The Decline of Civilization - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
The desk clerk tried to hand back my parking slip, but I made no move to accept it.
Opinion Articles
Top 5 Takeaways from Cornell’s Master of Management in Hospitality Leadership Development Program
The MMH Leadership Development Program (LDP) is a weekend-long event that connects current students in the Master of Management in Hospitality program with top-tier alumni from the School of Hotel Administration. These alumni are all highly regarded in their respective industries and volunteer their own personal time to come back to Cornell for the weekend. LDP is one of the many opportunities the Hotel School gives its students to connect with alumni and develop their leadership skills.
By Alison Kanovsky, Cornell Masters of Management in Hospitality 2018, Cornell
How To Stay Ahead Of The Hospitality Industry
At the HR in Hospitality Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, industry leaders discussed where the industry is going and the power of foresight. Many topics were addressed, but the key takeaway was to resist complacency and utilize technology to "wow" your guests.
By Cristian Grossmann, Founder & CEO, Beekeeper
Internships in the Hospitality Industry
Hospitality schools and industry professionals have been working together to provide internship experiences that introduce students to different sectors of the hospitality industry, as well as expose students to the corporate culture and skills required by companies the student could eventually work with post-graduation. But if industry professionals and students are to leverage one another's abilities and resources for a successful internship experience, understanding underlying desires and motivations is key.
When Rules Are Made to Be Broken: The Case of Sexual Harassment Law
Judicial holdings regarding sexual harassment actions have put judges who want to ensure what they view as a just outcome in the awkward position of having to choose between following precedent or "breaking the rules." This article presents a theoretical assessment and empirical analysis of judicial rule-breaking with regard to two rules relating to sexual harassment. The first such rule, established in the Oncale decision, opened the door to the "equal-opportunity harasser" who treats everyone badly and thus escapes the prohibition on harassment "due to sex." The other rule, set forth in the Ellerth and Faragher decisions, establishes a two-prong requirement for companies to demonstrate that they should not be held liable in the case of sexual harassment of an employee. The requirements for the so-called affirmative defense are, first, that the employer acted reasonably in relation to a complaint, and second that the employee acted unreasonably, usually indicated by a tardy complaint. Our analysis of 131 cases finds that the likelihood of rule-breaking increases when judges perceive that an employer that is otherwise meritorious (that is, responds effectively to the complaint) could be held liable (in the case of Ellerth and Faragher). On the other hand, courts have followed the rule when an unjust outcome has small repercussions (as in Oncale). Of interest in this context is how the courts will treat a new sexual harassment rule, as outlined in the Supreme Court's Vance decision.
By David Sherwyn, Professor of Law, Cornell
2017 Hotel Director of Sales Compensation Study – United States
A recent compensation review of more than 250 Directors of Sales (DOS) from four- and five-star properties throughout the United States has resulted in AETHOS Consulting Group's Director of Sales Compensation Study.
By David Mansbach, Managing Director, AETHOS Consulting Group
Do You Look Like Me? How Bias Affects Affirmative Action in Hiring
In today's multicultural work environment, a better understanding of how bias affects hiring and promotion decisions, and what can be done to reduce its effects, is a major concern for hospitality industry human resource professionals and academics. Past research on racial bias and social identity theory shows contradictory effects; we propose that by examining additional boundary conditions we can clarify the "same-race" bias effect in hiring and candidate evaluation. We propose that perceptions of competence regarding job applicants provided to HR managers, and their attitudes toward affirmative action programs, can help reduce bias in the hiring process.
By Alex Susskind, Associate Professor, Cornell
Hotel CEOs Have a Payday 2016
When we began our careers in the hotel business, it was widely thought that our industry paid executives rather poorly. Is that still true today? If CEO pay is any indication, it appears that stigma needs to change. In fact, based on our 20th review of hotel CEO pay, one could say that the industry is a vehicle for getting rich. Our analysis shows that the average pay check of a hotel CEO was more than $6M in 2015, while the average stock ownership was over $40M. Not bad for an industry with a tight-fisted reputation.
By Keith Kefgen and Andrew Hazelton
Making Millennial mentoring actually work
The value to a hotel of effective mentoring and succession planning cannot be overestimated. Any business is, after all, wrought with pitfalls and pratfalls that can be more easily avoided if a novice has one-to-one access with a veteran.
By Bud Nolan, General Manager, Newport Hospitality Group
Changes at Cornell - Big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a slightly bigger pond?
If you are in any way connected with the larger issues of hospitality and a reader of this blog, you are familiar with the proposed College of Business at Cornell University. Being a long-time graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, I readily admit my education there made me the successful professional I have been for over 40 years now. Not bragging, merely admitting that I would not have been as successful without my Alma Mater.
