The Overall Effects of Cultural Diversity in the Hospitality Industry

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Benefits
Disadvantage
How cultural diversity can be managed to give competitive advantage
Conclusion
Recommendations
Works Cited

Introduction

Diversity basically refers to the various differences existing amongst people of diverse origin. Cultural diversity, on the other hand, refers to the various cultural differences existing between people. The differences range from language, dressing, traditional values, religion, and societal interactions with the environment (Jan 5-21).

Much attention need to be given the various dimensions of diversity, which include secondary issues such as effects on communication style, religious practices, relationships, traditional customs and appearance (Gong 5-59).

The report focuses on analyzing the overall effects of cultural diversity in the hospitality industry. The nature of the industry’s workplaces and the way they deal with the issues concerning management of cultural diversity. The report further reveals benefits as well as challenges facing culturally diverse workforce within the rich hospitality industry. There are also recommendations which could be of help to management team.

The hospitality industry is known to fall under the category of service industries. This shows that the industry attracts people from diverse origins, including those working as cleaners as well as waiters amongst others. Their services are key to business delivery within the industry (Gong 5-59).

Hospitality industry depends more so on culturally diverse workforce. This could be attributed to globalization, which has been a driving force behind corporate strategic planning within the industry. The essence on globalization has brought lots of multicultural challenges in management and employment sector within the industry.

This has brought about the challenge on how to maximize the contributions of each employee within the working team irrespective of the existing cultural differences. With the rapid improvement in economic development, the hospitality industry has experienced international expansion making dynamic progress within various regions.

Owing to the increased market share, the industry requires best talents within the hospitality industry capable of cooperating with people of different cultures and, at the same time, helps workers from different countries overcome cultural barriers (Seyed-Mahmoud 521-531).

Appropriate actions should be taken by the hospitality industry for the purposes of coping with the challenge. There should be provision of right measures, such as incorporating language training facilities for the purposes of overcoming communication barriers.

Recruitment and training program within the industry ensures creation of talented internationally mobile people capable of occupying management positions within the international market. Employee sensitivity through cultural diversity management of training needs requires appropriate design and attention (Seyed-Mahmoud 521-531).

Benefits

There are numerous benefits resulting from management of cultural diversity, which include; innovative abilities, competitiveness and transfer of knowledge to the various minority groups. The process also enables development of better talents, which reduces labour costs and at the same time, widens business relations through broad supply base.

Managing cultural diversity is also beneficial in enhancing corporate image of various companies and at the same time, Companies are enabled to provide effective marketing and product strategies owing to new business innovations. On the other hand multicultural backgrounds ensure provision of more people with improved innovation enabling provision of new ideas and skills.

This requires employers to understand and appreciate the different ways of viewing the world through readiness to present more resolutions capable of accommodating every aspect of business problems.

There is always possibility on the fact that diversified employee groups reveal more efficiency in performance in the long run. The results being attributed to the increased level of creativity and novelty owing to shared diverse perspectives, views and experiences (Gong 5-59).

Managing cultural diversity is also helpful in the process of knowledge transfer. The differences portrayed owing to various cultural backgrounds do not make people differ with others in the workplaces.

Using the same language makes it easier for communication to take place amongst employees; this enables easier transfer of information as well as knowledge. Such scenario reduces the level of misunderstanding and misinterpretation owing to cultural differences hence leading to increased efficiency and productivity within the hospitality industry (Puick and Saba).

The level of competitiveness is improved through effective management of cultural diversity. This is important aspect since hospitality industry presents one of the most competitive industries. Meaning that effective control on labour cost should move alongside increased demand for services.

The industry requires highly motivated staff capable of attracting more customers, which can only be achieved through successful diversity management. Hospitality industry normally serve different customers having different background characteristics making cultural diversity an important aspect in satisfying customer needs as well as building on relationships.

