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Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

International Journal of Hospitality Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhosman

Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life

Wan Yim King Penny a,∗ , Chan Sow Hup Joanne b,1
a
Institute for Tourism Studies, Colina de Mong-Ha, Macau, China
b
Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tomás Pereira Taipa, Macau, China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Keywords: A good quality of work life (QWL) can increase job satisfaction and task performance, reduce absenteeism
Quality of work life (QWL) and turnover rate, lower tardiness frequency, and enhance organizational effectiveness and organiza-
Casino tional commitment. This study investigates what contributes to a good QWL for employees in the casino
Gambling industry
industry, which is currently an untouched topic in the existing hospitality and tourism literature. This
Employees’ perceptions
qualitative study involves face-to-face interviews with 40 casino employees (including dealers, super-
Macau
visors, and managers) from six major casinos in Macau. The content analysis of the data yielded four
dimensions of QWL that casino employees considered to be an important constructs: job characteristics,
HR policies, work group relationships, and the physical work environment. The four dimensions and 17
attributes identified in this study can help HR practitioners develop strategies to improve the QWL of
casino employees while reducing the industry’s high turnover rate.
© 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction (Kusluvan and Kusluvan, 2000). According to Fortino and

Providing employees with a good quality of work life (QWL) is
important for reasons including the ability to increase task per-
formance, lower absenteeism and turnover rate, lower tardiness
frequency, and increase organizational effectiveness and organi-
zational commitment (Sirgy et al., 2001; Wilson et al., 2004).
Generally, QWL refers to a person’s subjective perception of his/her
work and the total working environment such as the compensation
and development opportunities (Sirgy et al., 2001). An employee’s
QWL can be affected by elements including the tasks, physical work
environment, social environment in the organization, administra-
tive system, and work–life balance (Che Rose et al., 2006).
In our ever-changing fast-paced society, determining what
makes employees feel satisfied about their lives at work is vital so
that HR practitioners can deal with the policies and practices affect-
ing employees effectively and efficiently. Understanding whether
employees have a good QWL is particularly crucial to hospitality
and tourism organizations not only to respond to contemporary
needs and demands but also to attract and retain skilled employees
who may have responsibilities to balance work, family, and other
life matters.
The tourism industry worldwide has been confronted with
the problem of attracting and retaining high quality employees
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +853 85982175; fax: +853 28838320.
E-mail addresses: pennywan@ift.edu.mo (Y.K.P. Wan), joannec@umac.mo
(S.H.J. Chan).
1
Fax: +853 28838320.
Ninemeier (1996), turnover rates in the hospitality industry range
from 32% to 300%, and employees leave for reasons including
low job satisfaction, poor working conditions, and a lack of work
motivation (Kusluvan and Kusluvan, 2000). Long and anti-social
working hours, the physically demanding nature of the job (Kim
et al., 2009; Wildes, 2007), shift work that leaves little time for
non-work commitments (i.e., to their families and friends and
to their own health) (Bothma and Thomas, 2001), and low and
unpredictable wages owing to the seasonality factor (Bothma and
Thomas, 2001) are frequently cited reasons for job dissatisfac-
tion and the high turnover rate. Given that job dissatisfaction will
eventually affect an employee’s job performance and customer sat-
isfaction level with the services provided (Berry and Parasuraman,
1992), investigating what contributes to a good QWL for hospitality
employees is necessary in order to enhance the job satisfaction of
employees and to reduce their turnover intention.
While there are many studies on QWL in the western con-
text, research in the hospitality sector is lacking (Kandasamy and
Ancheri, 2009), and there is none in the casino gaming industry
where the job nature and work environment are quite different
from other hospitality sectors. Other researchers have noted that
working in the casino industry is tense and demanding (Wan, 2010,
2013) and that casino workers are often exposed to hazards, such
as cigarette smoke, in enclosed areas with no windows and poor
ventilation (Wan and Pilkington, 2009). Further, employees work
under strict supervision, must comply with very strict gaming rules,
and must be cautious not to make any major mistakes that might
lead the company to lose/compensate huge amount of money to
their customers (King, 1989; Tate, 2001).

0278-4319/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010

Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
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Casinos are a strategic component in the development of
tourism destinations (Kim et al., 2002). Given the lack of research
on QWL in an increasingly important industry for various cities in
the Asia-Pacific region (including Macau), the high turnover rate,
and that casino workers experience high levels of stress (Anderson,
2007; Field, 1997), this study fills the gap in the literature by inves-
tigating what contributes to employee QWL in the casino gaming
industry. A qualitative methodology was adopted for this study to
identify the attributes that influence work life on the casino gam-
bling floor. The QWL dimensions and attributes identified shed light
on those aspects that are critical for improving the QWL of employ-
ees, which may ultimately help reduce turnover rate, especially in
a tight labor market. The findings also provide HR managers with
insights into ways to enhance the work lives of casino employ-
ees. In the following sections, a review of the literature is followed
by the research methodology. The results are then presented and
discussed. Finally, the implications and conclusions are provided.
2. Literature review
2.1. Quality of work life
QWL was first introduced as a concept at an International Labors
Relation Conference in New York in 1972 that aimed to share
knowledge and initiate a coherent theory and practice on how to
create the conditions for a ‘humane working life’ (Ryan, 1995). Since
then, QWL has gained substantial interest and importance among
management researchers and practitioners (Rathi, 2009).
QWL is a multidimensional construct. There is no universally
agreed definition of QWL (Attewell and Rule, 1984; Kandasamy
and Ancheri, 2009). It has been viewed in a variety of ways, such
as quality of work (Attewell and Rule, 1984), employment qual-
ity (Kraut et al., 1989), and as a set of organizational interventions
and a movement (Carlson, 1978). Some researchers have used a
broad scope to define the QWL concept, while others have defined
it based on specific facets of work life (Kandasamy and Ancheri,
2009). For instance, Stjernberg (1997) linked QWL to the wider
notion of ‘quality of life’, which covers factors such as general life
satisfaction, leisure, and well-being beyond the workplace. Yet,
some researchers have confined QWL to one’s workplace, believ-
ing that the nature of the work environment is directly related to
the well-being of employees and work-related behaviors such as
absenteeism, job involvement, intention to quit, and organizational
commitment (Efraty and Sirgy, 1990; Rathi, 2009). For example,
May et al. (1999) defined QWL as the favorable conditions and
environment of a workplace that support and promote employee
satisfaction by providing workers with rewards, job security, and
growth opportunities. Heskett et al. (1994) viewed QWL as ‘internal
service quality’ while referring to the quality of working environ-
ment that contributes to employee satisfaction.
In summary, QWL can be defined as the favorable conditions and
environment of a workplace that support and promote employee
satisfaction. Although the scope of QWL affects employees’ lives
outside work (Stjernberg, 1997), we focus on the aspects that affect
employees’ job satisfaction in the casino. Thus, we define QWL as
an individual’s evaluative reactions to and satisfaction with his/her
work conditions and the total working environment.
2.2. Dimensions of the QWL in all business sectors
Previous researchers have identified various dimensions and
attributes comprising QWL. Walton’s (1975) dimensions include
adequate and fair compensation, safe and healthy working condi-
tions (including reasonable hours of work), opportunity to use and
develop human capacities, opportunities for growth, development,
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
and advancement, social integration to the work environment,
constitutionalism, social relevance, and work–life balance. The
dimensions of QWL identified by Havlovic (1991), Scobel (1975),
and Straw and Heckscher (1984) include job security, better reward
systems, higher pay, opportunity for growth, and participative
groups, while Brooks and Anderson (2005) identified work–life bal-
ance, work design, work content, and work world as crucial aspects.
Hackman and Suttle (as cited in Saklani, 2010) pointed out that
QWL is not determined by personal or situational characteristics
alone but rather by the closeness of the individual–organization
fit. Lau and Bruce (1988) found that QWL comprises several
aspects including job security, reward system, training and career
advancement opportunities, and participation in decision making.
Hackman and Oldham (1980) argued that QWL is related to the
interaction between the work environment and personal needs.
Personal needs are satisfied when rewards from the organization
such as compensation, promotion, recognition, and development
meet their expectations. An ethical company culture is also
perceived as a key dimension of QWL. Finally, Guest (1979) char-
acterized a work environment that provided QWL as cooperative,
evolutionary, open, informal, and interpersonal.
2.3. Dimensions of the QWL in the hospitality sector
2.3.1. Hospitality work environment
Earlier research recognized that work stress among employees
in the hospitality industry is very high relative to other employ-
ment sectors (Dann, 1990; Kim et al., 2009; Wildes, 2007) and
that the QWL dimensions considered to be important to hospital-
ity employees could be different (Kandasamy and Ancheri, 2009).
First, the long and anti-social working hours, physically demand-
ing nature of the job (Kim et al., 2009), shift work that leaves little
time for non-work commitments (i.e., to their families and friends
and to their own health) (Bothma and Thomas, 2001), low and
unpredictable wages, and a lack of stability in the employment
relationship (Bothma and Thomas, 2001) are frequently cited as
the most common causes of job stress for hospitality workers.
Second, hospitality employees are often overstretched in under-
staffed situations (Rowley and Purcell, 2001; Wildes, 2007). They
have to take on multiple tasks. The industry also emphasizes face-
to-face contact with guests, and the just-in-time nature of service
delivery means that hospitality employees are exposed to great
pressure to respond promptly (Dann, 1990). The demand to work
fast or hard, limited time to complete a task, and increased quan-
tity of work all contribute to the heavy workloads of hospitality
employees (Spector, 2003).
Third, as Kim et al. (2009: 2) argue, hospitality employees are
“subject to a mass of competing, often contradictory or conflicting
demands and expectations from a multiplicity of sources”, which
often results in role conflict and role ambiguity because of the need
to balance company policy with customer expectations (Hales and
Nightingale, 1986). The simultaneous occurrence of two or more
sets of pressures that conflict with one another therefore often
results in role conflict. Role ambiguity also results because of the
uncertainty employees have about the expectations others hold
for their job performance and the actions needed to meet those
expectations (Kahn et al., 1964).
2.3.2. QWL dimensions for hospitality employees
The dimensions of QWL for hospitality employees are associ-
ated with their unique work conditions and arrangements. Curtis
and Upchurch (2008) argued that given the stressful nature of jobs
in the hospitality sector, it is important to create and promote a
fun work environment to foster a strong service culture. In Curtis
and Upchurch’s (2008) survey involving 572 hospitality employ-
ees in the US, they discovered that humor, fun social events, stress
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relief activities, and public celebrations of personal achievements
are important elements of a fun working environment. Such an
environment is beneficial to both the organization and employ-
ees, resulting in lower turnover rates, higher staff retention, and
customer and job satisfaction (Curtis and Upchurch, 2008).
Tutuncu and Kozak’s (2007) survey of 320 hospitality workers in
Turkey reported that supervision is one of the most significant fac-
tors that contribute to overall job satisfaction and QWL, whereas
pay is the least important factor. Although Tutuncu and Kozak’s
(2007) results are consistent with Gilmore and Beirman’s (1999)
findings, they explained that the relations with supervisors and
coworkers are decisive factors in determining how employees eval-
uate job condition and satisfaction.
Similarly, Smith et al. (1996) surveyed 7504 employees who
worked in a lodging company in the US and reported that more
extrinsic factors are significant in explaining overall job satisfaction
and QWL compared with intrinsic factors. For example, the extrin-
sic factor “organizational support” is considered to be an essential
factor. Organizational support equips employees to meet various
customer needs and solve problems immediately. Items such as
training, employee empowerment, and management support help
employees make decisions to satisfy customers in a responsive
manner.
In Roan and Diamond’s (2003) study involving young workers in
the retail and hospitality industries in Australia, the authors found
three main dimensions of QWL, namely flexibility in working hours,
work–life balance, and career potential. Roan and Diamond (2003)
reported that the shift work, part-time/flexible hours, and irregular
working arrangements of most hospitality jobs seriously affected
employees’ social lives, career progression, and eventually QWL.
Finally, Kandasamy and Ancheri’s (2009) qualitative investi-
gation of 84 students and 64 employees in hotel organizations
in India identified eight dimensions of QWL, namely job char-
acteristics, person–job fit, company image, HR policies, physical
working conditions, work–life balance, work group relationships,
and interaction with customers. Kandasamy and Ancheri (2009)
showed that good work group relationships, good customer inter-
action, and good physical working conditions are three important
QWL dimensions for hospitality employees. Further, a friendly and
supportive atmosphere with recreation facilities to relax in dur-
ing breaks is vital to endure prolonged work hours (Kandasamy
and Ancheri, 2009). A working environment that fosters coopera-
tive relationships and brings employees together to connect and
share stories and build trust facilitates the building of social capital
and the ability to handle different customer requests. In addition,
fringe benefits such as a good cafeteria, staff quarters, transporta-
tion, healthcare facilities, and pension schemes are considered to
be supportive of a QWL, as many hospitality employees have to
work prolonged shifts and thus desire a better work–life balance.
Unlike other industries, job security, however, was not found to be
an essential QWL dimension perhaps because few hospitality jobs
require high skills and employees can easily shift their jobs to other
hospitality contexts (Kandasamy and Ancheri, 2009).
The literature reviewed shows that work relationships, orga-
nizational support, work–life balance, and staff facilities are
particularly important QWL dimensions for many hospital-
ity employees because of their job nature and characteristics.
Kandasamy and Ancheri (2009: 335) observed that the dimensions
of QWL are not universal and vary among contexts. They indicated
that, “QWL being a subjective phenomenon, incongruence of the
observed dimensions of this study with prior definitions may not
simply be an error, rather a reflection of systematic contextual dif-
ferences”. The literature reviewed led us to query whether the QWL
dimensions of casino employees are different from those of other
hospitality sectors because of the unique job nature and work envi-
ronment of casinos. Further, if differences exist, how could the
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
3
casino sector create a more conducive working environment for
their employees? The next section discusses the work environment
of casinos.
2.3.3. Work environment of casinos
Casino employees work long and anti-social hours (Kim et al.,
2009). Most casinos are open 24 h a day, 7 days a week. As such,
employees often need to work in shifts as well as during weekends
and public holidays. In Macau’s casinos, there are three common
work shifts in a day from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 11 p.m.,
and 11:00 p.m. to 7 a.m. Similar to other hospitality jobs, casino
work can be physically demanding. Most casino work requires that
employees stand for long periods (Tate, 2001), although there are
several breaks while on duty. The casino industry also emphasizes
face-to-face contact with guests, and the just-in-time nature of
service delivery means that employees are exposed to great pres-
sure to respond promptly.
Moreover, certain aspects make the work environment of casino
employees unique. Employees are often vulnerable to a range of
physical and emotional problems (Anderson, 2007). In a survey
of casino workers, 75% agreed that stress is a cause of job dis-
satisfaction, and 50% reported experiencing “a lot” to “moderate”
levels of stress, while 15% of medical claims among workers are
related to stress (Anderson, 2007). Stress also causes alcohol and
drug abuse, excessive eating, and gambling (Wu and Wong, 2008).
Another study also noted that very few employees have the energy
to develop positive habits because the work is so hard and the stress
level is so high (King, 1989).
Field (1997) pointed out that the 24-h go–go atmosphere of
casinos that requires staff members to always be “on” piles fur-
ther stress upon them. Further, customers’ emotions often translate
into difficult behavior (Kale, 2007). Customers may often be intox-
icated or angry over gambling losses. As the primary goal is to
keep customers happy, in spite of customers’ attitudes or behav-
iors, casino employees are frequently expected to tolerate rude and
often insulting behavior (Field, 1997; Wan, 2010) and may even be
subject to physical attack (Wan, 2010).
Working under strict supervision, having to comply with very
strict gaming rules, being cautious not to make any major mistakes
such as giving away chips wrongly or forgetting some steps in deal-
ing, having to follow strict discipline, and strict rules (Wan, 2010)
add work pressure to employees. In addition, since a large part of
the salaries of casino employees comes from bonuses and rewards,
employees have to be cautious about their performances (Wan,
2010). Casino dealers’ job has low job security, few prospects for
advancement and has been ‘routinized’ (dealers are interchange-
able) so casinos have little concern for dealers’ needs as Frey and
Carns (1987) have observed. Stress source also comes from man-
agers who do not trust them since casino management must be
concerned about cheating by both players and dealers.
Furthermore, casino workers work in poorly ventilated area
(Wan and Pilkington, 2009) and noisy environment because of the
slot machines, gaming tables, and talking by workers and patrons
(King, 1989; Tate, 2001). In essence, the job nature and work envi-
ronment are stressful. Given that the focus of QWL is beyond job
satisfaction (Sirgy et al., 2001), the unique job nature and work
environment of casino employees deserves our attention in order
to explore what QWL dimensions are perceived to be important to
enhance job satisfaction and commitment.
3. Methodologies
3.1. Research design
This research focused on identifying the QWL dimensions
of casino employees. While most existing QWL studies were
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conducted using quantitative surveys (Curtis and Upchurch, 2008;
Gilmore and Beirman, 1999; Roan and Diamond, 2003; Smith et al.,
1996; Tutuncu and Kozak, 2007), this study adopted a qualita-
tive research design to allow in-depth data to be collected. The
choice of this research design is mainly because of the absence of
academic studies on the QWL of casino employees as well as the
unique work environment and job nature of casino workers. More
importantly, qualitative methods are useful for under-researched
areas of investigation (Finn et al., 2000). By using face-to-face
interviews, we aimed to “discover the meanings that participants
attach to their behavior, how they interpret situations, and what
their perspectives are on particular issues” (Woods, 2006: 2) and
acquire greater insights into “why” these behaviors are prevalent.
Throughout the research design, data collection and analysis, and
interpretation processes, we maintained the credibility, depend-
ability, confirmability, and transferability of the research (Denzin
and Lincoln, 2003).
3.2. Respondents and data collection
In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 40
casino dealers and supervisors/managers over a four-month period
from December 2010 to March 2011. Forty respondents were inter-
viewed because no new answers to the questions were found and
the researchers could not gain new insights from the data gath-
ered (Woods, 2006). Purposive sampling (Woods, 2006) was used
to enhance the representation of the sample chosen. Three senior
gaming management students from the University of Macau were
engaged to conduct the interviews. Training on how to select inter-
viewees and how to conduct interviews was given and on-site
demonstrations were held. Interviewers were stationed near the
staff exits of Macau’s casinos and the interviewer invited six to
seven employees from each casino, who fulfilled the criteria set
for the study, to participate in an interview.
The respondents represented the three concessionaires (Galaxy
casino, SJM, Wynn Resort) and three sub-concessionaires (Melco-
PBL, MGM Grand Paradise and Sands) in Macau and were flagship
casinos. These casinos were also the largest casinos in terms of
investment, size and number of employees and therefore played
important roles in the city’s casino business. Respondents from
these casinos were included to ensure a variety of work environ-
ment and culture (Western and Asian/local cultures) to add to the
richness of the data.
Potential respondents were briefed about the purpose of the
study and informed that the data collected were for research pur-
poses only. In order to ensure that respondents were familiar
with their casino setting, they have to meet the criteria for the
study: (1) currently working on the gambling floor as a casino
dealer/supervisor/manager and (2) had worked for at least six
months in that casino. Respondents who met the eligibility for the
study were then invited to participate in the in-depth interview.
3.3. Interviews
The in-depth interviews were conducted in private quiet loca-
tions, such as in a restaurant, in a park near the respondents’
workplaces, in the respondent’s home, and in a university office.
Since the interviews were to explore in depth about issues related
to the respondents’ work life, there is no pre-determined lists of
questions to follow. In other words, the respondents’ perceptions
guided the interview and they were encouraged to talk freely about
the topic.
The interviews were guided by two major questions. All other
questions asked during the interview depend on the answers pro-
vided by the respondents. The two questions were: “Can you think
of any aspects that contribute to a good work life” and “Can you
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
think of any aspects that make your work life experience bad”.
After asking the first question, follow-up questions were asked
based on the interviewee’s response, such as, “Why do you say
that?” or “Could you explain further what you meant by. . .?” or
“Could you give some examples from your workplace on what you
have just said?” Additional open-ended questions were posed to
all the respondents to clarify or expand the issue and respondents
were encouraged to narrate incidents to support their opinions. The
interviewer asked the second question to the respondents when
the respondents had nothing else to add or say about the aspects
related to a good work life. Again, respondents were probed with
follow-up questions until the respondents have nothing else to say
about the second issue. At that stage, the interviewer thanked the
respondent and ended the interview.
Detailed notes were taken during the interviews, and the con-
versations were taped if the respondents gave their permission.
Opportunities were also made available for respondents to com-
ment openly on issues other than those addressed by the preset,
open-ended questions. All interviews were conducted in Cantonese
and later transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Inter-
viewers were instructed not to invent interpretations during the
interviews. The validity of the findings was ensured because no
respondent made numerous comments and respondents always
commented. Each interview lasted approximately 20–25 min. No
incentive was given.
3.4. Data analysis
Content analysis was used in order to contextualize the con-
nections between categories and themes. Content analysis is
considered to be an appropriate research technique for making
replicable and valid inferences from texts to the contexts of their
use (Maxwell, 1996). According to Mak et al. (2010: 209), this
method “provides new insights, increases a researcher’s ability of
understanding particular phenomena or informs practical actions.
This research technique enables the researcher to include large
amounts of textual information and systematically identify its
properties by detecting the more important structures of its com-
munication content.”
The coding procedures used to identify the themes were adapted
from techniques suggested by Strauss and Corbin (1990). The first
stage was open coding. The verbatim transcripts of the interviews
were read carefully line by line numerous times to identify poten-
tial categories of important themes and codes. The intention was
not to calculate the frequency of the occurrence of them but rather
to list and classify emerging themes. Items were classified based on
the understanding of their content in the circumstantial context. In
cases where a new item was related to an existing dimension, it was
then sub-classified under the existing dimension. If it was found
to be entirely unrelated to the existing dimension, then this item
was labeled as a new dimension. The data were categorized based
on commonalities and differences across emerging themes (Ghauri
and Gronhaug, 2002). They were then checked and compared with
general codes to identify any potential for differentiation or merger.
Axial coding was then used to integrate the codes based on the
axes of the central categories with the aim of checking the rela-
tionships between codes, revisiting the data, and reorganizing the
previous codes when necessary. Finally, selective coding was used
to identify the core categories. Microsoft Excel was employed for
the textual analysis primarily because it is user-friendly and allows
the insertion of categories and themes into existing spreadsheets as
well as alphabetical sorting. To ensure accuracy and data reliability,
we sought assistance from two professors from a local university
to serve as peer debriefers in order to identify any aspects in the
transcripts we had overlooked or misinterpreted. Four dimensions
with 17 dimensions were identified as summarized in Table 1.
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Table 1 Table 2
Summary of the QWL dimensions and related themes. Demographic profile of respondents (n = 40).

Dimensions Themes (attributes) Characteristics Number Percentage

HR policies • Adequate and fair pay Gender

• Fringe benefits Male 23 57.5
• Rewards and incentives Female 17 42.5
• Fair and clear promotion criteria Age
• Career advancement 16–24 5 12.5
opportunities 25–34 16 40
• Training 35–44 13 32.5
• Staff activities 45–54 5 12.5
55–64 1 2.5
Work group relationship • Cooperation
Highest educational level attained
• Respect and recognition
Degree or higher 7 17.5
• Care and support
Higher educational qualification below 8 20
• Supervision
degree level (i.e. polytechnic, diploma)
• Communication
Senior secondary school (F.6 and 7) 10 25
Job characteristics • More rest time Secondary school (up to F.5) 10 25
• Regular shift work Lower secondary school (up to F.3) 5 12.5
Primary school 0 0
Physical work environment • Choice of smoking/non-smoking Job title
work area Dealer 8 20
• Better rest area Table game supervisor 12 30
• Computers with Internet Table game manager 17 42.5
connection Slot machine manager 3 7.5
Length of service in another casinos
1–5 years 10 25
6–10 years 18 45
4. Findings 11–15 years 9 22.5
16–20 years 1 2.5
4.1. Demographic profiles of respondents Over 20 years 2 5
Length of service at existing company
1–5 years 26 65
All respondents were casino floor employees. Table 2 shows 6–10 years 8 20
the summary of the demographic profiles of respondents. Of 11–15 years 4 10
the 40 respondents, 57.5% were male. The majority were aged 16–20 years 1 2.5
between 25 and 34 (40%), possessed at least a senior secondary Over 20 years 1 2.5
Average monthly income (US$)
school level of education (62.5%), worked as table game man-
2000–3000 9 22.5
agers (42.5%), had worked in another casino for more than five 3001–4000 15 37.5
years (75%), worked at the existing casino for between one to 4001–5000 11 27.5
five years (65%) and had an average monthly salary of at least 5001–6000 5 12.5
MOP$ 24,000 (US$ 3000) (77.5%). In general, four themes emerged Note: Exchange rate US$8 = MOP 1.
from the data providing insights into the issues relating to the
quality of work life of the casino floor employees. Specifically,
the themes were attributes related to human resources policies,
The salary that was offered to us had to be competitive
work group relationship, job characteristics, and physical working
compared to the salaries offered by other casinos otherwise
environment.
employees would leave to work for those paying a higher salary.
Macau is now lacking of employees. Several large-scale casinos
4.2. Attributes related to human resources policies are going to open later this year. We have a lot of job opportuni-
ties out there. I would say salary is the key factor that determines
4.2.1. Adequate and fair pay whom we work for.
All respondents believed a competitive salary package would
Nevertheless, a few respondents were satisfied with their
contribute to a good work life in the casino industry. Many respon-
salaries. As one dealer reflected:
dents indicated that their work environments were similar to other
casino companies they had worked for and they described the work My company offers dealers a monthly salary of 15,000 MOP
nature as stressful compared to other industries. For that reason, [or US$ 1875] plus a retirement fund. I know other casinos
they expected their employers to compensate them with higher do not offer the same salary and benefit packages to their
salaries for the stress they have to endure. Comments by two male employees holding the same position as me. I like working in
table game managers with more than 15 years of experience in my company as everyone in the same position gets the same
the industry illustrated their sentiments: “Salary determines the pay.
amount of stress an employee is willing to take.” Another table
game supervisor echoed similar feelings: 4.2.2. Fringe benefits
The majority of respondents (95%) expressed that apart from a
The stress level is the same in all the casinos, however, money
good salary, fringe benefits were important to them. Benefits such
talks. If the work environment is stressful and the salary is low
as “good staff cafeteria with a variety of food and preferably in buffet
or lower than other casinos, it is normal for these employees to
style,” “car and motorcycle parking areas for staff” and “free coun-
quit their jobs and to work for another company.
seling services” were linked to a better quality of work life (77.5%
A majority of respondents revealed that the salary packages of respondents). They considered “10–35% discounts for buying the
offered by different casinos were open secrets and that they were company’s products” as a benefit, and “the greater the benefits, the
ready to work for any employer whom they perceived as fair. As a better it is for us,” although they could not use some of the benefits
male dealer said: such as staff parking because they relied on public transportation.

Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
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According to the respondents, the variety of benefits made avail-
able to them conveyed a powerful message that their company
cares for them. Although one table manager reported, “There were
some employees who left our company because of the inferior
quality meals compared to what other casinos were offering,” one
female supervisor was hoping that the discounts made available to
the employees in the local casino could be extended to shopping
and services in other parts of the world.
4.2.3. Rewards and incentives
Casino employees felt good when their efforts were recog-
nized by their bosses. Almost all respondents (97.5%) believed that
employees who performed well should be rewarded. The reasons
cited by respondents include first, they contributed to their compa-
nies’ profits, and second they perceived the rewards as an incentive
to encourage them to work harder. As one slot machine manager
reported:
We don’t mind when bonuses are distributed differently accord-
ing to the grades and positions of employees as long as the top
management recognizes and appreciates the efforts we put into
our jobs. Some small rewards such as a MOP 50 gift coupon [or
US$6] or a free trip to Singapore is fine to us. There must be some
mechanisms in place to encourage us to work harder.
Another table game supervisor said:
Our casino gave the outstanding staff a free trip to Malaysia plus
an extra two months’ salary as a bonus. They were also awarded
the Star of the Month. The desire to get these rewards becomes
a motivator for many us to work harder. At least we have a goal
to aim for in the short-term.
The motivation to be rewarded in various ways was so strong
that some employees worked harder after the staff recognition pro-
gram was introduced. Similar to salaries, the respondents revealed
that they often compare their bonus and benefits packages with
those received by employees from other casinos. They also indi-
cated that the overall package is a reason for their former colleagues
moving to another casino.
4.2.4. Fair and clear promotion criteria
A fair promotion system was a theme commonly voiced by
respondents. Many (85%) admitted that their colleagues’ percep-
tions of unfairness in terms of promotion opportunities were a
major reason for the turnover rate in their casino. The follow-
ing two comments reflected the widely shared feelings on this
subject:
A dealer was promoted to pit supervisor after dealing for one
year. He then received another promotion as pit manager a year
later. I am not saying that the dealer is not qualified to be a
manager, but he does not seem to really know how to man-
age a pit. . . he does not know how to supervise other dealers
under him. Instead of teaching the dealers the correct ways to
deal with proper situations, he tries to hide the dealers’ mis-
takes so that he looks good in the eyes of his managers. On the
other hand, some of the more experienced senior dealers were
not promoted. Such perceptions of unfairness result in some
senior staff members being more laid back in their work these
days.
A colleague of mine is 24 years old now. She has worked as a
dealer for five years. Her performance is outstanding but she
was never promoted. On the contrary, another colleague who
is always taking sick leave and who has made several major
mistakes while performing her job was promoted recently. It
seems that there are no clear guidelines on promotion. . .
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
In contrast to the negative perception of the promotion system
by most employees, a table game supervisor revealed that clear pro-
motion criteria can have a positive effect on employees and that he
was fortunate to be working in an organization with such a system
in place. He reflected:
Our company launched two programs related to promotion
recently called the Points Performance Program and the Promo-
tion Calculation Program. The Promotion Calculation Program
offers policies and guidelines to staff about the criteria and eligi-
bility for promotion. The Points Performance Program, however,
is more detailed. . . how many points we should accumulate in
order to be eligible to apply for a promotion such as attending
company training sessions voluntarily and receiving verbal, or
written praise from customers. It also tells us how points could
be deducted such as when we make mistakes during dealing,
being late for work, and so on. We all think these two programs
are good because they provide a message on how we can get our-
selves promoted. Our staff morale is boosted because of these
programs.
4.2.5. Career advancement opportunities
Another attribute related to the casino employees’ work lives
was career advancement opportunities, especially among experi-
enced employees. As a male table game manager revealed:
Most young dealers look for a good salary because they are not
sure if they want to continue working in the casino environ-
ment. The more mature and experienced workers mostly look
for promotion and growth opportunities. Very simply, they are
likely to have worked for the casinos for a period of time and
are earning high pay. It is difficult for them to turn to other sec-
tors that have high salaries. Naturally, they expect much better
treatment, such as a better salary, fringe benefits and promotion
opportunities.
The theme on internal promotion was also captured during
interviews. A male supervisor revealed that his company used to
promote staff internally, which pleased many of them. Such emo-
tions were simple to understand because they realized that as long
as they performed well, they had chances of receiving a promotion.
4.2.6. Training
Several respondents indicated that ongoing education and
training helped them increase the knowledge necessary for
career advancement. Nineteen respondents (47.5%) expressed that
learning new skills through various company-sponsored training
programs developed their capabilities and helped them perform
better. For example:
Our managers are from different countries . . . the United States,
Malaysia, Australia and Britain. They have different manage-
ment styles and requirements. Sometimes their views are
conflicting and I am unsure whom I should follow because
we have to work with different supervisors at different times.
More training provided by the company would make life easier
because we would then know the company’s expectations.
4.2.7. Staff activities
More than half of the respondents expressed the need for more
staff activities in their workplaces. They indicated that organized
activities such as regular meetings, picnics, tea parties and annual
dinners can help to develop better working relationships among
employees and reduce work-related stress levels. Such requests
seemed reasonable because they revealed the stressful nature of
the job and work environment as well as the lack of internal com-
munication in their workplaces.
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4.3. Attributes related to work group relationship
4.3.1. Cooperation
Good cooperation among staff members affected the work lives
of a few respondents (55%). These respondents revealed that some
departments were not working cooperatively with the gaming floor
employees, which often led to customer dissatisfaction and com-
plaints. A female table game manager divulged the reason for her
dissatisfaction:
The company policy demands that our staff ask guests their pre-
ferred drinks and deliver them within two minutes of taking
down the orders. However, the food and beverage department
does not often follow this policy. They always take more than
five minutes to make the drinks. What is the result? The guests
complain and we may receive warning letters from our com-
pany because of that. Is it our department’s fault? No, of course
not!
4.3.2. Respect and recognition
Respect and recognition also contribute to a quality working life
in a casino. Respondents reported that recognition and respect by
the top management and bosses often served as a ‘magical power’
to increase their morale, particularly when they faced difficult cus-
tomers. Examples of being valued as an employee and remembered
included “my manager from the United States actively said “hello”
and called out my name. I was surprised and quite delighted at the
same time because he remembered my name! I am just a small cog
in my company” and “. . .it is unbelievable. He is so smart! I feel
good about this as he recognizes my existence.”
4.3.3. Care and support
Respondents also wanted their bosses or top managers to show
more care and support, and communicate with them in a more
informal and friendly way. Prompt actions following accidents,
being sensitive, not putting them or their ideas down and even a
visit from the ‘big boss’ were all seen to be an important source
of encouragement or morale booster. Comments included the
following:
Steve Wynn travelled a long distance from the United States to
Macau. We feel that he cares about his business and our daily
operation, although he only spent several minutes wandering
around the tables on our casino floor. His visit caused us to
talk about him for almost a week. We felt very happy about
his presence, although some big bosses would use the remote
control.
Simply saying “good morning” or giving us a smile means a
lot to us. These small gestures give us emotional support. Our
top managers shouldn’t look cold to scare us. . . after all they
expect us to smile at the customers.
We like our bosses to chat with us casually, not just about
our jobs but also about some of our daily matters such as my
children, my maid and my plants.
4.3.4. Supervision
The issue of more attention by supervisors in providing on-the-
job training and offering closer supervision also emerged during
the interviews. Although some respondents (57.5%) believed that
receiving clear directions from their superiors could help them
solve problems more easily, few supervisors knew how to super-
vise properly, were trustworthy or were capable of acting as good
role models. One dealer said, “Our managers always instruct us to
smile at the customers and to greet them politely in the different
training sessions I have attended, but they do not treat us that way.”
Another dealer reflected on an example in her workplace:
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
7
. . . in our casino, a senior manager from Malaysia once asked a
local pit manager to do something in English. When a mistake
happened, the senior manager blamed the local pit manager
for not being able to understand English. In fact, the pit man-
ager understood the instruction very well. We all believed that
this senior manager was using the pit manager as a scapegoat
at that time. Senior managers need to take more responsibil-
ity including admitting making mistakes instead of shifting the
blame.
The poor supervision reported by respondents could be
attributed to the lack of a clear line of responsibility, namely a
proper system that clearly assigns who supervises who. Neverthe-
less, one dealer revealed that he was happy about the Performance
Management System in his company, which, he said, cultivates
a stronger team spirit, allows messages to be disseminated more
easily and makes the supervision work more efficient.
4.3.5. Communication
Good internal communication was regarded as a key attribute of
a good working life by almost all respondents. Common expressions
from respondents included “top managers often instruct us what to
do without giving too much explanation” and that communication
was “one-way instead of two-way.” Furthermore:
Few top managers take the time to find out the problem by talk-
ing with the subordinates; instead, they directly blame the staff
for the mistake made. Also, the ‘customer is always right’ pol-
icy does not give much room for employees to explain their
situations when a customer complains. As time goes by, the
employees become afraid to express their opinions.
Other examples related to internal communication include the
lack of a channel for casino employees to express their opinions
and the lack of response to employees’ concerns, as shown in the
following excerpts:
One of our VIP guests has particular preferences. . . One day
when he came to play on our gambling floor, the pit manager did
not communicate those requirements to the pit supervisor and
dealers. This made the guest very angry and he lodged a com-
plaint to our CEO. This resulted in the three of us – me, the pit
supervisor and the dealer who served the VIP – getting punished
through a warning letter. This problem can actually be avoided
if we have better internal communication. In fact, these kinds
of communication problems occur many times a day.
We reported to our senior managers several times regarding the
difficulties about getting into the shuttle buses, and that our rest
time is too short. Until now, no improvement has been made.
No managers talk to us about the concerns we have raised.
Nevertheless, a team approach to communication with employ-
ees has been adopted by a casino:
Our employees are divided into different teams. Each team
has about 30 members supervised by a team manager who is
responsible for evaluating our performance, giving rewards and
bonuses, listening to our opinions and concerns and delivering
the company’s message to us. I feel happy about this two-way
communication channel. I am not being kept in the dark and
somebody knows what I am doing.
4.4. Attributes related to job characteristics
4.4.1. More rest time
Many respondents reported that they do not have enough rest
during their breaks. They said their jobs were physically and men-
tally demanding because they have to stand for eight hours a day to
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deal, and they wanted longer breaks during their work shifts. This
dealer’s comments are representative:
We have four breaks in a day and each lasts for 20 minutes. These
20 minutes include waiting for the company’s elevator, going to
the washroom, and having our snacks. Although our company
provides good food to staff, we don’t have a lot of time to enjoy
it. We need to gobble it up quickly and then rush back to the
dealing table to work.
4.4.2. Regular shift work
Frequent changes in employees’ work schedules were frowned
upon by almost all respondents. They considered these frequent
changes to be harmful to their health and caused them much diffi-
culty in adjusting between rest and work. Dealers were also worried
about making mistakes such as giving chips wrongly when they are
not rested. This comment was shared by a dealer:
My company arranged two different shifts within a week in the
past month for me: from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Thurs-
day and from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. How
can I adjust to work under such a schedule? Imagine that on
Wednesday night I finish my work at 11 p.m., reach home at
about midnight and start falling asleep at about 1 a.m. on Thurs-
day morning. Based on that schedule, I have to be back at work
by 7 a.m. To do that, I must wake up by 5.30 a.m. The schedule
was very tiring. . . and our job needs us to have a clear mind.
The irregular work schedule affected respondents’ social lives,
as echoed by this quote:
I have not invited any of my friends to go out with me for
almost a year because of my unpredictable work schedule. I have
also missed important gatherings or reunions organized by my
friends for the same reason on many occasions.
4.5. Attributes related to physical working environment
4.5.1. Choice of work area
More than half of respondents concurred that the physical work-
ing environment must be good if they are to have a good quality
working life. Some respondents (42.5%) expressed a strong desire to
work in a non-smoking environment. A table game manager said, “A
good quality of work life is when our boss gives us a choice of work-
ing in either the smoking or non-smoking areas within our casinos.
This is because too much exposure to secondhand smoke affects
our health,” while another supervisor noted, “A non-smoking work
environment provides a competitive advantage to a casino as many
of us want to work in a smoke-free workplace.”
4.5.2. Better rest area
A majority of respondents (72.5%) said a more relaxing rest area
was important to them. When probed further, they provided rea-
sons including “to get away from the noisy and smoky casino floor,”
“to clear my mind and to recharge my batteries to handle the chal-
lenging and stressful job” and “to calm myself down after dealing
with so many complaints and requests on the gaming floor.”
In general, they indicated improvements to their existing rest
areas including “different types of drinks,” “snacks,” “beds/sofas,”
“a TV,” “a computer with an Internet connection” and “a variety
of music to choose from.” Requests for the sofa/bed was for them
to relax and rest their legs properly since “we have been on our
feet continuously” and “rest time is the only time we can put up
our feet,” according to two male dealers. The availability of various
drinks, snacks and an Internet connection would make them feel
more at home. As a female supervisor said, “Since we spend such
long hours at work, having a feeling of being at home at work makes
us more relaxed and less stressful.” Another male dealer said, “We
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
don’t have much time to check our e-mails after work, especially
when we have a night shift one day followed by a morning shift
the day after. I am sure the provision of computers with an Internet
service would be welcomed by many employees.”
