Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder: How Personality Traits Affect Perceived Fairness and Satisfaction in Hotel Service

This study examines the role of personality traits in hotel guests' perceived fairness and satisfaction. Using a survey of 225 guests from a luxury hotel in Taiwan, we found that personality traits assessed with the Five Factor Model moderate the relationship between perceived fairness and satisfaction. The results also indicated that for people with different personality traits, different dimensions of fairness have different weights in their overall fairness perception. Thus, fairness indeed, is in the eye of the beholder. Hotel managers need to be understanding and flexible in dealing with guests' requests and complains in regard to fairness to achieve better guest satisfaction.