Contemporary Hospitality Industry: Operational Roles, Skills, Factors, and SWOT Analysis of Marriott International

This report discusses the operational roles, skills, factors, and SWOT analysis of Marriott International in the contemporary hospitality industry. It assesses the skills required for different operational roles, current skills shortages, and skills gaps. It also evaluates the impact of social, political, economic, environmental, technological, and legislative factors on the industry. Additionally, it carries out a SWOT analysis of Marriott International and reviews their decision-making process. The subject is hospitality industry and the course code is not mentioned. The college/university is not mentioned.

Contemporary
Hospitality Industry

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
Discuss different range of operational roles in hospitality industry...........................................4
Examine the skills required for roles in the hospitality industry and their current skills
shortages .....................................................................................................................................5
Review the skills gaps within the hospitality industry in relation to a range of different
operational roles..........................................................................................................................6
Analyse the impact that skills gaps have on hospitality businesses and make valid solutions
for addressing these skills gaps...................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
Assess the social, political, economic, environmental, technological and legislative factors
which affect the development of organisations operating in the hospitality industry.................7
Carry out SWOT analysis for hospitality organisation and review their decision making
process.........................................................................................................................................8
Evaluate the impacts of external factors on the development of organisations operating within
the hospitality industry with the help of specific examples......................................................10
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
An appraisal of the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry....10
An evaluation of the ability of your chosen hospitality business to develop products and
services that will meet current trends........................................................................................11
Critically evaluate how external factors impact on current and potential trends and
developments in the hospitality industry using specific examples to demonstrate how the
industry has developed in response ..........................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES:.............................................................................................................................13
Books and Journals...................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry is experiencing rapid growth due to increase in demand related to
their services. It involves wide range of services and products like lodging, event planning, travel
and tourism, food and drink services and theme parks. It contributes huge revenues in the overall
GDP of country. Hotels, restaurants, pubs and other accommodations occupied large part of
hospitality industry (Ali, Park, Kwon and Chae, 2019). It provides positive and expected
experiences to their customers which increase the rate of travel and tourism. This report is based
on Marriott International which founded in 1927, March 5. It is headquartered in Maryland, US
and provide services and products in all over the world. Their main products are hotels and
resorts which are responsible for major revenue generation. This report will discuss about
operational roles in hospitality industry and skills required for those operations. Different factors
which create impact on the development of operations are discussed in context to hospitality
industry. SWOT analysis is carried out so that organisation can improve their decision-making
process. Implication of potential and current hospitality industry trends are mentioned in this
report with the help of examples.
MAIN BODY
TASK 2
Discuss different range of operational roles in hospitality industry.
There are number of roles and responsibilities are involved in hospitality industry
because it offer wide range of products and services. The facilities are provided by specific and
expertise individual so that they can maintain proper accuracy in operations (Ali and et.al.,
2020). Marriott International is one of the preferred organisation in the field of hospitality
industry. They hire candidates who perform operations in professional manner for every
department. This assist them in attracting large number of customers in effective manner.
Different operational roles which are present in hospitality industry are discussed as follows:
Housekeeper: This operational role is highly required for every organisation as it is
responsible for providing services to the customers. They ensure that common areas, guest
rooms, hallways, lobbies, rest rooms stay clean and presentable for guests. Housekeeping

department of Marriott International focus on maintaining appropriate and required standards
which are best suitable for their guests.
Food and beverage service department: Hospitality industry offer wide variety for
beverages and foods to their customers. It is responsible for satisfying the needs of guests related
to food and beverages according to their taste and preferences. Marriott International focus on
the requirements of their guests so that they can customise their services related to food
department. Their food and beverage staff interact with guest on personal basis so that they can
understand their demands.
Front office department: It is the first point of contact which is responsible for
entertaining guests for offering services. All the queries and doubts of customers are resolved by
front office employees (Chang, Liu, Wang and Yi, 2020). Marriott International welcome their
guest in very friendly manner which creates positive impact on their mind. They also focus on
the complaints and problems of customers related to the other services of an organisation. It
assist them in providing better services to them in without any difficulties.
Examine the skills required for roles in the hospitality industry and their current skills shortages
Skills plays major role as it assist in carrying out operations in appropriate manner. It
reduces and minimises chances of mistakes which provides positive outcomes. Hospitality
industry includes number of employees who have to perform specific operations. Those
operations can be performed with the help of required skills which are responsible for high
quality services. Marriott International focus on improvement of required skills in their
employees. There are various skilled which are essential for hospitality industry are discussed as
follows:
Communication: This skill is highly required in the employees as it helps conveying all
the information related to facilities and services. Employees of Marriott International develops
healthy relationship with their customers with the help of appropriate communication skills.
Positive behaviour of employees towards guest is essential for engaging them for long term.
Communication also helps in resolving doubts and miss understanding so that customers feel
satisfied with the services.
Problem solving: With the help of this skill hospitality industry focus on the providing
high standard and quality services to their customers. It is required to become customer focused
which is responsible for resolving queries and problems of customers on regular basis (Farrukh

