Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya

Received: 18 March 2025     Accepted: 28 March 2025     Published: 29 April 2025
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Five-star hotels in Kenya have experienced high labour turnover which could be attributed to low engagement of workers. This study examined the effect of corporate wellness programs on employee engagement in five-star hotels in Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Positivism research philosophy, descriptive research design and stratified proportionate sampling were adopted. Data was gathered from a sample of 369 workers in seven five-star hotels in Kenya using questionnaires. Two five-star hotels in Nairobi City County served as the sites of a pilot test. The acquired data was subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis with the aid of SPSS version 24. The mean, standard deviation, coefficient of deviation, and percentages were illustrations of descriptive statistics. Multiple regression analysis and correlation analysis were representations of inferential statistics. The results showed that employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives at Kenya's five-star hotels were significantly and positively related. Based on the study's findings, employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives in Kenya's five-star hotels are positively correlated, and this relationship was moderated by organizational support. The study recommended that five-star hotels should prioritize the accessibility and convenience of recreational facilities, focus on diversifying the available wellness programs to cater to a broader range of employee preferences and conduct regular surveys or focus groups in order to gauge employee interests and preferences.

Published in Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 13, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12
Page(s) 36-47
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Corporate Wellness Programs, Safety Programs, Screening Programs, Recreational Facilities, Employee Engagement

References
[1] Atiku, S. O., & Van Wyk, E. (2024). Leadership Practices and Work Engagement in Higher Education: The Mediating Role of Job Demands-Resources. SAGE Open, 14(1), 21582440241233378
[2] Alam, I., Kartar Singh, J. S., & Islam, M. U. (2021). Does supportive supervisor complement the effect of ethical leadership on employee engagement? Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1978371
[3] Bui, D. H., & Le, A. T. T. (2023). Improving employee engagement through organizational culture in the travel industry: Perspective from a developing country during Covid-19 pandemic. Cogent Business & Management, 10(2), 2232589.
[4] Heslina, H., & Syahruni, A. (2021). The influence of information technology, human resources competency, and employee engagement on the performance of employees. Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management, 1(1), 01-12
[5] Gallup. (2023), State of the Global Workplace, Gallup Press, New York.
[6] Kaya, M. K. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Minority Shareholder Protection. Business Law Review, 42(2).
[7] Munyiri, N. E. (2023). Factors influencing uptake of wellness programmes at AMREF Health Africa, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Doctoral dissertation), Strathmore University)
[8] Berry, L., Mirabito, A. M., & Baun, W. B. (2020). What's the hard return on employee wellness programs? (pp. 2012-2068). SSRN.
[9] Torres, E. N., & Zhang, T. (2021). The impact of wearable devices on employee wellness programs: A study of hotel industry workers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102769
[10] Carnevale, J. B., & Hatak, I., (2020). “Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management”, Journal of Business Research, 116(2020), pp. 183-187
[11] Otenyo, E. E., & Smith, E. A. (2017). An overview of employee wellness programs (EWPs) in large US cities: Does geography matter? Public Personnel Management, 46(1), 3-24
[12] PwC (2019). The employee health and wellness revolution: A global perspective.
[13] Satya, Y., Supriadi, Y. N., Setiadi, I. K., & Desmintari, D. (2022). The Influence of Organizational Resources, Organizational Engagement Climate and Job Resources on Employee Engagement Generation Y in Tangerang. International Journal of Business, Technology and Organizational Behavior (IJBTOB), 2(5), 484-498
[14] Sjahruddin, H., Sari, D. P., & Hakiki, R. (2024). Dynamics of Employee Engagement and Implementation of Adaptive Leadership in Increasing Work Productivity: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction Journal of Business Economic Informatics, 23-27
[15] Kobia, M. P. (2021). Organizational Culture Orientations and Employee Turnover among 18-holes private members golf clubs within Nairobi City County-Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Kenyatta university).
[16] Adebayo, A. A., & Ibrahim, W. (2023). Flexible Working Arrangements and Employees' Job Satisfaction in Hospitality Industry. African Journal of Management and Business Research, 11(1), 173-196
[17] Rabiul, M. K., Yean, T. F., Patwary, A. K., & Hilman, H. (2022). Linking leadership styles and two-way communication to engagement: A study among the hospitality employees in Bangladesh. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 23(6), 1219-1241
[18] Marshall, C. (2020). Analysis of a comprehensive wellness program's impact on job satisfaction in the workplace. International Hospitality Review, 34(2), 221-241
[19] Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paillé, P., & Jia, J. (2018). Green human resource management practices: scale development and validity. Asia pacific journal of human resources, 56(1), 31-55
[20] Hopper, E. (2020). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explained. ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 24, 1-3.
[21] Ozguner, Z., & Ozguner, M. (2014). A managerial point of view on the relationship between Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's dual factor theory. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(7).
[22] Nurun Nabi, I. M., & Dip TM, H. A. (2017). Impact of motivation on employee performances: a case study of Karmasangsthan Bank Limited, Bangladesh. Arabian Journal of Business Management Review, 7(293), 2.
[23] Greenberg, N., Lawrence, E., Myers, O., & Sood, A. (2021). Factors related to faculty work-life balance as a reason to leave a school of medicine. The chronicle of mentoring & coaching, 5(14), 353.
[24] Musheshe, J. R. (2020). Employees Motivation on Organization Performance: A Case of Humuliza Organization in Muleba District (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
[25] Gubler, T., Larkin, I., & Pierce, L. (2018). Doing well by making well: The impact of corporate wellness programs on employee productivity. Management Science, 64(11), 4967-4987
[26] Lu, Y., Zhang, M. M., Yang, M. M., & Wang, Y. (2023). Sustainable human resource management practices, employee resilience, and employee outcomes: Toward common good values. Human Resource Management, 62(3), 331-353
[27] Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R. M., & Soenens, B. (2020). Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions. Motivation and Emotion, 44, 1–31.
[28] Miltko, C. M. (2020). “What Shall I Give My Children?”: Installment Land Contracts, Homeownership, and the Unexamined Costs of the American Dream. The University of Chicago Law Review, 87(8), 2273–2319.
[29] Britto, M. J., & Magesh, R. (2018). Wellness Programs and Engagement of Information Technology Workforce. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3.1), 75-81
[30] Juba, O. O. (2024). Impact of workplace safety, health, and wellness programs on employee engagement and productivity. International Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing Practice, 6(4), 12-27.
[31] Kumar, A., De Bruyn, A. J., & Bushney, M. J. (2020). The employee wellness and employee engagement relationship in a parastatal. Journal of Contemporary Management, 17(1), 1-15.
[32] Kitali, W. N. (2021). The Influence of Employee Wellness Programs on Employee Commitment at KCB Bank Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
[33] Muriuki, C. (2018). Perceived Effects of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee’s Productivity at Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi Upperhill (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
[34] Ndung’u, J. K. (2015). Corporate governance as a strategic tool to improve performance of listed companies in Kenya (Doctoral dissertation).
[35] Coleman, P. (2019). An Examination of Positivist and Critical Realist Philosophical Approaches to Nursing Research. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 12(2).
[36] Agapito, J. J. (2023). Research Methods. Available at SSRN 4514697.
[37] Saks, A. M. (2022). Caring human resources management and employee engagement. Human resource management review, 32(3), 100835.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Kathukya, C. S., Mwangi, G., Maundu, M. (2025). An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya. Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(2), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Kathukya, C. S.; Mwangi, G.; Maundu, M. An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2025, 13(2), 36-47. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Kathukya CS, Mwangi G, Maundu M. An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya. J Hum Resour Manag. 2025;13(2):36-47. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12,
      author = {Christine Syombua Kathukya and Grace Mwangi and Monah Maundu},
      title = {An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya
    },
      journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
      volume = {13},
      number = {2},
      pages = {36-47},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20251302.12},
      abstract = {Five-star hotels in Kenya have experienced high labour turnover which could be attributed to low engagement of workers. This study examined the effect of corporate wellness programs on employee engagement in five-star hotels in Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Positivism research philosophy, descriptive research design and stratified proportionate sampling were adopted. Data was gathered from a sample of 369 workers in seven five-star hotels in Kenya using questionnaires. Two five-star hotels in Nairobi City County served as the sites of a pilot test. The acquired data was subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis with the aid of SPSS version 24. The mean, standard deviation, coefficient of deviation, and percentages were illustrations of descriptive statistics. Multiple regression analysis and correlation analysis were representations of inferential statistics. The results showed that employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives at Kenya's five-star hotels were significantly and positively related. Based on the study's findings, employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives in Kenya's five-star hotels are positively correlated, and this relationship was moderated by organizational support. The study recommended that five-star hotels should prioritize the accessibility and convenience of recreational facilities, focus on diversifying the available wellness programs to cater to a broader range of employee preferences and conduct regular surveys or focus groups in order to gauge employee interests and preferences.
    },
     year = {2025}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - An Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Engagement in Five-Star Hotels in Kenya
    
