Analysis of Employee Training Needs in the Hospitality Industry in Qatar

Posted: January 5th, 2023

Analysis of Employee Training Needs in the Hospitality Industry in Qatar

Student’s Name:

Institutional Affiliation:

Analysis of Employee Training Needs in the Hospitality Industry in Qatar

1. Introduction

Qatar is likely to experience an upsurge in tourists in 2022 when it hosts the FIFA World Cup tournament. The Qatari hospitability industry will be very busy as soccer lovers will flock into the country, and will require accommodation and food services for the entire duration of the global tournament. The country will make history and the first in the Middle East to host such an event. It will also be the smallest nation to host the soccer tournament and is already preparing to welcome soccer teams and fans from around the world. The construction activities in Qatar are at their highest ever, as the country increases its sports and hospitality capacities by building new stadia and hotels. Once these are complete, they will need employees to run them. These employees must be able to handle client from diverse countries and of different nationalities. The preparedness of the workforce in the Qatari hospitality industry is unknown, although the country rates highly in the human development index (HDI). In 2020, Qatar was ranked to have the 45^th highest HDI globally, at 0.848 (United Nations Development Programme 2020). The employees expected to deal with clients from different parts of the world must be highly-trained to address the cultural and emotional issues that may arise in the course of interactions to ensure that the visitors have the best and memorable experience in the country during the soccer tournament.   

2. Background

The hospitality industry is a labor-intensive one because it relies on the one-on-one interaction between the staff of the hospitality facility and the visitors. The staff is expected to be aptly prepared to deals will all kinds of clients to avoid conflicts and enhance the experiences of the customers at the facilities. Customer satisfaction in this industry is critical because it influence the return of repeat customers and their word of mouth to family and friends. In turn, this impact the revenue and profitability of hospitality facilities, such as hotels, resorts, restaurants, cafes, and the like.

In addition, the workforce that deals with clientele from across the world requires having cultural and emotional intelligence. People from different parts of the world have different temperaments and cultures. The employees in hotels and restaurants that serve an international customer base should be able to communicate in different languages to eliminate any communication barrier from the inability to understand a language. Similarly, they should be culturally aware to avoid being distasteful and offensive in the demeanor, gestures, tone, body language, and other modes of interaction (Visser 2018). What is acceptable in one culture may be distasteful or insulting in another culture. Therefore, a culturally aware employee is able to tell what mannerisms and linguistic styles to use when interacting, say for example, with German clients and how these would differ when dealing with British ones. 

2.1 Aim

This study aims at identifying the training needs of the employees in the hospitality industry in Qatar.                       

2.2 Objectives and Questions

The objective of this study are:

• To identify the level of training possessed by different cadres of the hospitality workforce in Qatar
• To determine the training opportunities provided to employees in resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes in Qatar
• To identify the skill gaps among resort, hotel, restaurants, and café employees in Qatar
• To determine the training needs of employees in resorts, hotels, restaurants, and cafes in Qatar

From these objectives, the following main research question and secondary questions are formulated

The main questions of the study is, what are the training needs of the employees in the hospitality industry in Qatar? The secondary questions that will facilitate the answering of the main question are:

Q1: What are the training levels of the different cadres of the hospitality workforce in Qatar?

Q2: Which are the training opportunities provided to employees in resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes in Qatar?

Q3: What are the skill gaps among resort, hotel, restaurants, and café employees in Qatar?

Q4: What are the training needs of employees in resorts, hotels, restaurants, and cafes in Qatar

3. Literature Review

3.1. Literature Review Process

The review starts with a background information that describes why employees are a key aspect of an organization and why the management should do all it can to improve their outcome. The introduction shows that failure to nurture the employees’ talents could have adverse effects, chiefly because they may not be in a position to work as hard as they would do. The body shows why inspiring employees and ensuring that they are competent enough to serve presents a better chance to achieve impressive outcome while serving in the hospitality sector where patience and commitment is what it takes to achieve the most impressive outcome. The final section is a recommendation on how to improve employee outcome in the hospitality sector. Specifically, the section recommends the application of the reverse mentoring approach.

