Date of Conferral

6-16-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Derek Rohde

Abstract

The hospitality industry in the Southeast United States plays a vital role in economic growth but faces leadership challenges that impact employee engagement and organizational commitment. Hospitality industry leaders should understand these challenges that disrupt service quality and negatively impact customer satisfaction and organizational stability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, employee engagement, and organizational commitment in the hospitality industry of the Southeast United States. The participants were 100 full-time hospitality employees who completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The results revealed significant positive correlations between transformational leadership and both employee engagement (r = .58, p < .01) and organizational commitment (r = .62, p < .01). Mediation analysis indicated that employee engagement partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment (β = .36, p < .05). Regression analysis confirmed that transformational leadership significantly predicted organizational commitment (β = .47, p < .01) and employee engagement (β = .52, p < .01). These results highlighted the importance of transformational leadership in fostering employee motivation and retention. A key recommendation is for hospitality leaders to create a more resilient, engaged, and committed workforce. The implications for positive social change include the potential for hospitality leaders to prioritize transformational leadership practices to enhance employee engagement and organizational commitment to a broader social good.

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