Harmon Hotels' Expansion to France: Key Challenges
This paper examines the primary challenges facing Harmon Hotels as it expands from the United States into the French market. The analysis identifies cultural differences and a lack of global experience as the core problems, then explores several related issues: the inadequacy of U.S.-trained managers who lack French language skills, the need to reassess the existing compensation package for the European context, the importance of recruiting French-speaking or bilingual managers, and the necessity of a strong integrated marketing and communication strategy. Practical recommendations are offered for each issue to support a successful and sustainable European expansion.
- Introduction: The Core Problem: Cultural inexperience drives Harmon Hotels' expansion challenges
- Challenges of the French and European Market: European customers demand more than a U.S. model replication
- Manager Adequacy and Language Barriers: Managers lack French fluency needed for leadership roles
- Compensation Package Considerations: U.S. compensation model may not suit French market norms
- Recruiting and Selection Strategy: Bilingual French managers should be considered alongside Americans
- Marketing and Communication Strategy: Brand awareness campaign needed for unknown European market entry
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What makes this paper effective
- It clearly identifies a single core problem — cultural inexperience — and builds every recommendation around it, giving the argument a coherent through-line.
- It addresses multiple dimensions of the expansion challenge (language, compensation, recruitment, marketing) without losing focus, keeping each issue distinct and actionable.
- Recommendations are grounded in the case study's specific details (e.g., the French bonus structure, fluency requirements for recruitment roles), making the analysis concrete rather than generic.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates problem-to-recommendation structuring: the writer diagnoses each challenge before proposing a targeted solution, which is a standard technique in business case analyses. This approach ensures every recommendation is justified by evidence from the case rather than asserted without support.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by naming the central problem and its business context, then works through a series of discrete sub-issues — market difficulty, manager suitability, compensation design, recruitment scope, and brand visibility — each treated as a short analytical unit. The conclusion calls for an integrated marketing campaign to address brand recognition. The structure follows a classic problem-analysis-recommendation pattern appropriate for a business case study at the undergraduate level.
Introduction: The Core Problem
The main problem facing Harmon Hotels is one of cultural differences. As a corollary, the organization has no experience as a global company: all its hotels are located in the United States, and the expansion to France represents the first stage of a larger European expansion project. As a consequence, the company will face communication and integration challenges as it moves into the European market.
Challenges of the French and European Market
There are several additional issues related to this core problem that must be addressed before recommendations can be made. First, the European market in general, and the French market in particular, is a demanding and discerning one. Customers hold specific expectations, and it will not be sufficient simply to replicate the Harmon Hotels business model that succeeds in the United States. A meaningful degree of customization will be required to meet the standards of European hospitality consumers.
Manager Adequacy and Language Barriers
Second, the managers being sent to France to lead the expansion process appear inadequate for the role. It is true that they are willing to work abroad, which reflects a positive disposition toward participating in a global organization. However, they do not speak French fluently — a critical requirement in the French market, particularly given their responsibilities. Among other duties, these managers will need to lead the recruitment and selection process for staff at the new French hotels. Not speaking French will seriously limit their capacity to lead and manage effectively. Accordingly, the first recommendation is that these managers undertake an intensive French language course before assuming their roles.
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