Generational Differences in the Hospitality Industry: An issue of concern? (original) (raw)
Related papers
Generational Diversity in the Workplace: A Systematic Review in the Hospitality Context
This paper marks the first systematic review that focuses on generational diversity in the hospitality workplace in the period from 2000 to 2016. A comprehensive search was conducted in the five dominant databases, namely, Scopus, SAGE, Emeralds, Science Direct and EBSCOhost " s Hospitality and Tourism Complete, resulting in 49 articles for systematic content analysis. This paper maps out the existing landscape of generational studies within a hospitality context before providing five areas of recommendations for future studies to fully capture the intricacy of the generational phenomenon. This study serves as a funnel for academics and practitioners within the hospitality field as it gears their attention and research directions towards the crucial, yet under-examined, context of generational studies.
Managers' Perspective towards Employees' Generational Differences in Luxor Hotels
International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism, 2017
Luxor hospitality workplace consists of three generations of employees (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y). This study aims at investigating managers' perspectives on issues of employees' generational differences at Luxor hospitality workplace. It targets all 5-star hotels in the city of Luxor. Semistructured interviews are undertaken with 38 departmental managers and assistant managers (the food and beverage department, room division and human resource department). The managers' perceptions (knowledge and experiences) are required to deeply highlight the generational differences among the employees in their expectations, attitudes, and behaviors in eight dimensions. The study shows that Luxor hoteliers face different expectations, attitudes, and behaviors among their employees. These differences are connected to the generational differences of employees indicating the fact that each generation has different expectations, attitudes, and behavior in the workplace.
Generational differences in work attitudes: Evidence from the hospitality industry
Our understanding of employee attitudes and their impact on business outcomes has been further complicated in recent years by the newest cohort of service workers. Known as Generation Y (Gen Y), they appear to approach employment in a manner different to that of their predecessors. A review of the academic literature reveals little empirical evidence to support an appropriate understanding of the impact of such difference. This paper provides an overview of a large-scale study into generational differences in employee attitudes and reports on the preliminary data analysis of a survey of over 900 hospitality employees. The most important initial finding from the data analysis is that, on the whole, Gen Y employees have lower scores on those constructs that an organization should be attempting to maximize. Non-Gen Y employees are more satisfied with their jobs, more engaged and more affectively committed to the organization they work for than their Gen Y counterparts, amongst a range of other important constructs. Conversely, Gen Y employees display higher scores on the constructs that an organization would want to minimize in its staff. Gen Y employees are more likely to be planning to quit their jobs, are more likely to perform poorly if their co-workers are doing so, and are also more likely to switch jobs for no particular reason. The discussion covers implications for management as well as directions for future research.
Generation Y and work in the tourism and hospitality industry: problem? What problem
2007
It appears that there are employers who believe that Generation Y employees are often problematic. The technology, mass marketing, political times, and pop-culture in which Generation Y have grown up has ensured they have appreciably different ambitions and world views to previous generations. This paper reports the results of a study examining tourism and hospitality employer views of Generation Y employees and how some employers are attempting to draw upon the strengths of these workers. Focus groups with, and interviews of, employers in Coffs Harbour, Cairns, South East Queensland, Sydney and Port Douglas were used to gain an understanding of employer views. The focus groups indicated a sizeable number of tourism and hospitality managers believe Generation Y's beliefs in the types of work that they should be doing in their formative years in the workplace is a substantial problem for their organisations. However, a minority group of employers identified Generation Y's attitudes to work as an opportunity to tap into their strengths and to connect with their potential customer base. A number of iconic Generation Y cultural 'tools' have been adopted by this more visionary group of tourism and hospitality employers and are being used for recruitment and retention.
This study explores the generational differences within the Thai hotel industry workforce and their implications for recruitment, retention, and training. With four distinct generations-Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z-coexisting in the workforce, each brings unique values, attitudes, and expectations that shape their work behaviors and preferences. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines surveys and interviews, data were collected from 385 hotel employees across Thailand to understand these generational dynamics. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and regression models, were applied to test hypotheses concerning generational preferences related to technology use, worklife balance, communication styles, and training needs. Findings reveal that while Millennials and Generation Z prioritize flexible work arrangements and advanced technology, Baby Boomers and Generation X are more inclined towards job security and traditional organizational structures. The study emphasizes the need for tailored human resource strategies that cater to the specific needs of each generation to enhance job satisfaction and employee loyalty. This research provides valuable insights for HR professionals and corporate leaders in the Thai hospitality sector on how to manage a diverse workforce effectively, fostering a more inclusive and harmonious work environment.
Engaging the multi-generational workforce in tourism and hospitality
Tourism Review, 2014
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to present strategies that hospitality and tourism organisations might adopt as a means of encouraging employee engagement, thus enabling the more effective management of an increasingly multi-generational workforce. This paper evaluates current strategies being adopted that might encourage employee engagement by a selection of hospitality and tourism organisations and develop recommendations for organisations wishing to more effectively engage the multi-generational workforce. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a mixed methods approach and presents findings based on a series of semi-structured interviews with management and self-completion questionnaires aimed at employees. Findings – The relationship between the supervisor and the employee remains a key enhancer regarding engagement and employees are increasingly demanding more contemporary methods of communication. Employers should take note of generational characteristics and a...