Benefits of Cross-Functional Training: Three Departments of Hotel Line Supervisors in Taiwan

Abstract

This study examines five important beneficial factors of cross-functional training for frontline supervisors in front office, restaurant and housekeeping departments in a sample of international tourist hotels in Taiwan. The research initially involved a Delphi technique with a panel of industrial experts and scholars to identify industrial domain skills and define multiskilled employees in the Taiwanese hotel context. A survey was then constructed and t test was used to explore any significant differences between multiskilled line supervisors and nonmultiskilled line supervisors. Five beneficial factors, namely service quality, retention, job satisfaction, higher payment and promotion, were examined in the study. Findings reveal that four of these factors are significant for front office and restaurant line supervisors, and two factors are significant for housekeeping line supervisors. These findings provide some useful ideas for attracting and retaining staff in Taiwanese hotels.