Motivator and Hygiene Factors Influencing Employee Productivity Among Novice and Experienced Employees in a Casual Dining Restaurant: Evidence from the Philippines

Abstract

Employee productivity is a critical determinant of operational performance in hospitality establishments, particularly in casual dining restaurants where service speed, service quality, and teamwork depend on frontline employees. This quantitative descriptive-comparative study examined the motivator and hygiene factors influencing the productivity of novice and experienced employees in a selected casual dining restaurant in the Philippines. Anchored on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the study assessed motivator factors, hygiene factors, and productivity indicators using a structured survey questionnaire administered to 44 employees and managers of Max’s Restaurant, a well known fine dining restaurant in the Philippines. The respondents consisted of 25 employees with one to three years of tenure and 19 employees with four or more years of tenure. Weighted mean and independent samples t-test were used to analyze the data. Results showed that advancement was the strongest motivator, while working conditions emerged as the most influential hygiene factor. Productivity was highest in work efficiency, particularly in speed, accuracy, and timely task accomplishment, while teamwork and cooperation received the lowest productivity rating. Although motivator and hygiene influences varied between novice and experienced employees, the t-test result indicated no statistically significant difference in their overall productivity levels. The findings suggest that productivity in casual dining restaurants is shaped less by tenure alone and more by growth pathways, supportive work conditions, standardized operations, and experience-sensitive management practices.