Li, Li, Gray, David E. ORCID: 0000-0002-3881-5083, Lockwood, Andrew John and Buhalis, Dimitrios (2013) Learning about managing the business in the hospitality industry. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 24 (4). pp. 525-559. ISSN 1044-8004 (Print), 1532-1096 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21171)

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Abstract

This research examines the learning experiences of General Managers (GMs) in the hospitality industry, a sector much neglected in terms of research into management learning and human resource development. Our research focused on four large hospitality organizations (two hotels and two contract catering companies) and adopted an approach that integrates multiple data collection strategies in supporting our qualitative case studies. Data were collected by using document analysis plus detailed, qualitative interviews with 21 general managers, of whom seven were subsequently observed at work and observation notes generated. Data analysis revealed that the participants learned to manage the business primarily through experience, a process consisting of four key stages: Being Challenged, Information Searching, Information Transformation, and Testing. Reflective thinking plays a central role in their learning, taking the form of “actions” involving association, integration and validation, and of “products” involving content, process and context reflections. We argue that the way hospitality managers learn, while sharing the learning approaches taken by other professionals, differs in that these managers’ learning is more highly contextualized.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	experiential learning, management learning and development, problem-solving, reflection
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business > Department of Human Resources & Organisational Behaviour
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2016 09:26
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/11190

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