Talent management in hospitality and tourism: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Purpose – This article provides a systematic literature review (SLR) of extant research on Talent Management (TM) in Hospitality and Tourism (H&T). Our objectives are first, to offer an empirical mapping analysis of TM research in H&T; second, to identify and discuss key research topics; and third, to recommend avenues for future research. 

Design/methodology/approach – We conducted a SLR of TM literature in the context of H&T by analysing peer-reviewed articles published between January 2000 and October 2020. Following the PRISMA process, three independent coders undertook a content analysis of 74 articles for the SLR. 

Findings – We found that TM in H&T offers contextualised evidence consistent on five key research topics: (1) TM practices; (2) conceptualisation of talent and TM; (3) TM antecedents and outcomes; (4) key TM stakeholders; and (5) talent education and graduate careers. Our analysis indicated that most studies are qualitative, focused in Europe and North America, and that primarily examine hotels. The small number of TM studies in H&T along with the lack of strong theoretical groundings show that the field is at the early stages of the growing stage, yet the sharp increase demonstrates an exponential growth in interest. 

Originality/value – This is the first study that offers a holistic examination of research on a wide range of TM topics within various H&T sectors over the past twenty years. It clarifies the conceptualisation of talent and TM in this field and provides insights as well as context-specificevidence on the management of H&T talent. This study is the first to argue that the research stream is moving towards a growth stage and offers recommendations on advancing the field. Practical implications – This article highlights the importance of TM and indicates that businesses in the sector need to reconsider the definition of talent, their approaches to TM, and the bundling of TM practices in order to improve their effectiveness. It also calls for partnerships among the industry’s key stakeholders and a revisiting of agendas for educators.