Richard Teare

Learning at work: practical steps to maximize the individual and organizational benefits

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore how organizations can use workplace learning to cope with and respond to change, create and sustain an active learning culture and monitor and evaluate their investment in organizational learning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a series of questions and summaries from selected articles to review workplace learning and its role in developing professionalism, skills and competency and the main implications for training.Findings – The paper concludes that a carefully crafted strategy for workplace learning will yield significant individual and organizational benefits.Practical implications – The paper draws on a decade of experience in designing and implementing workplace learning initiatives used by large organizations in hospitality, tourism and other service industries.Originality/value – The paper provides a checklist that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of organizational learning.

Building a Case for Evidence-Based Learning

In the opening chapters, Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt outlined the key features of lifelong action learning (LAL) and how to get started. The aim here is to explore the scope afforded by LAL for gathering and evaluating the evidence of learning. Specifically, this chapter outlines the ways in which community-based and workplace organizations can systemize action learning to achieve positive changes, create and sustain an active learning culture, and monitor and evaluate the return on investment (ROI) in their own organizational learning.

The Sandals philosophy: exceeding guest expectations – now and in the future

Purpose – This paper seeks to introduce the Sandals philosophy and how it enabled Sandals Resorts International to become the worlds most celebrated ultra all‐inclusive resort company.Design/methodology/approach – The paper profiles the companys growth and approach to human resource development.Findings – The paper concludes that an active, practical learning method is the most suitable development process to enable personal, professional and organizational development.Practical implications – The paper illustrates the importance of organizational learning in sustaining corporate success.Originality/value – The paper provides a perspective on the business philosophy that underpins the development of Sandals Resorts International.

Sandals Corporate University: “the change‐included experience”

Purpose – This paper aims to outline the role of Sandals Corporate University (SCU) and the contribution of action learning to human resource development.Design/methodology/approach – The paper relates theme issue content to the mission and mandate for SCU as an own brand learning system.Findings – The paper concludes that action learning is a key element of SCUs capability and effectiveness in supporting the ongoing development of Sandals Resorts International.Practical implications – The paper illustrates the scope and potential for own brand learning that is accessible to all employees and provides development pathways with professional certification on a career‐long basis.Originality/value – The paper reflects detailed piloting work and the emergence of an organizational learning system that fully integrates personal and professional development with the workplace.

Action learning projects and teamworking at Beaches Turks & Caicos

Purpose – This paper aims to explain and illustrate the potential for workplace learning from small group projects and the role of action learning in fostering personal, professional and organizational outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a briefing session with resource and other examples to outline an effective process for establishing small group projects in the workplace.Findings – Action learning releases the potential of all team members by enabling them to grow, to innovate and develop their creativity and talent by learning about themselves, from each other and from the workplace.Practical implications – The paper outlines the approach used by one of the worlds leading family resorts to ensure that personal and organizational learning keeps pace with change.Originality/value – The paper draws on prior experience and examples to explain how an outcomes‐directed process has been embedded in a large resort with large‐scale team member participation.

The GULL story: “Enabling YOU to make a difference in OUR world”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the mission of the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL) in supporting work and community‐based learning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper explains the principles on which GULLs action learning system are based and outlines a typical starting point for work‐based learning.Findings – The paper concludes by identifying the role of systemized action learning in support of the agenda for human resource development at Sandals Resorts International.Practical implications – The paper indicates how a narrative‐based approach to learning at work can be used to reflect and improve on personal and organizational performance.Originality/value – The paper relates the literature on action learning to its implementation in workplace and community settings.

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.

Reflections on the theme issue outcomes

Purpose This study aims to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue “What are the main trends, challenges and success factors in the Russian hospitality and tourism market in the experience economy era?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editors, contributors from industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This study uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings This study provides a framework to facilitate discussion between all stakeholders in Russia’s tourism and hospitality industry; it identifies ways of improving competitiveness as a tourist destination and contributes to thinking about sustainable development. Practical implications Reports on dialogue between Russian academics and industry practitioners related to the challenges, opportunities and success factors that are important for the development of the tourism and hospitality industry in Russia. Originality/value This is the first detailed assessment of the opportunities and mechanisms for creating memorable tourist experiences in Russia. The theme issue also identifies the main problems relating to the development of tourism and hospitality, the implications for industry and the solutions needed to address them.

Reflections on the theme issue outcomes: How is the need for innovation being addressed by the Indian hospitality industry?

Purpose The paper aims to profile the theme issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes titled “How is the need for innovation being addressed by the Indian hospitality industry?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor, contributors from the industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings It highlights recent innovations that have taken place in the Indian hospitality industry especially in the areas of customer service, cost competitiveness, culinary management, revenue management and technology. Practical implications As hotel sector investment in India intensifies, this theme issue will be of interest to hoteliers, policy makers, analysts and others interested in the role that innovation can play in helping to facilitate differentiation between competing hotel products and services. Originality/value There is limited literature available on industry innovations in the Indian context. All the papers in this theme issue were written after several cycles of interaction between academics and practitioners and so they incorporate real–time, relevant and contemporary data.

How can the tourism industry respond to the global challenges arising from climate change and environmental degradation

Purpose The aim of this paper is to critically review the contribution made by this theme issue in responding to the strategic question: “How can the tourism industry respond to the global challenges arising from climate change and environmental degradation?” Design/methodology/approach A critical content analysis of the papers selected for the theme issue was undertaken to learn from the best practices globally. This enabled the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting-point and the editorial process. Findings This summary paper highlights the most significant outcomes from the theme issue in terms of the contributions to knowledge and/or professional practice. It also summarizes the implications for management action and applied research arising from the outcomes and best practices based on case studies in Malaysia, Canada and New Zealand. As the main objective of the theme issue was to obtain a general overview of the relationship between tourism and climate change, five general review papers were included to strengthen the research framework. Research limitations/implications This paper outlines the challenges and new approaches in dealing with the issue of climate change. Given the economic, social and environmental significance of tourism, coverage of the climate change issue as it relates to tourism is, yet, limited. Given this scenario, the theme issue has contributed to the body of knowledge in this important field. Originality/value This paper explores the extent to which the cases presented and the review of various climate change concepts can provide guidance. The approaches and issues discussed in this theme issue could be replicated and applied in countries that are beginning to focus on climate change issues.