Turizam Volume 30, Issue 3-2
UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION THROUGH ONLINE EMPLOYEE REVIEWS: A TEXT MINING ANALYSIS OF AN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CHAIN
Authors: Akin Aksu, Selin Yılmaz
Abstract: Online employee reviews have emerged as an important source of information for understanding employees’ workplace experiences and organizational practices in the hospitality industry. The primary aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction in an international hotel chain by analysing online employee reviews published on Indeed.com. A qualitative text mining approach was adopted, and the data were systematically analysed using the MAXQDA 18 software. The dataset comprised 6,549 employee reviews posted between September 2013 and July 2024. The findings revealed that employee satisfaction is primarily driven by work environment and culture, economic earnings and incentives, learning and career opportunities, and management policies. In contrast, deficiencies in management policies, work-life imbalance, and inadequate physical and psychological working conditions emerged as the main sources of employee dissatisfaction. While current employees primarily expressed satisfaction with flexible working
hours, paid leave, and a supportive work environment, former employees mainly associated their dissatisfaction with poor management, insufficient additional benefits, and high job stress. The findings highlight the strategic role of management practices in enhancing employee commitment, reducing turnover intentions, and promoting sustainable human resource management in the hospitality industry. By employing qualitative text mining to analyse a large-scale dataset of online employee reviews, this study contributes to the growing literature on employee satisfaction and demonstrates the value of online review platforms as a reliable source for organizational research.
Keywords: Online Employee reviews, text mining, Indeed
DOI: 10.5937/turizam30-65052
Article info: 186-205
Received: February 2026 | Accepted: September 2026