism governance in Ghana
This paper analyses stakeholder collaboration in tourism governance in Ghana. It further examines the forms and rationale of stakeholder collaboration and the extent of stakeholder collaborations. The paper deployed the qualitative approach in research, descriptive research design and purposively selected 14 participants from public and private sector tourism organisations and local communities in Ghana’s tourism industry. These participants were selected based on their knowledge and experience in the tourism industry. The data was collected using in-depth interviews (IDI). The responses of participants were analysed inductively and deductively. Two key findings emerged from the study. First, it was found that there is a discernible line of authority where authority comes from the top management in the sector. Secondly, collaboration in the tourism sector is not well established.
Making Healthful Food Choices: University Employee Perception of Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menu
Nutrition-related illnesses continue to pose challenges for healthcare providers and as such, people are encouraged to look into meal constituents, especially in the hospitality industry. This study sought university employees’ general perception of nutritional information on restaurant menus. Data was purposively obtained from employees who patronized restaurants on the university campus. Descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that respondents had some form of perceived knowledge of nutritional information with calories and cholesterol, reported as the most important information to be provided on menus. There was a statistically significant difference between females and male respondents with females showing a greater positive perceived nutritional knowledge than their male counterparts. University employees had a high perceived expectation of the provision of nutritional information on menus of restaurants on campus. Implications for restaurants on campus to provide nutritional information on menus that can guide healthier food choices and the University’s management involvement in encouraging individuals to develop and maintain better eating habits are also discussed.
COVID-19 Risk Perception, Student Engagement, Peer Team Learning and Learning Satisfaction Among Hospitality and Tourism Students in Ghana
This study examined COVID-19 risk perception, student engagement, peer-led team learning, and learning satisfaction among students in the hospitality and tourism departments in Ghanaian universities. Valid responses for this study from 440 hospitality and tourism students across four (4) universities across the country were analysed to achieve this objective. COVID-19 risk perception proved to have a significant positive impact on students’ engagement and peer team learning, but an insignificant negative influence on learning satisfaction. The results also underscored the positive role of the learning environment in driving students’ engagement and learning satisfaction including the positive bearing of students’ engagement on learning satisfaction. The study contributes to theory and practice by extending the social cognitive and self-determination theories to understand the links between COVID-19 risk perception, student engagement, peer-led team learning, and learning satisfaction among students in the hospitality and tourism departments in Ghanaian universities. Thus, the integration of social cognitive and self-determination theories in this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing learning experiences during the pandemic.
Predictors of future travel intentions to Lagos megacity: Exploring the crime-risk perceptions
The issue of crime risk associated with travel has been receiving increased attention, yet this has scarcely been studied in African contexts. Besides, how travel intention is influenced by the interactions of perceived crime risk and socio-economic characteristics has scarcely been investigated. This study examines whether perceived crime-risk factors and socio-economic characteristics help to explain future travel intentions to megacities using Lagos, Nigeria as a case study. Self-administered questionnaires were used to gather information from a sample of travellers who arrived in Lagos in 2019. Frequency counts, percentages, mean and Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS) were used to analyse and interpret the data. The findings show that respondents were not certain about their safety in Lagos. Likewise, they were uncertain about their future travel to the city. Though partially mediated by travellers’ socio-economic characteristics, the findings show that perceived crime risk significantly predicts future travel intentions. Implications of these findings to travel and security management are discussed.
Copyright (c) 2022 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Effects of rural tourism development on poverty alleviation: a grounded theory
Tourism has been accredited as a significant sector by the Namibian government because it is one of the highest income earners and ranks third after mining and agriculture. This research paper explores the key determinants of poverty in the Northern region of Namibia (Kunene and Zambezi) and the effects of rural tourism development on poverty alleviation. The research adopted grounded theory and phenomenological approaches and data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with various tourism stakeholders in the two regions. The research findings reveal the importance of all stakeholders in identifying the causes of poverty in each region/constituency before implementing poverty alleviation strategies. This study, therefore, concludes that providing the same tourism strategies to different geographical locations does not work, because some communities are extremely deprived. This research, therefore, recommends a flexible framework which takes a pragmatic approach to move away from the “one size fits all” approach.
