Cross-Cultural Training Practices and Needs in the Hotel Industry

Abstract

This exploratory study determined cross-cultural training (CCT) practices and needs in U.S. hotel/motel companies to serve as a basis for making recommenda tions for educational programs in hospitality management. A research model was developed to explore antecedents to CCT and attitudes toward diversity. Corporate human resources/personnel directors in hotel/motel companies were mailed a questionnaire. Most companies did not provide cross-cultural training to employees, although one third of their employees were foreign-born. Speaking ability in a foreign language, particularly Spanish, was found to be an advantage for obtaining employ ment, particularly at the supervisory level, in most of these hotel companies. Respondents agreed that the laborpool is becoming more culturally diverse and that managers who understand values of cultural groups are more effective in training employees. They disagreed that it is easier to manage U.S.-born employees than foreign-born employees. While the antecedents to CCT-international ownership, employee ethnic diversity, and international guests were not related to either attitudes or CCT, attitudes toward diversity and CCT practices were related. Key Words: cross-cultural training, multicultural awareness, diversity of work force.