IMPACT OF WORK ENGAGEMENT ON INNOVATIVENESS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY JAFFNA DISTRICT. MODERATOR IS OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Innovativeness is a critical driver of success and sustainability in the tourism industry, particularly in emerging regions such as the Jaffna District. This study aims to assess the impact of work engagement on innovativeness among employees in the tourism sector, while examining the moderating role of the personality trait "openness to experience." Despite the growing recognition of work engagement as a key contributor to employee performance and creativity, limited empirical research has been conducted in the context of the Northern Sri Lankan tourism industry. This study addresses this gap by collecting data from 200 hotel employees across various three hotels in the Jaffna District. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure work engagement, innovativeness, and openness to experience. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, simple regression analysis, multiple regression analysis and moderation analysis. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between work engagement and innovativeness. Moreover, openness to experience significantly moderates this relationship, indicating that individuals with higher openness levels are more likely to translate engagement into innovative behavior. The study further highlights that demographic factors such as age and job position also influence innovativeness. These insights suggest that tourism organizations in Jaffna can enhance innovation by fostering employee engagement and considering personality traits in their human resource practices.