Employee Engagement Among Generation Z in Tourism Business: The Role of Technology, Organizational Culture, and Servant Leadership
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33649/pusaka.v6i2.486Keywords:
employee engagement, information technology utilization, organizational culture, servant leadership, tourism businessAbstract
Employee engagement among Generation Z in tourism businesses is essential as they enter the workforce. This study examines how information technology utilization, organizational culture, and servant leadership influence employee engagement among Generation Z in Jakarta's tourism sector. It also explores the mediating role of servant leadership in these relationships. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 200 respondents through purposive sampling. Analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. The results indicate that information technology utilization, organizational culture, and servant leadership positively impact employee engagement. Additionally, servant leadership mediates the relationship between information technology utilization, organizational culture, and employee engagement. This study contributes to employee engagement theory by emphasizing the psychological conditions necessary for full engagement. It also underscores servant leadership's role in fostering psychological safety through support, empowerment, and ethical guidance. From a practical perspective, the findings highlight the need for tourism businesses to leverage technology, build a strong organizational culture, and adopt servant leadership practices that align with Generation Z’s expectations to enhance engagement.
References
Aboramadan, M (2018). NGOs management: A roadmap to effective practices. Journal of Global Responsibility, 9(4), 372–387. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-08-2018-0033
Achmad, F. (2023). Sustainable tourism industry development: A collaborative model of open innovation, stakeholders, and support system facilities. IEEE Access, 11, 83343–83363. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3301574
AlNaqbi, E., & Shamsudin, F. M. (2024). Greening the UAE workforce: Can green human resource management and domestic environmental regulations support green innovation at the workplace? Problems and Perspectives in Management, 22(1), 593–604. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.22(1).2024.47
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2009). The crossover of work engagement between working couples. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(3), 220–236. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940910939313
Bakker, A. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2010). Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research, Psychological Press.
Baum, T. (2007). Human resources in tourism: Still waiting for change. Tourism Management, 28(6), 1383–1399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.04.005
Canavesi, A., & Minelli, E. (2022). Servant leadership and employee engagement: A qualitative study. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 34(4), 413–435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-021-09389-9
Chatzifoti, N., Didaskalou, E. A., Chountalas, P. T., Agoraki, K. K., Georgakellos, D. A. (2024). The role of information technology and employee engagement in enhancing knowledge management in the pharmaceutical research and development process: Insights from dynamic capabilities theory. Businesses, 4(3), 315-330. https://doi.org/10.3390/businesses4030020
Chen, M. H., Chen, B. H., & Chi, C. G. qing. (2018). Socially responsible investment by generation Z: A cross-cultural study of Taiwanese and American investors. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(3), 334–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1525690
Chen, M., Zada, M., Khan, J., & Saba, N. U. (2022). How does servant leadership influence creativity? Enhancing employee creativity via creative process engagement and knowledge sharing. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947092
Chen, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, X., & Huang, J. (2021). The influence of organizational culture on employee job performance: The mediating role of employee engagement. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010001
Chillakuri, B. (2020). Understanding Generation Z expectations for effective onboarding. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(7), 1277-1296. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-02-2020-0058
Dogru, T., Mody, M., & Suess, C. (2019). Adding evidence to the debate: Quantifying Airbnb's disruptive impact on ten key hotel markets. Tourism Management, 72, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.11.008
Dwesini, N. F. (2019). Causes and prevention of high employee turnover within the hospitality industry: A literature review. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(3), 1-15.
El Reqib, R. E. S., & Tariq, M. U. (2025). Servant leadership and performance outcomes: A cross-industry systematic review focusing on hospitality and tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-12-2024-1293
Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., & Liden, R. C. (2019). Servant leadership: A systematic review and call for future research. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 111-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.07.004
Gabriel, O. D., De Alwis, C. D. T. V., Jayang, E. A., & Lee, S. C. W. (2022). The impact of transformational leadership on Generation Z employee retention and innovative behaviour: A case of Malaysian hotel industry. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 9(4), 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v9i4.3667
Gabrielova, K. & Buchko, A. A. (2021). Here comes Generation Z: Millennials as managers. Business Horizons, 64(4), 489-499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.013
Goh, E., & Lee, C. (2018) A workforce to be reckoned with: The emerging pivotal Generation Z hospitality workforce. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 73, 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.01.016
Goh, E., & Okumus, F. (2020). Avoiding the hospitality workforce bubble: Strategies to attract and retain generation Z talent in the hospitality workforce. Tourism Management Perspectives, 33, 100603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.100603
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage Publications Inc.