    AU  - Christine Syombua Kathukya
    AU  - Grace Mwangi
    AU  - Monah Maundu
    Y1  - 2025/04/29
    PY  - 2025
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12
    T2  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    JF  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    JO  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    SP  - 36
    EP  - 47
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2331-0715
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20251302.12
    AB  - Five-star hotels in Kenya have experienced high labour turnover which could be attributed to low engagement of workers. This study examined the effect of corporate wellness programs on employee engagement in five-star hotels in Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Positivism research philosophy, descriptive research design and stratified proportionate sampling were adopted. Data was gathered from a sample of 369 workers in seven five-star hotels in Kenya using questionnaires. Two five-star hotels in Nairobi City County served as the sites of a pilot test. The acquired data was subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis with the aid of SPSS version 24. The mean, standard deviation, coefficient of deviation, and percentages were illustrations of descriptive statistics. Multiple regression analysis and correlation analysis were representations of inferential statistics. The results showed that employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives at Kenya's five-star hotels were significantly and positively related. Based on the study's findings, employee engagement and corporate wellness initiatives in Kenya's five-star hotels are positively correlated, and this relationship was moderated by organizational support. The study recommended that five-star hotels should prioritize the accessibility and convenience of recreational facilities, focus on diversifying the available wellness programs to cater to a broader range of employee preferences and conduct regular surveys or focus groups in order to gauge employee interests and preferences.
    
    VL  - 13
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections