Transformational Leadership in a Globalizing Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Evidence from Nepal.

ABSTRACT :

This study extends transformational leadership practices in Nepal’s hospitality and tourism sector within a globalizing business environment, with particular emphasis on employee commitment, engagement, and service-related outcomes. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative survey data collected from 314 employees across hospitality and tourism organizations with qualitative insights to capture contextual influences. Descriptive and reliability analyses reveal that transformational leadership behaviors are present to a moderate-to-high extent, with performanceoriented and nurturing leadership dimensions emerging as most prominent. Employee commitment and engagement demonstrate a strong overall profile, driven primarily by emotional attachment and a sense of belonging, while motivation and involvement exhibit comparatively moderate levels. Qualitative findings highlight the influential role of cultural norms, hierarchical structures, and globalization-related pressures in shaping leadership practices and employee experiences. The results suggest an associative pathway in which transformational leadership is linked to employee commitment and engagement, which in turn relate to perceived organizational and service outcomes. The study contributes to hospitality leadership literature by emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive leadership approaches and offers practical insights for enhancing employee engagement and service performance in developing tourism economies.

Keywords: Transformational leadership, Hospitality and tourism, Employee commitment, Employee engagement, Service quality, Nepal.