Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Hospitality & Tourism Management
Department
Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration
Major Professor
Yizhi "Ian" Li
Second Advisor
Yvette N.J. Green
Third Advisor
Han Chen
Abstract
This study examined whether perceived diversity (PD) influences voluntary turnover intentions (VTI) through interpersonal conflict (CON) and stress symptom burden (SSB) in hotel work environments. Using survey data from N = 113 frontline employees, results indicated that PD was positively associated with CON, and CON was positively related to VTI. Although CON was associated with SSB, SSB did not predict VTI, and the proposed serial mediation pathway was not supported. Instead, PD indirectly influenced VTI through interpersonal conflict alone. These findings clarify conflict as the operative stressor within a stressor–strain framework and suggest that perceived coworker differences become organizationally consequential primarily through relational dynamics rather than strain alone. Implications for stress management and retention in hospitality settings are discussed.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Cooper, Shawnquel, "When Diversity Hurts: The Impact of Perceived Diversity and Interpersonal Stress in the Hotel Industry" (2026). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3353.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3353
Included in
Health Psychology Commons, Hospitality Administration and Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.