The purpose of this study is to examine if employees of small hotels in Kingston Jamaica are
satisfied with the realization of their motivational preferences. This study also focuses on
the relationship between dependant motivational preferences such as Pay and Appreciation and
independent variables such as Gender and Age. Research was conducted through quantitative and
qualitative elements. The quantitative instrument was a structured questionnaire. An
unstructured interview with hotel managers in Kingston was the qualitative portion of the
study. The study generated a response rate of over 80 percent from six different small hotels
in Kingston. The survey was statistically analyzed using SPSS. Results of the study revealed
that employees are dissatisfied with three of the five most important motivational preferences
such as Pay and Appreciation. Further the study found that the independent variables Age
Gender Education and Tenure influence the satisfaction with the dependant variables. This
study will help to indicate areas that need attention from a managerial standpoint and it will
contribute to job satisfaction research in general.
