Analysis
Summary This section discusses the Hospitality as an international industry, which habitually appeals to international students and experienced international employees. The makes the issue of culture more and more relevant to employers. It is vital that employers and their trainers and in the workplace know how to communicate to international groups of employees, seasoned and otherwise. Different cultures have different learning styles and outlooks, these differences may also be generational. Learning styles of different cultures are the subject of much discussion and research in the modern Hospitality industry.
Cultural values and cultural personality types make a big difference in the orientation and training of individuals. The meaning of training and development in organizing employees to be ready to provide service is vital to the industry. International immigration and globalization need to be addressed so that staff is predisposed toward excellent service. This can only be fostered by training, especially of front-line staff. Coping with diversity is the key to modern managerial success. Multicultural management needs to expand as does training to a ensure that the customer experience is enhanced by the addition of people who arrive to serve through the process of this extensive global migration. Hoteliers must respond to the new multi-ethnic mix of people, both workers and customers, because value can only derived in cross-cultural environments in today’s marketplace. This includes newcomers, students, and longtime managers. Cultural diversity is central to the twenty-first century hotel industry because of the huge number of people who move around between and across countries and continents. This movement influences work and society. The benefits of cultural diversity was forecasted but the related of labor migrations overwhelmed these forecasts and trainers need to catch up. The benefits of international travel, international student employees, and general labor migration in terms of knowledge transfer are huge. Invention and competitiveness both inside and outside the Hospitality Industry benefit economically and culturally. Cultural diversity creates definite benefits for the tourism industry, including better-quality development and a broader economic viewpoints. Employees may be better adapted to service or more interested in learning about the customer base, which can help solve or avert problems. A better public image is also a benefit as is increased productivity. Trainers and managers must be sensitive to the cultural distinctions that may influence the workplace and the relationships between different migrants. A major challenge is the communication gap that usually springs up between domestic staff and international staff.
There are some signs that bosses do not offer career advancement to new international employees because managers perceive those employees as temporary. While they may only be aboard for a short period, they still need this information. Many may want to work longer than the prescribed year or so on their work Visa. Therefore, appropriate training and planning of career openings will improve retention of these international workers at the hotel and in the industry.
Opinion
The effect of culture is important because it permeates all social occurrences including the way in which employee’s process, create, and acquire new knowledge. Differences in manners can be seen when people come from diverse places with culturally entrenched assumptions about information and the way to conduct oneself at work and in training. Career success and plans begin and are shaped by training. Because of the apparent and real benefits of a career in Hospitality, new hires or international students may want to explore career achievement and career stratagems as soon as possible because they are thinking far ahead. Trainers need to be able to communicate the knowledge needed to execute tasks and perform job duties as well as offer explanations of how someone could eventually achieve great success. This assists individuals who want to hear about possible careers during their training and development.
Hospitality industry workers must maintain cordiality at all times when doing business. However, a kind smile and a hard-working attitude are no longer enough. Eateries and hotels are changing as quickly as the digital age is changing and so follows the hospitality economy. Like never before, organizations must aim their advertising endeavors at particular sections of business travelers and other patrons. Management in the Hospitality Industry can be viewed from both in terms of long-range goals and by using the fleeting yet vital impressions of customers. That is why training with an understanding of cultural differences is important.
Reference:
Johns, Nick, and Teare, Richard E, eds. Culture and Career Development. Bradford, GBR: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2007.
Chapter 9: Training
What is the purpose of training? What happens if a company does not have a good training program?
The purpose of training is to provide workers with the information and skill to do their jobs and complete and tasks at high level. If a company does not have a good training program then employees do not possess the knowledge and ability to complete their duties and execute their tasks at the highest reasonable level.
Discuss the similarity between routine training and hospitality managers’ main responsibilities of assuring customer satisfaction and achieving a reasonable profit.
The similarity between a hospitality manager's main responsibilities and that of routine training lies in the manager’s main obligation to earn profits. Most managerial successes are because the manager does a good job training employees who then perform their duties and execute their tasks at the highest reasonable level.
Discuss at least four benefits of training.
