Talent management, emotional labour and the role of line managers in the Scottish hospitality industry: A roundtable discussion

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of line managers (LMs) in managing talent and emotional labour (EL) in the Scottish hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were generated from manager and HR practitioner interviews and a roundtable discussion with ten invited participants. In addition to obtaining an overview of approaches taken to managing talent and emotion, the authors also explored any challenges in implementing talent management (TM) in the industry and used an adapted model to rank the perceived importance of decisional, interpersonal, informational and developmental roles undertaken by front-LMs.

Findings

TM is seen as being of strategic importance, with structured and planned approaches in many of the organizations. Within these, LMs are given a great deal of responsibility. This requires organizations to provide time, resources and support to managers. It was evident that a caring and supportive culture is required. Highly significant differences are found on managing emotion. Although all managers highlighted that EL is important in the hospitality industry and managing it is challenging, most participants had an equivocal understanding of the concept and managers indicated that they had received no formal training to help manage emotion in the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

The scale of the paper is limited and restricted to the Scottish hospitality industry. Extending the research to other parts of the UK would be useful.

Practical implications

It is apparent that TM has to be linked to business strategy, with incentives and rewards for LMs. In addition, more formal training in the concepts of EL and emotional intelligence should be provided for senior and LMs. Also, good communication skills and support from top management for TM is important.

Originality/value

Previous research and commentary on TM mainly centres on relevant HR practices and policies. This paper focuses on the connection between managing talent and EL and identifies development behaviours as key factor affecting the performance of front-line employees.

Citation

Bratton, J. and Watson, S. (2018), "Talent management, emotional labour and the role of line managers in the Scottish hospitality industry: A roundtable discussion", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 57-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-10-2017-0063