Managing Diversity in Hotels in Lebanon - Research Paper Example

Module Managing Diversity in Hotels in Lebanon The world is moving towards globalization and cultural diversity is one aspect that has been evident in many businesses and industries across the world. The hotel industry has not been left out as the managers seek to utilize the benefits of having a diverse workforce and catering to a diverse array of customers. Diversity in the workplaces has been beneficial because the diverse groups possess more tools, heuristics, perspectives, insights and knowledge when it comes to problem solving than homogeneous groups. The owners of these hotels also have different nationalities and possess diverse cultural backgrounds, therefore, integrate diverse people into the workforce. As diversity increases in the hotel industry, managers have seen an increasing number of matters concerning the management of diverse workplaces. This has prompted them to adopt strategies and methods that will help them in managing diversity (Groschl 225). This paper is concerned with the strategies, aspects and enhancements that are being utilized in managing diversity in the hotel industry of Lebanon. Diversity can be explained as the varying individual differences that organizations are faced with ranging from the visible differences such as age, sex, and ethnicity to the invisible differences such as social class, sexual orientation, culture, religion, educational background, skills, personality, and experience. Diversity management involves the handling and comprehension of these individual differences that the employees and the clients possess in an effort to achieve the desired goals of the hotel industry. Diversity management not only recognizes that every individual is unique and has a particular vital role in the organization but also includes the achievement of the organization’s goals as a tool to foster the advancement of the individual (Heres and Benschop 437). In simpler terms, it involves proper management of diverse human resources to ensure that the best outcomes for the business are realized. Lebanon for a long time has valued its tourism industry immensely as it provides a sizeable source of revenue to the country’s economy. Cultural tourism has always been a part of Lebanon’s broad tourism industry with many Europeans finding their way into the culturally diverse country. The hotels feature diverse workforces like their diverse customer base. In the advertisements the hotels showcase mountain ski resorts, discos, and well preserved churches among other features that attract tourists from different places in the world. They offer international cuisines and a wide variety of beverages to the customers’ preferences. The hotels are also strategically located near bars, restaurants, pubs and even churches such as the Maronite Catholic Cathedral, which are amenities exclusively meant to serve the tourists since Lebanon’s population is largely composed of Muslims (Beirut Hotel 2013). Managing cultural diversity is important for the line managers, expatriate managers and the Human Resource professionals in order to create effective programs that will help the hotel meet its goals. They must possess relevant information on the different cultures and ethnicities that will help provide a base on the activities that should be done to increase the efficiency of the diverse workforce. It is important for the managers to attend trainings and workshops to assist in managing the diverse workforce. Many hotel managers are required to take such trainings in order to effectively manage diverse workforces. Take the example of The Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Beirut. This hotel recruits employees from across the globe and receives a diverse customer base. In order to manage and serve the employees and the customers, the managers have undergone training on how to manage a culturally diverse hotel. In order to successfully manage a diverse workforce, some strategies such as adopting recruitment and training programs, and corporate diversity programs can be used. Other strategies include cross cultural training and top-down management approach (Litteljohn, and Levent 173). Cross-cultural Training involves offering a framework within which the employees can acquire attainments and gain knowledge to enhance their ability to work efficaciously from the cultural experience. It nurtures respect, sensitivity and appreciation for all the cultures. It is an experience that enhances pluralism and reinforces the position and functions of various groups in the society. It helps bring down tensions and bring tolerance among individuals from different backgrounds. This training emphasizes on learning about other cultural encounters and using them to improve oneself. It is a tool that views diversity as a source of opportunities, therefore, a human resource. All managers need this tool to understand their employees’ needs and implement gradual changes that will transform the workplace (Gamio and Sneed 15). Top-down diversity management approach requires the managers to adopt a proactive approach where they concentrate on establishing a work environment that will promote respect and harmony to the diverse employees. They must emphasize the importance of diversity by encouraging the employees to look beyond their differences and embrace each other’s skills and abilities. Cultivating a culture of respect not only establishes a healthy work environment but also gives the customers a lasting impression of a peaceful workplace. The manager must instill these qualities on the employees and ensure that every employee respects the other’s differences. In the Gefinor Rotana hotel in Beirut such an approach is used by the managers in an effort to provide peaceful environment for the diverse workforce. They insist that the employees treat each other with dignity regardless of their differences (Seymen 297). In the hotel industry, efficiency and speed are important points to consider when providing the services. In the diverse workplaces, language barriers can hinder these qualities and there is need for the manager to ensure that there is clear communication between the employees for effective service delivery (Korjala 23). Most of the hotels curb this by employing workers who are bilingual, for example, the Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace (Hilton Worldwide 2). This ensures that the employees do not have language barrier. It is the managers’ responsibility to ensure that the diverse workforce receives basic training on the language and customs of the country or community. The large international hotels in Lebanon provide training for their employees thus ensuring that they have effective communication with the customers and other employees. CONCLUSION Diversity management relies on the leadership of the organization; therefore, the managers work relentlessly towards bringing out the best in their culturally different employees. This is done by understanding their ethnic and cultural dimensions and handling them appropriately in an effort to deliver the best outcome for the business. In order to provide the best products and services to their diverse array of customers, the managers also have to come up with strategies similar to the ones discussed in the paper, which will ensure that all the customers are excellently cared for (Gro?schl 11). Works Cited "Beirut hotels in Lebanon - Hotel Four Points Sheraton Beirut." Beirut hotels in Lebanon – Hotel Four Points Sheraton Beirut. N.p., Web. 2 Dec. 2013. . Gamio, Magali, and Jeannie Sneed. "Cross-Cultural Training Practices and Needs in the Hotel Industry." Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 15.13 (1992): 12-28. Print. Groschl, Stefan. "Diversity management strategies of global hotel groups a corporate web site Based exploration." International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 23.2 (2011): 224-240. Print. Gro?schl, Stefan. Diversity in the workplace: multi-disciplinary and international perspectives. Farnham, Surrey: Gower, 2011. Print. Heres, Leonie, and Yvonne Benschop. "Taming diversity: an exploratory study on the travel of a Management fashion." Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal 29.5 (2010): 436-457. Print. Hilton Worldwide, Diversity and Inclusion, (2012). Print. Korjala, Veera. 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