Global versus local HRM practices in the hospitality industry

Abstract

This paper explores the current HRM practices employed in the hospitality industry. More specifically it investigates four key HRM areas regarding the work of General Managers (GMs) in luxury (4 and 5*) hotels in Greece namely: recruitment and selection; training and development (focused in managerial competencies); performance evaluation; networking and communication. The dynamic and complex nature of the management function in hospitality business today and the realisation that what works effectively in one country may not be as efficient in another, has led management scholars and practicing managers in continuous efforts to enhance their understanding of this context and its effects on hotel managers. A key theme that emerges from this qualitative study is the critical role of the hotel’s ownership status; it is also argued that both divergence and convergence contextual forces co-exist and shape the GMs’ work in Greek luxury hotels.