3.2 Background Information

Employees are the most valuable resource for any modern organization in the current knowledge and digital era. Therefore, it is critical that organizations seeking to improve and sustain superior performance, gain competitive advantage over rivals, and attain a leadership position in their respective industries develop strategies to retain highly-talented employees and continuously develop their skills using contemporary professional development approaches. Baharin and Hanafi (2018) decried the higher-than-average employee turnover rate in the hospitality industry and emphasized the need to talent management to reverse this trend. They noted that the social exchange theory was useful in understanding the relation between employee retention and talent management, and encouraged the hospitality industry to continuously train and develop their human capital to enhance its competencies. Similarly, Sabuncu and Karacay (2016) investigated the state of talent management in the Turkish hospitality industry and revealed that training and development opportunities were insufficient. The study also noted that cultural differences were a barrier to talent management, and the long working hours in hospitality establishments hindered participation in training and development programs as well as disrupting the work-life balance of employees, which was a major reason for employees’ leaving intentions.

3.3 Impact of Working in the Hospitality Sector

Visser (2018) described working in the hospitality industry as emotional labor because employees were expected to suppress their negative feelings when dealing with clients. This researcher noted that Millennials were most affected by working in the hospitality establishments because they were prone to anxiety and depression because of their dissatisfaction with the working conditions therein. Millenials had a unique work ethic that different from that of previous generations, and preferred independent and freedom at the workplace, while the hospitality industry had established codes of conducts that guided their workplace behavior. In addition, the Millennials preferred a work-life balance, which was usually untenable in the long working hours in hospitality establishments. Moreover, the individualistic nature an high career ambitions of the Millennials challenged the management in the hospitality facilities and left them with a dilemma as to the best employee development and retention strategies to employ to retain this generation of employees. 

3.4 Recommendations

Nonetheless, Cismaru and Iunius (2020) advised that reverse mentoring could help bridge the generation gap among employees in the hospitality sector considering that the talent management environment had transitioned from the war for talent to a post-war stage. Specifically, the evolution of talent management from being elitist and competitive towards a more inclusive and collaborative scenario has called for innovation in talent development and retention approaches. Alonso et al. (2020) noted that the hospitality sector needed to make operational changes to mitigate the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the industry. They revealed that employees in this industry needed to be retrained in anticipation of the changing market, legal, and business environments due to the effects of the pandemic. These studies are relevant to this study because they justify this proposed study and help focus on the selected research question.     

4. Methodology

In this section, the manner in which this study will be conducted is highlighted. The research philosophy, approach, method, and sampling strategies are provided. 

4.1 Philosophy

A research philosophy underpins the foundation, nature, and progression of knowledge, and therefore reflects the belief of how truth is generated and perceived by the researcher (Tracy 2019). This study employs the inter-pretivism philosophy, which is used to investigate social phenomena using a small sample that offers in-depth information (Tracy 2019). As an interpretive researcher, I assume that the reality is socially constructed through shared meanings, language, and consciousness. This requires an appreciation of the differences between people, and the hospitality workforce in Qatar in this case, and the way they reflect their lived experiences in the hospitality industry. However, due to the interpretivism’s subjective nature, the researcher will have to ensure that the study is not shrouded in bias, which may undermine the study’s reliability.  

4.2 Approach

A research approach outlines the reasoning strategy used in relating theory to the findings of a study. In this case, the inductive approach will be employed in this study because specific observations derived directly from the participants will used to inform the broad generalization of the state of training needs in the hospitality industry (Woiceshyn and Daellenbach 2018).     

4.3 Method

A qualitative study will be conducted in which the lived experiences of the employees in the hospitality sector in Qatar will be understood. The qualitative method is preferred because it uses diverse approaches to collect in-depth information about a lived experience when seeking to understand the realities lived by a section of a population. (Tracy 2019) In this case, hospitality sector workforce interacts with clients in various situations, and the quality of that interaction is highly dependent on the work experience of the employees, including the cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence. These competencies are particularly critical for employees that deal with international clientele drawn from various cultures around the world. Questionnaires and interviews are the specific methods that will be used to interrogate the lived experiences of the hospitality industry workforce in this study.  

4.4 Sampling and Access     

Sampling is the enlisting of participants into a study. In this case, a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques will be used to identify and enlist the participants in this study. The purposive sampling technique is a nonprobability and judgmental approach of recruiting participants (Etikan, Musa & Alkassim 2016). It will be used to identify employees in different cadres and from different hospitality facilities. For instance, participants representing the administrative, supervisory, and service levels in the hospitality industry will be identified. These representatives will be drawn from resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes located in Doha. Thereafter, the selected participants in each category will be asked to enlist their friends using snowball sampling. This technique will be employed sequentially until theoretical saturation is reached (Ghaljaie, Naderifar, & Goli 2017).  

