Description
Within the hospitality industry, where revenues are driven by guest satisfaction, service is a key to success. Internal communication plays a role that should be examined on how its performance affects guest satisfaction within hospitality.
THE IMPACT OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON GUEST SATISFACTION IN
HOSPITALITY ESTABLISHMENTS IN CAPE TOWN
by
ABDALLAH SEIF BAMPORIKI
Thesis submitte i! "#$ti#% &u%&i%me!t '& the $e(ui$eme!ts &'$ the e)$ee
M#ste$ '& Te*h!'%')y '& T'u$ism #! H's"it#%ity M#!#)eme!t
i! the F#*u%ty '& Busi!ess
#t the C#"e Pe!i!su%# U!i+e$sity '& Te*h!'%')y
Su"e$+is'$, P$'&- A!y Bythe.#y
C#"e T'.!
N'+embe$ /010
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
DECLARATION
I, Abdallah Seif Bamporiki, hereby declare that the contents of this research project represent
my own work and that the research project has not been preiously submitted for academic
e!amination towards any "ualification# $urthermore, it represents my own opinions and not
necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula %niersity of Technology#
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Abdallah Seif Bamporiki 'ate
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ii
ABSTRACT
(ithin the hospitality industry, where reenues are drien by guest satisfaction, serice is a
key to success# Internal communication plays a role that should be e!amined on how its
performance affects guest satisfaction within hospitality# The purpose of this study is to
determine if internal communication plays a role in guest satisfaction within hospitality
establishments in Cape Town#
The study found that sources )such as newsletters, maga*ines, books, journals and peers+
emphasised importance of internal communication in hospitality organi*ations# This internal
communication seres as a nere centre of an organi*ation# If one does not hae a
functioning internal communication system, one may lose guests# In addition, adanced
internal communication solution forms a backbone of a wide range of guest serices, and
increases the guests, motiation to stay#
Cape Town, where hospitality and tourism is increasingly competitie and dierse, human
resource management becomes more problematic# There should be channels of internal
communication, which transmit messages across the organi*ation,s structure# The guest,s
reiew demonstrated that growth of hospitality organisation will be determined by its ability to
delier superior guest alue and importance of understanding guest needs and e!pectation#
The reason for growing emphasis on guest satisfaction is that satisfied guests lead to a
stronger competitie positioning, resulting ultimately in loyal guests, increased market
profitability# -anagement teams in Cape Town and hotel industry sectors are under
increasing pressure to demonstrate that their serices are guest&focused and that continuous
performance improement is being deliered#
Internal communication research generates principles and strategies, which improe
managerial performance, as internal communication acumen is essential to render success
in a wide range of actiities# .anguage proficiency, as well as what a manager says, and
what a manager does, contributes to indiidual effectieness# $urthermore, words and
actions should be consistent and aligned so that they hae ma!imum impact# Selected
research findings regarding erbal internal communication and non&erbal internal
communication as well as electronically are presented to demonstrate how wise internal
communication choices can further managerial goals#
In addition to using words effectiely, managers in all functional areas can also increase their
effect and improe their performance by applying results of research that are focused on
internal communication# A self&administered "uestionnaire was compiled to collect data, and
the study was based on /0 selected hotels within Cape Town and a great alue is gien to
Cape Town business centre where most of tourism businesses held# Information was
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page iii
supplied by senior and junior managers from 1&2 star hotels and the final report combined
results from the "uestion about the role that internal communication plays in guest
satisfaction within hospitality establishments in Cape Town by using an SPSS Program,
while recommendations are also based on these findings#
At this period of twenty one century, the technology is challenging organisational internal
communication, it take major part in marketing and marketing research# The management
are busy straggling with internal communication which they will neer know e!actly how
much they perform without guest concert# They run to the Internet to research what the
guests comment about their satisfaction of serice they receied# The guest reiews about
hotel serice industry emphasi*ed the "uality of serice receied within the hotel organi*ation
een if most of the hotels in Cape Town were too e!pensie as guest reiew recommended#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• $irstly, and most importantly, I thank the Almighty 3Allah )4od+ S(5 for guiding me
towards this achieement#
• -y sincere gratitude to those who hae played a piotal role during the arduous hours
prior to completion of this project, which enabled me to successfully complete my
