Yoko M. Negoro Assistant Professor

Education

B.A. in Tourism, Rikkyo University, Japan;  M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Central Florida; Ph.D. in Hospitality Management with a minor in Human Resources and Labor Relations, Penn State University

Expertise & Research Interests

• Hotel Management & Operations - Labor Cost Management
• Organizational Behavior - Employee Well-being and Performance
• Human Resources Management - Employee Sustainable Career Development and Occupational Turnover 

Career Highlights

Dr. Yoko M. Negoro is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. Her research focuses on hospitality management and hotel operations, with particular emphasis on workforce sustainability, employee career development, and human resources management within hotel organizations. Specifically, her work examines how operational and organizational factors in hotel settings influence employee experiences, including perceived overqualification, occupational turnover, employee well-being, and perceptions of fit between employees and hotel careers. Her research also explores how leadership, recruitment practices, and workplace environments shape long-term retention and sustainable career development in the hotel industry.

Prior to joining academia, Dr. Negoro accumulated more than 15 years of hospitality industry experience in the hotel industry. Her professional background includes frontline experience in food and beverage operations, front office, housekeeping, revenue management, wedding, and human resources management, including recruitment, employee training, CSR promotion, and labor cost management. Her industry experience also provided opportunities to complete general management training and participate in hotel opening operations. Through these experiences, she developed a strong interest in understanding operational and managerial challenges related to employee retention, career sustainability, and workforce development in the hotel industry, which continue to shape both her research and teaching.

Dr. Negoro’s teaching emphasizes career-integrated learning, experiential education, and practical application of hospitality management concepts. Drawing on both industry and academic experience in Japan and the United States, she aims to bridge hotel operational realities and classroom learning and to prepare students for sustainable, meaningful long-term careers in the global hospitality industry.