Cultural Diversity Langham Hotel

This report analyzes Langham Hotel's approach to cultural diversity, examining its HR policies and practices. It explores how the hotel promotes equal opportunities, fosters integrity, and utilizes the PRIDE system for performance management and talent development. The report discusses the a...Read More

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LANGHAM HOTEL
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Research Findings......................................................................................................................3
Cultural Diversity in Langham...............................................................................................3
Equal Opportunity..................................................................................................................3
Integrity..................................................................................................................................3
PRIDE System........................................................................................................................4
Learning and Development....................................................................................................4
Certification Program.............................................................................................................5
Human Resource policy.........................................................................................................5
Discussion..................................................................................................................................5
Operational and strategic goals of the establishment.............................................................6
Maintaining service standards and quality assurance.............................................................7
Financial viability and sustainability and long-term growth..................................................8
Recommendation........................................................................................................................9
Conclusion................................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
The cultural diversity in a workplace is a kind of appreciation, which acknowledges
the differences among employees irrespective of sex, age, gender, race and ethnicity, social
status and sexual orientation, personality, education, organizational function and more
(Barak, 2016). The cultural diversity in a workplace has some advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage includes the highest range of productivity from any employees ignoring the
differences. The disadvantages include the communication problem due to differences in
language and cultural values. However, the organizations should promote the strategies that
minimize the challenges of cultural diversity in the workplace (Kirton & Greene, 2015).
The Langham, Auckland, a five-star luxury hotel in New Zealand promote cultural
diversity and give equal opportunities in promotion to all its employees irrespective of any
differences. It is one of the famous hotels in the history of Hospitality service, which offers
total 411 rooms and suites with another top class facility. The hotel authority values the
workplace diversity of culture and people. They have separate policies and principles to
respect it employee’s rights upholding the principles of equality and fair opportunities to all.
The purpose of this report is to analyze the cultural diversity approach of the
Langham Hotel in terms of HR policies and practices. The report will also discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of the HR policies to cultural diversity of the Langham and
recommendations to improve the policies in references to New Zealand’s legislation and
workplace ethics guidelines that overviews the Employment Relations Act, the Human Rights
Act and equal employment opportunities.

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Research Findings
Cultural Diversity in Langham
Langham Hotel, Auckland, promotes, celebrates and respects the importance of the
cultural diversity in the workplace and will implement and adopt the inclusive policies, which
will advance the cultural diversity positively. The colleagues are the valuable assets for the
organization. In its Human Resource Principles, it is stated clearly that the company has
commitments to promote the value of diversity of the employees who have come from the
different cultural background (Langhamhotels.com, 2017). They have certain policies and
principles in order to respect the employees’ rights and diversity.
Equal Opportunity
The hotel management provides equal opportunity to all its employees irrespective of
any cultural or ethical or language differences they might have. The relevant Human
Resource Policies promote the principle of Equity that all the employees in this organization
are equal in spite of any sociocultural differences they have and have equal access to the
employment opportunities and promotion. The equal opportunity is the practice of fairness
integrity and trust to all its employees (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2013). This belief is
completely reflected in their HR policy. In case of recruitment, training, promotion,
compensation and transfer the hotel management has equal access and opportunities for all its
employees.
Integrity
The Langham hotel management acknowledges and understands the diversity among
its colleagues. The diverse backgrounds and different cultural experiences among employees
represent an integrated form of wisdom, which is necessary to understand the guests’ needs.
For maintaining and leading a successful hospitality business, it is important to know and

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anticipate the guest's requirement. The guests have come from the different cultural
background. By promoting the cultural diversity among employees, the hotel management
forms integration, which will help them in their business to grow (Langhamhotels.com,
2017).
PRIDE System
The PRIDE system offers a method to develop and retain the internal talents of the
Langham. The PRIDE stands for Performance Result Indicator and Development Engine and
is the internal system of performance management of Langham (Langhamhotels.com, 2017).
The PRIDE will concentrate on managing and planning the career graphs of all the
employees from different working level. The total number of the achievements and the
competency attainments in a year assess the overall performance of an employee in this
organization. The organization offers specific training and the development plan to upgrade
the performances of the employees to the next level (Langhamhotels.com, 2017).
The peak performers have opportunity to join the hotel's talent pool and access to the
talent development program. The hotel management provides training on the strategic topics,
different types of functional and cross-functional projects to them, which enhance their skills
and help them to advance in their career path.
Learning and Development
The hotel authority has a commitment to all its employees to provide appropriate
learning and development procedures that will assist them to get success in the career at the
Langham Hospitality Group. The learning and the development process has five levels in
total. At the core of the hospitality service centres around its guest and for fulfilling this
purpose mainly the learning and development procedure has been developing for employees.
The visions, values and commitments are reflected by the learning and development

