Boosting employee job satisfaction through internal marketing: A study of star category hotels in Jimma

Abstract This study investigates whether internal marketing strategies affect employees’ job satisfaction in star-rated hotels in Jimma City. The important dimensions analysed are pay and reward, motivation, training and development, internal communication, and empowerment. The study targeted 353 employees across eight star-rated hotels as of November 30, 2024. Using stratified sampling, a representative sample of 188 employees was selected, with 180 completed questionnaires collected on a five-point Likert scale. A descriptive and explanatory research design with a quantitative approach was employed, and the data were analysed using SPSS. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised. The results indicate significant positive correlations between internal marketing dimensions and employee job satisfaction, with internal communication and motivation showing the strongest associations. Further, multiple linear regression analysis with hypothesis testing was conducted. This study highlights the importance of star-rated hotels adopting internal marketing strategies that focus on meeting employee needs and treating the organisation as their primary market.