The Kimpton Hotels under the initiative GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) sends a message of accommodation, comfort, and sensitivity towards persons from diverse groups (Andrew Freeman & Company, n.d.). On the other hand, the Christian hoteliers seem to send a message of rigidity and dogmatism that is bound to interfere with the comfort and general feelings of the targeted groups (Hirsch, 2011). In my opinion, the viewpoint of Kimpton hotel is more sensible because it portrays sensitivity towards the clientele. Sensitivity to the specific needs of GLBT sends a general message that the hotel has the capacity to anticipate, respect, and fulfill the needs of clientele through a personalized approach. On the other hand, Christian hoteliers may appear to be prejudicial and limiting in their capacity to meet the needs of their clients. Discrimination of any form in the contemporary world is viewed upon as uncultured, insensitive, and uncivilized. Such an image is even worse for an institution that is operating in the hospitality industry, where the capacity to anticipate and attend to the specific needs of clientele is the generalized hallmark of the industry.
Sexual harassment, in general, is a difficult situation to deal with due to the social and cultural disparities that make defining the offense difficult. However, the situation is worse in the hospitality industry, where according to Gilbert, Guerrier & Guy, employees are usually expected to attend to the needs of customers sometimes beyond expectations. Evidently, some customers are bound to either take advantage of or confuse the hospitality and warmth accorded to them and consequently make sexual advances at the employees (1998, p.49). In essence, sexual harassment is more common in the hospitality industry, and the complications it presents might be more difficult to deal with.
Although I have never experienced sexual harassment or heard a colleague of mine complain, in my previous work experience, the manager ensured that there were strict policies to discourage and deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. Unlike other managers who take sides with the customer in such situations, my manager ensured that the cases were handled professionally and fairly. Customers who were found to be in the habit of sexually harassing employees were blacklisted and or legal actions were taken against them, depending on the severity of the harassment. As a manager, I would ensure that employees are sensitized on issues regarding sexual harassment. In addition, I would ensure that employees are taught techniques they can use to discourage harassment and the proper channels they can use in case they are harassed. In case an employee is sexually harassed by a guest, I would make sure that the guest is confronted and made to apologize directly to the employee. Repeated cases may lead to blacklisting of the guest. Action should be taken against sexual harassment in the hospitality industry because sexual harassment costs the industry closes to $67 million annually in terms of absenteeism and low productivity (Gilbert, Guerrier & Guy, 1998, p.51).
The resort industry is experiencing age diversity among its workforce increases the likelihood of persons from different generations working at the same level within an organization (Rood, 2010, p.81). The resort industry should, therefore, ensure that an organization places the different generations in situations where they are bound to complement each other rather than conflict with each other. For instance, Rood outlines that older generations have loyalty to the company and are more dedicated to their responsibilities, while younger generations are motivated by their image outside their workplace, and their loyalty lies with the boss rather than the company (2002, p.85). Therefore, resorts should encourage the younger generations to work in teams to boost their sense of belonging in the company, and the older generations can be given assignments that call for extreme dedication and sacrifice. Due to their different needs, people from different generations should be treated differently with regard to these needs. However, being treated differently should not infringe on the rights of either group or appear discriminatory.
Reference List
Andrew Freeman & Company n.d., Kimpton Hotels Case Study: Outreach to the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Market. Web.
Gilbert, D., Guerrier, Y. & Guy, J 1998, ‘Sexual harassment issues in the hospitality Industry’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 48-53. Web.
Hirsch, A 2011, ‘Gay Couple’s Hotel Battle is Latest Case of Religion Clashing with Human Rights’, The Guardia. Web.
Rood, A 2010, ‘Understanding generational diversity in the workplace: what Resorts can and are doing’, Journal of Tourism Insights, Vol.1, no. 1, pp. 80-88. Web.