Date of Graduation

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

General Human Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Way, Kelly A.

Committee Member

Rucker, K. Jill

Second Committee Member

Hamm, Dede

Keywords

Followership; Followership Training; Hospitality; Leadership; Turnover; Voice Behavior

Abstract

While leadership has been a popular research topic in the hospitality industry, followership has a limited amount of research contributing to the body of knowledge. Followers are a key aspect of the leadership equation; therefore, it is important to understand their role in the industry. The purpose of this study is to explore the leadership theory of followership in restaurants to examine the connections between followership training, voice behavior and employee turnover rates. The study adds to the existing knowledge of followership in the hospitality industry and provides ideas for future research and practical implications.

A descriptive survey was made online via Qualtrics utilizing snowball sampling. A total of 114 respondents participated in the study, and a total of 36 were deemed to be usable. The respondents completed the questionnaire that measured followership levels, followership training, employee turnover rate, voice behavior levels, and demographic information.

The study revealed that restaurant employees felt that they had high levels of followership and voice behavior. Based on the findings it was determined that respondents believed that followership training was important, and that followership could aid in reducing employee turnover rates in the restaurant industry. Results from this study can be used to advance further research into followership and voice behavior within the hospitality industry, as well as be applied in the field to reach desired outcomes.

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