-aster of Technology 'egree#
• 6ighly acknowledgment to Prof# Andy Bytheway my superisor for his guidance,
patience and encouragement to achiee my goal#
• Acknowledgement to Prof# P#A# 7dakidemi for his encouragement toward my success#
• Special acknowledgement to CP%T research member for proiding the releant
facilities for a proper academic research#
• Thanks to all 6otel School lecturers for their guidance, help and patience during my
four years of study prior to the -aster,s degree registration and their follow up
encouragement during compilation of this thesis#
• Thanks to my wife, 8awad 6ussein, for her encouragement and assistance in
compiling and collecting information during her priate time, her patience and belieing
in my success#
• Thanks to my daughter 9abia and my son %thman, wishing them future knowledge and
high performance standards#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page
2INDEED3 ALLAH DOES NOT DO IN4USTICE3 5E6EN7 AS MUCH AS
AN ATOM8S WEIGHT9 WHILE IF THERE IS A GOOD DEED3 HE
MULTIPLIES IT AND GI6ES FROM HIMSELF
A GREAT REWARD9 :UR8AN ;<;0=
TO GOD ALMIGHTY BE THE GLORY
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
T#b%e '& C'!te!ts
/# C6APT:9 /; I7T9<'%CTI<7#####################################################################################/
/#/ Background to the research###########################################################################################################/
/#= Statement of the research problem################################################################################################>
/#? -ain objecties, research "uestions and assumptions##################################################################@
/#1 'elimitations of the study###############################################################################################################A
/#2 Purpose and significance of the study###########################################################################################A
/#> Summary and research oeriew##################################################################################################B
=# C6APT:9 =; .IT:9AT%9: 9:CI
#########################################################################/0
=#/ Approach to the literature reiew ################################################################################################/0
=#= The role of internal communication in hotels################################################################################/0
=#? The prospects for the Cape Town hospitality industry#################################################################/1
=#1 Information technology in the hospitality industry #######################################################################/1
=#2 Duality of internal communication################################################################################################/>
=#> %nderstanding guest satisfaction#################################################################################################=>
?# C6APT:9 ?; 9:S:A9C6 ':SI47 A7' -:T6<'<.<4E ######################################=B
?#/ Introduction##################################################################################################################################=B
?#= 'ata collection#############################################################################################################################?0
?#? Summary ####################################################################################################################################??
1# C6APT:9 1; P9:S:7TATI<7, A7A.ESIS A7' I7T:9P9:TATI<7 <$ T6:
9:S%.TS#########################################################################################################################?1
1#/ The analysis of the research approach of the study####################################################################?1
1#= 4eneral hotel surey####################################################################################################################?1
1#? 4uest surey ###############################################################################################################################1=
1#1 Supplementary hotel surey########################################################################################################1A
1#2 Summary#####################################################################################################################################1B
2# C6APT:9 2; 'ISC%SSI<7 <$ T6: 9:S%.TS#########################################################2/
2#/ Introduction #################################################################################################################################2/
2#= <bjecties of the study################################################################################################################2/
2#? 'iscussion of 9esults #################################################################################################################2=
2#1 The nature of internal communication in hotels###########################################################################2=
2#2 The "uality of internal communication ########################################################################################>0
2#> The "uality of guest satisfaction###################################################################################################>?