Landowners’ Perceptions and Involvement in the Management of Kyabobo National Park, Ghana
This study examines the perceptions of landowners of fringe communities of the Kyabobo National Park (KNP) about their involvement in the creation and management of the KNP. Four KNP-fringe communities namely: Shiare, Odomi, Gekorong, and Keri which are less than a kilometre from the boundary of the park were selected for the study. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to establish the relationship between landowners’ perceptions and their involvement in the management of the park. A systematic sampling method was used to select 212 landowners for interviews using a structured interview schedule. The study found that some landowners in the KNP-fringe communities were employed at various levels in the management of the park but were not managing partners of the park. Landowners also benefited from selling handicrafts to park visitors. The physical infrastructures in the communities have remained poor. It is recommended that landowners in park-fringe communities are given the opportunity to become managing partners of the park to guarantee the successful operation of the park. Government should also provide modern physical infrastructure in the KNP-fringe communities as was promised prior to the establishment of the park.
Examining the Determinants of Location Attributes and their Effect on Hotel Pricing in the Period of the Covid-19 Pandemic in an Emerging Market
The emergence of COVID-19 and the consequent travel restrictions have led to a decrease in the patronage of hotel services in nearly all economies in the world. In this circumstance, location attributes have become even more important in hotel pricing and investment decision-making. It is even more interesting to see how this plays out in emerging economies such as Ghana. The study assesses the effect of location attributes on hotel pricing during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Tamale. A sequential mixed research design including Mixed Spatial Hedonic Price Approach, Exploratory Factor Analysis and key informant interviews was employed. A sample of 815 tourists and 163 hotels was used. Hotel class, road accessibility, age of building, and hotel rate are the key determinants of hotel pricing. Among these, the hotel class showed more significance in influencing pricing decisions in the COVID-19 period. The models show that the hotel class with positive coefficients are located outside the city centre of Tamale. This has resulted in increased Yield To Maturity because the hotels located outside the city centre received more clients, with grade one hotels showing a huge net income and good post-COVID-19 investment drive. The results show that potential hotel investors should consider hotel class as a major entry decision factor during and after periods of the pandemic.
Tourism Certification for Promoting Tourism Sustainability in the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
This paper examines and ranks sustainable tourism certification concerns raised by managers of the pilot certified facilities in Zimbabwe. In the broader context, these concerns could be the reasons for the low uptake of these schemes in the country and on the continent. An email questionnaire with a three-item Likert scale and follow-up telephone interviews with 13 pilot test eco-certified facilities in the country were undertaken to collect the data. The results were thematically analysed. A ranked analysis of the concerns revealed a low uptake level of the scheme and the exclusion of guests in the certification process was the most important concern. Thirteen concerns were raised to corroborate previously raised concerns. It is recommended that there should be concerted efforts towards addressing the issue of low adoption levels of this tool both at the country and continental levels.
Perceived organisational justice and unethical work behaviour among hotel employees in Accra: the role of gender and marital status
Ethics and organizational justice share common roots and patterns of development in that, employees’ ethical behaviours are influenced by the perceived fairness of the company’s policies, procedures and decision making. While this link has been established in many studies, whether this relationship is the same for different demographic groups has received little attention, particularly for the hospitality industry. This study, therefore, sought to examine perceived organisational justice and unethical work behaviours among hotel employees in Accra using gender and marital status as moderating variables. Data was collected from a sample of 379 employees of five four-star hotels in Accra. The moderated multiple regression technique, PROCESS by Hayes in SPSS was employed to test the significance of the moderating variables in the relationship between organisational justice and unethical work behaviour among hotel employees in Accra. The results showed that gender was significant in interactive justice effect on unethical work behaviours; while marital status was significant in distributive justice and procedural justice’ effect on unethical work behaviours among the hotel employees. The study recommends specific strategies for discouraging unethical workplace behaviours and encouraging organisational citizenship.
Copyright (c) 2021 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Segments of cognitive responses towards local food safety concerns amongst international students in Ghana
Despite the attention paid to food safety research, few empirical works have used a non-reductionist perspective to understand how international consumers cognitively respond to local food safety conditions. Using the tri-component theorisation and the two-step clustering approach with the Kruskal Wallis test on a sample of 109 international students in Ghana, this study provides a non-reductionist cognitive segment of international students towards local food safety conditions in Ghana. The findings revealed that there are three cognitive segments of international consumers towards local food safety conditions, namely self-regards, pessimists, and epicureans. Self-assureds respond to their own self-cognition towards local food safety concerns but deny the cognition of others, moderately respond affectively and sometimes avoid local foods. Pessimists have a highly sensitive cognitive response towards local food safety conditions, high affective responses and avoid the consumption of local foods as a result, while epicureans do not cognitively respond to local food safety conditions, have low affective reactions and consume local foods regardless of the food safety conditions. The implications of these findings in the context of local food preparation, packaging, and handling as well as food safety regulations and marketing are discussed
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment: experiences of family-owned hotels in Ho, Ghana
The study investigates the interplay between demographic variables, job satisfaction and organisational commitment among workers in family-owned hotels in Ho, Ghana. A convenience sample of 280 employees selected from 45 facilities participated in the study by completing self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM were used to analyse the data. Path results showed a positive and significant association between extrinsic job satisfaction and affective and continuance commitment. There was a significantly positive association between intrinsic satisfaction and affective and normative commitment. Furthermore, employees within the age group of 30-40 years exhibited higher levels of intrinsic satisfaction and affective commitment compared to those in the 45-50-year age group. The findings of the study provide important implications for family-owned hotels. Managers and proprietors of family-owned hotels must embark on strategies that will help to improve extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction as well as affective and normative commitment.
