Internal communication and psychological empowerment: their relation to employee engagement in hospitality industry in Rusizi district

The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between internal communication, psychological empowerment, and employee engagement of selected hotels in Rusizi District for the year 2023. The study was quantitative in nature using the descriptive correlation research design. Out of 281 distributed questionnaires, only 242 individuals participated in filling the questionnaire where 38% were male and 62% were female. The descriptive data was analyzed using frequency distribution and percentage, the mean, and standard deviation. For the inferential components of the research, the Kruskal-Wallis Test, Mann-Whitney U-Test, and Regression Analysis were used. The descriptive statistics findings showed that the respondents perceive internal communication as very good, and the level of psychological empowerment and employee engagement as high. The statistical results reveal that only age, marital status, and monthly income affect employee engagement in selected hotels. Based on Pearson correlation findings, internal communication had a positive relationship with employee engagement and its dimensions: vigor, dedication, and absorption. All components of psychological empowerment: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact had a positive relationship with employee engagement and its dimensions. These findings show that meaning, self-determination, internal communication, and competence predict employee engagement. The obtained results are not just similar but they confirm findings of previous studies conducted in different settings showing that the deficiency in internal communication and psychological empowerment would lower the level of employee engagement that will decrease performance and prevent the organization from achieving its goals and objectives as outcomes.