Reflections on Learing

Improving Collaboration in Hospitality Organizations

Introduction

Hospitality organizations are a significant part of the service economy employing people from all walks of life . Yet regardless of background the personnel of hospitality organizations share certain commonalities in the kind of work they do and the services they provide . Eventually in the work setting , the attitudes and behaviors of hospitality personnel towards the services they provide and their clienteles tend to converge which seems to echo the development of a universal hospitality and service culture

At the same time , hospitality organizations face

challenges related to work performance and efficiency , particularly when one considers the organizational hierarchy and the creation of different divisions specializing in certain tasks and /or services provided within the organization itself . The present aims to discuss possible solutions on how collaboration between these various divisions within the hospitality organization can be improved , in light of departmental divisions which result in `seams ' in the provision of services to guests

The discussion begins with a background on the nature and functions of hospitality organizations , and its common problems , particularly in terms of inter-departmental collaboration . Leadership and its role in organizational motivation will be discussed , as well as the role and functions of culture in hospitality organizations , and finally ways to respond to service failure . An attempt at a synthesis shall be given towards the concluding part of the

Hospitality Organizations

The hospitality industry serves as an overarching label for businesses whose primary purpose is to offer food , beverage and accommodation for sale on a commercial basis (Lucas 2003 ,

. 3 . Hospitality services are hospitality activities that take place within other parts of the economy , primarily concerned with providing food and beverage in such areas as in-flight catering , and meals in schools , colleges , hospitals prisons , etc (Lucas 2003 , pp . 3-4

Many Hospitality Industry activities are also part of the Tourism Industry , such as in the context of holidays or leisure . Hospitality organizations can thus be generally defined as those which provide services to the hospitality and tourism industries . The role of the organization in fostering a climate of respect and mutual consideration for the attainment of organizational goals , i .e . provision of quality efficient service to its clients , can hardly be overestimated

Hospitality organizations engage in intimate levels of customer services with a dynamic external environment (Tesone 2000 ,

. 1 . Most hospitality organizations , particularly hotels , are structured by departmental functions (Rooms , Food and Beverage , Security , etc producing products and services through mechanistic production models designed to maintain a state of equilibrium (Tesone 2000 ,

. 1 However , such increasingly complex division of labor has resulted in certain problems in the delivery of service - more often than not , there develops `seams ' or breaks in the delivery of service as each department becomes increasingly specialized in its roles and functions . Challenges to this set-up include organizational structures as barriers to the implementation of collaborative communication processes , which could impede the ability of managers to effectively influence (or motivate ) others in the organization

The...