How does employee training affect organizational performance in Hilton Dissertation

How does employee training affect organizational performance in Hilton Hotel and President Hotel in Athens - Dissertation Example Education is identified as a key component in ensuring the sustainability of tourism (Chandana Jayawardena). Customer service representation is a skill that is worth billions to companies (Stella Service, 2010). Training all of the aspects of the hospitality industry, such as massage therapy, spa skills, customer service skills and interaction, entertainment abilities such as singing or dancing, cooking, and all of the other essential skills for hospitality industry success is extremely pricey but utterly important to success. In this dissertation, there will be an analysis of how Hilton and President hotel in Athens have been using training for their employees and prospective employees and why, and what the relationship between employee training and organizational performance is. Furthermore, there will be an analysis of the differences of training programmes used by an international hotel chain (Hilton) and an individually owned hotel (President). Finally, we will focus on what the perception of employees is of these training programs. The objectives of this dissertation are firstly the exploring of the concept of training and how it is supposed to affect hotel development. Secondly, the analysis and evaluation of the role of training in the Hilton and President hotel in Athens. Thirdly, the identification of why, how and when hotels in Athens use training programs. Finally, the identification of the differences of individually owned hotels and international hotel chains in their training programs. Research History and Current State of Athens Hospitality Industry The Athens hospitality industry is currently undergoing a resurgence, but hospitality has always been a key part of Greek culture. Xenia, or hospitality, was an important element of Greek culture in an era where every stranger on the road could be an imminent threat and travel was dangerous, lonely and dreadfully important (Lucas, 2007). â€Å"Zeus, the king of the gods, demanded that strangers be t reated graciously. Hosts had a religious duty to welcome strangers, and guests had the responsibility to respect hosts. The tight interconnections and mutual respect in this host-guest relationship are reflected in the fact that the word zenos in ancient Greek can mean both â€Å"host† and â€Å"guest.† The relationship is often symbolized in the Odyssey by the presentation of gifts† (Lucas, 2007). The Odyssey and The Iliad indicate, in general, that â€Å"[t]he higher a society's level of hospitality, the more civilized that society is† (Tiedemann, 2009). Penelope could not simply cast out her suitors: Doing so would be grossly impolite, even though she did not wish to marry. Paris' seizing of Helen from Menelaus was an unbelievable violation of xenia, and would secure Zeus' support for the Greeks against the Trojans. And the nightmarish treatment of the Odyssey by Circe was not least a violation of xenia. Thus, there are millennia-old cultural traditions that predispose Athens to value hospitality and providing the best service to those who visit.