Leadership Styles and Employees’ Commitment in the Hospitality Sectors: The Case of Four-Star Hotels in Hawassa City, Sidama, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between leadership styles on employee commitment in four-star hotels in Hawassa City, Sidama regional state. The study used a descriptive and explanatory research design and collected quantitative data from employees in four-star hotels. The findings revealed that the commitment level of employees in the hotels was moderate, with autocratic leadership being the dominant style.  Democratic, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership styles had positive and significant associations with three dimensions of employee commitment, while autocratic leadership style had a positive and significant effect on affective commitment. However, transactional leadership style had a negative and significant effect on employee commitment. The researcher recommended that transformational and democratic leadership styles have to be emphasized in the hotel industry to enhance employee commitment and retention.