TITLE:
Assessing the Mediating Role of Motivation in the Relationship between Training and Development and Employee Performance: A Study of Takoradi Hotels
AUTHORS:
Adelaide Spio-Kwofie, Emzara Ansah Sam, Georgina Dadson, Pearl Aba Eshun
KEYWORDS:
Training and Development, Employee Motivation, Employee Performance, Hospitality Industry, Mediation Analysis, PLS-SEM
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Industrial and Business Management,
Vol.16 No.11,
November
13,
2026
ABSTRACT: In the hospitality sector, training and development are considered important factors associated with employee performance, yet the relationships underlying this association remain poorly understood, especially in developing countries. This study investigated the mediating role of employee motivation in the relationship between training and development and employee performance in the hotel industry in Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. The study employed an explanatory quantitative research design grounded in Human Capital Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. We collected data from 296 employees across ten registered one- to four-star hotels using a structured questionnaire and used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to test the hypothesised relationships. Training and development were significantly and positively associated with both employee motivation (β = 0.627, p p p p