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procedure. However, its values and vision are based on the HR policies of the equal
opportunities and rights to all its employees accumulating the cultural diversity in the
organization.
Certification Program
The Langham Hospitality Group provides a systematic training program, which will
give an overview and broad understanding of the company’s culture to the new employees.
The training program helps them to acquire the knowledge about its product, standards and
process of service. By the PASSION training course, the new joiners will develop customer
service skills. The Langham Leadership Training program helps the leaders to perform their
best in the Langham Leadership model. This training will also help them to understand the
quality systems and tools of Langham Hospitality Group.
Human Resource policy
The Human Resource Policy in the Langham acknowledges the cultural difference
and makes it for drawing maximum potential from its employees (Langhamhotels.com,
2017). The management select, preserve and develop employees based on the
professionalism and potential only. They provide their colleagues with a healthy working
environment where the employees have chance to maximize their potential and reinvented
their hidden talent in the structure of the organization (Langhamhotels.com, 2017).
Discussion
Langham hotel always fosters respectful work culture and environment for the
employees and they want to create an environment that can provide the opportunity to the
employees to grab the career opportunities. Moreover, the organisation invites the HR to be
joined the senior management to discuss the HR strategies and policies. Most importantly,
implementation and evaluations of the HR policies are mainly done to make a positive work

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environment. The positive factors of HR practices within Langham are to bring out the
employees skills and competencies. The training of the employees is needed and the skill-
based competencies can increase the quality work of the employees. Without training,
employees cannot be skilled and organization HR polices can be developed through this
(Storey 2014). HR practices can improve the employee motivation and employees can feel
satisfied with the workplace environment. Increasing employees' satisfaction can enhance the
acknowledgement and appreciation of the employees. Moreover, HR practices of the
Langham increase the effective workforce utilization and that provides scope to enhance the
employees' productivity. HR practices can waste the financial resources of Langham as
purchasing of machinery costs the financial burden of the organisation.
Operational and strategic goals of the establishment
Langham hotel has its own operational and strategic goals in HR practices and HR
department tries to solve these issues. One of the operational objectives of Langham
organisation is to expand the services that they offer to the customers through the
implementation of HR practices at core level. In order to achieve this operational objective of
the organisation, Langham wants to recruit more staffs and employees within organisation
system. Langham in this issue, hire staffs that are mainly fresher and the supervision is
required for the new employees. The new fresher will be given the on-the-job training by the
managers of the Langham.
Langham hotel cares about the personal and professional development of employees
and their growth as well as the well-being. The learning process and career development are
needed employees. In this way, the organisation spends money to give the training and now
Langham wants to reduce the staff costs. In this light, Langham needs to reduce the staffs by
one full-time equivalents. The implication of this strategy may give negative impact on the
staffs' morale and job design will be changed (Sparrow et al. 2016).

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Langham hotel gives the value in diversity and culture of the employees. The
organisation provides equal opportunity and anti-discrimination in HR practices for
employees. However, the most important part of operational practices is to starting new
recruitment structure where the organisation will give equal opportunity in recruitment (Riley
2014). These operational tactics must have an implication of less discrimination and
employees are motivated. The legislation of the organisation is complying with the fact.
Maintaining service standards and quality assurance
In Langham, HR practices provide greater emphasis on the trust, integrity and respect.
However, the organisation gives stress on quality and efficiency of customer services with
team working and ownership.
Responding to the individual needs
The customers' services of the hotel are judged by various perspectives, like
organisation structure, training, following quality standards and quality assurance. Service
quality of the hotel is depended on staffs' behaviour and hotel policies. Whenever possible,
the receptionists can call the guests by their name and it helps to increase the comfort level.
There is no ‘I' in a team work. Smiling can be helpful when handling the guests in trouble
(Nickson 2013). Langham staffs use the eye-contact in serving the guests and HR practices
provide the quality service to the guests in asking the employees to respect the guests and
professionalism should be there. Anticipating the guests need is helpful and employees
should think before speaking.
Governance and management
Langham organization follows the governance and management that is transparent
and accountable for the employees. The manager of the governing body has the knowledge to

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implement the vision. Langham has effective information management that can check the
control and privacy of the stakeholders. Governance management is essential to maintain the
cultural diversity within the organisation as the hotel needs to provide effective management
system and customer services.
Service access
Another standard is service access of the target group of the hotel and organization
has a responsibility to entry and exit time of the hotel and staffs of the hotel should interact
correct way with the guests. If an employee is unable to meet the needs of the guests, another
person should be there to help (Hoque 2013).
Safety and well-being
Langham provides services to the people in maintaining the legal and human rights.
The HR practices are implemented in a way that proactively prevents, responds the risks
within the hotel. The HR practices strictly tell the employees to report the issues in case
ensuring any harm. Services should be enabled in case of any support needs (Chelladurai and
Kerwin 2017). Langham has processes the rights of the individuals in making choices of the
staffs and as well as the guests.
However, HR practices have some disadvantages as well in wasting the time of the
employees. Training classes and on-the-job training of Langham hotel can waste the time of
the employees as competencies and capabilities of the human resources are wasted this way.
Financial viability and sustainability and long-term growth
Financial viability is important for any organisation as financial management needs
significant amount of idea and information. Financial management is the part of a financial
department, HR just allocates that amount to the cost effective way and hiring the accounts

