More than 600,000 employees depart the hospitality industry for a variety of reasons such as lack of motivational strategies (MS) of hotel general managers (GMs). The purpose of this multiple case study using census sampling was to explore what MS hotel GMs used to enhance employee performance. The 3 GMs of 3 full-service branded hotels with a guest capacity of 160-699 were randomly selected in South Florida. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with the hotel GMs, employee performance evaluations, and results of guest and employee satisfaction surveys from the hotel GMs. Data analysis involved methodological triangulation to determine how motivation was captured and measured using interpreted data, verification through the member-checking process, and coding techniques such as mind mapping to identify reoccurring codes and categories. Through thematic analysis, 4 major themes emerged: workplace motivation, job satisfaction, positive performance, and social expectation. Findings from the 4 themes revealed that recognition and guest satisfaction unveiled a positive effect on employee performances and that motivation through community engagement gave employees reasons to perform well. The effectiveness of MS on employee performance was conceptualized by the expectancy theory to determine motivational triggers and the behavior engineering model to determine which MS led to improved performance. Social implications include encouraging hotel GMs to adjust and develop motivational strategies that engage employees to improve the employee-customer relationship and to increase community involvement which may promote positive social change.

Portland, OR, is the site of a unique urban food cart phenomenon that provides opportunities for small business ownership and access points for culturally specific food for the city's foreign-born and minority populations. Known as a "foodie haven," Portland also has an active sustainable food movement with engaged citizens and support from city and regional policies aimed at significantly increasing the consumption of local food. To date, there have been no in-depth studies on the sourcing habits of Portland food cart owners and whether or not these street-level actors are involved in the area's local alternative food movements (AFNs). The current understanding of the Portland food cart phenomenon is based on studies that have focused on carts and pods located in the central business district and "inner-ring" areas of the city. Areas beyond these locations (defined as Eastern Portland) are currently home to the majority of the city's growing foreign-born and minority populations. This thesis uses a situational analysis framework to explore the food supply practices of ethnic food cart owners operating in Eastern Portland cart pods. I investigate the feasibility of purchasing locally grown ingredients for use in ethnic cuisines and the degree to which cart owners incorporate the region's prevailing locavore ethics into their everyday culinary practices. Findings from this inquiry suggest that ethnic cart owners in Eastern Portland have a range of habitus, or personal dispositions and embodied knowledge, that is reflected in how they perceive the benefits of and barriers to "buying local" and the extent (if any) that they engage with AFNs in the Portland area. I assert that ethnic food cart owners in Eastern Portland are performing multiple community roles by providing access points for culturally specific cuisines for their particular ethnic groups, while also offering exotic experiences to other residents and tourists alike. I discuss variations within the food cart phenomenon itself by highlighting the differences in design, amenities, types of access, and neighborhood customer bases of cart pods located in Eastern Portland. Finally, I discuss future research directions for understanding the dynamics of food supply chains in small-scale, direct-to-vendor relationships and the implications for local and regional food sustainability policy goals.