Effect of Working Environment on Employee Performance in the Hospitality Industry in Rwanda: A Case of Lemigo Hotel
Rugaba Tresor Batistuta and Ruth Odengo
University of Kigali, Rwanda
Email: trugaba@gmail.com
Abstract: This study examined the effect of the working environment on employee performance in the hospitality industry in Rwanda, using Lemigo Hotel as a case study. Specifically, it assessed the effect of physical ergonomics and safety, open communication, professional growth and development, and work-life balance on employee performance. A mixed-methods descriptive research design was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected from a census of 198 employees using structured questionnaires, interview guides, and documentary review, and were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression in SPSS, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between the combined working-environment factors and employee performance (R = 0.799), with the four predictors jointly explaining 67.4% of the variance (R² = 0.674; adjusted R² = 0.641).The regression coefficients showed that physical ergonomics and safety (B = 0.353, p = 0.025), open communication (B = 0.472, p = 0.003), professional growth and development (B = 0.676, p = 0.001), and work-life balance (B = 0.353, p = 0.009) each had a significant positive effect on employee performance, with no multicollinearity (VIF = 1.246–2.491). All four null hypotheses were rejected. The study concludes that a safe, communicative, developmental, and balanced working environment is a fundamental determinant of employee performance in the hospitality industry. It recommends that Lemigo Hotel invest in ergonomic and safety upgrades, institutionalize transparent communication channels, expand career-development pathways, and strengthen work-life balance policies to sustain and improve employee performance.