and et.al., 2021). Marriott International deals with all the issues by providing alternatives and
ideas related to the problems. Quick solutions improve the experiences of customers which is
essential for establishment of positive brand image in the market.
Time management: It is essential to manage the time of all the operations in required
manner so that services can be provided on time. It eliminates delay from the operations which
maintains accuracy and standard of services. Marriott International aims at reducing the waiting
time of their customers so that they can satisfy their demands. Employees should focus on
formulation of schedules for performance of operations so that they do not miss the deadlines.
Current skills shortages in hospitality industry
Hospitality industry hire professionals and experts for commencement of their operations
but sometimes they face challenges in meeting requirements. Marriott International have
experienced workforce but there are some of the specific skills are missing which creates
differences. Hospitality industry requires soft skills such as customer service skills, multi
tasking, interpersonal skills, etc. It is responsibility of organisation to train their employees in
appropriate manner so that they can meet the demands.
Review the skills gaps within the hospitality industry in relation to a range of different
operational roles
Skill gaps becomes the most affecting challenge for organisations operating in hospitality
industry. Due to lack of some of the soft skills, Marriott International face difficulties in
engaging their customers (Fraser, 2020). Different operational roles like housekeeping and front
office department requires interpersonal skills so that organisation can maintain healthy
relationships with their guests. Inheriting those required skills assist organisation in achievement
of various competitive advantages. Issues and problems related to the services can be resolves in
effective manner by bridging the gap of skills which are required.
Analyse the impact that skills gaps have on hospitality businesses and make valid solutions for
addressing these skills gaps.
Skill gaps can lower down the sales and profitability of an organisation in hospitality
industry. It is necessary to focus on the particular skill gap so that organisation can improve their
services and operations. Marriott International faces issues due to lack of soft skills which
includes multitasking and interpersonal skills. Managers need to train their employees so that
they can inherit required skills and abilities in their employees. They can provide various

development sessions to their employees which reduces and eliminates skill gaps. Schedules and
notes should be formulated so that multitasking can be carried out in required manner.
TASK 3
Assess the social, political, economic, environmental, technological and legislative factors which
affect the development of organisations operating in the hospitality industry
It is important to analyse and evaluate all the external factors which affect the
profitability of hospitality industry (Goffi, Masiero and Pencarelli, 2021). Focusing on negative
and positive impacts of all these factors assist organisation in improving their operations.
Marriott International analyse all these factors so that they can take necessary steps for the
improvement of negative factors which are mentioned below:
Political factors: Governmental influences related to their policies should be undertaken
by an organisation working in an hospitality industry. According to the government of US,
hospitality industry have to pay lower taxes. It is positive factor for Marriott International as it is
headquartered in US. They also formulate policies which support the requirements of
government which results in smooth operations.
Economic factors: Economic cycles and currency related policies of country affect the
operations of hospitality industry (Hwang and Wang, 2021). The strength of currency of US is
relatively strong which generates major part of revenue for Marriott International. They focus on
the income level and employment rate of the country where they offer services so that they can
offer affordable prices. Marriott also provide offers and discounts to their regular customers
occasionally which increase the rate of engagement.
Social factors: The background, lifestyle, religion, belief, etc. create impact of the
growth of organisation which need to be focused. Marriott International customise their services
and products according the demands and preferences of their customers. It assist them in
satisfying their customers in appropriate manner. They interact with their on regular basis which
assist in understanding their taste and preferences. All the social factors and events should be
considered while offering services provides positive outcomes.
Technological factors: This factor is responsible for upgrading the services with the help
of technological advancements. Automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and research and
development are adopted by Marriott International. It improves the quality and standard of

