Perspectives on foreign training: Middle managers in Jordan's international hotel chains

Abstract

Despite the importance of employee training in the hospitality and tourism sector, there has been little research exploring the training of middle managers in hotels. The present research paper aims to explore this under-investigated topic in order to shed light on training practices in international hotel chains (IHCs) in Jordan, as well as company and management attitudes towards out-ofcountry training (OCT). This article focuses on a qualitative study in which guided focus group discussion was used to identify the determinants of upper management's decisions to invest in OCT for middle managers in Jordan's IHCs. The three groups each included six department heads from 18 IHCs. The interview data revealed five key themes affecting management's decision-making: management and company attitudes; barriers; selection criteria; nature of training; and benefits and usefulness of out-of-country training to managers and hotels. Focus groups results revealed middle managers' overwhelming support for out-of-country training along with some of the perceived barriers, including lack of company and upper management support. This is the first study of its kind investigating middle managers' attitudes toward out-of-country training. As such, it offers insight into this little-investigated demographic, which serves a key organisational role as intermediaries between hotel management and front-line staff. The paper offers useful data and analysis to researchers and/or practitioners of hotel management, with practical implications for improving human resource management in hotels. © 2013 International University College. All rights reserved.