Cultural Diversity and Communication - Harbor Inn Hotel - Case Study Example

Case study: Harbor Inn Hotel [Student’s Name] [Institution] [Professor’s Name] [Course] [Date] Introduction The Harbor Inn Hotel faces a number of issues that have been discussed below. The two cases of David and Susan points to key issues that are relevant to management in the tourism and hospitality industry and also relevant to HRM and people management at organizational level. The paper discusses these issues and makes recommendations to the management of Harbour Inn Hotel. Issues present Cultural diversity and communication Communication is the relay of ideas and messages from point A to point B in an effective and timely manner such that the intended influence and response is obtained from the target. This is an important aspect in running organizations and businesses. The larger the organization is, the more the need for effective communication. In order to ensure efficiency, organizations draft channels of communication which more of than not follow the organization structure and flow of authority. By introducing the term “cross cultural” to communication implies that there is a difference between the manner of communication where the actors share a common culture and the manner of communication where the actors have different cultural backgrounds. Shafer, Vieregge and Choi (2005) claim that managerial communication is organizations is greatly influenced by cultural background and hence the need to be aware of the needs of efficient communication. Testa (2007) indicates that cultural similarity between subordinates and managers influences perception and attitude towards leadership. In this age of globalization, labour mobility and diversity in the workplace, managers and organizations in general need to be more conscious of the diverse communication needs that are brought in by different cultural backgrounds and diversity in the workplace. Cross-cultural communication is faced with potential barriers that are related to verbal and non-verbal methods of relaying meanings that may or may not be shared with the origin of the participants. Poor communication structure. Organizations have to establish structures that provide a guideline on how information and managerial decisions get to move across all levels and departments. Most organizations in Australia prefer downward communication where communication flows from the higher hierarchies of management to the lower ones. In the due process, some may fail to consider the necessity of upward communication where lower levels employees can voice their concerns. In the current case, David, who works in the rooms division, says that communication between subordinates and supervisors is minimal. This denies the subordinates an opportunity to express their views and any communication from above is usually in form of reprimands. Therefore, firms should develop protocols for communication. This eases the managerial tensions and creates cohesion and better understanding (Kusluvan et al. 2009). Different perceptions of leadership and authority. These differences in perception of leadership and authority within an organization on cultural lines are often ignored by managers creating misunderstanding and conflict. Clark, Hartline and Jones (2009) argue that memos and emails circulated by managers to his subordinates attract different levels of attention from all employees not based on their position but rather their cultural orientation. Human resource development Harbour Inn lacks an active Human resource development agenda. From the case, the issue of human resource development is captured by the plight of Susan. She was promised to be fully trained on the job but the current training program is moving on very slowly. In her views, she expects to be trained on the job to improve her output and efficiency at her position. Hinkin and Tracey (2010) note that Human resource development (HRD) is an integral part of management among major top companies which actively contributes to their success. HRD is the arm of management deals with the people factor in an organization. It differs from human resource management in the fact that it gives weight to advancing what is already there while HRM simply implies running what is there. The scope and depth of HRD varies as presented by different authors. Clark, Hartline and Jones (2009) say that HRD incorporates advancing the performance and skills of the people (e.g. suppliers and other stakeholders) and not their employees only. Human resource development is closely tied to performance and productivity of people in the workplace. This entails both personal and organizational success (Choi & Dickson 2010). While the definition of HRD seems to centre on processes aimed at enhancing personal and organizational productivity, another more comprehensive definition is that HRD is a process of developing and unleashing expertise for the purpose of improving individual, team, work process and organizational system performance (Smith, Gregory & Cannon 1996) While human resource development is understandable to many managers and business experts, the term development in HRD is relatively ambiguous (Clark, Hartline and Jones (2009). The authors further inform that the context of the term development in HRD is based on three principles of education, learning and training. They add that, a wide range of strategies and techniques aimed at increasing potential and capability of employees in the hospitality industry leads to improved service to customers which is evident in the number of return customers. Assuming that Susan is a skilled employee, her skills are not matched to the specific job requirements. This is not her fault as employers are required to provide additional training to fit job specific requirements. HRD is understood to be organized learning experiences provided by employers within a specified period of time enhance performance and improvement and/or personal growth. It is a combination of structured and unstructured learning and performance based activities which develop individual and organizational competency, capability and capacity to cope with and successfully manage change (Clark, Hartline and Jones (2009). From an economic point of view, HRD boosts organizational performance and hence, organizations employing HRD strategies are posed to increase their profitability in the long run. Currently, Harbour Inn is not set to benefit economically