6TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL CURRENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IN UGANDA: A CASE OF FOUR SELECTED HOTELS IN ENTEBBE
Yazarlar:
Katoogo Gonzaga
Ochan Denis
Sebuliba Christopher
Amos Ronald Kalukusu
Yayıncı:
Liberty Publications
This study investigated the effectiveness of internal communication strategies on customer satisfaction in the hotel industry in Entebbe, Uganda. The general objective was to examine how internal communication influenced customer satisfaction in four selected hotels. It took a descriptive correlational research design and data was collected from 91 respondents from various hotels in Entebbe Uganda. It was guided by three specific objectives: (a) to assess the current internal communication practices and strategies; (b) to determine the perceived impact of internal communication on employee engagement (c) to investigate the correlation between internal communication effectiveness and customer satisfaction levels. It evaluated several internal communication practices, including regular staff meetings, digital communication platforms, employee training programs on communication skills, and management feedback mechanisms and more. Findings revealed that regular staff meetings (mean score = 3.8778) and employee training programs on communication skills (mean score = 3.4556) were highly effective, while digital communication platforms (mean score = 3.8111) and management feedback mechanisms (mean score = 3.4000) were less impactful. Correlation analysis indicated a very strong positive relationship between internal communication strategies and their perceived impact on employee engagement and service delivery (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.973, p < 0.01). Regression analysis identified key variables contributing to employee engagement, with openness and transparency in communication channels (adjusted R² = 0.414) being the most influential. The model summary revealed that internal communication strategies predicted 94.7% of the variance in employee engagement (R² = 0.947), confirming the reliability of the model. utilizing digital communication tools. Descriptive statistics revealed high effectiveness of internal communication practices on guest satisfaction. Metrics such as Guest Satisfaction Surveys (mean = 3.4333), Number of Guest Complaints (mean = 3.6000), Average Response Time to Requests (mean = 3.8556), Ratings on Online Platforms (mean = 4.1778), Ability to Refer Other Customers (mean = 3.9667), and Overall Service Ratings (mean = 4.1333) demonstrated the positive impact of communication strategies. The correlation matrix showed an extremely strong positive correlation between internal communication effectiveness and customer satisfaction levels, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.975 (p = 0.000). This indicates that improved internal communication significantly enhances customer satisfaction.The study recommends that hotels invest in regular communication training for staff to improve communication skills, emphasize the importance of clear and consistent messaging, and enhance overall effectiveness.
