The issue of employee mobility is brought into sharp focus in times of economic and social uncertainty. Previous studies into the causes of employee mobility have investigated, among other determinants, the link between the promotional opportunities of employees, their work attitudes, and their intentions to leave the organisation. The tourism industry, especially within the hotel sector, is known for its high employee turnover rates (Davidson, 2010) and yet little research has been conducted on whether these high turnover rates continue during times of economic downturn. This paper examines the relationship between perceived promotional opportunities, employee work attitudes such as job satisfaction, and mobility (an employee's intention to leave or stay in an organisation) in the hotel industry. While many of the turnover studies have been conducted in a range of service organisations, little research has investigated the promotion-turnover relationship in the hotel industry, an industry characterised by low promotional opportunities and high turnover rates.

Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to investigate the relationship between promotional opportunity and employee turnover. A survey instrument containing attitudinal and demographic items was designed and administered. Data were then collected from a random sample of 117 hotel employees of a metropolitan hotel in the centre of Melbourne, Australia, and the responses analysed using a range of statistical techniques. The research findings are discussed and compared to previous findings at the same hotel in 2010. In particular, the discussion focuses on the implications for management strategies in the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), on promoting career opportunities within the hotel industry and the impact of these strategies on employee mobility.