Intercultural Management: Training And Awareness Is The New Challenge In A Multicultural Hospitality Industry

Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

Abstract

This paper reviews recent research on information technology in the hospitality industry. The analysis revealed three broad research areas: the Internet's effects on distribution; on pricing; and on consumer interactions. Similar to aftermath of the dot com boom, the hospitality industry is realising that the information technology has unintended effects and prognosticators are often wrong. While the reviewed articles provide sound advice for hospitality operators and a rich stream of future research for academics, poor rigor and a lack of relevance throughout the reviewed journals underscore a worrying trend in hospitality research.

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction5

Background5

Purpose of the Study5

Design/methodology/approach6

Findings6

Research limitations/implications6

Practical implications6

Chapter II: Literature Review7

Information technology and distribution7

Electronic distribution7

Disintermediation10

Information technology and pricing11

Online pricing11

Hospitality consumers and information technology14

Online consumer decision making14

Website layout and design15

Customer relationship management17

Chapter III: Methodology22

Research Method22

Sample Size23

Results24

Chapter IV: Discussion29

Learning styles32

The influence of culture34

Change over time36

Contemporary cultural diversity38

Human resource challenges39

Communication challenges41

The curriculum challenge42

Chapter V: Conclusion46

Tomorrow's graduates: training requirements49

Educators' requirements49

Programme content/learning outcomes49

Programme assessment and methods of delivery50

References52

Chapter I: Introduction

Background

Information systems form a fascinating and rapidly expanding field of study. Hospitality traditionally lags other sectors in adopting information technology (Buick, 2003), but this has changed in recent years and research into its application has followed suit. This paper represents our analysis of the information technology themes that emerged in a dozen hospitality and tourism journals: Annals of Tourism Research, Cornell Quarterly, Information Technology in Tourism, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Tourism Management, and Tourism Review. We reviewed their tables of contents from January 2003 to July 2004 and selected articles touching on information technology and hospitality. While by no means comprehensive, this systematic approach focused on peer reviewed publications and provides a useful overview of current information technology themes and active researchers.

Purpose of the Study

The paper aims to present and discuss research findings on the relationship between culture and learning styles, as defined by Honey and Mumford, and the potential implications for both hospitality management education as well as for the training and career development of international hospitality managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary research was undertaken at an institute of hospitality management in Switzerland to investigate whether a relationship between culture and learning style preference would be found. The research, carried out with a paired sample of hospitality management students (n=55) at a one-and-a-half-year interval, was quantitative in nature.

Findings

The data support a link between culture and preferred learning style at the outset of the students' higher education programme, which seems to become less marked over time showing a certain convergence amongst all the students in their preferred learning styles.

Research limitations/implications

At this stage in the research the results are only available for one paired ...