Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the little-researched concept of teamworking as it applies to multi-unit hotel operations in the UK. Hotel operations in the UK and elsewhere are being subjected to market and structural changes that may affect their strategic approaches to managing human resources. The study explores the perceptions of teamworking as evidenced by hotel employees through interviews, surveys and a series of action research meetings with two major multi-unit hotel groups in the UK. The literature search led to the conclusion that much of the current writing concerning teamwork is discursive and fails to take into account the characteristics of service industries and the hospitality industry in particular. The systems view of teamwork suggested by Schermerhorn et al (1995) was adapted to provide a theoretical basis for studying hotel teams. The qualitative data support the view that teamworking in hotels is a complex activity and that solutions vary according to unit and employee perception. One constraint to effective teamworking is a perceived gap between staff and managers which inhibits communication and the understanding of objectives. The quantitative data suggests that the innovative teamworking initiatives used by Hotel company 2 leads to a team climate that is better than that in some Hotel company 1 hotels. Nevertheless, all the hotels studied scored worse than a norm set of teams in diverse organizational settings, and this suggests that teamworking in hotels needs more development. Another aim is to evaluate the action research technique as a method of continuous improvement in hotels. The experience of the study led to the conclusion that action research is a valuable tool, but that it is time-consuming and difficult to facilitate, and this may not suit the practical and operations-centred nature of many hotels. The study concludes that traditionality and the hierarchical structure of many hotels can constrain effective teamwork. If hotels are to make better use of their human resources, they will need to look critically at the way that employees work together. Teamworking is a desirable strategic objective but it is difficult to achieve.