“Every man for himself”: Teamwork and customer service in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the practice of teamwork in an under‐researched, yet growing industrial setting.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal ethnographic‐styled methods of data collection were used and data was examined using the Team Dimensions Model.

Findings

The findings suggest the Team Dimensions Model, with the addition of a customer service perspective, is of use for identifying managerial objectives and organisational outcomes of teamwork. However, this does not suggest that teamworking is easy to implement in the hospitality setting.

Research limitations/implications

The findings were obtained using unobtrusive participatory and observational methods and based on a single company.

Practical implications

The paper allows management practitioners to reflect on realities of implementing teamworking under a corporate customer service initiative.

Originality/value

The paper takes an existing theory on teamworking and develops the theory in an under‐researched and growing industrial sector.

Citation

Richards, J., Chillas, S. and Marks, A. (2012), "“Every man for himself”: Teamwork and customer service in the hospitality industry", Employee Relations, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 235-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425451211217680