Abstract:
In today's dynamic business environment, diversity management (DM) has become a
key strategic tool for enhancing workforce effectiveness. In this study, which
explores the relationship between diversity management (DM) and employee
engagement (EE), perceived organisational support (POS) plays a moderating role
among non-executive employees in the hotel sector in the Kandy district of Sri Lanka.
This sector has a diverse workforce and customer base, where non-executive
employees often experience complex and stressful work environments, as they are
the backbone of service operations. Although they make a significant contribution to
the national economy, this area is still understudied. A quantitative, cross-sectional
research design was adopted with a structured questionnaire distributed to targeted
non-executive hotel employees, and using stratified random sampling, 254
respondents (N= 254) were selected from a population of 736 based on Morgan's
table. SPSS version 21 was used to analyse the collected data. Reliability analysis
confirmed high internal consistency across constructs with a Cronbach's alpha value
of 0.842. The findings showed that all four DM dimensions positively (age: 0.57,
gender: 0.59, ethnicity: 0.67, and disability: 0.42) and significantly (p<0.01) affect
EE. In addition, Multiple Regression Analysis confirmed that all these dimensions
significantly predicted EE, while Moderation Analysis indicated that a statistically
significant moderating effect of POS on the relationship between DM and EE
(interaction term: β = -0.217, p=0.008). These findings highlight the complexity of
POS in diverse environments, providing new insights into diversity dynamics within
the Sri Lankan hospitality industry. Policymakers and hotel managers are advised to
create inclusive and supportive policies that promote EE and organisational
sustainability, thereby contributing to the advancement of this industry.
