Sad to say, hotel managers – unwittingly or not – often hold negative perceptions of older workers. People older than 50 make up less than a fifth of all hotel employees. Where does this apparent aversion to employing older people come from? As a vital first step in addressing the low employment rate of older people in this sector, BSc graduate Sau Yin Cheung and Assistant Professor Linda Woo of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University explored age stereotypes and job suitability assessments among hotel managers in Hong Kong. As well as putting age-related discrimination under the microscope, this pivotal advance towards age-inclusive recruitment could help to offset the negative economic impact of Hong Kong’s rapidly aging population.
Researchers from the University of York suggest that profile pictures showing the host smiling and wearing sunglasses are the most successful - while female hosts also get more bookings.
In today’s globalised world, more and more hotel firms are expanding their business overseas. Yet success in the international arena may not translate into success at home, warn Dr Alice H. Y. Hon and Mr Emmanuel Gamor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With skilled managers from overseas paid 10 times more than local employees, frontline and service-oriented hotel workers are feeling increasingly disillusioned. With service standards falling, how can multinational hotel corporations build harmony between their local and overseas employees? The answer lies in trust, say the researchers, whose study offers timely and important insights for the Chinese hospitality industry.
Jack B Corgel hospitalitynet.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hospitalitynet.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Self-service technologies (SSTs) have simplified many aspects of everyday life. However, their relatively recent introduction means that the pros and cons of SST adoption in the hotel industry are still being explored. The potential advantages of SSTs notwithstanding, hotels in China seem to have some reservations, say Professor Kam Hung of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her co-researcher.