2#@ The impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction########################################################>1
2#A Summary#####################################################################################################################################>B
># C6APT:9 >; C<7C.%SI<7 A7' 9:C<--:7'ATI<7S #######################################@/
>#/ Introduction##################################################################################################################################@/
>#= Significance of this study #########################################################################################################@/
>#? 9ecommendations#######################################################################################################################@=
>#1 $inal reflections on the project#####################################################################################################@1
>#2 Concluding comments#################################################################################################################@2
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /
CHAPTER 1, INTRODUCTION
1-1 B#*>)$'u! t' the $ese#$*h
The hospitality industry is important to South Africa and Cape Town is one of the faourite
places for isitors, with different isitors, attractions and up&market hotels and restaurants#
6ospitality establishments, more than other businesses, can be described as 3a collection of
people working with a common purpose5 )$rost, Cos, and 'reyer, /BB@;/1@+# (hateer the
goal is, the actiities of people within a hospitality establishment must be coordinated in order
to achiee the goal# Thus, for this to happen, internal communication is needed )$rost, Cos,
and 'reyer, /BB@;/1@+#
4uest satisfaction is the best indicator of success, but how is it delieredF -any factors
might be inoled, including "uality of serice, the "uality of facilities, good information
systems, and relationship between serice proider and guests#
<ne other factor that might be important is internal communication, because increasingly
staff come from different backgrounds, different countries, and different culturesG there is a lot
of staff turn&oer, and the means of internal communication changes with new technology
)email, cell phones, hotel management systems, etc+#
The hospitality workforce and the guests that they sere hae become increasingly dierse,
for e!ample the ageing of the population leads to many older guests and worker mobility
leads to ariety in the workforce# 6ence, those managing hospitality establishments re"uire
a heightened understanding of how the indiidual )whether a guest or a worker+ adapts to
new relationships, new behaiours, and new serices )Brownell, /BB1;?+#
According to Corner, internal communication appears as a concomitant of all social life and
as an e!igency of social surial, in general# Internal communication can be defined as
information handling, including actiities of production, dissemination, reception and storage
)Corner, /BB1;/=2+#
Internal communication in an establishment emphasises and focuses on the relationship
between management and subordinates as indiiduals )'ais, /BB?;/2>+, but Brownell
)/BB1;?+ indicates that most of today,s theorists hae moed from highly relational models to
perspecties that take into account the dynamic characteristics of serice organisations as
well as indiidualistic factors# According to Cummings, .ong and .ewis )/BA?;?=+, internal
communication is described as intra&organisational communication, and is a primary focus of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =
organisational communication# This intra&organisational communication is important because
it permits internal communication management, whether to increase employees, satisfaction
or to ma!imise their productiity efficiencyG these goals re"uire simultaneous consideration of
intrapersonal, interpersonal, intra&group and inter&group internal communication#
It is necessary to get eeryone working at the operational leel within the organisation to
work and communicate effectiely with each other, also with management and with guests, in
order to achiee internal communication in hospitality )(olin, /BB1;/B>+G from the
comments aboe we find that this will depend on indiidual and organisational
characteristics#
Preious comparable studies hae been carried out in the deeloped world, for e!ample in
Australia )Solnet H Paulsen =001+, but there are no studies that could be found based on
internal communication in the hospitality industry in Cape Town#
1.1.1 Three stages to the study
Because internal communication plays an increasingly ital role, this study sets out to
determine the impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction in the Cape Town
hospitality industry# It works in three stages;
• The first stage inestigates the role that internal communication plays in proiding a
sound foundation on which to base language and behaiour, in ways that usefully
direct hospitality serices and delier the re"uired outcome# This stage in the study is
based on the opinions of managers working in a selection of hotels in Cape Town#
• The second stage is based on measurement of the "uality of internal communication of
the same hotels#
• The third stage inestigates the issues more carefully, based on actual guest opinions#
'ata describing guest opinions of serice in the selected hotels was elicited in order to
get specific and aggregated information about guest e!periences, to be assessed
against the eidence from the workforce within the hotels#
1.1.2 Strategic issues in internal communications and guest satisfaction
Internal communication is an increasingly powerful tool for organisations if the organisation
adopts the new technologies and at the same time manages the impact on its people#
'ealing with these two issues depends on how an organisation defines itself, and the alue it
places on employees within it# As companies are being pressurised to improe the bottom
line and to deelop appropriate strategies to achiee that, it is imperatie for them to realise
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?
