HI6008 Business Research: Case Study of Hyatt Regency Sydney

Introduction 

Globalization, technology advancement among other factors have led to the development of a highly competitive market with companies having higher expectations from their employees to remain relevant in the market. Additionally, the dynamics of the existing international and local markets have also led to shifting customer demands that keep on varying. To achieve organizational goals, the human resource departments in different organizations have often been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring maximum employee output. This has led to various inventions such as introducing workplace fun. Studies have explored the significance of extracurricular activities at work on the performance of employees across different industries (Kouliavtsev, 2013; Mokaya and Gitari, 2012). Furthermore, the effectiveness and significance of extracurricular activities on employee and organization’s productivity are demonstrated among the international companies that have adopted workplace fun such as Google, IBM, etc. (Baldonado, 2015). According to Alfes, Shantz, Truss, and Soane (2013), intangible resources such as motivation, ability, and the social association between individuals and groups have been attributed to a source of strength in improving productivity. Despite the abundant existing literature on the subject of employee performance and extracurricular activity, there is insufficient empirical evidence on similar studies in the context of Australian hospitality industry. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by examining the impact of extracurricular activities on the productivity of employees at Hyatt Regency Sydney.

Project Objective

The objective of this research is to assess the impacts of extracurricular activities on employee productivity, a case study of Hyatt Regency Sydney

Project Scope

To provide an in-depth understanding and background information on the impacts of extracurricular activities on employee productivity, the researcher conducted a critical systematic review of relevant literature. The literature sources included online scholarly sites and libraries.

Literature Review

Definitions

Extracurricular activities are those that are not within the defined formal framework of job responsibilities of an employee. According to Monteiro and Almeida (2015), extracurricular activities are the type of workplace recreational activities which are undertaken with the aim of enhancing employee job satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. Aksoy, Çankaya, and Tasmektepligil, (2017) define recreation as an activity chosen by an individual for relaxation and enjoyment to get invigorated. Furthermore, recreation serves to refresh and carry out the routine duties with optimal thrive and energy. Recreation comprises of non-obligatory activities based on the current study approaches (Torkildsen, 2012), and is defined as time occupied refilling energy or relaxing and engaging in voluntary activities that are undertaken after the mandatory duties and activities such as work.

Examples of extracurricular activities

According to Shujat and Ameer (2011), the introduction and sustenance of enjoyment and excitement in the workplace involve the inclusion of entertainment activities such as customs and traditions. Kelly (2009) observes that the inclusion of playoffs at the workplace is key to business growth. Multi-international organizations that have incorporated workplace fun activities include Google, Southwest Airlines, and Facebook. According to Baldonado (2015), Google has prioritized the culture of its staff by prioritizing their norms, values, and beliefs into the workplace by mixing business with pleasure. Examples of the Google workplace fun include day-care services at work, a free haircut at work, gyms and swimming pool, medical care on-site, a subsidized program on massage, and free food. As a result, Google employees spend 80% of their time on the primary job and the rest on specific projects. Southwest Airlines have fostered a fun corporate culture in which there are not rigid rules and humor is often made part of their work. Facebook has also incorporated activities such as the inclusion of free bikes all over the workplace, paid parental leave, and free food Baldonado (2015).

Extracurricular activities and Employee Productivity

Employee productivity is defined as the efficiency of employees at the workplace and is measured in relation to the pre-determined goals (Hashim et al., 2011). There is overwhelming evidence of the positive effect of workplace recreation on employee productivity (WHO, 2003). According to the findings of the WHO (2003), physical activity programs in the USA were found to lower incidences of instant sick leave by 32%, costs on healthcare services by 20-55%, and improved employee performance by 52%.

Mokaya and Gitari (2012) conducted a study on the workplace recreation and employee performance in the context of Kenyan hospitality industry. The authors found out that 77.5% of the employees perceived work recreation to have an impact on their productivity. Recreational activities were perceived by 71% of the respondents as a form of rewards and benefits which minimized their visits to the doctor and spent more time at work.

Extracurricular activities and Employee Satisfaction

A study by Shujat and Ameer (2011) examined the impacts of recreational activities on employee job satisfaction and found out there was a strong correlation of 0.974 between the study variables. The authors concluded that the incorporation of recreational and entertainment activities into the workplace motivates and improves employees health, thus leading to satisfaction at the workplace. Parvin and Kabir (2011) contend that job satisfaction is all about compensation, the workplace environment and the work itself.

Research Questions

Primary Research Question

1. What is the impact of extracurricular activities on employee productivity at Hyatt Regency Sydney?

Secondary Research Questions

1. How do extracurricular activities affect employee productivity at Hyatt Regency Sydney?
2. What is the association between extracurricular activities and job satisfaction and employee productivity?

Research Design and Methodology 

The study will utilize a mixed design to accomplish a mixture of different methods which will general overall results of the statistical analysis (Maxwell, 2012).

