HTT277: HUMAN RELATIONS AND SUPERVISION IN TOURISM

PAIR ASSIGNMENT

CASE STUDY: CULTURE CLASH

Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, UiTM Shah Alam Campus, Selangor.

As the new head of housekeeping, Nancy, a white middle-aged woman, oversees a staff made up a diverse group, mostly minorities. She is not sure that she is getting her messages through to her staff because they do not respond the way she expects them to when she gives directions. She is starting to wonder if they are really listening. To solve this problem, Nancy decides to spend half-hour each day supervising the employees directly.

One week later, she comes to the conclusion that just about everyone is doing the job the way they should, but she hears from another department head that housekeepers are grumbling about being watched over. Later that day, one of the housekeepers complains in a very emotional ways, and Nancy isn’t sure what to do.

Questions:

1. What did Nancy do right?
2. What did Nancy do wrong?
3. In what ways was Nancy insensitive to cultural differences?
4. What should Nancy do now? How can she learn more about the culture represented in her staff to help her to do her job better?

Reference:

Jack E. Miller, John R. Walker, Karen Eich Drummond, Supervision in the Hospitality Industry - Applied Human Resources. Page 94.