MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Conceptual Model for Analyzing Management Development In The Hospitality Industry: A UK Perspective

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual, contingent model of hospitality management development (MD). Having explored the dimensions and relationships in the model, it is then applied to the UK hospitality industry through analysing the nature of the hospitality industry for potential influences on MD and evaluating research into its practice. The embryonic model is presented as a vehicle to enhance understanding of the complex influences and contexts of hospitality MD and to distinguish distinctive characteristics of MD in the hospitality industry.

Conceptual Model for Analyzing Management Development In The Hospitality Industry: A UK Perspective

Introduction

The aim of this paper is to present an embryonic, contingent conceptual model for researching and analysing management development (MD) in the hospitality industry. While the topic of MD appears to be well researched, analysis of scholarly papers and texts reveals a lack of agreement on what academically or practically constitutes MD. There is little agreement on the boundary and scope of MD (Cullen and Turnbull, 2005; Doyle, 2004; Garavan et al., 1999), divergent views on its purpose and goals (Clarke, 1999; Woodall and Winstanley, 1998), disagreement over who owns MD (Mabey, 2002; Marsick and Watkins, 1997), and the role of managers in the process (Sadler-Smith, 2006). In addition, there has been much criticism of MD research literature regarding its limited scope and focus on discrete activities, and a lack of attention paid to the underlying issues influencing MD (Mumford, 1993; Storey et al., 1997). Garavan et al. (1999) contend that conventional views on what constitutes MD have taken too narrow a perspective, hindering the development of both theory and practice. They call for investigations of the underlying issues of MD, including the role of managers, their development needs, and organisational culture and contexts.

Although some attempts have been made in the generic MD literature to synthesise work (see Cullen and Turnbull, 2005; Mabey, 2002), within hospitality literatures little integration of works on MD scope and content can be located (Brotherton and Watson, 2000). There is some evidence of research into aspects of MD such as managerial roles (Baum, 1990; Watson and McCraken, 2002), education (Litteljohn and Watson, 2004; Morrison and O'Mahony, 2003), practices (Teare and O'Hern, 2000), careers (Jameson and Holden, 2000; Ladkin, 2000) and hospitality contexts (Jones, 2004; Slattery, 2002), but there has been no attempt to amalgamate the various facets of MD to enhance understanding of what constitutes and influences hospitality MD (HMD) practice. The literature on HMD is diverse in scope and dispersed, being derived from different disciplinary roots and spread across hospitality, tourism and business publications, resulting in a lack of clear theoretical or conceptual understanding of HMD.

The combined service characteristics of intangibility, perishability, heterogeneity and inseparability of production and consumption (Zeithaml et al., 1985) are cited as distinguishing features of the hospitality industry, resulting in greater contact with both staff and guests in managing the delivery and consumption of hospitality services (Jones, ...