Strategic HRM and competitiveness of Hotels in the Central Region of Ghana: the Mediating role of employee competencies
The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of strategic HR practices on the competitiveness of hotels in the Central Region of Ghana. A secondary objective was to assess the mediating role of employee competencies on the link between strategic HR practices and competitive advantage. The study adopted an explanatory research design, using a purely quantitative approach. The target population comprised of all managers of registered hotels in the Central Region of Ghana. Data were collected through a self-administered survey questionnaire. The available data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. It was established that strategic HRM practices have a positive influence on employee competencies, which in turn has a significant positive effect on competitive advantage. As a consequence, it was concluded that internal capabilities and competencies are the major sources of sustainable competitive advantage in the hospitality industry in Ghana. The effect of strategic HR practices on competitive advantage was, however, found to be insignificant. These findings require managers in the hospitality industry to continuously employ strategic HR practices such as training and development activities, linking incentive pay to performance, providing staff with a flexible compensation structure and promoting skill-based pay elements in employees’ pay package.
Does gender exacerbate the effect of Work-family conflict on employee Satisfaction in the hotel industry?
Hotel employees, in recent times, put in more effort at work, working for long hours and even on holidays and weekends. As a result, they find it difficult to efficiently meet the demands of both their work and personal life. This study used a cross-sectional research design to examine work-family conflict and its effects on job satisfaction and life satisfaction of hotel staff. The study also sought to examine the moderating effect of gender on the relationships between work-family conflict, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. A diverse sample of 286 respondents, conveniently selected, completed a structured questionnaire. Generally, the results of a PLS-SEM analysis showed that work-family conflict is not significantly related to job satisfaction but with employees’ life satisfaction. Specifically, work-to-family conflict has no significant relationship with job satisfaction whereas work-to-family and family-to-work conflict were uniquely associated with life satisfaction. The interference of family demands with the work of a hotel employee positively affects life satisfaction irrespective of the gender of employees. However, job satisfaction significantly relates to life satisfaction. Gender fully moderated employee work interfering with family and job satisfaction relationship. Theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future studies were discussed in the paper.
Political instability and tourism in Ghana (1966-1981)
In the 1960s most governments in West Africa, including Ghana which was under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana began to incorporate tourism into their economic development plans. The idea was to diversify the economy in order to provide infrastructural development, economic and social prosperity for populace. Unfortunately, Nkrumah’s government was toppled in 1966. In the subsequent years, Ghana experienced a period of political instability. This paper takes a critical look at the efforts of the various governments in Ghana (from 1957 to 1981) to develop tourism in terms of their policies and their roles as agents of tourism development; the creation of a conducive environment for tourism to flourish, the involvement of the private sector both foreign and local, the provision of tourism infrastructure and how political instability impacted negatively on tourism development in terms of the flow of international tourist arrivals, potential investors, tourism product development and delivery, and tourism receptive facilities.
Copyright (c) 2020 African Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
A safety and security audit of the Kakum National Park
Although Safety and Security (SnS) is a popular theme in the existing literature, the narrative has mostly focused on the broader destination and relatively, little is known of the SnS situation at the level of the individual components. This paper sought to appraise the safety and security situation at Ghana’s most visited attraction- the Kakum National Park, using a heuristic adaptation of the World Tourism Organization’s safety and security checklist. Through observations and interviews with management, an assessment of the safety and security situation at KNP was undertaken. It was found that even though safety and security measures at the park are generally inadequate, management does not consider the park to be under any real threat. The study also found that the Park management had a deliberative assessment of the security situation which reflected in three mindsets of collective security, passiveness and cautious security. The study recommends a change in philosophical outlook from passiveness to proactivity as an important first step towards making the KNP safer. Along with this philosophy, change would be the specific interventions in the areas of documentation, equipment and training.