Interpersonal Communication Problems at a Luxury Hotel

Executive Summary

The Griffith Hotel is a relatively new luxury hotel established in Tel Aviv. The hotel has some experienced and knowledgeable front desk staff, but is suffering an increasing number of complaints from customers regarding the attitude of staff. An examination of the problems indicates that communication within the department is poor. Problems start with the department manager, who takes an autocratic approach — demanding compliance rather than motivating staff. This autocratic, commanding approach filters through the hierarchy. The dissatisfaction and "jobsworth" attitude of many employees can be explained through the application of social exchange theory. Employees receive relatively few rewards for a high level of input and therefore display only a minimal level of commitment to their job tasks. Cross-cultural communication also appears to be problematic, with individuals from different cultures misunderstanding each other.

It is recommended that the organization adopt a new communication strategy by implementing a training course to increase communication skills. The course will be grounded in cross-cultural communication, which will naturally incorporate basic communication skills training. Workshops and role-play will allow employees to practice what they learn. By equipping employees with the relevant skills and knowledge, communication should become more efficient and redress the cost-benefit balance to provide more rewards for all parties involved. Following the course, feedback will be gathered from employees, management, and customers in order to determine whether the strategy has been successful and to identify any areas requiring further improvement.

Introduction

The Griffith Hotel, a luxury hotel in Tel Aviv, employs a number of experienced and knowledgeable staff. The Front Office Manager has a great deal of faith in those staff; nevertheless, the number of customer complaints is increasing. The front office manager feels he is addressing the situation by issuing instructions to staff on how they should perform their jobs. This strategy does not appear to be achieving the desired results — the situation is deteriorating rather than improving. The manager, who appears to adopt an autocratic or command style of leadership, does not understand why his staff do not simply do as they are told. The aim of this report is to examine the situation and make recommendations on how it may be improved.

Problem Identification

The front office department at the Griffith Hotel has some major problems, many of which are related to the way communication takes place. The front office manager adopts a very autocratic or commanding style of leadership. The command or autocratic style is highly unidirectional: the leader or manager directs and controls with a "tell" style, expecting followers to comply without question (Goleman, 2004; 2000). This style is often associated with the military or the police (Adlam and Villers, 2003). There is an inherent problem with this approach — it does not allow for bilateral communication, and it is also a style that does not engender trust (Bass, 2000).

Basic motivation theory indicates that when employees feel they matter to their employer — a feeling communicated through their manager — they will be more motivated and productive than those who do not feel valued (Bratton et al., 2005). By failing to listen to employees and merely dictating to them, the manager communicates an attitude that employees' thoughts and feelings are unimportant. His failure to pass on praise or recognize good work, combined with issuing complaints only, reinforces this perception. His behavior may also be seen as actively undermining a good relationship with employees; when he does step in to help during busy periods, he handles only the easier tasks and leaves the more difficult ones for front desk staff. This lack of bilateral communication creates conflict between management and employees. Managers and employees who do not feel they are being heard are likely to react poorly, displaying low levels of motivation and commitment (Bratton et al., 2005).

The low level of commitment is visible in how front desk staff perform their jobs. They do not engage in conversation with guests checking in or out — this also reduces the opportunity to upsell rooms and generate additional revenue for the hotel. Other guest requests are received poorly, treated as interruptions rather than as part of the job. Overall, these "jobsworth" attitudes reflect a low level of commitment and an unwillingness to invest effort in performing to a higher standard (Bratton et al., 2005). This is further compounded by the poor reception given to new employees, who are treated as a burden when shadowing experienced staff — and who are not informed in advance that a newer colleague will be with them. New staff are exposed to this dynamic as a cultural norm and absorb it as a value.

Not all members of staff communicate poorly. One Italian member of staff, Bruno, has a very personable nature and is able to manage both employees and guests effectively. However, Bruno's flamboyant style clashes with the more reserved front office manager, who interprets his excitable nature as unprofessional. These disagreements play out in front of other staff, normalizing conflict and reflecting a lack of respect for managerial authority. This example also illustrates the cultural barriers to communication present within the hotel: the cultural background of managers plays a role in how communication is interpreted.

The hotel employs staff from many different countries, including Israel, Australia, and Japan. In theory, this should provide the hotel with enhanced cultural awareness when dealing with guests. In practice, however, a lack of cross-cultural understanding means that cultural difference becomes another barrier to effective communication, resulting in fragmentation and dissatisfaction. According to Presbury et al. (2005), there are four main areas where barriers to service improvement exist in high-quality hotels: budget constraints, staff attitude, lack of mentoring, and high customer expectations. In the case of the Griffith Hotel, the problems appear to center on staff attitude and lack of mentoring — both of which can be traced back to the way communication takes place.