Workplace Harassment and Employee Wellbeing: A Study of Hotels in Owerri Municipality, Imo State Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of workplace harassment on employee wellbeing in hotels in Owerri Municipality, Imo State, Nigeria. The study specifically examined the impact of verbal and physical harassment on employee job satisfaction and self-esteem in selected hotels in the Municipality. The study was grounded on Conservation of Resources Theory. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed targeting hotel employees. Data were collected from 143 hotel employees using a structured questionnaire. The data analysis involved frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that verbal harassment significantly reduces employee job satisfaction, leading to disengagement, emotional exhaustion, and high turnover intentions. Physical harassment was found to negatively impact employee selfesteem, causing anxiety, fear, and reduced workplace confidence. The regression analyses revealed a strong negative relationship between verbal harassment and job satisfaction (β1 = −0.62, p < 0.05), and a strong negative relationship between physical harassment and self-esteem (β1 = −0.683, p < 0.05). The results suggest that the two forms of harassment had significant negative impact on employee wellbeing. The main conclusion drawn from the study is that, workplace harassment hampers hotel employees’ job satisfaction and self-esteem, leading to poor wellbeing, a precursor to poor job performance. The consequences of hotel employees’ poor job performance may include poor customer service delivery, low customer satisfaction, customer attrition, and financial losses. In all, the growth, sustainability, and survival of the hotels are imperiled when workplace harassments are not adequately addressed and the negative consequences skillfully mitigated.