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). Rethinking some of the rethinking of partial least squares. European Journal of Marketing, 53(4), 566–584. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-10-2018-0665
Hasibuan, I. M., Mutthaqin, S., Erianto, R., & Harahap, I. (2023). Kontribusi sektor pariwisata terhadap perekonomian nasional. Jurnal Masharif Al-Syariah: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Perbankan Syariah, 8(2), 1177-1217. https://doi.org/10.30651/jms.v8i2.19280
Irfan, M., Salameh, A. A., Saleem, H., Naveed, R. T., Dalain, A. F., & Shahid, R. M. (2022). Impact of servant leadership on organization excellence through employees’ competence: Exploring a cross-cultural perspective. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 985436. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.985436
Karatepe, O. M., Hsieh, H., & Aboramadan, M. (2022). The effects of green human resource management and perceived organizational support for the environment on green and non-green hotel employee outcomes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 103, 103202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103202
Kristiana, Y. (2025). Optimalisasi employee well-being dengan service-oriented job crafting dan work engagement. Indramayu: Penerbit Adab.
Kristiana, Y., Mulyono, S. T., Julita, & Nainggolan, R. F. (2025). Exploring human resource development in Serdang Wetan Tourism Village, Tangerang Regency. Media Bina Ilmiah, 19(6), 4851-4862. https://doi.org/10.33758/mbi.v19i6
Kristiana, Y., Sijabat, R., Sudibjo, N., & Bernarto, I. (2025). Service-oriented job crafting for employee well-being in hotel industry: A job demands-resources perspective. Cogent Business & Management, 12 (1), 2463816. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2463816
Kusumah, E. P. (2024). Sustainable tourism concept: Tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 10(1), 166–184. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-04-2023-0074
Lazar, M.-A., Zbuchea, A., & Pînzaru, F. (2023). The emerging Generation Z workforce in the digital world: A literature review on cooperation and transformation. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, 17(1), 1991-2001. https://doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2023-0175
Liengaard, B. D., Sharma, P. N., Hult, G. T. M., Jensen, M. B., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., & Ringle, C. M. (2021). Prediction: Coveted, yet forsaken? Introducing a cross-validated predictive ability test in partial least squares path modeling. Decision Sciences, 52(2), 362–392. https://doi.org/10.1111/deci.12445
Liu, B., Yun, J., & Zhao, J. (2025). The effect of proactive customer service performance on employee work engagement: A moderated dual-path model in spillover perspective. Tourism Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-08-2024-0718
Lukić, J. (2023). The impact of digital technologies on employee engagement: Case study of Company “A” in Serbia. The European Journal of Applied Economics, 20(2), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.5937/EJAE20-43248
Mahran, K., Ibrahim, B. A., Albarrak, H., & Elamer, A. A. (2025). Green workforce in tourism and hospitality: A systematic review and future research agenda. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 131, 104325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104325
Novelli, M., Morgan, N., & Nibigira, C. (2012). Tourism in a post-conflict situation of fragility. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(3), 1446–1469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2012.03.003
Ouedraogo, F., Zongo, S., Vedaste, M., & Kaboré, A. (2023). The arrival of Generation Z employees is transforming workplace dynamics, prompting HR departments to adapt to this tech-savvy and purpose-driven generation. International Journal of Digital Transformation, 12(10), 150-159.
Page, D., & Wong, P. T. P. (2000). A conceptual framework for measuring servant leadership. In A. Adjibolosoo (Ed.), The human factor in shaping the course of history and development (pp. 241–271). University Press of America.