products and services offered by hotel in cost effective manner. This assist in gaining
competitive advantages and differentiates organisation from their competitors. Marriott
International focus on improving their operations according to the demands and current market
trends.
Legislative factors: All the regulations, laws and policies formulated by government
should be mandatorily followed by organisations within hospitality industry (Kong and et.al.,
2021). Marriott International develops regulations and strategies which support legal factors of
the country. They ensures that they provide wages and salaries to their staff according to the
salaries act. Innkeeper laws and truth in menu laws are majorly followed which establish positive
image of organisation.
Environmental factors: This factor majorly focus on the quality of environment and
surrounding in which organisation is working. Climatic changes, floods, storms and other
weather related events are classified under environmental factors. Marriott Internation focus on
managing the utilisation of natural resources so that they can prevent them from depletion. They
reuse and restore their waste material which manage their resources and improve their
performance. It results in higher revenue generation which is essential for growth and
development.
Carry out SWOT analysis for hospitality organisation and review their decision making process.
Organisations focus on their internal factors which are responsible for their decision
making process. Understanding strengths and weaknesses assist Marriott International in
formulating decisions which are profitable for them. In order to formulate best suitable decisions
it is important to gather relevant data and information which affects operations. Organisation
uses SWOT analysis for identification of their internal factors which are mentioned below:
Strength Weaknesses
 Excellent reputation: Marriott
International established their positive
brand image in the hospitality industry
by providing higher quality products
and services (Sipe and Testa, 2018). It
becomes universally recognised chain
 Strictness: It has been analysed that
Marriott International is very strict
towards their working staff which
sometimes turned into challenges. It is
necessary to focus on the performance
of employees on regular basis but

of hotels and resorts with premium
class offerings. They maintain accuracy
in their operations which attracts large
number of customers on regular basis.
 Loyal clients: The clients and
customers of Marriott International do
not shift their interest to other hotel
chains as they have maintained strong
relationships with them. Their loyalty
program is most effective which engage
their customers for longer period of
time. Organisation believes in
understanding the demands and
preferences of their targeted audience
which results in higher profitability.
increasing strictness may affect the
productivity of workforce. In order to
minimise the impact of strictness,
organisation have to understand the
behaviour and requirement of their
employees.
 Brand dilution: Focusing on greater
expansion may affect the brand image
of organisation. Marriott International
face challenges in maintaining
uniformity in their operations due to
differences in factors like social,
political and cultural of particular
country. This can lower down their
revenue generation rate.
Opportunities Threats
 Broaden offerings: Fulfilment of the
requirements of targeted audience by
offering them diversified range of
products and services can turns into
opportunity to an organisation. This
will help Marriott International in
competing with their competitors in
effective manner without any
challenges (Soria and Teigeiro, 2019).
They can involve themselves in
research and development so that they
can produce or manufacture new
varieties.
 Innovation: Marriott International can
 Higher competition: There can be
seen increased competition in the
hospitality industry. Marriott
International may face challenges due
to their competitors who offer relatively
same products and services to the
customers. Some of the biggest
competitors of Marriott International
includes Novotel and Hilton affect the
profitability to great extent.
 Premium prices: The products and
services of Marriott International are
not affordable for some of the
customers. It is one the biggest threats

involve technology in their operations
so that they can innovate new products
and services. They can adapt
innovation like use of robotics and
automation in their services which can
effectively capture the large market
area by attracting more customers.
for an organisation which lower down
the number of their customers. Higher
prices may results in stagnant growth of
an organisation which is negative factor
for sustainability.
Evaluate the impacts of external factors on the development of organisations operating within the
hospitality industry with the help of specific examples.
The external factors or macro environment of business create great impact on the
operations of an organisation. The factors may create negative or positive impact on the business
according to the requirements of the business environment (Tews, Hoefnagels, Jolly and
Stafford, 2020). Governmental policies related to tax may affect the profitability of Marriott
International. Prices of competitors results in shifting the mind of customers towards other
hotels. These factors should be focused by an organisation in order to maintain their
sustainability for longer period of time. Customer relationship management is necessary factor
which is involved by an organisation so that they can engage their existing customers along with
attracting new customers.
TASK 4
An appraisal of the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry
The requirements of hospitality industry are changing rapidly which needs alterations in
policies and strategies on regular basis. Latest market trends should be followed by organisation
so that they can compete with their competitors in effective manner. Marriott International
involve themselves in research and development so that they can understand the needs of
customers. The current and potential trends in hospitality industry are mentioned below:
Contactless payment: Hospitality industry focus on the minimising friction by involving
contactless payments. Customers and organisations can save lot of time by paying bills through
online platforms (Wang, Fu and Wang, 2020). Marriott International allow their customers to
pay their bills by using Google Pay or Apple Pay which eliminate the involvement of cash. It

