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Introduction
The main goal of this report is to identify strategies which can help hospitality businesses manage a multicultural workforce. This paper will include several sections; at first, it is necessary to discuss theoretical frameworks that are useful for comparing cultures and understanding their differences. Additionally, it is important to discuss various approaches that can be applied by companies working in a multicultural environment. This discussion will be important for distinguishing the main recommendation that can assist managers. These suggestions will be aimed at minimising possible impacts of cultural differences and ensuring that the organisation can address potential problems as quickly as possible. These are the main questions that should be discussed in greater detail.
Comparing various cultures
At first, managers should clearly understand how cultural differences can manifest themselves, and how they may influence the performance of businesses. Researchers, who examine the similarities and distinctions between cultures, identify various criteria related to the behavior of individuals in the workplace. In this case, the Hofstede model can be useful because it illustrates how a person can act when he/she has to respond to different problems (Lewis & Rowley, 2014).
According to this framework, cultures should first be compared in terms of power distance. This notion is used to describe the relations between people who may occupy various positions in the workforce hierarchy. For example, in Western countries, employees and frontline managers tend to establish more egalitarian relations. Moreover, in many cases, workers are more likely to take independent initiatives without asking for the permission of senior executives. In contrast, in African or Asian cultures, people tend to lay more stress on the idea that they differ in terms of the authority or power that they have. As a result, subordinates may be reluctant to criticise the decisions of business administrators. In turn, workers are usually unwilling to take actions without the authorisation of managers.
As a rule, they try to avoid risks that can be associated with independent decisions. They usually prefer to take steps that lie within the range of their duties and competencies. One should not suppose that cultures should be discussed in terms of inferiority or superiority since this approach is rather superficial; moreover, each behavior pattern has certain strengths and weaknesses. For instance, willingness to take independent initiatives can be critical for addressing problems as quickly as possible. However, at the same time, such actions can result in errors that can harm customers. This knowledge is useful for people, who manage a multicultural workforce, because it is important for understanding the underlying causes of misunderstanding or conflicts. These are some of the main details that should be singled out.
Additionally, the management should take into account that cultures can differ in terms of such aspects as gender roles, time management, or etiquette (Fleming, 2003; Behrens, 2009). Overall, the challenges associated with a multicultural workforce can emerge provided that people lack awareness about the beliefs and values of one another. Additionally, they can lead to conflicts, delays, and possible dissatisfaction of clients. In turn, managers should learn more about the practices that can be useful for addressing these problems.
Practices adopted by various businesses
Overall, businesses representing hospitality industries adopt various approaches in order to minimise negative effects of multicultural differences. In particular, they want to specify a wide range of problems or issues that workers can address independently (Williams, 2015, p. 256).
Thus, it is possible to argue that the empowerment of employees is vital for reducing the impact of cross-cultural differences. Apart from that, they lay stress on the idea that frontline employees and business administrators should discuss potential problems or flaws as soon as possible (Roussel, 2013, p. 178). One should keep in mind that clients can make a variety of requests and sometimes workers may believe that they do not have the authority to take such a step. This is why managers strive to empower workers. To a great extent, this strategy is important for addressing problems that can emerge due to power distance and different attitudes towards risk.
Furthermore, the management of various hotels offers training to workers so that they can learn more about cultural differences related to time management, etiquette, gender distinctions, body language, and so forth. For instance, the employees should keep in mind that the representatives of various cultures may greet one another in different ways. Secondly, some words, phrases, or gestures may appear to be offensive. Thus, employees should be able to avoid these pitfalls while interacting with customers. This knowledge can be beneficial for two reasons. At first, it is important for avoiding conflicts in the workplace. Furthermore, they are critical for producing a favorable impression on visitors.
Additionally, companies often rely on various mock sessions or the training exercises that emulate certain difficulties related to multicultural environment. This procedure is particularly relevant if one speaks about the interactions with clients who come from a different culture. This approach is useful for anticipating potential difficulties that employees can encounter (Johnson, 2014). Overall, these practices have been adopted by many leading companies representing the hospitality industry. These are some of the key practices that should be taken into account.
Conclusion and recommendations
On the whole, this discussion shows that the management of hospitality companies can take several steps in order to eliminate problems that can emerge in a multicultural environment. The proposed strategies are supposed to improve the interactions between workers. Additionally, they are important for improving the relations with clients. Overall, one can distinguish the following steps:
- At first, the company should adopt the so-called open door policy which means that workers are encouraged to refer to the management if they believe that there is a certain problem. This procedure is important for ensuring that employees are able to discuss possible challenges as soon as possible.
- Apart from that, it is vital to empower workers; in other words, managers should authorise workers to work on a wider range of tasks or problems. This approach is important for resolving problems in a more efficient way.
- In addition to that, the management should implement a training program within an organisation. For instance, the employees should be encouraged to work on case studies that can illustrate the impact of cultural difference on the behavior of employees as well as clients. These exercises are useful for anticipating potential difficulties that can impair the work of tourist companies.
Overall, these recommendations are supposed to ensure that multicultural differences cannot affect the hospitality organisations. Apart from that, they are beneficial for avoiding conflicts with potential visitors. They are important for improving the time-efficiency of an enterprise and retention of clients. These are the main details that should be distinguished.
Reference List
Behrens, A. (2009). Culture and Management in the Americas. San Diego, Cal: Stanford University Press. Web.
Fleming, I. (2003). The Time Management Pocketbook. New York, NY: Pocketbooks. Web.
Johnson, B. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Education and Training in Professional Psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Web.
Lewis, M., & Rowley, C. (2014). Greater China: Political Economy, Inward Investment and Business Culture. New York, NY: Routledge. Web.
Roussel, L. (2013). Management and Leadership for Nurse Administrators. New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Web.
Williams, C. (2015). Effective Management. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Web.
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