Managing bilingual employees: communication strategies for hospitality managers

Abstract

Purpose -One out of four foodservice employees speaks a foreign language at home. Furthermore, 37 percent of those employees speak limited English. Given this, hospitality managers must find ways to effectively communicate with their employees. This paper seeks to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology employed a perspective-taking manipulation. Participants were placed in the role of an individual that does not speak the native language that is used in the workplace. Groups were measured on performance, quality, and accuracy. Groups were video-taped to measure frequency of non-verbal behaviors. Participants were surveyed to measure their levels of positivity. Findings -The results of this study identified effective non-verbal communication strategies for managers (combination of gestures, demonstrating, and pointing). When the leader used these strategies, the groups were able to complete the recipes faster. Managers who spoke another language expressed a more positive behavior towards the group. The group also expressed more positive behaviors towards each other when they had a second language leader. Research limitations/implications -A limitation is that data were collected from students and the methodology simulated an environment of limited language proficiency. Although this method has been shown to be effective, the true experiences of what non-English speaking workers might face include more complex processes. Practical implications -This research suggests that non-verbal tools are effective when communication barriers exist. Managers who are multiculturally competent are more efficient in leading employees. Positive feedback must be given even if it is non-verbal. Originality/value -This research offers valuable strategies for hospitality managers to communicate with those employees who speak limited English.

In search of employment: online technologies and Polish migrants

“…Those messages include specific industry phrases but also many cultural clues, rules and procedures typically used in services in Britain. They also point to the lack of English skills among hospitality employees, which is a common issue in this industry (see Dawson et al ., ). Many newcomers arrive speaking little or no English and take up service jobs hoping to improve their English and then move to more suitable jobs.…”

Effective Communication Strategies of Sustainable Hospitality: A Qualitative Exploration

“…To the best of our knowledge, this study is also among the few in tourism and hospitality research to address the communication issue from verbal and non-verbal strategies. Earlier studies include the examination of cross-cultural differences in tourism [71], the management of bilingual employees in hospitality [72], and the investigation of Muslim tourists' needs [73]. Hence, this study extends the use of these two strategies in a new communication area, tourism and hospitality.…”

An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): Analysis of Message Strategy Instrument Validity

“…Besides, studies on message strategy were also conducted to non-verbal communication. Dawson, Madera, and Neal (2009) executed research regarding non-verbal communication as a message strategy in stimulating customers' interest in the hospitality field. It was discovered that messaging strategy was practiced in non-verbal communication when the hotels faced difficulty in understanding foreign tourists' preferences when they visited the hotels.…”