By Benoit Gateau-Cumin, Chief Recruiting Officer, The Boutique Search Firm
Increase Employee Productivity and Lower Healthcare Costs Through Medicaid | Benjamin Geyerhahn
The hospitality industry thrives on happy, healthy employees. They're more apt to greet customers warmly, show up on time, work hard, and go the extra mile to create a positive, welcoming environment.
By Benjamin Geyerhahn, CEO, BeneStream
Board Performance in Hospitality
New trends in the board room are emerging based on AETHOS Consulting Group's study of corporate governance in the lodging industry. This does not mean that perfection has been achieved in previously raised key areas. Unfortunately, we continue to see a few companies with classified boards, little diversity, questionable independence, and holding back as it relates to more performance based compensation.
By Georgianne Fsadni and Keith Kefgen
Interviewing the GM of Trump International Hotel & Tower in Vancouver, Canada, Philipp Posch
Philipp Posch is the pre-opening GM of the Trump International Hotel Vancouver in Canada (to be opened in the summer of 2016). He is a young and hardworking GM with an abundance of energy, enthusiasm, and dedication. Living a balanced life while working in the hotel industry may sound like an ideal situation, but it is a tall order to fill. Most successful hoteliers tend to work more hours than they are willing to admit. The reality is that "living a balanced life" in conventional terms is, for the most part, a myth. Hotel business is a 24/7 business at the management level; it is just not a 9 to 5 job! In addition, if you truly are passionate about what you do, you will put in more time and effort simply because you enjoy what you are doing.
By Dr. Lily Lin, Author of "Interviewing Successful Hotel Managers", Lin & Pavelson B.V.
Hospitality HR and Big Data: Highlights from the 2015 Roundtable
The effects of so-called big data, which involves a torrent of detailed information about employees and customers, have begun to ripple through hospitality human resources—allowing managers the potential to connect HR policies with corporate financial results. As discussed in this inaugural roundtable on "Hospitality HR and Big Data," hospitality firms are gradually addressing both the possibilities and the challenges of this mountain of data. In addition to dealing with the volume of data, hospitality firms must cope with the velocity, variety, and veracity of the data, while they also ensure ethical application of the information they gather. Given the size of HR databases, it's possible to draw statistically valid conclusions from analytical procedures, but care must be taken to ensure that those results make business sense before taking actions based on such analyses.
By J. Bruce Tracey, Professor, School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, Cornell
The Dual-Branded Hotel: Operational Efficiencies, HR Cautions and Future Value
The dual-branded hotel concept is speculated to have a number of origins; Looking at the hospitality industry as a whole, a comparison that comes naturally is one to dual-branded restaurants. Two restaurants under one roof could be viewed as a close similarity as housing two hotel brands under one roof, but in reality, the two are actually quite different. The level of complexity is the catalyst that distinguishes the two.
Retrospective on the 2015 HR in Hospitality Conference
Buzz words like bench-strength, engagement, alignment and strategy have variously served as HR mantras and mission statements over the years. The recent and industry-leading 2015 HR in Hospitality Conference (Las Vegas) is now a memory, but it left a "new" buzz word with all attendees… innovation. From the keynote address to the bulk of the various breakout sessions, the theme of innovation dominated the discussion of the roles and value-add propositions of HR professionals at all levels. There were two main take-a-ways from the conference:
By Andrew Hazelton and James Houran
The Cornell School of Hospitality Administration: What will 2015 bring?
We asked our partners at the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research to poll the research faculty at the Hotel School to understand their guidance about what to expect in 2015. We were also able to get a preview of what the faculty will be working on in terms of research this year. I know the Center for Hospitality Research is always interested to know what the industry is worried about or wants to investigate, so I hope you will reach out with your questions, comments, and interesting business problems!
By Kelly McGuire, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), KASA, HSMAI (USA)
Front Desk Training Can Help Secure More Direct Bookings
As hotel managers look to reduce the costs of customer acquisition by focusing on direct bookings, one often overlooked resource is the front desk team working in your lobby right now. The frontline colleagues staffing the reception desk are interacting with guests every day and have numerous opportunities to help lock-in more direct bookings. Here are some suggestions and training techniques.
By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)
Developing Case Studies of Employee/Guest Encounters
Do you ever wonder "how can we find ways that we can train and educate our employees using a continuous approach, which can also be different each time, and challenge our employees to think critically, as well as develop them into caring and solution orientated employees, especially when it comes to resolving issues with guests?" This article will explore the power of how simple, documented case studies, can be used in order to engage employees in such a manner that they will be able to be on their feet, caring, attentive and driven to resolve guest issues.
By Marco Albarran, Founder & President, Remarkable Hospitality, Inc, Remarkable Hospitality
Looking Ahead at Diversity in Hospitality
"The underlying attitude of management reveals itself in the manner with which they conduct business. The team players discern the difference between what is said and what is done, and as a child follows the example of a parent's actions, so does the team function in accordance with the example set by senior management." - Kathleen Hogan, MBA CHO in MIND YOUR MANNERS