Hotel and restaurant management success is based on the ability to understand the psychological underpinnings of the hospitality business. The ability to discern personalities that are suitable for different positions in hotels or restaurants is key to the success of these businesses.
Spontaneous decisions regarding customers and employees are necessary in hotel and restaurant management. The best training comes from being in the midst of the work environment where situations, such as customer complaints or employee altercations, can be dealt with.
Managers must understand the psychology behind the complaints and altercations. Understanding different personality types is key.
According to a 2007 article in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, hotel and restaurant managers need to be able to recognize the Big Five personality dimensions in their employees and customers. The Big Five are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience.
Extroverts are outgoing and like social interaction. Agreeable personalities do not argue and are apt to agree even when they don’t want to do something. Conscientious personalities follow rules and try to uphold standards. Neurotics do not handle stress well. People who are open to experience need to be constantly challenged.
Hotel and restaurant managers deal with a variety of people. The ability to understand a variety of employee and client personalities and reactions can help managers run their businesses more smoothly.
