Professor, College of Sustainability and Tourism
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Changing the Future of Hotel Management with Research on Organizational Culture
Categories:
Hotel Management
#Hotel organization#organizational culture#employee satisfaction
Overview
Developing a concrete methodology for “Treating Employees as Customers”; Realizing the sustainable growth of hotel organization with three types of support
In the hotel industry, a significant part of service quality depends on employees. Despite the fact that securing and cultivating excellent talent is an important management issue, solutions to this issue have not been adequately demonstrated, especially in the Japanese hotel industry.
Internal marketing (i.e., marketing to internal organizations to increase employee satisfaction) and its core concept of "Treating Employees as Customers" has long been known as a method for achieving organizational revitalization and service quality improvement. However, in the Japanese hotel industry, this is often regarded as an unachievable ideal, and there has been little research and inquiry into whether there are actual examples of successful cases and how this can be realized.
In this research, I am undertaking an empirical study of internal organizational revitalization in hotel management, using an original approach based on the pillar of "Treating Employees as Customers".
To date, I have conducted research at hotels such as Hoshino Resorts, a hotel organization known for its sustained growth, and found that (i) the concept of "Treating Employees as Customers" has actually taken root in their organizational culture and (ii) they, as a specific measure, provide employees with "three types of support" from the mental aspect: 1. mental support (counseling), 2. career support (career counseling), and 3. support through dialogue. Going forward, I plan to conduct empirical research on hotels in Japan and overseas to see if these characteristics are also present in other hotels with sustained growth.
I would like to conduct research for better hotel management from a heretofore untapped perspective and propose a practical methodology for change, not just a theory.
Reference: Hashimoto, S. (2021). Representation Form of “Treating Employees as Customers” in the Hospitality Organization:
The Case of Hoshino Resorts. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 9(2), 118-134.
In this research, I found that hotel organizations that sustain growth provide employees with "three types of mental support" as specific ways to "Treating Employees as Customers.”
Novelty/Originality
Examining organizational revitalization in the hotel industry through the lenses of employee psychology and organizational culture development
This research has unique characteristics that distinguish it from conventional research on hotel management and organizational revitalization. While many previous studies have focused on institutional and system reforms, this study focuses on the psychology of employees, from the standpoint of fostering organizational culture. Therefore, I take an interdisciplinary approach, integrating knowledge from the field of psychology in addition to tourism and business administration.
Another feature of this research is that I have adopted a qualitative research method and am working to build a theory while carefully collecting input from the front lines. In particular, my analysis using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach (Modified GTA) has produced research findings rich in practical implications.
In my research to date, I have identified that, in hotels that sustain growth, the concept of “treating employees like customers” translates to actual support for employees, and I have found that, specifically, these hotels practice "Treating Employees as Customers." This is the pioneering achievement of this study.
As the principal Investigator, my own background and knowledge also add to the originality of this research; namely, I have practical experience in the hotel industry and a deep understanding of the challenges facing people on the front lines. In addition, I majored in hotel management at a graduate school in the United Kingdom, I have been involved in international conferences (e.g., Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Association [EATSA]), and I have hosted an international conference called SEAMA: Islands Tourism & Hospitality Management. Because of this, it is easy for me to network with researchers overseas and obtain academic knowledge. Furthermore, having also worked in support roles as both a counselor and career counselor, I have developed practical perspectives and ideas about human resources support. The fact that I am undertaking research activities in the context of these factors ensures a high level of novelty and originality.
Service-profit chain (Source: Heskett et al., 1994, p. 166).
Service profit chain (Source: Heskett et al, 2005)
“Treating Employees as Customers” is not just a unrealistic thought. Heskett et al. (1997, 2005) found that, based on the service profit chain, employee satisfaction does in fact generate customer satisfaction and lead to profit, suggesting the importance of "Treating Employees as Customers" in order to increase employee satisfaction.
Efforts towards Community Outreach
Collaborating with hotels and researchers inside and outside Japan to advance research and contribute to the future of the hotel industry and its employees
This research aims to present a concrete methodology by way of a highly original and empirical study to address the human resources issues faced by the hotel industry as well as the challenge of revitalizing internal organizations to achieve sustainable growth.
Joint research with domestic and international hotel companies is one potential avenue for social collaboration. Based on the outcomes of research conducted on Hoshino Resorts and other hotels in Japan and overseas, conducting a comparative study with other hotel organizations that have sustained growth will enable the establishment of a more universal methodology for internal organizational revitalization. The analysis of interviews with hotel employees conducted as part of this research will provide management with concrete resources that can be applied to internal organizational revitalization. I believe such resources can provide practical suggestions for improving management and other issues.
I also hope to contribute to the revitalization of hotel management research by expanding my collaborations with researchers both in Japan and overseas. The annual international conference SEAMA-Islands Tourism & Hospitality Management, which I chair, is one such activity. This is an invaluable opportunity for researchers from both Japan and overseas and people in the hotel industry to interact and share new knowledge.
Underlying my focus on these kinds of activities is the desire to contribute to the sustainable growth of Japan's hotel industry and to improve the status of the employees who work in that industry.
If hotels can become more rewarding places to work by "Treating Employees as Customers," I believe they will be more likely to attract outstanding talent and raise the social status of Japan’s hotel industry. Revitalizing hotel management research will also play an important role. In Europe, the United States, China, and Korea, the fact that famous universities have hotel management departments and actually conduct research and human resources development while also managing affiliated hotels is believed to contribute to the high status of the hotel industries in those countries. In Japan as well, I would like to contribute to the growth and elevate the status of the hotel industry from the research side.
The principal investigator giving a keynote address at an international conference. He is expanding his collaborations with domestic and international hotel management researchers.
Related Research
Activating Organization by the Concept of Person Centered Approach: The Case of Hotel Organization in Japan.
Journal of Global Tourism Research
(This study points out that mental health support is essential for hotel employees and that introducing the concept of counseling is effective.)
Representation Form of “Treating Employees as Customers” in the Hospitality Organization: The Case of Hoshino Resorts.
Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management,
(From the analysis and discussion of the interviews conducted with employees, this study shows that the concept of "Treating Employees as Customers” and the three types of mental support (1. mental support, 2. career support, and 3. support through dialogue) are evident in Hoshino Resorts.)
Empirical research for the concept of "Treating Employees as Customers"
Principal Investigator
HASHIMOTO Shunsaku
You can view and print a summary of this page's contents in a single PDF page here.
“Treating Employees as Customers” is not an issue of programs and systems; it is a matter of the culture that is not visible to the naked eye. In the research of corporate and organizational culture in Japan, quotes from famous charismatic founders are often studied, and people like to talk about how the corporate cultures left behind by these founders continue to resonate today. However, not many people pay attention to organizational culture in the hotel industry. Although cultivating an organizational culture is the most powerful management strategy in an industry as dependent on people as the hotel industry, it seems that many people fail to understand its importance.
As someone who has worked in hotels and researched hotel management for many years, I find it very regrettable that the status of the hotel industry and its employees in Japan is so low compared to other countries. I hope that this research will help the hotel industry and its employees grow and improve their status.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Faculty Information
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