The Elusive Search for Talent: Skill Gaps in the Canadian Luxury Hotel Sector

The luxury segment of the hospitality sector has been growing worldwide. Luxury hospitality is about providing a unique experience for guests, and this type of experience requires having employees who understand the luxury culture and are trained at the highest level. Luxury hotels compete for the best talents, but the current pool of candidates for customer-facing and managerial positions within these establishments is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify skill gaps in Canada’s luxury hotels. Primary data were collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty luxury hotel managers and analyzed with NVivo 12. Respondents agreed about the skills required for brands to succeed in the luxury market, but they lamented the lack of qualified talents and the difficulty of training and retaining qualified collaborators. The results of the study point to the need to address the luxury skill gap in the hospitality sector, particularly in Canada. Recommendations to address this problem are proposed.

Women’s Promotion to Management and Unfairness Perceptions—A Challenge to the Social Sustainability of the Organizations and Beyond

Inequality between women and men in top management positions is still a current reality where women are underrepresented. Gender discrimination against women in managerial positions violates the Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality. Gender discrimination affects women but also has negative consequences for employee output. Our aim is analyzing how the role of gender moderates the relationship between gender barriers to managerial positions and performance, mediated by organizational justice and commitment, and whether this relationship is stronger in women than in men. This study was carried out with 1278 employees (45.2% women and 54.8% men) of a Spanish financial group consisting of three different organizations. We performed a moderated mediation path analysis with Mplus. Results show that some gender barriers are associated with lower perceptions of organizational justice, which in turn are associated with lower organizational commitment, thus reducing performance. Moreover, this relationship is significant in men and women for work–family balance and barriers to accessing influential networks, but for unfair HR policies and practices, it is only significant in women. Removing gender barriers and unfairness perceptions is the goal that will contribute to organizational sustainability from the gender perspective.

Experiencing Stress among Different Professional Groups in the Context of Their Age

The subject of this article is the identification of coping with stress and experiencing stress in three groups of the same number of people, different in terms of their occupation: professional soldiers of the Polish Army with the rank of an officer, people employed in managerial positions, and specialists working in independent positions in the context of their age. The analysis of the literature and the research carried out refer to the concept of sustainable development. This indicates the need to take care of limiting excessive stress and improving the mental well-being of all employees, regardless of the demographic characteristics and nature of the work performed. In order to identify possible differences, three types of questionnaires meeting the criteria of psychometric correctness were used (CISS, KPS, PSS-10). The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis using the FUZZY TOPSIS method based on multi-criteria decision-making and the fuzzy logic, which was first applied in the social science. The obtained data confirmed some differentiation within the three studied groups, as well as the modifying role of age in coping and experiencing stress.

Women Managers and Generations

The number of women in organizations is increasing in most countries, but the representation of women in managerial positions is still disproportional. The percentage of women in leadership positions globally is only 29%. Grant Thornton annual survey 2019 reveals that India still ranks the fifth lowest in having women in managerial roles. Thus, though diversity at work is increasing, there are still fewer women in the boardroom. The main reason for this is the hurdles and obstacles that women managers face. The chapter studies the various obstacles faced by women managers. Also, it takes into account the role of generation and aims at comparing the hurdles faced by women managers belonging to Generations X and Y. The study is undertaken with special reference to the banking sector. Major findings reveal that there is a difference in obstacles faced by women managers belonging to Generations X and Y.

Time – the significant capital of the manager

The current conditions of the functioning of enterprises and the complexity of many production processes raise the issues related to the efficiency of managers’ work to a higher level. Following this requirement, much more attention is paid to improving work efficiency and its proper organization. It has been emphasized that the increasing amount of knowledge necessary to be acquired in a unit of time and the greater degree of difficulty of working in various positions make it necessary to take into account, apart from natural human predispositions, also biological rhythms and current environmental influences. Therefore, it is understandable that employees, especially managers, should know the psychophysical activities shaping the efficiency of human work and consider their influence on the improvement of management efficiency. It has been emphasized that the role of a manager comes down to achieving the goals set by the team. In addition to the conditions, several proposals have been presented to improve the activities of people holding managerial positions.

