Name: Enoc, Kath Eddrylle A.
HTM313 S2
Case Study 1: Language Barrier in a Multicultural Hotel
A large international hotel recently expanded to cater to more diverse clientele. During check-in, a
customer from Japan struggled to communicate with the front desk staff, who only spoke English.
The customer felt frustrated and undervalued, as their requests for assistance were
misunderstood. This led to delays in room allocation and a poor start to their stay. Management
later received a complaint from the guest, who expressed disappointment with the hotel's lack of
accommodation for non-English speakers.
Questions:
How can the hotel implement policies to address language barriers and provide a more inclusive
experience for international guests?
Answer: The hotel can hire staff who speak multiple languages, especially those commonly spoken
by their guests. Translation apps or devices can help bridge communication gaps. Written guides in
multiple languages for check-in, room instructions, and services can make guests feel welcomed
and understood. Creating a policy to prioritize communication with international guests ensures
their needs are met.
What training or tools can be provided to front desk staff to better serve a linguistically diverse
clientele?
Answer: Staff can be trained to learn basic greetings and key phrases in common guest
languages such as Japanese, Spanish, or Mandarin. Tools for translation, such as apps
or small handheld devices, are there to aid in difficult conversations. Training sessions that go
through role-playing scenarios better prepare staff to be of assistance without flinching
if guests speak different languages, easing frustration all around.
Case Study 2: Cultural Misunderstanding in a Fine Dining Restaurant
A fine dining restaurant hosted a group of Middle Eastern guests who requested accommodations
for their dietary restrictions, including the avoidance of alcohol and pork products. However, a
server mistakenly recommended a dish containing wine sauce, causing the guests to feel
disrespected. Although the issue was corrected, the guests left negative feedback, stating the
restaurant was not sensitive to cultural needs.
Questions:
How should the restaurant train staff to recognize and respect cultural dietary preferences to avoid
such incidents?
Answer: The servers must get to know the cultural and religious dietary limitations, for instance,
halal, kosher, or vegetarian food are the needs. It will be important to train them in what ingredients
to look for and in what places to talk if they are not sure. The employees should be advised to do a
role play in which they politely deal with these kinds of requests to minimize mistakes and
demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
What strategies can be employed to ensure that the menu and service approach are inclusive and
culturally sensitive?
Answer: Restaurants need to have labels on the menu so that guests can easily see which dishes
are alcohol-free, vegetarian, or meet specific cultural requirements. Special menu sections for
dietary needs can make guests feel valued. Staff should be probing questions about dietary needs
to guide guests to the desired dishes, thus, making the menu an inclusive and satisfying one.
Case Study 1: Generational Gap in Communication
In a marketing team, conflict arose between a senior employee in their late 50s and a younger
employee in their mid-20s. The senior employee preferred face-to-face meetings and detailed
written reports, while the younger employee relied heavily on instant messaging and quick digital
updates. This difference in communication styles led to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and
frustration on both sides, affecting team productivity.
Questions:
How can the team leader mediate and bridge the generational gap in communication styles to
improve collaboration?
Answer: The team leader could organize a meeting to talk over what kind of communication they
like and come up with a compromise. Try this out as an example, to gather information for the
purpose of planning, use a combination of in-person detailed meetings with verbal communication,
as well as digital tools that the group can have for immediate feedback, progress checking or other
purposes. Describing in detail and setting expectations on the timing and manner for each
communication method, such as verbal or written, helps to avoid errors and makes the team stay
focused.
What strategies can the organization implement to foster mutual respect and understanding among
employees of different generations?
Answer: Presentations and group talk about the variance in each generation can lead to the
understanding among the members of the development of each one's point of view. As an example,
a person can organize the groups, which are composed of both younger and older employees, and
take part in the team-building activities. This will often be mutual influence, mentorship, and the
older and the younger gaining new perspectives, which will, in the end, lead to forming trust and
respect. Strengths in every person should be considered precious which means they could feel
they are treated with dignity no matter how old they are.
Case Study 2: Cultural Stereotyping in a Diverse Workplace
A diverse group of employees in a customer service department included a new hire from South
Asia. During a team meeting, some coworkers made jokes about accents and cultural habits, which
the new hire found offensive. Although the jokes were not intended to harm, they created tension
and made the new employee feel excluded and undervalued.
Questions:
What steps should the organization take to address stereotyping and create a more inclusive
workplace culture?
Answer: The company must implement the discriminatory jokes or comments policy of zero-
tolerance. On a regular basis, diversity and inclusion training can be a means of shedding light on
the damaging effects of stereotyping to employees. The responsibility of the manager is to create
communication channels with the employees, making them feel that they are valued and that they
are in a pleasant working environment.
How can team members be educated about the impact of their words and actions on their
colleagues from different cultural backgrounds?
Answer: Lessons on implicit with sensitivity to culture can involve role-playing and telling real-life
examples in an interactive manner. Employees need to be educated about their language and
actions that may affect others. Initiating co-workers with various cultural backgrounds to talk about
their personal life can help in creating the sense of togetherness and the feeling of being alike.
Case Study 1: Gender Bias in Task Assignment
A manager in a tech company often assigns complex technical tasks to male employees, assuming
they are more capable of handling them, while female employees are given administrative or less
demanding work. One female employee, who holds the same qualifications as her male peers, felt
undervalued and complained about the bias. When she raised the issue with the manager, her
concerns were dismissed, leading to further frustration and disengagement.
Questions:
How should the organization address implicit gender bias in task assignments to ensure fairness
and equal opportunity?
Answer: Tasks should be allocated according to qualification and skills rather than gender
stereotypes. Repeatedly acknowledging biased views of task assignments can ensure no bias. If
you build up an anonymous feedback mechanism, employees can report biased attitudes in
confidence and the organization can deal with them properly.
What training or measures can be implemented to help managers recognize and overcome their
biases?
Answer: Unconscious bias training is an opportunity for staff to be educated and become aware of
stereotypes. Employees should gain the knowledge to appraise people equitably and make the
environment more inclusive. To include diversity-related targets in the managerial evaluation
process is to make each of them become the actors of a more just workplace.
Case Study 2: Religious Accommodation Conflict
An employee who observes a specific religious practice requested time off during the day for prayer.
The manager, believing this would disrupt operations, denied the request without exploring
alternative solutions. The employee felt their religious needs were not respected and filed a
complaint with HR. This caused tension between the manager and the employee, as well as among
team members who were drawn into the conflict.
Questions:
How can the manager balance operational needs with providing reasonable accommodations for
employees' religious practices?
Answer: Managers ought to speak openly about flexible alternatives and ask staff what might work,
such as making up for lost time or performing shorter breaks for prayer. The rest of the team can be
trained to fill in during this period thus making operations seamless but at the same time not
neglecting religious issues.
What policies can the organization implement to ensure managers are equipped to handle requests
related to religious diversity?
Answer: It is essential that the regulations describe in detail the freedom that the staff of
companies must demand from their employer’s religious accommodation, i.e., time for a prayer or
a special holiday. Managers are supposed to undergo training to acquire the required skills for
either accepting or rejecting such requests equitably and with sensitivity. By doing that, including
religious provisions in the company's diversity policy, the company has a commitment to
maintenance of the diversity of beliefs among employees.
