Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
Stay up-to-date with current, independent statistics and information on tourism in the Alpine region.
Organizational attachment predicts employee attachment to the destination.
Positive social interaction in the workplace strengthens organizational loyalty.
Leisure activities and proximity to home promote attachment to the destination.
High organizational and destination loyalty lead to positive word-of-mouth.
Abstract of the study
While the retention of hotel and restaurant employees has been widely discussed, employees in destination management organizations (DMOs) have received limited attention in existing studies. This study examines employees' attachment to their organization and their attachment to the destination in DMOs. By applying a destination-independent attachment approach, this study sheds light on the understanding of employee attachment in an organization and a region. Following a quantitative research design, 330 employees of several DMOs in Tyrol, Austria, were surveyed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.
The results confirm organizational connectedness as a predictor of connectedness to the destination. Social exchange is positively related to organizational connectedness; however, no relationship was confirmed between time and flexibility and organizational connectedness. Positive relationships were confirmed between leisure opportunities, proximity to home and attachment to the destination. Both organizational attachment and attachment to the destination lead to positive word-of-mouth behavior. The results contribute to several practical implications for increasing organizational attachment and attachment to the destination. This study extends the field of loyalty studies to destination attachment for the first time and identifies destination attachment as a significant contributor to employee loyalty in the hospitality industry. In addition, this study emphasizes the role of social relationships in the organizational context and in the destination.
Key findings of this study
- Employees' attachment to their organization is a strong indicator of their attachment to the destination.
- Positive social relationships in the workplace significantly promote employees' organizational attachment.
- Satisfaction with working hours and flexibility has no significant influence on the organizational commitment of DMO employees
- Attachment to the destination is strengthened by good leisure opportunities and proximity to the home town.
- Both high organizational attachment and strong attachment to the destination lead to positive word of mouth about the employer and the place of work.