HRC WS 6

What is an organisational vision?

The future an organisation aims to achieve and why that future matters.

What is an organisational mission?

What an organisation will do to realise its vision.

What is an organisational strategy?

The plan explaining how an organisation will connect its mission and vision and achieve its objectives.

What is the difference between vision, mission and strategy?

Vision describes the desired future; mission explains what the organisation will do; strategy explains how it will achieve its goals.

Give an example of a hotel's vision.

To become the most recognised sustainable luxury hotel in its region.

Give an example of a hotel's mission.

To provide exceptional guest experiences while operating responsibly and supporting the local community.

Give an example of a hotel's strategy.

Train employees in luxury service standards, reduce energy consumption and develop personalised guest experiences.

What is a stakeholder?

An individual or group that can affect or be affected by an organisation's activities, decisions or objectives.

Name five stakeholders of a hotel.

Employees, guests, owners or investors, suppliers and the local community.

Why should a hotel consider stakeholders when developing its strategy?

Because strategic decisions affect different groups, and stakeholder expectations can influence the hotel's success.

What does ESG stand for?

Environmental, Social and Governance.

What does the Environmental aspect of ESG concern?

An organisation's impact on the environment, such as energy consumption, waste management and water use.

What does the Social aspect of ESG concern?

How an organisation treats employees, guests, suppliers and communities, including working conditions, diversity and human rights.

What does the Governance aspect of ESG concern?

How an organisation is managed, including ethical leadership, accountability, transparency and decision-making.

How can HR support a hotel's sustainability strategy?

By training employees in sustainable practices, encouraging responsible behaviour and including sustainability in performance objectives.

Why must HR strategy align with organisational strategy?

Because recruitment, training, performance management and employee development must support the organisation's overall goals.

How can HR support a hotel's strategy to grow market share?

By recruiting skilled employees, developing sales and service capabilities and improving employee performance.

How can HR support consistent five-star service?

By recruiting service-oriented employees, providing service training and evaluating performance against quality standards.

How can HR help reduce employee turnover?

By improving onboarding, employee engagement, career development, recognition and working conditions.

How can HR support innovation in the guest experience?

By encouraging employee ideas, developing digital skills and creating opportunities for experimentation.

What is organisational structure?

The formal arrangement of roles, responsibilities, authority and reporting relationships within an organisation.

What is the relationship between vision, mission, strategy, structure and daily operations?

Vision guides mission; mission informs strategy; strategy shapes organisational structure; and structure supports daily operations.

Why should organisational structure support organisational strategy?

Because employees, departments and reporting relationships must be organised to implement the organisation's strategic objectives effectively.

What are the five organisational structures studied in WS6?

Functional, divisional, matrix, flat and network.

What is a functional organisational structure?

An organisation divided into departments according to specialised functions, such as HR, Finance, Marketing and Operations.

Give an example of a functional structure in a hotel.

A General Manager supervises separate departments such as Rooms Division, Food and Beverage, Finance, HR and Sales.

What is one advantage of a functional structure?

Employees develop specialised expertise and responsibilities are clearly defined.

What is one disadvantage of a functional structure?

Departments may work in silos, making communication and cooperation more difficult.

What is a divisional organisational structure?

An organisation divided into relatively independent units based on products, services, geographical areas or markets.

Give an example of a divisional structure in hospitality.

An international hotel group has separate divisions for Europe, Asia and the Americas.

What is one advantage of a divisional structure?

Each division can adapt its operations and decisions to its specific market or customers.

What is one disadvantage of a divisional structure?

Different divisions may duplicate resources and increase operating costs.

What is a matrix organisational structure?

A structure in which employees report to more than one manager, often a functional manager and a project or divisional manager.

Give an example of a matrix structure in hospitality.

A hotel marketing employee reports to the Marketing Director while also working under a Project Manager responsible for launching a new hotel.

What is one advantage of a matrix structure?

It encourages collaboration across departments and allows organisations to share specialised expertise.

What is one disadvantage of a matrix structure?

Employees may receive conflicting instructions from different managers.

What is a flat organisational structure?

A structure with few management levels between employees and senior leadership.

What is one advantage of a flat structure?

It can improve communication, employee autonomy and decision-making speed.

What is one disadvantage of a flat structure?

Managers may become overloaded, and reporting responsibilities can become unclear as the organisation grows.

What is a network organisational structure?

A structure in which a central organisation works with external partners, suppliers, freelancers or outsourced teams.

Give an example of a network structure in hospitality.

A hotel operates its core accommodation services while outsourcing laundry, security or certain IT services to external companies.

What is one advantage of a network structure?

It provides flexibility and access to external expertise without maintaining every function internally.

What is one disadvantage of a network structure?

The organisation may have less direct control over external partners and service quality.

What is a typical hotel organisational hierarchy?

General Manager at the top, followed by senior managers, department heads, supervisors and operational employees.

Name five departments that may appear in a typical hotel organisational chart.

Rooms Division, Food and Beverage, Human Resources, Accounting and Sales and Marketing.

What is organisational culture?

The shared values, beliefs, norms and behaviours that influence how people work and interact within an organisation.

Why is organisational culture important in hospitality?

It influences employee behaviour, teamwork, guest service, motivation and the overall guest experience.

What are the six organisational culture types presented in WS6?

Innovative, aggressive, outcome-oriented, stable, people-oriented and team-oriented.

What characterises an innovative organisational culture?

Employees are encouraged to generate ideas, experiment, take reasonable risks and develop new ways of working.

Give a hospitality example of an innovative culture.

A hotel encourages employees to suggest new digital check-in solutions or personalised guest services.

What characterises an aggressive organisational culture?

Strong competitiveness, ambition and a focus on outperforming competitors.

What is a potential risk of an aggressive culture?

Excessive internal competition or performance pressure may damage teamwork and employee well-being.

What characterises an outcome-oriented organisational culture?

A strong focus on achieving measurable results and objectives rather than primarily focusing on the processes used.

Give an example of an outcome-oriented culture in a hotel.

Managers evaluate departments based on guest satisfaction scores, revenue targets and service performance.

What characterises a stable organisational culture?

An emphasis on consistency, predictability, rules and maintaining established procedures.

Give an example of a stable culture in hospitality.

A hotel prioritises standard operating procedures to deliver consistent service and maintain safety standards.

What characterises a people-oriented organisational culture?

Management decisions consider employee well-being, individual needs, fairness and the impact on people.

Give an example of a people-oriented culture in a hotel.

Managers provide supportive working conditions, recognise employees and consider work-life balance when creating schedules.

What characterises a team-oriented organisational culture?

An emphasis on collaboration, cooperation, shared responsibility and teamwork.

Give an example of a team-oriented culture in hospitality.

Front Office, Housekeeping and Food and Beverage employees cooperate to solve guest problems and improve service.

How can organisational culture influence whether employees speak up?

A supportive culture can encourage employees to share concerns and ideas, while a culture based on fear or excessive pressure may discourage them.

How can a hotel manager recognise its organisational culture?

By observing how managers behave, how employees are treated, how decisions are made and whether employees feel safe expressing concerns.