A Gap Analysis Of Employee Satisfaction Within The National Parks

Using a gap analysis, the purpose of this study was to determine the causes of and solutions for low employee satisfaction at one park. Data from three sources helped triangulate causes of the gap between employees’ satisfaction and the park leadership’s desired ratings. The causes for low satisfaction at this park were that employees wanted increased communication, trust, fairness, respect, training, and employee participation in decision-making. Solutions included increasing communication and trust; explaining the employee performance rating system to employees and delivering contingent consequences; providing relevant training opportunities; and increasing employee involvement in decision-making. To determine the effectiveness of these solutions, it was recommended that the leadership monitor implementation using an evaluation model. This study found that communication, trust, respect, fairness, employee participation in decision-making, and adequate training are critical ingredients to employee satisfaction, and that employee satisfaction is important because high employee satisfaction translates into increased productivity, retention, and customer (visitor) satisfaction.