How Does Hilton Hotel in Dubai Improve Their Employee Cultural Diversity to Meet the Needs of Their Customers - Research Paper Example

How Does Hilton Hotel in Dubai Improve Their Employee Cultural Diversity to Meet the Needs of Their s? Cultural diversity is a business idealthat requires cultures not to be ignored but to be equally respected, valued and maintained (Tanke, 2001). In this age of globalization, it is important for organizations to consider different ways of dealing with cultural diversity within their business environment so that they are able to meet the needs of their customers. The Hilton Dubai is one of a chain of global hotels belonging to the Hilton Hotel company. Like many international hotels, the Dubai Hilton has a workforce that is culturally diverse. The hotel itself is located in a predominantly Arab country (Hilton Hotels and Resorts, 2011). It is paramount for the company to consider cultural diversity among its employees to as to meet the needs of the customers that they serve (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003).. Dubai is one of the cities found in the United Arab Emirates, one of the youngest countries in the world. The city itself is cosmopolitan due to its high levels of expatriate migration, and a center for booming business. In this respect, managers in organizations operating within the city have to be careful how they go about addressing the different cultures of their employees (Scullion and Collings, 2006). This is because the employees themselves are likely to have varying cultural differences and needs (Harvey and Allard, 2005). The Dubai Hilton employs people from all walks of life who come to the city as immigrant workers. Multi-cultural employees normally bring a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, values, styles and beliefs within an organization (Tayeb, 2003). These differences must be treated as assets my managers if they want to gain from their employees (Tanke, 2001). One industry that can make major gains from cultural diversity is the hospitality industry, like the one under which the Dubai Hilton operates. Evidence shows that cultural diversity, when it is addressed appropriately, has the ability to influence productivity and thus fulfill most of the needs of the customers (Cox, 2001). Aim and objectives The aim of this research study is to find out how the Hilton Hotel in Dubai improves their employee cultural diversity to meet the needs of their customers. This study is relevant since the hotel operates within a highly multi-cultural setting and its workforce is therefore culturally diverse. The objectives of this research paper are: 1. To identify some of the cultures represented within the Hilton in Dubai 2. To identify those cross cultural practices that are used by organizations in order to meet the needs of their target markets 3. To identify how the Dubai Hilton is handling its cultural diverse workforce so as to meet the needs of its customers Literature Review Importance of Cultural Diversity in an Organization Most societies in the world today have different cultural practices, values and beliefs. In this age of globalization, many people from these different backgrounds normally come together to work and live amongst each other (Jones and Pizam, 1993). Research has shown that the adoption of multi-cultural strategies in organizations helps in improving productivity. According to CSES (2003), recognition and change of diversity is important as it “will underpin and drive business decision making and organizational change”. Kandola and Fullerton (1998) concur by stating that the various changes in the cultural makeup of organizations has attained such important status that managers have no option but to understand the aspects of this diversity and how it can positively affect their organizations. Cox (2001) used nationality, gender, background and values to develop his interactional model which shows the impact that cultural diversity has on an organization. Cox’s model suggests that the interaction between the environment and individuals is what constitutes cultural diversity and its impact. Cox analyses the impact of cultural diversity on three different levels: individual, group/ intergroup and organizational levels. The researcher further claims that ones environment can affect his/her individual outcomes. These individual outcomes have the potential to influence how one performs within a group and this in effect affects organizational factors that include productivity and quality. So how then does diversity affect organizations? As Cox’s model points out, suggests, the cultural environment under which one works can affect his individual and organizational performance. This in addition can impact the outcomes of individuals, groups and organizations according to Cox definition, affective outcomes are those that show “how people feel and think about their jobs and their employers” (Cox, 2001). Basically, this means what people think about their job opportunities in the work environment they currently are in. Cox continues to say that if individuals feel that their organizations value them and their work, they are likely to contribute more towards the attainment of the organization’s goals and objectives. This translates to higher levels of satisfaction among customers (Sonnenschein, 1997). Understanding different aspects of cultural diversity within the workplace helps in predicting individual and organizational outcomes (Tanke, 2001). This in effect helps in the prediction of organizational effectiveness which is an important factor when considering ways of meeting the needs of customers. Cultural diversity does affect organizational processes that include creativity, problem solving and communications. These are some of the most important processes for organizations and understanding diversity can greatly help in complementing them (Cox, 2001 and French, 2007). Problem solving in a culturally diverse environment helps in the development of different perspectives which automatically provide opportunities for critical evaluations of the alternatives (Guirdham, 2005 and Sonnenschein, 1997). This enables organizations map out the best strategies to operate within the market, thus ensuring that as many as possible of customers needs are met (Jones and Pizam, 1993). Cox argues that it is of utmost importance for the group or department within an organization to strive to understand the cultural differences presented by other members of the organizations (Cox, 2001). This helps in the avoidance of conflicts especially when trying to solve problems. Creativity is also enhanced within an organization that adopts cultural diversity (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003). The contributions of each and every member go towards