that despite technological adances their most important asset is, fundamentally, their people
)<lson =00>;?2+#
The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the largest users of information technology )IT+#
-oreoer, the industry is knowledge&intensie as a result of the nature of the serice product,
where guest satisfaction occurs as a result of interaction between manager and employees
and where it is re"uired that employees are knowledgeable of guests, needs in order to
achiee guest satisfaction Iahle )=00=+#
Some e!perts consider that internal communications in hospitality will, beyond simply
communicating with and engaging with employees, encourage employees to Jlie the brand,
in order to gain further competitie adantage, based on the effectieness as well as the
simple efficiency of internal communication strategies )-andla H Can (yk =00A+# The same
e!perts argue that making the right decisions in terms of internal communication strategies is
the key to organisational e!cellence# :ffectie internal communication is gien critical
importance in achieing the potential success of any organisation )$letcher, /BBB;2+#
Two issues challenge hotel management in dealing with staff, and ensuring the best possible
serices deliery; ariety in 3first5 language, and culture# Success depends on how
managers communicate with subordinates, and how both parties understand the work that
should be done# (orkers in hotels in Cape Town are from ery dierse backgrounds and
might speak )as their first language+ Afrikaans, :nglish, other :uropean languages )if from
the $rancophone or Anglophone areas of Africa+, or one of many African or een Asian
languages# Thus, hospitality establishments should inculcate all aspects of language and
cultural backgrounds in internal communication when deliering a serice and ensure the
"uality of guest satisfaction#
According to -agurn )/BA@;/0>+, managers proide information in the form of instructionsG
employees apply this information in ways that might or might not create good relationships
among workers of different backgrounds, languages, cultures, race and colour, as well as
politics# Clarity is needed to gie the recipient of internal communication a clear,
unambiguous understanding of what is re"uired )9iley, =00/;A?+#
This research sets out to gain insight into the relationship between internal communication as
a source of guest satisfaction and "uality of serice#
1.1.3 The scope of the research
The scope of the research is to inestigate perceptions of the nature and impact of internal
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1
communication inside hotels, and see whether guest satisfaction is affected by it in any
particular way#
In a hotel establishment, with good internal communication one might imagine that all
departments )such as food and beerage, house&keeping, maintenance and administration+
would cooperate well together, e!changing information by way of internal communication,
with guest satisfaction as the shared focus of their interest# Cariations in the relationship
between internal communication and guest satisfaction in the different hotels might also lead
to interesting conclusions about the relationship between the two#
The following figure gies an oeriew of some of the concepts inherent in the research, as
seen in an early working diagram#
Fi)u$e 1, Guest s#tis&#*ti'! *y*%e ?#! e#$%y +ie. '& the $ese#$*h@
1.1.4 Definition of terminology
Some of the key terms and phrases inherent in the work are e!plained and discussed in the
Internal communication cycle in ten hotels
Commodore
6otel;
4reenways
6otel
2
Iensington Place
Protea 6otel
President
The (estin 4rand
6arbour Bridge 6otel H
Suites
A -andela 9hodes
Place
> Steenberg Cictoria H Alfred
6otel;
Internal communication
6ouse
keeping
$ood and
Beerage
$inan
ce
-aintenanc
e
69
(orkers
4arden Court
6otel
4uests
4uest
e!pectation
Serice ia internal
communication
4uest satisfaction
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2
paragraphs that follow#
Guest satisfaction
6ospitality researchers in India combined guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction within
a -anagement 'eelopment Programme in hospitality )Sundar =00/;1+, on the argument
that satisfied employees are the only ones who can consistently satisfy guests, and that
improed guest relations come from better serice# :mployee satisfaction is seen as a
ehicle that can be used to achiee guest satisfaction# Similarly, Susskind, Iacmar and
Borchgreink )=00@;/+ point out that guest satisfaction comes from the commitment of the
serice proider toward their serice process# It can be argued that good internal
communications, as a key feature of employeeKs work, will relate strongly to employee
satisfaction, but this needs to be established#
Internal communication
'odd )=001;//+ defines internal communication as action in which participants interpreting
information by interacting through sending and receiing messages across a channel within
an organisation conte!t#
Internal communication takes place between employees or departments across all leels or
diisions of an organisation# Internal communication can be formal or informal, upward,
downward, or hori*ontal# It can take arious forms, such as team briefing, interiewing,
employee or works councils, meetings, memos, newsletters, the grapeine, and )with
appropriate technology support+ an intranet and management reports )B7:T =0/0+#
Internal communications can be iewed as an opportunity to enthuse employees and proide
them with reasons to promote the organisation )Cerghese, =00>+# By inoling employees in
the organisation,s ision, giing them the right "ualifiers or messages, educating them on the
brand and the organisation,s directions better and proiding proof for the messages, their
leel of satisfaction is improed# Internal communications needs to encourage employees to
take a personal approach and apply creatiity while promoting the ision# Also in terms of
planning, implementation and measurement, internal communications must integrate focus
and direction# .earning, doing, measuring and introducing feedback to employees L when it
is well done L is important to building their satisfaction#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >
Managerial communication
-anagerial internal communication is an applied, interdisciplinary field, which focusing on
language and behaiour within an organisational conte!t )(etlaufer, =00/; /=+# It focuses on
the indiidual manager as a unit of analysis, internal communication across arious conte!ts
such as of interpersonal, group, organisational and, in some instances, to mediate when it is
re"uired It includes all releant forms and channels of internal communication that
managers may select in order accomplish their purposes, including written, oral, nonerbal,
and mediation )(etlaufer, =00/; /=+
Hospitality
According to 4ilje )=001;?>+, the word hospitality refers to an act or practice of being
hospitable, as seen in the cordial and generous reception and entertainment of guests,
isitors, and strangers, both socially and commercially# 6e notes that the ancient practice of
hospitality embraced it as a social alue, and reflected a natural relationship between guest
and household#
Hospitality estalishment ! Hotel
An establishment that proides lodging, meals and other serices to traellers and other
paying guests )4ilje, =001;?>+G a hotel is a building where people stay when away from
home for business or leisure reasons, and they pay a fee principally just for accommodation
and meals )Collins, /BB@; A/@+#
Ser"ice
According to Ie )=000;/+, serice is defined as a uni"ue opportunity to make a difference to
someone else,s life by using techni"ues and attitudes# It is also see as something that has a
behaioural impact on those concerned, including staff )8eithaml et al#, /BB>+#
1-/ St#teme!t '& the $ese#$*h "$'b%em
The problem that this study addresses is;
At a time when hospitality employees in Cape Town are working under difficult
circumstances, with different work experience, internal communication background, culture,
nationality, race, colour and gender, there is a risk that inadequate internal communication
reduces guest satisfaction.