Knowledge and control.
Improved efficiency: reduced supervision, improved safety, and cost control.
Improved morale: greater opportunity for advancement.
Versatility.
What are some various types of training that take place in the hospitality industry (e.g., training new employees)? What do you feel is the most challenging and why?
What are the four parts/steps of a training program (not JIT)?
Job analysis
Training methods
Schedule
Competence
This is different from job-instruction-training program (JIT) which uses the following steps:
Prepare the employee
Present the Task
Tryout Performance
Follow up
What are the two major categories of training methods? Give a few examples of each.
General Training: employees receive information about the company that will assist them in being calm with their new environs, make them feel significant and motivate them to do their best work.
Job Specific Training: outline of the position and clarification of duties, management outlooks, most imperative characteristics of the job, introductions to trainers and training program, opportunities for advancement.
What do you feel is the most effective training method and why?
Job specific training is effective because it is hands-on training that offers specifics on job performance allows employees to enhance their skills. It benefits the company because employees have a better understanding of their jobs from the beginning.
Chapter 10: Performance Appraisals and Discipline
Describe the concept of performance appraisals, including the phrase, policies should be in writing, communicated and enforced.
The emphasis is on assessment and management of human performance in hospitality organizations in this case. It finds nonconformities and corrects them. Harry Pope said policies should be in writing, communicated and enforced, to explain how the first restaurant operators applied the scientific management principle.
Give some reasons why managers neglect performance appraisals and disciplining employees.
Some managers avoid confrontation and do not like the idea of disciplining employees; they may also be afraid of an employee.
Explain the primary reason for the performance appraisal. Include in your response what is measured in a performance appraisal?
The primary reasons for the performance appraisals are to maintain standards, employee growth, confirmation that the recruiting and hiring process is working, defense against lawsuits and worker's compensation claims, and to maintain healthy communication between managers and employees.
Describe the importance of the manager/employee relationship in the appraisal process.
Manager and employee relationships should be good enough so that there is less anxiety and therefore less resistance to what a manager is trying to communicate.
Discuss various forms of bias in performance appraisals.
Bias in performance appraisals:
Halo Errors/Bias: The manager allows feelings of friendship to minimize or disregard problems.
Leniency Bias: The manager being is too kind and nice when telling the employee he or she needs to improve.
Severity Bias: The manager is too blunt and harsh when explaining how an employee needs to improve.
Central Tendency Errors/Bias The manager simply rates all employees as average.
Differentiate between informal and formal performance appraisals.
Informal appraisals are when managers simply speak directly to the employee or speak indirectly to a group at a meeting.
Discuss direct and indirect forms of performance appraisals.
Direct appraisals are planned and prepared meetings between manager and employee. Indirect appraisals are often delivered to a group.
What is a 360-degree performance appraisal?
A 360-degree appraisal includes feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders who offer constructive criticism to employees. Feedback may be obtained from supervisors, subordinates, peers, colleagues, and other stakeholders, for example customers and suppliers.
Discuss the advantages of a self-appraisal and how it might be implemented.
Self-assessments have advantages because they give workers a dynamic part to play in the process. The worker is given a voice, and can advise or shape their evaluation and appraisal in an energetic cooperative exchange. Self-evaluation helps supervisors had better understand the how the worker executes his or her duties. It can likewise help a director comprehend their workers’ good qualities while offering feedback on improvement.
Differentiate between appraising quantitative and qualitative duties and tasks.
Quantitative apprising uses yes or no answers and specifies a certain quantity and time. Qualitative appraisals assess using the best judgement and opinion of the appraiser.
What is the three-tier performance appraisal process and why is it so popular and successful?
The rigid nature of the three-tier performance appraisal process makes it easy for managers to use. There are assumed to be no gray areas.
Tier 1:
First Offense: Termination
Tier 2:
First Offense: Written Warning,
Second Offense: Termination
Tier 3:
First Offense: Oral Warning,
Second Offence: Written Warning,
Third Offense: Termination
Reference List
Applied Hospitality Human Resource Management, Author: Allen Z. Reich, Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7575-7904-02.