5. Discussion, implications, and limitations
5.1. Discussion
The objective of this study was to ascertain the QWL dimensions
for casino employees by investigating the attributes that contribute
to a good QWL on casino gambling floors. Similar to other business
and hospitality settings (Curtis and Upchurch, 2008; Kandasamy
and Ancheri, 2009), HR policies, work group relationships, job char-
acteristics, and physical work environment are considered to be
important QWL dimensions for casino employees. Besides provid-
ing more insights and explanations of important QWL dimensions,
this study identified two new attributes associated with the unique
work environment of casinos.
Given that organizations that wish to achieve business excel-
lence have to train their employees, it is unsurprising that training
was an important attribute for QWL. Casino employees have a
strong desire to enhance their skills to meet the requirements for
promotions and their employers’ expectations. Many employees
who dropped out of school or university due to lucrative earnings,
privilege to work in/pursue careers in luxurious western environ-
ment now realized training can prepare them for leadership roles,
develop their capacities, help them to work more effectively, and
minimize job anxieties related to promotions. The lack of training
was also revealed by Gu and Siu (2009) where more than 70% of
their respondents have never attended training programs. Since
less than 21% of the total workforce have a university degree (Chan
and Kuok, 2011), training can increase employees’ skills and abili-
ties to perform their jobs well and help attract, develop, motivate,
and retain superior employees (Berry and Parasuraman, 1992).
Similar to other hospitality jobs (Gilmore and Beirman, 1999;
Smith et al., 1996), having good work group relationships is an
important QWL dimension for casino employees. Good cooperation
among casino employees across departments is necessary to mini-
mize complaints from casino guests. In the casino setting, pleasing
casino guests is essential because they could spend a lot of money
on the gaming tables, a major source of revenue to a hotel casino. It
is especially important to please the VIPs since nearly 70% of casino
income comes from high rollers or VIPs (Gaming Inspection and
Coordination Bureau of the Macau SAR Government (DICJ), 2010).
Staff activities were also valued as they allow the development of
better working relationships with other employees.
Like other hospitality jobs (Kandasamy and Ancheri, 2009; Roan
and Diamond, 2003), casino employees have a desire for regular
shift work. The overwhelming majority of employees expressed
negative feelings about their work schedules. This is unsurprising
given that they were notified of changes at the last minute, espe-
cially when understaffed. As revealed by Wan (2010), they also
work beyond their regular shift hours when the typhoon signal
number 8 was hoisted. Such schedules leave them with limited
family and social time, and contribute to work stress, role conflict,
and work-family conflict. Given that frequent changes in a person’s
working schedule is harmful to one’s social life and health (Hing
and Breen, 2007), this finding suggests that there is a relationship
between work schedule and well-being at work, health, social life
and turnover intention.
This study found different reasons for some attributes identified
in earlier studies due to the unique casino work environment. For
example, casino employees valued adequate pay and good fringe
benefits because they expected good compensation for working
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in a stressful and smoky workplace. They also felt they deserve
good compensation due to the tight labor market and low unem-
ployment rate, supporting Chan and Kuok’s (2011) finding where
a majority of employers (90%) indicated that the major reason for
employee turnover was due to salary. Other reasons for them to
expect good compensation includes the salary packages of other
casinos are open secret, the position such as dealers are reserved
for Macau residents, and their anticipation of greater opportunities
to change jobs when the newer casino opens their door to the pub-
lic. Given that all respondents expressed concern about adequate
compensation and benefits, and that close to two-thirds (62.5%)
viewed unfairness in promotion and the lack of career path as a
reason for turnover, the right compensation package in addition to
clear promotion and career prospects can influence their attitudes
toward the job and organization. The “poor and unfair reward and
promotion systems” “lack of transparent guidelines and standards
for promotion and rewards” reported by Wan (2010) and observed
here several years later suggests that casino operators are still pay-
ing much attention on areas such as increasing market share or
number of tables rather than internal marketing. This finding also
suggests serious problem with poaching, job hopping and turnover
rate, and poor work attitude affecting quality service if non-local
residents are continually excluded from certain reserved positions.
Consistent with findings of previous literature (Kandasamy and
Ancheri, 2009; Karatepe and Uludag, 2008; Tutuncu and Kozak,
2007), respect and recognition, care and support, close supervi-
sion, and good internal communication can minimize problems,
boost employees morale, and motivate them to work harder. The
high demand on colleagues’ support is due to the frequent exposure
to rude and insulting behavior by customers and unsympathetic
supervisors. They felt that a supportive work atmosphere can lift
their spirits and help them endure the physically and mentally
demanding jobs, gave them a sense of assurance that they are not
kept in the dark and that their concerns are being addressed. This
finding suggests an important role for trustworthy supervisors in
improving the work atmosphere.
Similarly, respondents’ desire for more rest time during their
work shifts reflects their demanding and intense jobs, which
require high concentration levels for long periods. In principal,
they are not allowed to make any major mistakes and have to
strictly follow game rules and procedures, watch their customers
surrounding the table closely, collect and give back money/chips,
record game results in a careful manner, entertain customers’ var-
ious requests (i.e., drinks) and handle difficult customers such as
those who might verbally and/or physically attack the dealers (if
they lose a lot of money). At the same time, they must respond
to senior management questions or requests, while accepting bets
for games. Thus, the consensus on a better furnished rest area
makes sense, since employees want to feel more rested during their
breaks.
While respect (e.g. Kandasamy and Ancheri, 2009) is not a new
QWL attribute, this study highlights the importance of showing
respect to casino employees because casino employees often have
a sense of inferiority complex and a feeling of not being respected
by others. This inferiority complex is exacerbated when they are
insulted or blamed by rude customers and when they do not receive
support from management because of the fear of losing VIP cus-
tomers. Since casino gaming jobs have a lower status than other
hospitality jobs (Wan and Kong, 2011), casino managers may want
to take the lead to demonstrate respect to their employees by giving
adequate recognition to their profession and performance.
A secure job is not an important QWL attribute because casino
employees are optimistic about their job prospects due to tremen-
dous job opportunities in the market. Job security was also not
essential in Kandasamy and Ancheri (2009) study because few
hospitality jobs require high skills and employees can easily shift
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
9
their jobs to other hospitality contexts. While Wan’s (2010) study
indicated that having a secure job is important, that study was con-
ducted when the rest of the world was facing the impact from the
global financial tsunami. The difference observed showed that the
economic environment has influence on QWL attributes. It also sug-
gests that QWL attributes may vary from time to time, depending
on the economic, social and political factors, and that change in
the wider socio-economic and political environment can provide
researchers a good opportunity to explore what contributes to
QWL.
