SUMMARY

Removing communicationbarriers at work

What workforce diversity meansfor the hospitality industry

Juan M. MaderaC.N. Hilton Hotel and College, University of Houston,

Houston, Texas, USA

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the contribution made by this theme issue tothe literature examining workforce diversity in the hospitality industry and methods that can be usedto remediate communication barriers due to differences.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews some of the key contributions arising fromthis theme issue.

Findings – The summary highlights the research on workforce and diversity and communicationbarriers and discusses the implications of diversity for hospitality employers and researchers.

Research limitations/implications – Diversity is a modern day reality that brings challenges andopportunities to hospitality operators.

Originality/value – The research in this theme provides insight from both practitionerand academic perspectives as to how employers can remove communication barriers at theworkplace.

Keywords Hospitality, Management, Diversity, Hotels, Restaurant, Multicultural, Communication

Paper type General review

OverviewDiversity scholars have moved from looking at differences in race and ethnicity tonow including a host of demographic variables that accentuate employees’ differencesand similarities, like gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic origins,and cultural backgrounds. As such, the definition of diversity has moved from racialdifferences to including an array of variables that represent the characteristics thatmakes differences and similarities salient.

For hospitality employers, this means that diversity management is aboutrecognizing that people have identities that can enhance or conflict with theirexperiences and responsibilities at work. Indeed, understanding and improving theinterface between diversity and work is an important focus of scholarship and humanresource management. This themed issue focused on an important, but oftenoverlooked challenge of diversity in the workplace – namely, communication barriers.In this issue, the authors provide insight into how hospitality employers can improvetheir communication practices with their employees to create a more inclusive andharmonious workplace environment.

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

www.emeraldinsight.com/1755-4217.htm

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Worldwide Hospitality and TourismThemes

Vol. 3 No. 4, 2011pp. 377-380

q Emerald Group Publishing Limited1755-4217

DOI 10.1108/17554211111162480

In summary. The workplace consists of four generations. Challenges include differences in

work styles, expectations about work, acceptance of authority, andcommunication barriers. Although there is no one method for successfullymanaging a multigenerational workforce, employers should be aware of thesedifferences in order to be able to change them into opportunities. Recruitingmethods that are specific to multigenerational individuals, providing role modelsand mentoring programs, matching rewards to expectations, and integratingindividuals from different generations into work groups are a few methods thatcan be used to effectively manage a multigenerational workforce.

. Immigrant employees represent a large portion of the hospitality workforce.However, little research examines the experiences of immigrant employees at theworkplace. Managers often rely on bilingual employees, but do not compensatethem for their translating skills. The research in this themed issue suggests thatlanguage classes paid for by the employer would improve employee satisfactionand performance. The research also showed that multicultural competencies(e.g. experience working with non-native speakers) are effective in overcomingcommunication barriers. Simple, mundane methods like using gestures anddemonstration are also effective in overcoming communication barriers.

. Problems related to communication barriers also emerge when Hispanic immigrantworkers report fewer injuries to management than US-born workers. The researchreported in this issue showed that immigrant workers who were fluent in Englishand who perceived a positive climate for immigrants were more likely to reportinjuries to management. Thus, how immigrants are treated by co-workers andmanagement affects the frequency of reporting health and safety issues.

. Surprisingly, very little research examines why diversity training works. Theresearch in this themed issue suggest that organizations that offer diversitytraining for employees are more likely to have minority employees that perceiveless discrimination, report more job satisfaction, and are less likely to quit theirjobs than organizations that do not offer diversity training.

Research priorities from industry practitionersAs argued by Joseph Larry Jackson in this issue, if academic research is going tohave an impact on industry, then academicians should be focusing on providingempirical-based data to answer the practical problems faced by industry practitioners.The following research questions were generated by a panel discussion at the 2010Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute Conference: “Industry Perspectives onDiversity Research”:

RQ1. How does diversity – in how we dress, we look, and communicate – affectcustomer service in hospitality operations?

There are both cultural and generational differences that influence how employees,particularly from younger generations, are expected to dress, look, and communicate atthe workplace. For example, male piercing was once considered a stigma that todayhas more acceptance among customers than it did in the past. Currently, there arenew workplace stigmas, such as tattoos, which little is known about. While all

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hospitality employers would like to be consistent in the application of dress codepolicies that are constructed to positively impact customer satisfaction, there is also astruggle to embrace diversity when it might conflict with organizational policies.Allowing employees to display their visible tattoos would embrace their individuality,but conflict with many dress codes. As such, research is needed to examine the effect ofcurrent stigmas related to how one looks (e.g. visible tattoos, facial piercing) oncustomer attitudes (e.g. satisfaction, intentions to return):

RQ2. How do multicultural travelers make travel decisions and what factorsinfluence these decisions?

Consumers of travel and hospitality services are also comprised of individuals fromdiverse social identity groups, including ethnic/racial minorities, women, gayindividuals, religious minorities, people with disabilities, and older people. As such,an important theme for future research is to examine how travel behavior is influencedby multicultural and diverse identities. For example, travel behavior might beinfluenced by socio-demographic and cultural characteristics. From both a theoreticaland practical perspective, it is important to understand how multicultural and diversetravelers make travel decisions and the factors that influence these decisions. First,understanding travel behavior of specific groups enables the adoption of targetedmarketing strategies and services to enhance the travel experiences of diverseconsumers. Second, understanding travel behavior of specific groups is also importantfor determining which unique, group-specific factors influence travel decision. Third,understanding the travel behavior of multicultural and diverse identities may help toimprove travel demand forecasting, particularly for emerging markets:

RQ3. How is the hospitality and tourism industry perceived as a career by ethnicminority students?

Because the American workforce is diverse and ethnic minorities are the fastestgrowing segment of the workforce, a challenge for the industry is to successfullyattract diverse and ethnic minorities. In addition to attracting minority applicants,a challenge for the industry is to retain and promote minorities into management andexecutive positions. It is likely that future managers and executives of the industry willbe overwhelmingly college educated and therefore, hospitality programs at college anduniversities will be major sources for future leaders of the industry. Extant research oncareer choices among college students underscores the influence that parents haveon career decisions. As such, future research might examine if ethnic minoritiesperceive careers in the hospitality industry to be negative and what can be done tochange such negative perceptions.

ImplicationsThe articles in theme issue focused on the challenges of managing a diverse workforceand how hospitality employers can improve their communication practices with theiremployees. The goal was to help fill a void in the hospitality management literature byexamining new topics of diversity and adding current research and insight foremployers. Diversity is fluid and its definition will continue to evolve. The opportunityfor the hospitality industry is to be one step ahead in order to successfully managea diverse workforce. As shown in this themed issue:

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. generational issues will continue to be an important issue because the workplacenow consists of four generations;

. employers should pay special attention to the language barriers that immigrantemployees face because language barriers affect employees’ attitudes andbehaviors;

. diversity training is an important tool that has a positive impact on minorities’attitudes and intentions to stay; and

. industry practitioners see academic research as a source for answers to questionsabout diversity.

We hope that this collection of articles will help employers view diversity as acompetitive advantage. Diversity offers a pool of talented employees who can bedeveloped into future leaders of the industry, who can provide diverse customers meettheir needs, and can serve as a source for learning about multicultural differences andsimilarities. We also hope that researchers will be inspired to conduct research relatedto issues of diversity and will continue to address how understanding differences tocreate effective communication in the workplace is vital to the hospitality industry.

Corresponding authorJuan M. Madera can be contacted at: jmmadera@uh.edu

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