Author ORCID Identifier
Emily Zirbes, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2177-0966
Executive Summary
Employee turnover remains one of the most persistent challenges in the hospitality industry, where high job demands, limited support, and chronic understaffing contribute to burnout and voluntary exits. This report examines how job design imbalances shaped the resignation of a long‑tenured front desk supervisor at a mid‑sized hotel. Using the Job Design Optimization Tool (JDOT), the analysis evaluates the alignment of job demands and resources across four dimensions: span of control, span of accountability, span of influence, and span of support. Findings reveal that disproportionate accountability expectations and insufficient support create a structurally unsustainable role. The report argues that turnover in hospitality is often a predictable outcome of poor job design rather than employee shortcomings. It concludes with actionable recommendations for hospitality leaders, including redistributing responsibilities, strengthening support systems, rebalancing accountability, and integrating job design reviews into ongoing Human Resources practice.
Recommended Citation
Zirbes, Emily
(2026)
"The Use of Job Design Optimization in the Hospitality Industry to Reduce Turnover,"
ICHRIE Research Reports: Vol. 11:
Iss.
5, Article 1.
DOI: www.doi.org/10.61701/463039.945
Available at:
https://via.library.depaul.edu/ichrie_rr/vol11/iss5/1