Two new attributes considered important to QWL in casino
were identified. First, the desire to work in a non-smoking envi-
ronment was not reported in earlier studies. This is unsurprising
since casino employees experience high exposure to cigarette,
cigar, and pipe smoke in enclosed areas with no windows and
poor ventilation (Wan and Pilkington, 2009). This new attribute
may be due to the non-existence of non-smoking area in the casino
and casino employees recognized that exposure to second-hand
smoke is harmful to their health. In other words, employees are
concerned about working in unsafe work environment over long
period. Second, the desire to access e-mails through computers
with an Internet connection in the staff rest areas is an interesting
finding. Due to the anti-social working hours, they wanted to stay
connected and attend to non-work commitment during their break.
The findings also explains Wan’s (2010) lack of quality service con-
sciousness among approximately half the respondents, Taormina
and Kuok’s (2009) positive correlation between training and job
satisfaction in terms of work and pay, and Gu and Siu’s (2009)
low level of satisfaction with salary and benefits, training, and
support.
5.2. Implications
Based on the findings, there are several implications for the
casino industry. First, given that salary, bonus, and benefits
packages are well known, HR practitioners need to design a well-
prepared compensation package to influence employees’ attitudes
toward their jobs and organizations. For example, competitive
salary and benefits may motive qualified employees to stay while
attracting qualified workforce to join the operation. Moreover,
since the casinos are listed on the stock exchange in Hong Kong,
qualified employees may be motivated to improve performance
through the employee wealth sharing scheme or stock options
program when their future job performance are linked to the prop-
erty’s overall performance. Given that training can help employees
perform better, the training needs of all employees must be con-
sidered. The HR department should make the necessary efforts to
organize training sessions in order to expand employees’ knowl-
edge, improve their capabilities, and upgrade their skills to serve
customers better. Examples of in-house training include commu-
nication skills, basic English language skills, and cross-cultural
training. Given the stressful nature of jobs and employees vulner-
ability to a range of physical and emotional problems (Anderson,
2007), other quarterly training workshops such as managing stress
at work, how to agree to disagree, or handling difficult customers
may be useful to foster cooperative relationships and to assure good
customer interaction. Given that Chinese employees tend to show
high level of uncertainty, look for rules, policies and standards to
follow and avoid direct confrontation (Chen and Tjosvold, 2005),
a clearly worded career progression path and promotion criteria
must first be developed before communicating to all employees to
enhance employees’ work lives. The progression path and promo-
tion criteria must be consistently applied (rather than favoritism)
to help employees to be loyal and to sustain their commitment.
Such efforts may reduce turnover through the potential poaching
from competitors in Macau, Singapore and the soon-to-be-opened
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casino in Manila. In essence, meeting employees’ personal and
emotional needs can make them happy and satisfied employees,
and inspire them to go the extra mile in providing quality service.
Second, since the lack of clear supervision is a serious con-
tributor to poor work life, casinos should implement work teams
to turn one-way communication into two-way communication,
while assuring employees that management is concerned about
their well-being. Inexperienced supervisors and managers should
be provided with adequate training to increase the confidence
of the front-line employees under their supervision. For exam-
ple, promoting effective interactions, increasing communication
via informal feedback from employees, and recognizing employees’
efforts (valuable to improve self-esteem and self-confidence) can
improve the work atmosphere. Respect can also be demonstrated
by seeking opinions from employees on matters that affect their
personal and social lives, not making them feel like they are small
cogs, and by not ignoring their feedback on difficult issues. A simple
“hello” or casual chat with a senior manager can make them feel
important, give them assurance about their contributions, restore
their confidence, and reaffirm their statuses in the casino. Senior
managers should note this point, and may need to attend training
workshops on how to express their respect to employees. Further-
more, the promotions of supervisors or managers on casino floors
could be made more transparent to minimize rumors of favoritism
and nepotism.
Third, given that most employees want more regular work shifts,
management should consider ending shift work by hiring both shift
and non-shift workers for the gaming floor. Management should
also allow employees to select work schedule that is best suited
to their individual situations including time for attending classes
or taking/collecting their children to/from school. While this may
sound complicated to implement, many employees wish to pur-
sue further studies, while, at the same time, a huge proportion of
undergraduate students are seeking work experience before they
graduate. Such arrangements may be beneficial to both employers
and prospective full-time employees.
Fourth, in terms of the physical work environment, employ-
ees prefer a smoke-free workplace. Given that Macau’s casinos are
still excluded from the total smoking ban, employers may want
to set up non-smoking areas and rotate employees between the
two areas so that all employees can benefit from working in the
non-smoking section of the casino. Improvements to the staff rest
areas with facilities including computers with internet connection
to help employees to be connected and to de-stress can make break
time more enjoyable and relaxing. Lastly, HR professionals in the
industry should actively research ways to enhance the employees’
QWL.
5.3. Limitations
Several limitations of the present study should be noted. First,
although in-depth interviews allow the researchers to understand
reasons and insights for certain opinions and feelings, the sample
size reached at the point of saturation was small, and was limited
to participants from Macau. There is also difficulty in using ran-
dom methods to select participants because purposive sampling
(Woods, 2006) was used to ensure respondents included dealers,
supervisors and managers from different work environment and
culture. Furthermore, respondents were drawn from the newer
casinos. Hence, generalization of the findings may be limited.
Second, quantitative data, which can be useful for determin-
ing the importance of each attribute, were not collected. Future
study should include quantitative data collection from a repre-
sentative sample from the entire gambling industry, such as by
nationality, age group, income level, and position. Further, it should
aim to gather information not collected in this study since the
Please cite this article in press as: Wan, Y.K.P., Chan, S.H.J., Casino employees’ perceptions of their quality of work life. Int. J. Hospitality
Manage. (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.11.010
expectations, satisfaction, and attributes affecting work life may
differ by age group and other demographics. In addition, a com-
parison between local and non-local employees and comparisons
across country and regions should be made to determine whether
the attributes identified here are specific to this particular location.
Furthermore, work–life satisfaction surveys should be carried out
continually so that the quality of employees’ lives at work can be
enhanced. Despite these limitations, the findings contribute to the
literature and provide a better understanding of the QWL of casino
employees.
6. Conclusion
A good QWL can make employees happier, more productive,
more committed and lower organizational costs. Through personal
interviews with casino employees, four QWL dimensions and 17
attributes were identified. The findings provide a better under-
standing of casino employees’ work lives and insights into how
to enhance their QWL in an already tight labor market. Practical
suggestions for HR practitioners include introducing a competi-
tive compensation package, transparent promotion policies, better
communication and supervision, more stable work schedules,
and introducing non-smoking work areas. Recognizing employ-
ees’ efforts and demonstrating respect by seeking their opinions
on matters that affect their personal and social lives, including not
ignoring feedback on issues raised, not only can produce a favor-
able work environment but also show that the organization truly
has the best interests of employees at heart. In essence, the find-
ings suggest casino operators to seriously consider paying more
attention to the employees’ emotional needs and QWL to attract
qualified workforce.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the insightful and constructive com-
ments received from the anonymous reviewers throughout the
review process.
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