DOES INTERNAL MARKETING FOSTER EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH

Abstract

Purpose – The concept of employee creativity enhancement is overlooked, although it is an important factor that impacts a hotel’s position. In a competitive and uncertain economic environment, organizations need creative employees to improve service quality, enhance organizational effectiveness, and ensure long-term survival (de Jonge et al., 2012; Lusch et al., 2007). Moreover, the success of any organization depends on its ability to adapt to change that in turn requires creativity and innovation (Carr and Johansson, 1995). Therefore, this study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature on internal marketing, internal service quality, and employee creativity concepts and research. Methodology – The data for this study was gathered using the desk research method. The existing literature and scientific text publications on the management of internal marketing were utilized. Content analysis and descriptive method were used to display the development and explanation of internal marketing, internal service quality, and employee creativity terms. Findings – The findings suggest that internal marketing activities are crucial for managing employees in the hospitality industry. Employees are treated as internal customers and encouraged to provide creative and innovative services to the external customers. Originality of the research – The paper provides a useful review of the appropriate literature related to internal marketing, internal service quality, and employee creativity research in hospitality management. Creativity and creativity training are becoming increasingly important in developing learning organizations nowadays. The conceptual model created in this paper is an assumption how to encourage employees in the hospitality industry to provide creative and innovative services to the external customers.