Predicting Psychological Empowerment among Service Workers: The Effect of Support-Based Relationships

Data from 292 service workers in 21 private clubs show that supportive peer and customer relationships are predictive of higher levels of employee experienced empowerment. Both organizational and employee-customer relationships accounted for significant variation in the dimensions of empowerment: meaningfulness, influence, and self-efficacy. Peer helping and supportive customer relationships were the two most influential predictors of all three empowerment dimensions. Implications for future research and for management practice are discussed

Living a Vision at Hillerman Hotels

This case describes the efforts of Hillerman Hotels to turnaround the operating performance of the Westward Hilton and Towers, a hotel they purchased out of bankruptcy when the previous owner was forced to sell the property. The general manager charged with the turnaround, Carl Gregg, began by developing a clear strategy and then innovatively devising human resource activities to implement his vision. Carl Gregg is now the executive vice president of operations and oversees the dozen-plus mid- and upscale hotels, owned and operated by the hotel subsidiary of the parent firm, Hillerman Enterprises. Before Gregg and the other corporate officers is a business decision to sell the Westward Hilton and Towers. As Gregg wrestles with this opportunity he worries about the impact of the decision on the hotel staff of Westward, and wonders how this decision might alter the culture and employee morale of the entire hotel group

Should NYC’s Restaurateurs Lighten Up? Effects of the City’s Smoke-Free-Air Act

This study indicates that legislation that mandates smoke-free restaurants attracts more business (and money) than it drives away

Las Vegas Locals as Gamblers and Hosts to Visiting Friends and Family: Characteristics and Gaming Behavior

Local gamblers are an important market segment for casino marketers providing a reliable source of revenue during slow periods. This paper presents selected gaming behavior of local residents in the Las Vegas area, linking socio-demographic characteristics with gaming behavior. In addition, this article examines the relationships of Las Vegas area locals and their visiting friends and family members in two aspects. First, we identified the influence local residents have on visiting friends and family in terms of recommendations made regarding gambling in general and specific gaming locations. Second, this article describes how visiting friends and family influence local residents in terms of gaming behavior and additional spending

Developing Cultural Intelligence and Empathy Through Diversified Mentoring Relationships

Given increasing globalization and the foreign-born workforce characterizing many organizations around the world, managers are increasingly called on to effectively manage a culturally diverse workforce. One way to increase the cultural intelligence and empathy of managers was proposed by Ragins, who indicated that mentors in diversified mentoring relationships (DMRs) may become more culturally intelligent and empathic as a result of exposure to the situations and challenges faced by their lower power protégés. To test this proposition regarding the efficacy of DMRs, a quasi-experimental design was employed using an experiential training intervention involving DMRs between primarily White, affluent student mentors and newly resettled refugees to the United States. Grounded in the theoretical foundations of contact theory and DMRs, our findings suggest that DMRs of even limited duration may be influential in increasing cultural intelligence and empathy

Computer Simulation, Games and Roleplay: Drawing Lines of Demarcation

The literature around experiential learning is unclear regarding the similarities and differences among simulation, games, and role-play. In order to appropriately evaluate instructional processes, definitional clarity is necessary. In this article, we provide a definitional foundation and classification scheme for the topics of computer simulation, role-play, and games. The educational and training outcomes of each are discussed, providing readers the means to determine for themselves, the pedagogical appropriateness of simulation, games, or role-play to a given situation

The Relationship Between Ethnocentrism and Cultural Intelligence

The business world is becoming more diverse and complex with the increase of legally-admitted refugees and immigrants in countries across the globe. The need for culturally-intelligent managers may be more pressing than ever. At the same time, ethnocentrism corresponding to the refugee crisis and mass migration appears to be on the rise. Yet, little is known about the effect of ethnocentrism on diversified working relationships and effective means of reducing ethnocentrism such that it does not impede the successful management of an emerging diverse workforce. Can one be ethnocentric and yet culturally intelligent at the same time? This study examined the relationship between these two constructs in general and the role of cultural intelligence (CQ) as a predictor of ethnocentrism, specifically. The data used to examine the CQ–ethnocentrism relationship was part of an ongoing study examining the efficacy of an experiential training program involving diversified mentoring relationships. In these relationships, primarily white, affluent, university students studying business were assigned to mentor refugees from diverse backgrounds being resettled in the U.S. Using a quasi-experimental design, we found that while ethnocentrism increased for the treatment group, it did not rise as much as it did in the control group, indicating a buffering effect for the diversified mentoring training intervention. Additionally, a negative relationship was found between CQ and ethnocentrism, with CQ predicting ethnocentrism. Discussion focuses on effectiveness of training interventions for increasing CQ and lowering ethnocentrism, and the need for consensus in conceptualization and operationalization of ethnocentrism