Participants will be drawn from the service level, which includes waiters, cashers, bartenders, housekeepers, and other low cadre employees. In the middle cadre level, floor managers, hotel managers, and supervisors will be recruited. At the high-level cadre, members of the senior management team in hospitality establishments, like resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes will also be recruited. They will comprise the chief executive officers, proprietors, human resources managers and training managers in the different hospitality establishments.

The minimum number of the study participants is pegged at 50. However, the bulk of these participants will be drawn from the lower cadre employees who will be in direct contact with clients. The researcher will endeavor to maintain a ratio of 3:1, meaning that every 3 low cadre employees will be accompanied with 1 senior management one.   

5. Data Collection/Research Questioning Instruments

Data will be collected using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires and interviews will be administered remotely to conform the requirements of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In this regard, rather than administering the questionnaires and interviews in person, the internets and other communication technologies will be used. For instance, the questionnaires will be administered online, while the interviews will be conducted using Skype or telephone, where Skype is not feasible. Using questionnaires is the most effective approach because it provides the chance to gather a lot of data from the respondents. Specifically, the study will employ the open-ended questionnaires that do not regulate how respondents react to the questions. Instead, participants get the chance to express themselves as much as they want, which impacts positively on the data collection process. Nevertheless, the data collectors should be wary of the possible limitations associated with the research questioning instrument, such as possible hardship in analyzing the large content that is likely to come from the research process. In addition, the approach presents the possibilities of collecting less important information (Saunders, et al. 2018). Overall, open-ended questionnaires are suitable for the study.  

6. Survey Instruments

The study will employ effective survey instruments to increase the chances of gathering the most appropriate data. Laptops or desktops that are connected to the Internet are the primary survey instruments because a significant part of the research will take place using modern media. The researchers will also use GPS and GNSS connections to enhance connectivity, and to facilitate the transmission of vital content and data. The process will also rely on 3D printers and scanners to allow the printing of submitted reports when necessary. The practice will also use effective webcams to enhance communication with participants should the need arise.  

7. Analytical Method

Thematic analysis will be used to analyze the interview responses provided by the participants. The responses will be reduced into common and overarching themes and subthemes. Arriving at these themes and subthemes will require the researcher to review the interview transcripts and code the responses. This process will be performed alongside participant recruitment until not new information emerges in the participant’s responses, meaning that the information will have reached theoretical saturation (Saunders, et al. 2018).  The analytical method is an effective analytical method in this scenario because it allows the analyzers to focus on responses that present similar themes and know how the answers vary from one person to the other (Saunders, et al. 2018). Thus, it becomes easier to analyze the data and present the findings.

8. Ethical Considerations

Since this study will involve human participants, several ethical considerations are critical. First, informed consent should be sought from all the participants to ensure that they participate willingly and without coercion. In this regard, eligible participants will been to sign a consent form indicating that thy have willingly accepted to participate in the study. Nonetheless, participants may exist from the study at any point in case they feel uncomfortable of change their mind. Second, the confidentiality of the information divulged by the participants will be assured. Any information that would reveal the identity of the participants will be deleted, to maintain the anonymity of the participants.  Other ethical considerations in this study include a statement of its limitations, validity, relevance, and rigor.  

8.1 Limitations          

This study is confined to Doha, thus limiting the diversity of representation across the country. Therefore, the findings from this study cannot be generalized to the rest of the country of other locations outside Qatar. Similarly, the questionnaires and interviews will be conducted remotely. Therefore, the researcher will not be able to discern the body language of the participants, which would enrich the answers and responses they provide.

8.2 Validity

The validity of the data collection instruments will be determined using a pilot study. This preliminary study will be used to verify the construct, content, face and face validity of the questionnaire and interview items (Thunnissen & Gallardo-Gallardo 2019). Likewise, the researcher will enlist a colleague to help determine the validity of the items in these two instruments. Any changes and inconsistencies revealed in the plot study will be corrected before the instruments are administered in the main study.     