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department. In long-term, Langham needs the money availability that needs sketch of exact
spending. HR practices in Langham mainly focus on the cultural diversity and work within
multicultural workforces. This gives the benefits to have sustainable approach in human
resource development. However, the focus can be made on time-based strategy of the
organisation that enables the employees to have work-life balance (Boella & Goss-Turner
2013). Information based strategy of Langham includes the internet based system to regulate
the employees and reach to the customers. Another sustainable strategy of the organisation is
direct services strategy, within a hotel; it is needed to have multicultural background as this
diversity helps to know the customers who are from different background. Cultural changes
of the customers are obvious as guests come from various backgrounds. The managers, as
well as the staffs, should take the training in handling the multicultural clients.
Recommendation
Langham Hospitality group believes in ‘Tradition of Excellence' and they provide
genuine services with innovation. However, in enhancing the cultural diversity, the
organisation faces issues and existing equal opportunity does not support the cultural
diversity.
1. NZ legislation and workplace ethics guidelines:
Langham should follow the New Zealand legislations in recruiting the people and
managing the employees within the hotel. Cultural diversity can be applied to HR practices
and NZ legislations would be helpful.
Employment Relations Act:
Langham hotel should make an employment relations framework which must increase
the flexibility of working culture. The employees and employers relations must be balanced.

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HR practices of the Langham should reduce the regulations of compliances with making
flexible working culture arrangements. Employment relations act helps to induce the fair
work culture within Langham that would help the organisation in having diverse background
and integration of culture.
The Human Rights Act
The Human Right Act 1998 of New Zealand deals with discrimination; in the
workplace, any kind of discrimination will not be tolerated. Basic human right is unfairly
treating of one person than other in similar situation. Any persons from the ethnic
background will be treated equally like others in any circumstances.
Equal employment opportunities guidelines
Langham needs to strive to retain, select and develop the employees from all cultural
background and professionalism should be there in the workplace.
2. Diversity training and community engagement
Development of cultural awareness is the main focus of diversity training and
Langham needs to invest on this. Cultural awareness can bridge the gap between the
employees' lack of knowledge of the surrounding employees and their orientation, age,
disabilities and background. In addition, Langham can engage the community to increase the
understanding of community and that can give the benefits organization in making aware of
different culture.
3. Employee referrals
Employee referral is internal recruitment policy of the organisation. Langham can
internally recruit some ethnic background employees from taking the referrals of the

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employees. Employee referrals system gives the benefits of having the cultural diversity in
the workplace as it is needed in the Langham hotel.
Conclusion
Cultural diversity is important within hospitality sector as the globalization is the
recent trend in a hospitality industry. People from the diverse background can work together
and it enhances the corporate work ethics and culture. However, diverse work culture can
create conflict; however, managing the workplace culture through HR practices and NZ
legislations can be fruitful for Langham hotel. In global perspective, the culture within an
organisation is getting more homogenization as cultures are blending effectively within the
organisation. The hospitality industry is global now and it sees the internationalization and it
is influenced by technology. Langham Hospitality applies the communication systems and
transportation that implies the culture of different background. Langham already has HR
practices, however, some of the practices are age old in recent global perspective to maintain
the culture. However, the organisation needs to make a framework in increasing cultural
diversity and legal framework will be helpful for this. Moreover, Langham can implement the
culture as ranges of learned human behaviour patterns.

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References
Barak, M. E. M. (2016). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage
Publications.
Boella, M. & Goss-Turner, S., (2013). Human resource management in the hospitality
industry: A guide to best practice. Abingdon: Routledge.
Boella, M., & Goss-Turner, S. (2013). Human resource management in the hospitality
industry: A guide to best practice. Routledge.
Chelladurai, P. & Kerwin, S., (2017). Human resource management in sport and
recreation. Human Kinetics.
Hoque, K., (2013). Human resource management in the hotel industry: Strategy,
innovation and performance. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kirton, G., & Greene, A. M. (2015). The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical
approach. Routledge.
Langhamhotels.com. (2017). Careers at The Langham Hotels & Resorts: Find and apply for
hotel and hospitality jobs at www.langhamhotels.com. Career.langhamhotels.com.
Retrieved 11 September 2017, from
http://career.langhamhotels.com/hr_principles.htm
Langhamhotels.com. (2017). Careers at The Langham Hotels & Resorts: Find and
apply for hotel and hospitality jobs at www.langhamhotels.com. Career.langhamhotels.com.
Retrieved 11 September 2017, from http://career.langhamhotels.com/pride.htm
Nickson, D., 2013. Human resource management for hospitality, tourism and events.
Abingdon: Routledge.

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Riley, M., (2014). Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism
industry. Abingdon: Routledge.
Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. & Chung, C., (2016). Globalizing human resource
management. Abingdon: Routledge.
Storey, J., (2014). New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge
Revivals). Abingdon: Routledge.

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