Exploring work motivation and work–life balance among women employees in the hotel industry of Delhi NCR Open Access

Authors

  • Gauri Rajput 1 &  Sonia Sharma 2
Published online: 19 Oct 2026

Abstract

Purpose - This study examines work motivation and work–life balance among women hotel employees in Delhi NCR and investigates their relationship and variations across age groups and hotel categories.
Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from 150 women employees working in 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star hotels. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Pearson correlation, regression, and ANOVA were employed.
Findings - Work motivation was positively related to work–life balance (r = .582, p < .001) and significantly predicted it, explaining 33.9% of the variance (R² = .339). No significant differences emerged across age groups. Work–life balance differed significantly across hotel categories, while work motivation did not.
Practical implications -  Hotels should strengthen motivational practices and supportive work arrangements to enhance women employees’ work–life balance.
Originality/value - The study provides empirical evidence linking work motivation with work–life balance among women hotel employees in Delhi NCR.

Keywords:
Work motivation work–life balance women employees hotel industry Delhi NCR

References

Ahmad Dar, A., Raina, D. I., Ahmad Bhat, S., & Abdulla, P. (2025). Work-life balance of homestay operators in Jammu and Kashmir. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts (JTHCA), 17(1), 50-65. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/118913/

Alsaied, M. A., Winchenbach, A., & Ma, E. (2026). Women’s dignity at work in hospitality and tourism: a conceptual framework and research agenda. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-11-2025-1294

Batra, S., & Batra, S. (2026). Women entrepreneurship in the hospitality and tourism industry: a comprehensive review and future research directions. Tourism Review, 81(4), 1396-1416. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-09-2024-0770

Brandão, R., Vieira, E., Borges, A. P., & Vieira, B. M. (2026). Motivational perceptions in current and prospective hospitality employees: a mixed-method study. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-03477-2

Chetambe, K. W., Irungu, R. W., & Wandolo, M. (2026). Inclusive Work Environment and Job Competency Among Hospitality Employees in Class A-Rated Hotels Within Nairobi City County, Kenya. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 9(1), 75-91. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2576

Chiang, C. F., & Jang, S. S. (2008). An expectancy theory model for hotel employee motivation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(2), 313-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2007.07.017

Chien, G. C., Mao, I., Nergui, E., & Chang, W. (2020). The effect of work motivation on employee performance: Empirical evidence from 4-star hotels in Mongolia. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 19(4), 473-495. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2020.1763766

Costa, C., Seeyitoglu, F., Malta, A. M., & Martins, M. (2023). Gender (in) equality and work-life (im) balance in tourism and hospitality labour: Perspectives of tourism organisations in Portugal. Tourism and hospitality management, 29(4), 623-626. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.29.4.8

Dar, A. A., Khan, F. F., & Parrey, J. A. (2026). Between Home and Enterprise: Work–Life Balance of Women Tourism Entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir. Journal of Heritage Management, 11(1), 77-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/24559296261438042

Doherty, L. (2004). Work‐life balance initiatives: implications for women. Employee relations, 26(4), 433-452. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450410544524

El Ayachi, M., Raffay-Danyi, Á., & Gyurácz-Németh, P. (2026). Human resource management maturity and employee motivation in hotels: Evidence from Morocco and Hungary. Turisztikai és Vidékfejlesztési Tanulmányok, 11(2), 112-131. https://doi.org/10.15170/TVT.2026.11.02.06

Ghosh, S. (2022). Female entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry: A panel causality analysis of EU countries. Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, 21(1), 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0976747920942486

Grobelna, A. (2025). The Importance of Work-Life Balance in Attracting and Retaining Generation Z Employees: The Case of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. In Gen Z at Work in Central and Eastern Europe (pp. 182-200). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.47670/wuwijar202481kg

Hammad, H., Bansal, A., & Jodhana, L. S. (2026). Work–Life Balance in the Hospitality Industry: A Systematic Literature Review with Special Reference to Indore. International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT), 10(2), 52-64. https://doi.org/10.31674/ijrtbt.2026.v010i02.005

Islam, M. T., & Pandey, U. (2024). Indian female undergraduate students’perception towards working in the tourism and hospitality industry. Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis.

Karmajaya, L. G. A. L., Aristana, I. N., & Landra, N. (2026). The Role of Organizational Commitment in Mediating the Effect of Employee Engagement and Work-Life Balance on Employee Performance. Social Science and Human Research Bulletin, 3(07), 885-893. https://doi.org/10.55677/SSHRB/2026-3050-0721

Katırcıoğlu, E., & Yapıcı, O. Ö. (2026). The dynamics of happiness at work: a study on the effects of perceived social support and work-life balance in hospitality enterprises. Uluslararası Yönetim İktisat ve İşletme Dergisi, 22(2), 759-779. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijmeb/article/1713162

Khan, S., & Sreenivasan, G. K. (2024). Impact of ai on work life balance of working women in hotel industry. Indian Scientific Journal Of Research In Engineering And Management, 9(2), 1-23.

