Editorial

Citation

Teare, R. (2008), "Editorial", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 20 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm.2008.04120gaa.002

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Volume 20, Issue 7

Welcome to the third Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue. I should like to thank Norma D’Annunzio-Green, Gill Maxwell and Sandra Watson and their team for a fascinating and thought-provoking review of the human resource management issues relating to talent management in hospitality and tourism.

If you have a key industry challenge in mind that you would like to address via a WHATT theme issue, do please contact me.

Richard TeareManaging Editor, WHATT

The aim of this WHATT theme issue is to explore the concept of talent management across the hospitality and tourism sector. An important topic around the world, talent management is arguably a pressing consideration for this sector because the knowledge and talents of workforces represent a singular competitive advantage for businesses. Just as talent management is important in hospitality and tourism, it is challenging too, due to worldwide skills shortages and labour market changes such as ageing populations and increasing employee demands for work-life balance in developed economies. Added to this mix is the emergence of self-defined and multi-directional careers which impact on retention and career development approaches in hospitality and tourism. A recent American study suggests that hospitality professionals are actively managing their own careers and are looking for challenging jobs that offer career growth potential. It is against this background that a broader and deeper understanding of talent management and the emerging trends is needed.

This theme edition explores aspects of talent management through a set of connected articles that incorporate secondary research and senior practitioner views. The collection comprises eight articles, each by a contributing author who has expertise in the particular talent management aspect/s covered in their article. The literature review articles are presented in a sequence that starts with the labour market and educational contexts, then progresses to recruitment (and engagement), management development, career management, and retention (and work-life balance). Lastly, two roundtable discussion articles focus on strategic and operational aspects of talent management. The emergent definitions, key challenges and key practical actions across all articles are drawn together to frame the theme issue conclusions and from this we have developed our “blueprint” for talent management.

Both the articles and conclusions on the meanings of talent management in hospitality and tourism will appeal to a wide international readership, including business leaders, managers and individuals together with human resource specialists and academics in the sector. These readership groups each have a role in the so-called “war for talent”.

We hope that you will find this theme issue informative, useful and enjoyable.

About the Theme Editors

Norma D’Annunzio-Green is Senior Lecturer and Subject Group Leader (HRM) at Napier University Business School, Edinburgh. Her main research interests focus on HRM in the service sector, more specifically on issues related to international HRM, service quality and culture change. She has over 15 publications in a range of academic journals including Personnel Review, Employee Relations, Human Resource Development International and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. She has co-edited the book Human Resource Management, International Perspectives in Hospitality and Tourism. Recent publications include an examination of the impact of an organisational change initiative on managers within the contract catering sector and an evaluation of the impact of a management development programme on senior managers in the retail sector. Norma is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Gill Maxwell is a senior lecturer in human resource management in the Business School at Glasgow Caledonian University. Her 30+ journal articles are on a range of strategic human resource management issues and developments including, in the hospitality and tourism sector, recent articles on diversity management, work-life balance, line managers in HR, and career perceptions. Recent hospitality and tourism journal publications can be seen in Employee Relations, the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the International Journal of Human Resource Management, the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, and the International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration. Current externally funded research interests include postgraduate employability skills and human capital performance strategy. Gill has also contributed to, and co-edited, two textbooks on human resources in hospitality and tourism and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Sandra Watson is Head of School of Management and Law at Napier University Business School, Edinburgh, UK. She has published over 25 articles in a range of journal publications including Employee Relations, Human Resource Development International, International Journal of Human Resource Management and International Journal of Hospitality Management. Recent publications include an analysis of managerial skill requirements in Scottish tourism; HRM and Service Quality; devolving HR to line managers and management development in the hospitality industry. Sandra has co-edited two texts on human resource management and human resource development. She has guest edited special issues in Human Resource Development and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. In addition Sandra sits on the editorial board of three international journals, Human Resource Development International, European Journal of Industrial Training, and Advances in Human Resource Development.

Norma D'Annunzio-Green, Gill Maxwell, Sandra WatsonTheme Editors