improves the overall experience of customers as they can travel without cash which reduces their
burden and pressure.
Use of Robotics: It is the part of automation which involves robots for carrying out
various operations on regular basis. This trend is becoming highly popular in hospitality industry
as large number of hotels and restaurants rely on robots. Marriott International use robots for
delivery of food, luggage and other items. It reduces the use of human efforts from operations
which maintains appropriate accuracy in operations.
Chatbots: This trend assist hospitality industry in providing information and resolving
queries of customers without face to face interaction (Wang and et.al., 2018). Marriott
Internation have their chatbots which is responsible for gathering information so that they can
pass it on their customers. The contactless resolution of doubts and queries provides benefits to
customers as well as to organisations.
An evaluation of the ability of your chosen hospitality business to develop products and services
that will meet current trends
It is evaluated that Marriott International can use technological advancements in their
operations which improve the quality and standard of their products and services. It can
effectively meet the requirements of current market trends which provides essential benefits to
targeted audience (Yu, Kim and Qu, 2020). Use of automation and artificial intelligence in
operations reduces the chances of errors and human mistakes which results in growth and
development. Online platforms can assist them in gathering the reviews and feedbacks of
customers related to products which provides opportunity to alter them according to the
demands.
Critically evaluate how external factors impact on current and potential trends and developments
in the hospitality industry using specific examples to demonstrate how the industry has
developed in response
It is evaluated that macro or external factors such as legislative regulations, background
of customers, governmental regulations may create impact on the current market trends. Marriott
International have to pay heavy taxes for the use of resources which are involved in the
development of current and potential trends (Yam, Raybould and Gordon, 2018). Organisation
have to develop appropriate strategies so that they can reduce the negative impacts of these
external factors. They can carry out changes by focusing on effective and optimum utilisation of

resources. Marriott International positively handle all the impacts by involvement of automation
which reduces risk and threats.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that hospitality industry offer number of
services according to the requirements of their customers. It involves hotels, restaurants,
amusement parks, resorts, etc. Organisations try to understand the behaviours and requirements
of their targeted market so that they can provide personalised and customised services. The main
aim of hospitality industry is to improve travel experiences of their guest so that they can sustain
for longer period of time. This report discussed about different operational roles which are
involved in hospitality industry along with the skills which they require for their performance of
operations. Skill gaps and impact of those gaps on hospitality industry are discussed in this
report. Different macro factors are discussed along with their impact on hospitality industry. The
internal factors are also evaluated which affect the decision-making process process of an
organisation. The implication of current trends are also evaluated and ability of organisation to
produce the products and services with the help of trends are mentioned in this report.

REFERENCES:
Books and Journals
Ali, F., Park, E.O., Kwon, J. and Chae, B.K., 2019. 30 Years of contemporary hospitality
management: uncovering the bibliometrics and topical trends. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Ali and et.al., 2020. Being ignored at work: Understanding how and when spiritual leadership
curbs workplace ostracism in the hospitality industry. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 91, p.102696.
Chang, W., Liu, A., Wang, X. and Yi, B., 2020. Meta-analysis of outcomes of leader–member
exchange in hospitality and tourism: what does the past say about the
future?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(6),
pp.2155-2173.
Farrukh and et.al., 2021. High-performance work practices do much, but HERO does more: an
empirical investigation of employees' innovative behavior from the hospitality
industry. European Journal of Innovation Management.
Fraser, B., 2020. From hospitality classrooms to successful careers: A current appraisal of
Australian international hotel requirements. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism
Education, 32(4), pp.234-254.
Goffi, G., Masiero, L. and Pencarelli, T., 2021. Corporate social responsibility and performances
of firms operating in the tourism and hospitality industry. The TQM Journal.
Hwang, Y. and Wang, X., 2021. Hospitality employees’ emotions in the workplace: a systematic
review of recent literature. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management.
Kong and et.al., 2021. Influences of artificial intelligence (AI) awareness on career competency
and job burnout. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Sipe, L.J. and Testa, M.R., 2018. From satisfied to memorable: An empirical study of service
and experience dimensions on guest outcomes in the hospitality industry. Journal of
Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(2), pp.178-195.
Soria, J.A.C. and Teigeiro, L.R., 2019. The employment multiplier in the European hospitality
industry: a gender approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management.
Tews, M.J., Hoefnagels, A., Jolly, P.M. and Stafford, K., 2020. Turnover among young adults in
the hospitality industry: examining the impact of fun in the workplace and training
climate. Employee Relations: The International Journal.
Wang, J.S., Fu, X. and Wang, Y., 2020. Can “bad” stressors spark “good” behaviors in frontline
employees? Incorporating motivation and emotion. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Wang and et.al., 2018. Is “do it right the first time” necessarily right? The importance of error
management culture in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management.
Yam, L., Raybould, M. and Gordon, R., 2018. Employment stability and retention in the
hospitality industry: Exploring the role of job embeddedness. Journal of Human
Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 17(4), pp.445-464.

Yu, Y., Kim, H. and Qu, H., 2020. A deep acting perspective generation Y hotel employees’
workplace deviance. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.