from training its employees while employees themselves have no capacity to undertake on the job training. Motivation and commitment The employees at Harbour Inn completely lack motivation. They are not motivated to work in the organization and it can be assumed that majority of them work there only because they lack another job. The employees are also not committed to the organization and are not proud to work there. There is a lack of commitment going by the words of David and Susan. The mangers also don’t value their subordinates as they perceive them inferior to the extent of not communicating with them. The McClelland’s acquired needs theory which is closely similar to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory posits that individuals are motivated achievement, affiliation and power. He argued that an individual is motivated by these three needs which are shaped by prevailing circumstances and experience (McClelland’s theory of needs, 2007). Furthermore, Taylor and Finley (2009) that poor leadership from inexperienced managers and lack of mentoring results to poor staff attitude and high employee turnover. Recommendations Use of charismatic leadership style Charismatic leadership style is where leaders develop special relationships with their followers. This includes high levels of loyalty, performance, enthusiasm and sacrifice. For managers at Harbour Inn, they can attain this by making all employees understand the need for understanding the firms’ vision and mission statements. This style can enable effective communication within the firm, a factor which can vastly improve the overall performance of the Hotel and ensure customer satisfaction (Shafer, Vieregge & Choi, 2005) Development of a performance appraisal system Performance appraisals seek to increase productivity of employees by moulding their character and personal attributes to the benefit of organizations and personal career development. These performance appraisal systems are based on the Implicit Person Theory which assumes that personal attributes can be altered through a number of measures in order to induce a change in behaviour of a person, in this context employee. Scholtes (2004) identifies a number of techniques in performance appraisals though this paper is limited to two broad ones; collaborative – (management-by-objectives, work planning and review, 360° appraisals, peer review, etc) and numerical techniques. Collaborative methods are assumed to have a higher success factor than traditional methods and specifically the subjects crave for achievement and have higher ambition. Collaborative approaches are designed to help develop an organization’s human resources. They lay emphasis on smooth communication, on matching goals and objectives between managers and junior staff. These methods are habitually viewed to be more accurate and fair because of the involvement by junior staff with an obligation to the system and its goals. The Numerical methods (numerical ranking) rely on awarding points to employees regarding their performance in certain areas. Due to the fact that some work output is immeasurable, supervisor’s perception and opinion towards employees is assumed to be neutral, which is rare is used. Proper communication structure A proper working communication structure should be guided by needs to; set communication objectives, choosing a communication style, selecting and motivating audiences, setting a message strategy, overcoming language difficulties and using appropriate nonverbal behaviours (Kusluvan et al 2010). The current situation at Harbor Inn is characterized by lack of a communication strategy especially from the manager to the subordinates. In most organizations, decisions flow from the top downwards where they are enacted. Lack of communication therefore means that implementation of organizational decisions is poor. By adopting a working communication structure, Harbor Inn will ensure that information flows effectively in the organization and performance will improve on the overall. The communication structure must also be responsive to cultural diversity in the workplace. Organizations such as Harbor Inn should seek to capitalize on their cultural diversity. While this might be problematic in effecting proper communication in the organization, it can be managed to the benefit of the organization whereby it is able to market and present itself amicably to clients from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Works cited Carbery, Ronan, Garavan, Thomas, O’Brien, Fergal & McDonnell, Joe. “Predicting hotel managers’ turnover cognitions.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 18.7 (2003): 649-679. Web. Clark, Ronald, Hartline, Michael & Jones, Keith. “The Effects of Leadership Style on Hotel Employees’ Commitment to Service Quality.” Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 50 (2009): 209. Web. Choi, Youngsoo and Dickson, Duncan R. “A Case Study into the Benefits of Management Training Programs: Impacts on Hotel Employee Turnover and Satisfaction Level.”Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism 9.1 (2010): 103-116. Web. Hinkin, Timothy, R & Tracey, Bruce J. “What Makes It So Great?: An Analysis of Human Resources Practices among Fortune's Best Companies to work for.’ Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 51 (2010): 158. Web. Kusluvan, Salih, Kusluvan, Zeynep, Ilhan, Inbrahim & Buyruk, Lufti. “The Human Dimension: A Review of Human Resources Management Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.” Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 51.2 (2010): 171-214. Web. Scholtes, P. The leader's handbook: making things happen, getting things done. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. Shafer, Elwood, Vieregge, Michael & Choi, Youngsoo. “Cultural Differences in Perceived Leadership Styles.” International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration 6.3 (2005). Smith, Kenneth, Gregory, Susan & Cannon, Debby. “Becoming an employer of choice: assessing commitment in the hospitality workplace.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 8/6 (1996): 3–9. Web. Taylor, Marcia & Finley, Dori. “Strategic Human Resource Management in U.S. Luxury Resorts—A Case Study.” Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 8 (2009): 82–95. Web. Testa, Mark. “A deeper look at national culture and leadership in the hospitality industry.” Hospitality Management 26 (2007): 468–484. Read More