| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of social sustainability practices and effective leadership in the hotel industry within the Stavanger region regarding the hotels reputation and how they can attract skilled employees. The study focused on understanding how hotel leaders perceive and address various aspects of social sustainability, including their working environment, leadership styles, risk management, collaboration, cultural differences, and community engagement. The research question guiding this study is: “How can the hotel industry in Stavanger leverage social sustainability initiatives and effective leadership to enhance its reputation and attract skilled employees?”.
A qualitative study was conducted, collecting data through semi-structured in-depth interviews with hotel leaders. The hotels experienced different challenges related to risk, necessitating individualized plans to address them, but they mostly depended on generic systems. This could hinder recruitment and retention rates, from being misaligned with local demands. Leaders faced communication issues with multicultural staff and had varying views and knowledge about social sustainability and relevant laws. Despite having mainly centralized management styles, the hotels had autonomy to choose their own initiatives in the local community. They also showed signs of good cooperation with their competitors.
This study can inspire future research in the new field of social sustainability within hospitality, and be an inspiration for students, educators, and practitioners. Hopefully, the results from the study could further aid the affected stakeholders in the hospitality industry.
Keywords: Risk management, leadership, cultural differences, community engagement, collaboration, organizational change. | |
