Enhancing hotel learning: The impact of managers' engagement in learning activities on their self-reported work-related learning levels

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study:

The goal of study was to explore management learning in hotels by examining the relationship between hotel managers' work-related behaviors and characteristics of their hotels on the type and depth of their engagement in post-secondary education, training and networking and how engagement in these learning activities and their work experience influenced their self-reported work-related learning.

Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using surveys, focus groups and non-participant observations. The surveys were completed by 154 hotel managers and each of the two focus groups comprised of hotel managers and workplace learning experts, respectively. Data was analyzed using path and content analyses.

Findings and Conclusions:

The study found that the stronger a hotel's learning culture, the fewer years of post-secondary education their managers had. Also the stronger the hotel's learning culture, the more frequently their managers networked. However, neither hotel managers' years of post-secondary education, nor the frequency with which they networked were significant predictors of their work-related learning. The significant predictors of their work-related learning were the extent and frequency of their hospitality training and the number of companies or entities with which they worked. All three had a direct relationship with the managers' work-related learning but the strongest predictor was the extent of their hospitality training.

Training and experience were therefore more important to hotel managers' work-related learning than post-secondary education and networking.