Norma D'Annunzio-Green

An examination of the organizational and cross‐cultural challenges facing international hotel managers in Russia

With the ever increasing globalization of the hospitality industry, an exploration of the issues facing international hotel managers in Russia is both timely and important. The ability to manage people in an international context is one of the greatest tests of managerial skill and, in many novel cultures, success is dependent not only on the managers’ technical and professional expertise but also on their understanding of the local culture and local staff. There are many important cultural factors that impact on the expectations and attitudes of Russians about work which are therefore essential for managers to appreciate and understand. The paper highlights the range of challenges that exist and illustrates those that arise from cross‐cultural differences between eastern and western expectations, as well as the range of diverse organizational cultures within Russia’s hotel industry. Managers must be aware of these differences and develop appropriate skills and competencies to help them adapt their style accordingly.

Direct entrants in transition: becoming independent learners

This article investigates the dynamic transitions that college leavers make to university. It draws on qualitative research with a group of students who took direct entry to the second or third year of a degree programme at university, to show that successful transitions depend on the students becoming independent learners. It argues that the students who adapt best to the new learning environment are those who understand what independent learning entails, and who are good time managers. While the transitions experienced by direct entrants are comparable to those of students entering the first year of a degree more generally, the article recognises that there are differences. The difficulties experienced by many new students – including learning how the university works – may be exacerbated amongst direct entrants because they have less time in which to adapt to the new regime and their needs are often less visible at the institutional level.

Tuning into tensions at times of change: The experiences of line and HR managers in a contract catering firm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present case study evidence of how managers in a contract catering firm made sense of an organisational change initiative that encouraged them to become self‐sufficient and display “entrepreneurial” behaviours in an environment where they were also expected to “comply” with new operating procedures aimed at strengthening central control.Design/methodology/approach – Uses 25 in‐depth interviews with a cross‐section of line and HR managers over an 11‐month period to uncover practical experiences of change and their attempts to constructively manage the tensions between the opposing dualities that arise from it. The paper draws on empirical research from an in‐depth case study of a leading multinational corporation in the contract catering sector.Findings – the findings expose the pressures that managers faced in the reconciliation of the contrasting need to develop as entrepreneurs alongside an organisational strategy driven by cost minimisation and control. It prov...

Reflections on the theme issue outcomes: Is talent management a strategic priority in the hospitality sector?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to profile the WHATT theme issue “Is talent management a strategic priority in the hospitality sector?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor and writing team. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings It identifies five re-occurring themes as being particularly relevant to hospitality organizations when considering a strategic approach to talent management. They are the role of line managers in employee development and well-being; talent management being used as a lever for culture change; the importance of contextualizing approaches to talent management; the need for new and innovative ways of working to achieve a strategic approach to talent management; and barriers to development of a strategic approach caused by economic and day-to-day operational pressures. Practical implications The theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore and reinforce the value of WHATT’s approach to collaborative working and writing. Originality/value The collaborative work reported in this theme issue offers fresh insights on the current practice and future priorities for talent management in an industry that struggles to attract and retain employees.