The changing employee across hotel chains: a generational approach

Despite the growing practitioner interest, systematic research into differences between the prevalent generations of workforce within the hotel sector is scarce. In this chapter, we provide a systematic review of the evidence concerning inter-generational differences between employees in hotel chains. We begin by outlining the theoretical framework of generational theory as applied within the organisational context. Subsequently, the discussion proceeds on the results of cross-temporal studies of generational differences across various nations and from different sectors. Emphasis is placed on studies that examined employees working in hotel chains. A summary of the inter-generational differences in a number of work related aspects describes the profile of multigenerational symbiosis in the contemporary workplace of hotel chains. The concluding section discusses the implications of the analysis for researchers and practitioners concerned with the generational phenomenon within the sector.