EMPLOYEE TRAINING IN INTERNATIONAL LUXURY HOTEL CHAINS:
EVIDENCE FROM SERBIA
Milica Todorović, MSc in International Business and Management
Hilton Belgrade, Kralja Milana 35, Belgrade, Serbia
Tatjana Ivanović, PhD in Human Resource Management, Assistant Professor
Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Jove Ilića 154, Belgrade, Serbia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/tmt.2018.667
EVIDENCE FROM SERBIA
Milica Todorović, MSc in International Business and Management
Hilton Belgrade, Kralja Milana 35, Belgrade, Serbia
Tatjana Ivanović, PhD in Human Resource Management, Assistant Professor
Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Jove Ilića 154, Belgrade, Serbia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/tmt.2018.667
3rd International Thematic Monograph - Thematic Proceedings: Modern Management Tools and Economy of Tourism Sector in Present Era, Belgrade, 2018, Published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans in cooperation with the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Ohrid, Macedonia; ISBN 978-86-80194-14-1; Editors: Vuk Bevanda, associate professor, Faculty of Business Studies, Megatrend University, Belgrade, Serbia; Snežana Štetić, full time professor, The College of Tourism, Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract: Increased competition in international luxury hotel industry requires the hotels to continuously
improve their HRM policies and practices, with a particular focus on employee training. Hotel
industry globally employs a large number of people with high labour turnover. Training employees in
hotels, especially in international luxury hotel chains, has always represented a challenge since guests
demand high-quality personalized services. The aim of this paper is to examine how international luxury
hotel chains in a developing country, such as Serbia, implement training programs. The research
was conducted in six five-star and four-star hotels in Belgrade - members of international luxury hotel
chains, through in-depth interviews with managers from these hotels. The research has shown examined
hotel implement some of the training programs usual for luxury hotel chains. However, in order
to develop their local talent pools and improve staff skills on a continuous basis, the luxury hotels in
Serbia need to re-examine their training systems, having in mind that most of them are highly standardized,
to implement more diversified training plans, and provide more overseas training opportunities
for local employees from Serbia.
Keywords: training, human resource management, tourism, luxury hotel chain, hotel
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