Kuvaas, B., Buch, R., Weibel, A., Dysvik, A., & Nerstad, C. G. (2017). Do intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relate differently to employee outcomes?. Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 244-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.05.004

Langdon, R. R., Ali, M., Baker, M., Tumpa, R., & Ferdous, T. (2026). Building a balance: a systematic literature review of work-life programs, work-life balance, and work outcomes in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2026.2710286

Liu, T., Gao, J., Zhu, M., & Jin, S. (2021). Women's work-life balance in hospitality: Examining its impact on organizational commitment. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 625550. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625550

Masuku, T. F., & Crowther, D. (2026). Job flexibility and career shift intentions among hotel employees: A moderated analysis by employment type and gender. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Sciences, 3(2), a01-a01. https://doi.org/10.38140/ijms-2026.vol3.2.01

Matei, M., Abrudan, M. M., Săveanu, T. G., & Scîntee, A. A. (2025). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in academia: a mixed-method exploration of motivational drivers. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 34(1), 55-72.

Medeni, İ., Tonbuloğlu Altıner, Ö., Medeni, V., & Necmi İlhan, M. (2025). Working conditions, health status and musculoskeletal disorders among hotel employees: A cross-sectional study in Türkiye. Work, 80(2), 660-669. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-240346

Mohanty, N., & Leena Hota, S. (2026). Female Workforce Participation, Challenges, and Opportunities in the Tourism Industry. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83662-916-020251009

O’Neill, J. W., & Follmer, K. (2020). A multilevel review of hospitality industry work–family conflict research and a strategy for future research. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 44(1), 3-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348019864653

Pandey, M. (2026). Job satisfaction and work motivation among hospitality employees: a qualitative study. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2026053119614

Phan, T. B. H. (2026). From motivation to employee performance: An integrated behavioral model for hotel employees in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science-Economics and Business Administration, 36-56. https://doi.org/10.46223/HCMCOUJS.econ.en.16.8.4629.2026

Puciato, D., Oleśniewicz, P., Borek, D., Rozpara, K., & Kupczyk, T. (2026). Factors shaping hotel employees' choice of a good place to work in the context of Sustainable Development (SDG 8). Journal of Modern Science, 66(2), 387-406. https://doi.org/10.13166/jms/225826

Rakhimov, S. O. (2024). Hotel Employee Motivation. Spanish Journal of Innovation and Integrity, 37, 8-11. https://sjii.es/index.php/journal/article/view/62

Rani, S., Padhi, B., Sahu, P. P., & Krishna, M. (2026). Rethinking Participation Rates: Female Labour Force, Unemployment and Barriers in Northeast India. Millennial Asia, 09763996261443463. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996261443463

Sun, N., Liang, S., Li, H., & Song, H. (2023). Ex post i-deals, work-life balance, and work well-being in the hospitality industry: the moderating role of gender. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(9), 3077-3094. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2022-0350

Tamala, I., & Nuvriasari, A. (2026). The influence of self-efficacy, work–life balance, and job satisfaction on employee performance. Economic and Business Horizon, 5(1), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.55677/SSHRB/2026-3050-0721

Yang, H., Zhao, X. R., & Ma, E. (2024). A dual-path model of work-family conflict and hospitality employees’ job and life satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 58, 154-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.12.008

Yusro, A. M., & Kahar, A. (2026). Work Motivation, Competence, and Employee Performance in a Four-Star Hotel: Evidence from Bedrock Hotel Kuta Bali. Journal of Multidimensional Management, 3(1), 408-415. https://doi.org/10.63076/jomm.v3i1.95

Транченко, Л., & Чепурда, Г. (2026). Effectiveness of employee motivation in the hospitality sector under contemporary conditions. Innovations and Technologies in the Service Sphere and Food Industry, 2(20), 175-183.

Permission is granted subject to the terms of the License under which the work was published. Permission will be required if your reuse is not covered by the terms of the License.

How to Cite

Rajput, G., & Sharma, S. . (2026). Exploring work motivation and work–life balance among women employees in the hotel industry of Delhi NCR. Journal of Rural Tourism , 4(1). https://doi.org/10.70310/jrt.2027.040106149

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Additional Information

  • Gauri Rajput
    School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi, India

    *Corresponding Author

  • Sonia Sharma
    School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi, India

    Director, School of Tourism and Hospitality Service Management