Partelow, S., & Nelson, K. (2020). Social networks, collective action and the evolution of governance for sustainable tourism on the Gili Islands, Indonesia. Marine Policy, 112, 103800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.08.004
Phan, A. C., Le, A. T. T., Nguyen, H. T., & Nguyen, H. (2023). Determinants of employee performance in tourism industry – Mediating role of engagement and meaningfulness. International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 38(2), 243–269. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPQM.2023.129132
Prayitno, G., Auliah, A., Ari, I. R. D., Effendi, A., Hayat, A., Delisa, A., Siankwilimba, E., & Hiddlestone-Mumford, J. (2023). Social capital for sustainable tourism development in Indonesia. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 2293310. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2293310
Qiao, G., Li, Y., & Hong, A. (2024). The strategic role of digital transformation: Leveraging digital leadership to enhance employee performance and organizational commitment in the digital era. Systems, 12(11), 457. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12110457
Rasool, H., Maqbool, S., & Tarique, M. (2021). The relationship between tourism and economic growth among BRICS countries: A panel cointegration analysis. Future Business Journal, 7(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-020-00048-3
Saebah, N., & Merthayasa, A. (2023). Peran kepemimpinan dalam mengelola perubahan bisnis yang disebabkan oleh krisis global. Syntax Idea, 5(7), 865–87. https://doi.org/10.46799/syntax-idea.v5i7.2517
Saebah, N., & Merthayasa, A. (2024). The influence of organizational culture on employee performance with organizational commitment as an intervening variable. International Journal of Social Service and Research (IJSSR), 4(3), 744-751. https://doi.org/10.46799/ijssr.v4i03.685
Sakdiyakorn, M., Golubovskaya, M., & Solnet, D. (2021). Understanding Generation Z through collective consciousness: Impacts for hospitality work and employment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102822
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass..
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. J. Organ. Behav. 25, 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Scheyvens, R. (2007). Exploring the Tourism-Poverty Nexus. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2–3), 231–254. https://doi.org/10.2167/cit318.0
Seyfi, S., Vo-Thanh, T., & Zaman, M. (2024). Hospitality in the age of Generation Z: A critical reflection on evolving customer and workforce expectations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(13), 118-134. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2024-0035
Sharma, P. N., Liengaard, B. D., Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2023). Predictive model assessment and selection in composite-based modeling using PLS-SEM: Extensions and guidelines for using CVPAT. European Journal of Marketing, 57(6), 1662–1677. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-08-2020-0636
Siswanto, A. (2023). The influence of organizational culture on employee engagement: The role of organizational commitment as an intervening variable. Greenation International Journal of Tourism and Management, 1(2), 171–183. https://doi.org/10.38035/gijtm.v1i2.46
Spicer, A. (2020). Organizational culture and COVID-19. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1737-1740. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12625
Szymkowiak, A., Melović, B., Dabić, M., Jeganathan, K., & Kundi, G.S. (2021). Information technology and Generation Z: The role of teachers, the internet, and technology in the education of young people. Technology in Society, 65, 101565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101565
Tadesse Bogale, A., & Debela, K. L. (2024). Organizational culture: a systematic review. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2340129
Thommandru, A., Espinoza-Maguiña, M., Ramirez-Asis, E., Ray, S., Naved, M., & Guzman-Avalos, M. (2023). Role of tourism and hospitality business in economic development. Materials Today: Proceedings, 80(Part 3), 2901–2904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.07.059
van Dierendonck, D., & Nuijten, I. (2011). The servant leadership survey: Development and validation of a multidimensional measure. J. Bus. Psychol. 26, 249–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9194-1
Widodo, T., Wening, N., Nakuloadi, H., Rustiana, E., & Saifuddiin, M. R. (2025). Work engagement in Generation Z employees: Organizational commitment, perceived organizational support and work meaningfulness. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2), e02610. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n02.pe02610
Yan, R., Basheer, M. F., Irfan, M., and Rana, T. N. (2020). Role of psychological factors in employee well-being and employee performance: An empirical evidence from Pakistan. Rev. Argent. Clín. Psicol. 29, 638. https://doi.org/10.24205/03276716.2020.1060
Zhou, G, Gul, R., & Tufail, M. (2022). Does servant leadership stimulate work engagement? The moderating role of trust in the leader. Front. Psychol. 13:925732. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925732
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yustisia Kristiana, Theodosia C. Nathalia, Vasco A. H. Goeltom
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