8.3 Relevance v. Rigour       

The relevance of this study is the appropriateness because it addresses a matter that is live in Qatar, considering that it is preparing to host one of the grandest sporting events in the world in less than a year’s time. In this regard, Qatar will experience an influx of visitors in 2022 as it hosts the FIFA World Cup, and it is therefore imperative that the soccer fans have memorable month in the country from the Qatari hospitality industry. By addressing the talent management in the hospitality industry sector in Qatar, this study will have utility in the actions required to solve imminent problems in practice to ensure that Qatar offers superior service to its visitors in 2022 (Thunnissen & Gallardo-Gallardo 2019).

Likewise, the rigor of this study reflects the trustworthiness of its approaches to data collection, data analysis and interpretation of the findings. The study’s rigor is comparable to its validity and reliability. The validity and reliability of the methodology, and particularly its data collection tools will be guaranteed by ensuring that they have content, construct, and face validity, alongside ensuring that the measures in the study have a low variance in their scores (Thunnissen & Gallardo-Gallardo 2019). The reliability and validity of this study will be tested during the pilot study and the necessary adjustments made before the main study.   

9.0 Research Impact and Value

9.1 Theory     

This study is expected to add value to the utility of theoretical foundations and principles in the management of talent in the hospitality industry. The theories that will be used in this study will help understand the workforce environment in the hospitality industry and facilitate the formulation of professional development strategies to help hospitality employees to navigate the emerging industry, market, and legal complexities brought about by the increasing proportion of millennial workers and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

9.2 Practice

This study is expected to yield practical approaches for addressing the talent management challenges in the hospitality sector in Qatar. Any skill gaps and training needs unearthed by this study will inform the professional development programs that need to be designed for the employees of different cadres in hospitality establishments.     

9.3 Policy       

The findings of this study will expose any gaps in the existing policy governing employee welfare in organizations, especially those in the hospitality industry. As part of employee welfare, continuous professional development is critical because it arms employees with the latest and relevant skills in the industry. In turn, a skilled employee experiences higher job satisfaction, organizational loyalty and workplace engagement, thus improving the performance of the organization. Consequently, the findings from this study could encourage policymakers to mandate organizations to develop and implement professional development programs for all their employees. 

10. References

Alonso, A.D., Kok, S.K., Bressan, A., O’Shea, M., Sakellarios, N., Koresis, A., Solis, M.A.B. and Santoni, L.J., 2020. COVID-19, aftermath, impacts, and hospitality firms: An international perspective. International journal of hospitality management, 91, pp.1-12.

Baharin, N.L. and Hanafi, W.N.W., 2018. Effects of talent management on employee retention: A case study of hospitality industry. Global Business & Management Research, 10(3).

Cismaru, L. and Iunius, R., 2020. Bridging the generational gap in the hospitality industry: Reverse Mentoring—An innovative talent management practice for present and future generations of employees. Sustainability, 12(1), pp. 263-301.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S., 2016. Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1-4.

Ghaljaie, F., Naderifar, M., & Goli, H., 2017. Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. Strides in Development of Medical Education, 14(3), 1-4. http://doi.org/10.5812/sdme.67670.

Sabuncu, K.U. and Karacay, G., 2016. Exploring professional competencies for talent management in hospitality and food sector in Turkey. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, pp.443-452.

Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., … & Jinks, C., 2018. Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893-1907.

Thunnissen, M., & Gallardo-Gallardo, E., 2019. Rigor and relevance in empirical TM research: Key issues and challenges. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 22(3), 171-180.

Tracy, S. J., 2019. Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. John Wiley & Sons.

United Nations Development Programme, 2020. Human development report 2020: the next frontier – human development and the anthropocene. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2020_overview_english.pdf.

Visser, H., 2018. Understanding how millennial hospitality employees deal with emotional labour. Research in Hospitality Management, 8(1), pp.63-66.

Woiceshyn, J. and Daellenbach, U., 2018. Evaluating inductive vs deductive research in management studies: Implications for authors, editors, and reviewers. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 13 Issue: 2, pp.183-195.

10. Appendix

10.1 Research Timeline

Task	Week
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Proposal writing and approval
Institutional consent
Designing questionnaire and interview questions
Recruiting participants
Administering the questionnaires
Administering the interviews
Data analysis
Writing the dissertation
Dissertation presentation and defense