A Plan to Resolve the International Staff Conflict at the Food & Beverage Team

The purpose of this plan is to determine strategies that will resolve the international staff conflict at the Food & Beverage (F & B) team. The plan aims to develop cultural awareness between employees and management in the F & B department, where a common cultural framework does not exist. An immediate action needs to be taken to prevent the situation from escalating out of control. The plan consists of three stages: Stage 1. Cross-cultural team building training Stage 2. Cross-cultural management training Stage 3. Improvement of HR programmes to support business development Stage 1 Cross-cultural team building training It will aim to raise team members awareness of each other cultures in order to implement mutual trust, respect and understanding. The result of which will be clearer communication between employees. All employees must attend a cross-cultural training (CCT) to understand different cultures. These programmes will vary from simple daily briefings delivering mainly facts to the inclusion of scenario analysis that adds context to more in-depth monthly training. It is highly important that the hotel will attempt to ensure the employees success by minimizing any obstacles in the working environment.

Furthermore, the comprehensive CCT for employees will involve training in the following areas: interpersonal skills, curiosity, tolerance, flexibility and patience, also respect and sense of humor.

Stage 2 Cross-cultural management training It will aim to equip hotel managers with the knowledge, skills and understanding of cultural diversity in order to effectively supervise a multicultural staff in F & B department. It cannot be accepted, that the individual managers make decisions on their own, different cultural backgrounds and mainly promote one nationality. Culture is composed of shared symbols and experiences and when those are not shared, can lead to tensions and difficulties at the workplace. Management of multinational hotel chains should attend seminars in multicultural management aimed at assisting hotel executives to deal with a wide range of employees who have different values and ways of solving problems. This training will attempt to change attitudes and challenge biases for different cultures. The CCT for managers will involve the following aspects: selection, cross-cultural awareness, communication skills, specific country briefing, business procedures, international negotiating skills, building and sustaining multinational teams, language training, transfers of skills and knowledge and repatriation.

Finally, I do recommend monthly manager employee meetings with Human Resources Manager that will explore the progress of the CCT in the F & B department.

Stage 3 Improvement of HR programmes to support business development The success of an international hotel chain can be influence by the development and utilization of human resources for managing business in a diverse setting. Therefore, I strongly recommend the following strategies: - Setting up performance culture and spread performance system for both employees as well as for managers. It will develop brand awareness and understanding of a mission and objectives amongst hotels employees. - To retain the most talented and highly motivated employees and support their career development within the same hotel chain to meet both short term and long term business requirement. - Setting up internal communication channels; it will improve effective communication within management and employees in order to build up harmonious and successful working environment and prevent conflicts amongst staff.

The implementation of all the three stages will help the hotel to gain a competitive edge and then maintain a successful business in a highly competitive hospitality industry. This in turn, will improve guest satisfaction and increase profitability of the hotel.