Ebola Response Strategies and Employee Trust: A Survey of Selected Hotels in Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between Ebola response strategies and employee trust in selected hotels within Rivers State, Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted and data was generated from 144 employees selected using the simple random sampling formula from a population of 242 employees of five selected hotels in Rivers State. The study, being predominantly nomothetic in methodology, empirically ascertains the significant association of two identified empirically referents of the predictor variable, Ebola response strategies, namely; communication and monitoring; with the criterion variable, employee trust using the Spearman’s rank order correlation statistical tool. The data collection instrument consisted of the questionnaire with findings revealing that Ebola response strategies such as communication and monitoring significantly correlate with employee trust. Based on these findings, it was concluded that effective and transparent communication and monitoring systems and activities significantly enhance employee trust in organizations and thereafter we recommended that organizations, especially hotels, adopt more transparent and practical approaches which translate or portray confidence and competency on their part especially in given crises situations such as the Ebola. Management should also endeavour to encourage and reassure staff, customers and other stakeholders of their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all interested parties during and even after crises events as this would further promote trust and thus enable a more cooperative work environment.

Keywords: Ebola response strategies, employee trust, communication, monitoring, crises