MULTICULTURISM

Introduction

The idea of managing Hotels has only recently come to the attention of practitioners and academics. Academics in the field of development studies that have shown an increasing interest in analyzing HOTELS management have often been ill equipped for the task. Opinions among people working in Hotels seem to run from complete dislike of anything to do with managerialism to the uncritical acceptance of Western management and leadership principles. Lewis (2007) shows that techniques and principles such as strategic planning that were being ditched by commercial-sector managers during the 1990s were happily being adopted by Hotels as quick fixes. In addition, it seems that some development academics have discovered Hofstede's (2001) theory, which has dominated cross-cultural management studies, just at a time when it is being heavily criticized by the international management academic community.

So why should the development community be more aware of current issues and competencies in management studies, and why should Hotels be developing management and leadership capacity? As Jackson (2004) argued, “good organizational management is essential for the well being of human kind…. Effectively managing resources would seem a logical way of alleviating human hardship and poverty, and ensuring the welfare and dignity of all people” (p. xi).

Yet to develop successful international and indigenous Hotels, their global and multicultural operating contexts must be a central consideration if capacity building and organizational impact are to be

Discussion and Analysis

The leadership of a Hotel organization consists of the board and management. The chief executive is both a manager and a leader. Although the prominent literature highlights the differences between leaders and managers, a Hotel manager is atypical in the sense that the person who holds this position is required to manage as well as lead the organization. The internal and external demands and pressures from stakeholders on Hotel managers are increasing at a rapid pace. Balancing of these complex and sometimes contradictory demands require an adroitness and professionalism that may have not received due credit. Moreover, rather than transforming the organization with their leadership, most Hotel managers try through their service to meet the demands of leading the organization.

Schon (1983, p. 21) states that professionals are different from others in the sense that they possess a set of distinct “instrumental problem solving” skills. Therefore, by employing professionals to manage an organization, their expertise at tasks and control over decision making will very likely promote organizational competence. Research also suggests that professional values and norms lead to organizational transformation (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983). Application of these values enhances trust among the stakeholders resulting in organizational effectiveness and sustainability.

Application of private-sector management practices to the public sector for improved effectiveness and efficiency of public services delivery is an impetus for the focus on professionalization of leadership. This is because service provision by Hotel organizations needs to be comparable with services provided by the for-profit organizations operating in the same industry. Moreover, with the public and the for-profit sectors forming alliances and partnerships with the Hotel sector, the call for professional leadership has ...