Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM: Campus Center Auditorium [A80]

Understanding Retention in the Restaurant Industry: The Role of Family–Work Conflict and Leadership Style

Presenter: Jillian Baldassini

Faculty Sponsor: Muzzo Uysal

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Business & Economics

ABSTRACT

Employee retention is a persistent challenge in the restaurant industry, where demanding schedules, high stress, and limited work–life balance contribute to frequent turnover. This study explores how family-work conflict and leadership style influence employees’ decisions to remain in or leave their workplace. Specifically, the project examines the roles of transformational and transactional leadership among full-service restaurant employees in Massachusetts. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data will be collected from current and recently employed restaurant workers through an online questionnaire with validated measurement scales. The survey measures experiences of family–work conflict, perceptions of supervisor leadership behaviors, and intentions to stay with or leave their employer. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression will be used to analyze relationships among these variables. It is hypothesized that higher levels of family–work conflict will be associated with lower retention intentions, whereas supportive and, transformational leadership will be linked to greater employee commitment. Transactional leadership is expected to have a weaker or less consistent relationship with retention outcomes. The broader significance of this research lies in its potential to help restaurant managers better understand how leadership practices and personal stressors interact to shape employee retention. By identifying strategies that support work–life balance and positive leadership behaviors, this study aims to inform practical approaches for reducing turnover, improving employee well-being, and strengthening organizational stability in a high-turnover service industry.


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