Strategies for Overcoming the Gender Gap by Working Women (Case Study of Russian Organizations)

In the context of the global economic crisis associated with the pandemic, the gender gap index has increased, indicating increasing gender inequalities and, consequently, gender assimilation in society. Despite the fact that in Russia the total number of educated, qualified, healthy, working women is significantly higher than that of men, women face unequal wage distribution and feel the income gap, rarely reach managerial positions, are not represented at high managerial levels, and are excluded from political life. The aim of the study was to identify and examine the specifics of gendered career-building strategies by Russian women as a way of narrowing the gender gap. The following methodological approaches were used to consider gender inequalities in the organizational context: Gender in organization, Gendered organization, Doing & Undoing Gender Strategies. Key results: confirming the existence of gender strategies as a way to bridge the gender gap within an organization; identifying and describing how Russian women apply gender strategies in their career development. The “Doing Gender” strategy was used more frequently than the “Undoing Gender” strategy. However, the scope of Undoing Gender was much wider and more variable. Those women who used a combination of gender strategies (“Doing & Undoing Gender”) rated themselves as “strong players”, emphasized high subjective satisfaction with their lives (having a family and children), and noted a successful career path, unlike those who used only one of the strategies. A combination of gender strategies can help to promote women’s careers in the best possible way and bridge the gender gap in the organization.

Gender diversity in leadership of listed companies

Purpose of the study: The article attempts to characterize the management style represented by women and its impact on company management. The study aims to analyze the situation in the field of women's participation in the bodies of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the context of the situation in the Polish labor market. Methodology: The analyzes were carried out based on data from a survey of 140 largest Polish listed companies conducted by CFA Society Poland and data published by the Central Statistical Office for 2015-2019. Main Findings: Women and men represent two different management styles. Women, representing different leadership styles, can provide new values, which will improve management and lead to an increase in the importance of enterprises. The number of educated women with high professional qualifications is increasing. However, as research shows, the share of women in management boards and supervisory boards in Poland is small. There are still large disproportions in wages between women and men and the process of unequal promotion of women to managerial positions. Applications of this study: Due to the dissemination of research results by researchers, changes to codes of good practice were initiated and many initiatives were taken around the world. Research can also contribute to the creation of organizations supporting and promoting the professional development of women, creating databases of managerial talents and extending activities promoting the participation of women in the management staff. Novelty/Originality of this Study: The issues discussed in the study and the conducted analysis of the situation of women in Poland contribute to the discussion on the equality of women in the labor market. The thematic area of ​​the problem of the low presence of women in supervisory boards and management boards should be considered poorly explored. More research is needed in this area and will allow researchers to compare results over many years.

Competencies and Development Needs of Physician Managers in Nigeria: A Case Study of selected hospitals in Ibadan City, Oyo State

The physician is traditionally the head of the medical team. To be an effective and efficient team leader is not innate but requires acquiring some competencies. The medical school curriculum was deficient in this regard hence the need for acquisition of these skills through training. Consequently, the present study aims to assess the influence of leadership competencies and Development Needs on the job performance of Physician Mangers. A cross-sectional survey was distributed among Physician Managers in various hospital types that were purposefully selected. Ten Physician Managers were also interviewed for in-depth information of skills they require to perform well. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the items of the questionnaire at 5% level of significance and to determine if a significant difference existed between groups of Physician managers. Results show that possessing the competencies; communication and relationship management, leadership and business skills and knowledge do influence the job performance of Physician Mangers. There was a significant difference between physicians that had formal training in management and those that had none in the communication and professionalism domains. Seven Physician Managers from different types of hospitals were interviewed, two of them females. They had been in managerial positions from 6months to 34 years. They all emphasised communication and leadership skills as important competencies for every physician manager. They all also suggested that management training must be introduced either during undergraduate or postgraduate training and that physician as head of the medical team require regular management update training.

INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATION RESTRUCTURING ON PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED MEDIA FIRMS IN KENYA

Purpose: The current study sought to establish the influence of organization restructuring on performance of selected media firms in Kenya. The study specifically sought to establish the influence of cost restructuring, governance reformation, downsizing and processes centralization on performance of selected media firms in Kenya. Methodology: The theories that guided the study includes Transaction Cost Theory, Agency Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Planned Change Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study comprised of three media firms in Kenya (Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Group Limited). A total of 340 employees in the managerial positions of the selected media firms were targeted in the study. The study adopted Yamane (1967) sampling formula in acquiring a sample of 183 respondents. The study used quantitative data that was collected from respondents using 5 point Likert scales questionnaire with closed ended questions. A pilot test was conducted prior data collection to assess the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The study findings were presented in form of tables and figures for easier interpretation. Findings: The study established that Cost Restructuring, Governance Reformation and Downsizing positively and significantly influences performances of media firms and that increase in one indicator increases the levels of performances. Process Centralization was found to positively influence performance levels of media firms but to insignificant levels. Unique Contribution to Theory Practice and Policy: The study provided recommendations to the media firms to enhance their cost restructuring practices since the practice bears positive influence on performance, to capitalize on reforming their respective governance since the practice bears positive influence on performance, to enhance downsizing activity since the practice bears positive influence on performance and to partly focus on enhancing centralization processes since the practice bears positive but insignificant influence on performance.