This further provides the industry with the opportunity of offering increased customer service quality, especially in foodstuff provision capable of attracting majority of the customers. Such strategies reinforce the level of customer loyalty.

Fair hiring standards makes gives companies’ fair deal in the nature of employees since it makes it easier to incorporate every culture required. This makes it easier for hospitality companies in recognizing potential human resource, easier recognition of different market needs and at the same time, reduce customer turnover rate (Puick and Saba).

Management of cultural diversity within the industry assist in building corporate brand images. The industry should be ready to recruit valuable minority employees from different cultures all over the world.

Such moves help in the attraction of more people into the industry since diverse cultural workforce makes it easier for the company to cope with the native communities where they serve. Making it possible and easier for the hospitality companies to be recognized and accepted within different communities all over the world (Puick and Saba).

Disadvantage

Some challenges are experienced in the process of managing cultural diversity. One if them is harmonizing the different languages from various traditional backgrounds. This at times makes it difficult for communication within the workplaces since language is crucial part of communication and at the same time is used by many as their main point of cultural identity.

There are times when employees find difficulty in interpreting other’s behaviours owing to intercultural communication. Inefficient communication amongst individuals within the industry usually leads to lots of misunderstanding hence affecting employee working relationships (The Power of Culture).

The other challenge with managing cultural diversity is that there still exists within some quotas discrimination and certain degree of stereotypes emanating from less information regarding presence of some cultures within the workplace. This makes migrant workers to be under-utilized within the market.

How cultural diversity can be managed to give competitive advantage

There is a possibility that cultural diversity can be managed for the purposes of enhancing employee’s personal identity within the industry. Such a process involves development of effective communication channels between managers and employees.

Creation of free communication atmosphere enhances self-esteem and socio-behavioural component and ultimately encourages articulation of views matching all employees. This enables good understanding during meetings guaranteeing improved productivity (Christensen 15-34).

Management of such diversity also helps in possible review of employees extrinsic rewards depending on their level of expertise. Such intrinsic rewards are given in terms of salary increment as well as granting employee’s chances to expand in their careers. Review on cultural diversity would enable employees to be granted equal chances without discriminating the culturally minority communities (Stefan 224-240).

Performance should be given first considerations hence assisting in the provision of hardworking environment. The promotion chances and opportunities for career development should be non-discriminative and handled within every line of business in the hospitality industry. Such moves ensure great satisfaction on the side of employees hence acts as a source of inspiration (Christensen 15-34).

Various companies within the industry should adopt the use of training and development for the purposes of equipping different employees from diverse backgrounds (Mwaura 212-220). The processes help employees cope with necessary changes, which include the existing stiff competition within the market and other business challenges, which might be environmental.

This enables parallel performance of individuals irrespective of various environments where they are posted (Jeremy 158-161). The analysis identifies crucial positions/points where training is mostly required and at the same time positions appropriately the employees who require training. The employees are then ultimately enhanced with necessary induction enabling them to handle their various works professionally.

Implementation of induction method provides skilful staff endowed with big responsibilities of managing the organization through basic knowledge (Gill 34-37). The processes allows management to asses and monitor the various abilities of employees irrespective of their cultural backgrounds hence making it possible to match and individual with duties which best fit their expertise areas (Osman-Gani 452-460).

The process of managing cultural diversity also helps in reinforcing the kind of leadership within the industry. This grants the organization the abilities of motivating and uniting various employees for the purposes of working as a team.

The unity provided through solid leadership is always necessary and beneficial to the organization’s profitability. The leadership finds it easy guiding employees in the process of adopting the organization’s values and at the same time, finds it easier to cope with the changing trends (Hoecklin).

Cultural diversity can also be managed through transformational leadership whereby management team are endowed with the responsibility of training employees in the language they understand best concerning the organization’s as well as the industry’s risk items. In this way opportunity is granted to employees concerning possible solutions in case of disasters.