making the organization a preferred option by customers within the market. Once an organization or managers within an organization recognize the importance of cultural diversity for business, they can formulate ways which can help in enhancing productivity (Kandola and Fullerton, 1998). Cultural Diversity in the Dubai Hilton Dubai is a unique Gulf city in the sense that it is highly cosmopolitan. This is mainly due to the high levels of immigration of persons from different parts of the world to this city which is a business haven. It is common to find people from all religions and races within this Arabic city. This has meant that unlike in many parts of the Arab world, Arabic is not the only predominant language. In order to operate optimally, the English language has been adopted by many organizations in the city. Many of the people from different nationalities who come to Dubai come for business and tourism purposes. However, there are a sizable number of people who are immigrant workers (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007). At the Dubai Hilton, almost every nationality is represented within its workforce. The hotel does not discriminate while offering jobs at all levels. The hotel has not held onto its western way of doing things, rather it has opened up to the world cultures. This move is quite relevant since it operates in an environment which contains individuals from hundreds of cultural backgrounds (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003). To fulfill the needs of its multicultural clientele, the hotel has made use of its diverse workforce. This diversity is the key to the hotel’s success, which has found ways to make diversity a unifying rather than a divisive factor in its operations (Cox, 2001). Improving Cultural Diversity to Meet Customers’ Needs at the Hilton in Dubai The Hilton at Dubai is one of the most popular international world class hotels in the city. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is able to meet the varying needs of its wide range of customers with little ease. As a business center, the city attracts quite a large number of business tourists. The city is also well loves by many holiday makers who throng the city every now and then. This means that the demand for hospitality services is normally quite high throughout the year (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007). The Hilton is not the only world class hotel that has pitched tent in this city, however, few other hotels can match up to its level of popularity among both locals and visitors. The working policies in the Hilton in Dubai are against any form of discrimination, prejudice or stereotyping (Hilton Hotels and Resorts, 2011). These are behaviors which negatively impact on individual’s performance by undermining their importance to the organization (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003).. The Dubai Hilton strives to address the cultural needs of every one of its employees so that none of them feels left out on the basis of his or her cultural background. Culture is never used as an excuse to terminate or stop anyone from working. Instead, the differences that employees at the Dubai Hilton present are valued and nurtured so that each individual can effectively contribute towards the success of the hotels. Since the employees are all equally respected and valued, they all a positive attitude towards what they do (Hilton Hotels and Resorts, 2011). This is why many customers will keep coming back to the Dubai Hilton because the services offered there are exemplary and the staff is friendly. The company has a number of strategies that it has put in place so as to ensure the full potential of its culturally diverse workforce is fully realized. One of these strategies is to ensure that all departments within the organizations have staff from different cultural backgrounds. People from different nationalities are also normally encouraged to participate fully in decision making within the different structures of the hotel’s management (Hiton Hotels and Resorts, 2011). This helps in decision making that takes into account the different needs of the employees and to a larger extent of the customers as well. By engaging the cultural experiences of employees, the Hilton at Dubai is able to learn a lot about other cultures. This knowledge comes in handy when dealing with its many customers who come from all over the world (Trompenaars and Wooliams, 2003). Since the employees at the hotel come from various countries around the world, it is not uncommon for customers to feel at home since they are highly likely to be served by someone with whom they share a culture. Although the Hilton is a western company in an Arabic country, it does not close its doors to other cultures outside the gulf and the West (Tanke, 2001). It has come to recognize the need and importance of cultural diversity especially in the cut throat world of hospitality where a company has to do everything in its power to please as many of its customers as it possibly can (Hilton Hotels and resorts, 2011). The Hilton in Dubai has been able to be a market leader for a long time due to its policies which address the issue of cultural diversity and how to use it to the benefit of the organization. References Cox, T. (2001). Creating the Multicultural Organization. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. French, R. (2007). Cross-Cultural Management in Work Organizations. London: CIPD. Guirdham, M. (2005). Communicating across Cultures at Work, 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Harvey, C.P. and Allard, M.J. (2005). Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases and Exercises, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Hilton Hotels and Resorts. (2011) Dubai Hilton. Retrieved Sep. 26, 2011 from: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/DXBJBHI-Hilton-Dubai-Jumeirah-Resort/index.do Jones, P. and Pizam, A. (1993). The International Hospitality Industry: Organizational Operational Issues. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Kandola, R. and Fullerton, J. (1998). Diversity in Action: Managing the Mosaic. London: CIPD. Moran, R.T., Harris, P.R. and Moran, S.V. (2007). Doing Business with Middle Easterners. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Scullion, H. and Collings, C. (2006). Global Staffing. London: Routledge. Sonnenschein, W. (1997). The Diversity Toolkit. Chicago, IL: Contemporary Books. Tanke, M. (2001). Human Resources management for the hospitality industry. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishing Company. Tayeb, M. (2003). International Management: A Cross-Cultural Approach. Harlow: Pearson Trompenaars, F. and Wooliams, P. (2003). Business across Cultures. New York: Capstone Publications. Read More