Qualitative Research

The researcher gathered qualitative data of existing relevant literature to provide an comprehensive understanding of the study topic. Research questions were first generated through undertaking a critical review of existing relevant literature. A sample of 50 employees of Hyatt Regency, Sydney will be randomly selected for inclusion. The study will adopt a purposive sampling design to ensure that only participant rich with information are included in the study within the least time possible (Etikan, Musa, and Alkassim, 2016). A semi-structured interview designed by the researcher will be used to collect data because it fosters two-way communication and is less intrusive to the interviewee (Rabionet, 2011). A tape recording will be used to capture the proceedings of the interview and then analyzed later using thematic analysis guided by the study objectives.

The retrieval of the tape recording will be done by another expert to ensure consistent and transparent interpretation of data (Noble and Smith, 2015). This will also ensure that reliability is attained and any possible research bias eliminated 3. The use of thematic analysis will ensure the validity of the study is achieved (Noble and Smith, 2015).  

Quantitative Research 

The survey will utilize a descriptive research design targeting 500 employees of Hyatt Regency Sydney. This design is selected because it is befitting in gathering data regarding current phenomena. Data is to be collected using a semi-structured questionnaire (Appendix 1) with close-ended questions to ensure easy and better comparability. The researcher will also adopt the use of interview to help provide more information on the study variables (Turner, 2010). Stratified random sampling will be used to develop the samples from the target population, and to provide greater precision with a small sample size and save on costs (Acharya et al., 2013). A sample size of 50 employees out of the 500 target population will be assessed. According to Mugenda, a sample size of 10% of the target population is considered representative (Mugenda, 2013). The questionnaires will be hand delivered by the researcher to the reception desk where they will be handpicked by the specified employees and collected after fourteen days. The completed questionnaires will be cross-examined for inclusivity to attain validity, coded, grouped, and then analyzed using SPSS, and the outcomes displayed using diagrams and tables. Face validity is to be achieved by ensuring that the current measures are relevant to the concept under study (Noble and Smith, 2015).

Research Limitations 

The study is only limited to the organization in the hospital industry of Sydney. This makes it difficult to replicate the findings in other contexts.

Time Schedule

The researcher estimates to complete the study in three months beginning from September to November 2018.

Conclusion 

The effect of extracurricular activities on the productivity of employees has received much attention due to the changes in the consumer market that have led to stiff competition. To meet the needs of the consumers in a dynamic and globalized market, most of the organizations that have resorted to the introduction of extracurricular activities at the workplace have grown to become multi-international companies. Extracurricular activities at the workplace such as gyms, swimming pools, barber shops, free meals, and sports activities, among others have been associated with improved employee productivity and job satisfaction. However, there is little information regarding the relationship between recreational activities and their impact on employee productivity in the context of Sydney hospitality industry. Therefore, there is a need for a study that will examine the same study variables but in the context of Sydney, and hence forming the basis of this study.

References

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Aksoy, Y., Çankaya, S. and Tasmektepligil, M.Y., 2017. The Effects of Participating in Recreational Activities on Quality of Life and Job Satisfaction. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(6), pp.1051-1058.

Alfes K, Shantz AD, Truss C, Soane EC. The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model. The international journal of human resource management. 2013 Jan 1;24(2):330-51.

Baldonado, A.M., 2015. Workplace fun: learning from Google, Southwest Airlines, and Facebook. International Journal, 15.

Etikan, I., Musa, S.A. and Alkassim, R.S., 2016. Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), pp.1-4.

Hashim, R., Baharud-din, Z., Mazuki, M.A. and Ahmad, M., 2011. Does Involvement in Sports lead to a Productive Employee?. International Conference on Social Science and Humanity, 5, pp. 218-222.

Kelly, J.R., 2009. Work and leisure: A simplified paradigm. Journal of leisure Research, 41(3), pp.439-451.

Kouliavtsev, M., 2013. The Impact Of Employment And Extracurricular Involvement On Undergraduates'performance In A Business Statistics Course. Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research, 14(3), p.53.

Maxwell, J.A., 2012. Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (Vol. 41). Sage publications.

Mokaya, S. and Gitari, J.W., 2012. Effects of workplace recreation on employee performance: The case of Kenya Utalii College. International journal of humanities and social science, 2(3), pp.176-183.

Monteiro, S. and Almeida, L.S., 2015. The relation of career adaptability to work experience, extracurricular activities, and work transition in Portuguese graduate students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 91, pp.106-112.

Mugenda, A.G., 2013. Qualitative research methods: Introduction. Nairobi: Applied Research & Training Services.

Noble, H. and Smith, J., 2015. Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, pp.ebnurs-2015.

Parvin, M.M. and Kabir, M.N., 2011. Factors affecting employee job satisfaction of pharmaceutical sector. Australian journal of business and management research, 1(9), p.113.

Rabionet, S.E., 2011. How I Learned to Design and Conduct Semi-Structured Interviews: An Ongoing and Continuous Journey. Qualitative Report, 16(2), pp.563-566.

Shujat, S. and Ameer, F., 2011. Effects of Recreational and Entertainment Activities on Employees Job Satisfaction: A Case Study. Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 7(1), pp.12-18. 

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