Management ensures that all employees have the ability to rightfully interpret the organization’s scopes as well as various ways of integrating organization’s development programs. The management of cultural diversity can also be developed to ensure cohesiveness within the various teams.

The degree of cohesiveness greatly depends upon employees ability to work based on the integral principles of hospitality industry. The issue also reinforces the level of skilled manpower useful for the purposes of marketing since their abilities to convince customers can be trusted and relied upon (D’Annunzio 199-208).

Democratic leadership can also be relied upon in managing cultural diversity. Working closely with administrative but non-discriminative rules is made easier since there is that ability to speak the language which employees understand best (Linda 46-64). It makes supervisory roles easier since employees are able to follow instructions ensuring efficiency in work done.

The goals of the company are easily achieved through this since employees feel secure and at the same time organization’s culture easily adhered to owing to the fact that employees feel a deep sense of belonging within the organization’s environment (Declaration on Cultural Rights Project).

Conclusion

The issue on cultural diversity is revealed as one of the important aspects within the hospitality industry. Therefore, employers require a lot of skills which can enable them manage diversity issues in areas such as religion, gender amongst others.

Cultural diversity in the workplace has encountered challenges, especially for expatriates. However, this should be an issue of concern as more and more minority groups join the workforce within the hospitality industry.

Recommendations

Management of cultural diversity within the hospitality industry need to consider employing people with common values and at the same time share the same vision of the organization within hospitality industry. This would help in eliminating the focus towards one’s cultural background and instead help employees to quickly adopt organization’s culture.

Such moves prove beneficial in the line of productivity hence reducing training costs. This means that the industry should actually consider developing cultures capable of motivating employees focus on achievement rather than discrimination.

This is possible implementation provided that there is spirit of belief which considers everyone as worthwhile commodities capable of pushing an organization upwards through their various contributions.

It is also appropriate that organizations communicate all information pertaining to improvement of working environment. This would initiate reception of diversified ideas necessary for making profitable decisions since members are held accountable for their decisions and actions.

Such decisions would require managers to be very vigilant on every section and, at the same time, conduct regular meetings for the purposes of updating the staff and, at the same time, assess the general progress of the organization.

Works Cited

Christensen, Hughes. Recruitment and Selection Issues and Strategies within International Resort Communities. London, Continuum, 2002, pp15-34.

D’Annunzio, Green. Developing international managers in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(1997): 199-208.

Declaration on Cultural Rights Project. Interdisciplinary Institute on Ethics and Human Rights, in co-ordination with UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Barcelona, UNESCO Centre in Catalonia, 1998

Gill, Philip. Managing workforce diversity – a response to skill shortages? Health Manpower Management Journal, 22 (1996):34 -37

Gong, Yi. Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry. UNLV Capstones, (2008):5-59

Hoecklin, Usa. Managing Cultural Differences. London: Addison-Wesley, 1995

Jan, Selmer. Adjustment of Western European v/s North American expatriate Managers in China. Personal Review, 30 (2001): 5-21

Jeremy, Tipper. How to increase diversity through your recruitment practices. Industrial and Commercial Training Journal, 36 (2004):158 – 161

Linda, Human. Managing workforce diversity: a critique and example from South Africa. International Journal of Manpower, 17 (1996):46 – 64

Mwaura, Grace. Corporate and national culture – an irreconcilable dilemma for the Hospitality manager? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 10 (1998): 212-220

Osman-Gani, Ahad. Cross-Cultural Implications of Planned on-the-Job Training. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 3(2001):452-460.

Puick, Vladimir & Saba, Tania. Human Resource Planning. NY: Sage, 1998

Seyed-Mahmoud, Aghazadeh. Managing workforce diversity as an essential Resource for improving organizational performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 53 (2004):521 – 531

Stefan, Gröschl. Diversity management strategies of global hotel groups. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23 (2011): 224-240

The Power of Culture. Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies Favourable to Development. Barcelona: UNESCO Centre in Catalonia, 1998, p 3

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