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @
The purpose of this study is therefore to inestigate the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town# At the centre of the study is
the need for effectie interpersonal and intercultural communication within the industry, and
hence good staff and departmental relationships# This is an important issue at the current
time because the nature of the hotel business is changing with internationalisation and guest
demographics, and the technology of communication is changing )for e!ample the Internet,
cell phones, and hotel management information systems+ and thereby creates both problems
and opportunities#
1-A M#i! 'bBe*ti+es3 $ese#$*h (uesti'!s #! #ssum"ti'!s
The main objectie of this study is to determine the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in large hotels within Cape Town, as well as to understand how internal
communication can add real alue to the hospitality industry# In this way, the study will
determine the steps that can be taken by hotel managements to ensure that internal
communications contribute to guest satisfaction#
In setting about this main objectie, a range of issues had to be addressed# $or e!ample,
the way in which the internal communication can be measured, the way the "uality of guest
satisfaction can be measured, and the relationship between internal communication and
guest satisfaction#
1.3.1 #esearch $uestions
There are four principal research "uestions;
• (hat is the nature of internal communicationF
• (hat is the measurement of the "uality of internal communicationF
• (hat is the nature and measurement of "uality of guest satisfactionF
• (hat is the relationship between internal communication and guest satisfactionF
1.3.2 %ssumptions
This study makes two significant assumptions;
• That the nature and "uality of internal communication can be established by sureys of
hotel management )at different leels+#
• That the nature and "uality of guest satisfaction can be established by analysis of
olume guest opinions registered on public web sites )where the data contained therein
is alidated as to its source and intention+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A
-ost workers can e!ercise far more creatiity, responsibility and self&control than the job
re"uires# Therefore it is the responsibility of eery manager to learn how to make the best
use of employee skills, in order to perform the job in the best way and to oercome the high
leels of hospitality,s business competition in the =/st century# It is therefore implicit in the
study that hotel managements do in fact strie to delier guest satisfaction and that hotel
staff are willing to assist them through their best efforts#
As will be e!plained, the web was chosen as a source of information about guest satisfaction
because hotels were not willing to allow sureys at or near their premises, and the guest
satisfaction cards filled in within the hotels are not reliable, because of manipulation of the
data#
1-; De%imit#ti'!s '& the stuy
The study is limited to internal communication among hospitality staff from junior to senior
management within ten selected hotels in Cape Town, and to the opinions of guests who
hae stayed in those hotels# The ten hotels are all four and fie star graded, and should
therefore hae a clear intention to delier guest satisfaction# They were randomly selected
from about =0 such hotels operating in Cape Town#
In order to collect "uantitatie information, a "uestionnaire was distributed to selected junior,
middle and senior managers, indiidually# Dualitatie information was gathered from guest,s
comments about serice they receied in Cape Town as found in guest reiews on reputable
web sites# The potential to generalise the results of this study might therefore be limited to
higher "uality hotels in the Cape Town region, and to guests who are responsie to the
e!tent that they are willing to lodge their opinions on public web sites#
1-C Pu$"'se #! si)!i&i*#!*e '& the stuy
The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of internal communication on guest
satisfaction in hospitality establishments within Cape Town# Presently, hotels focus on a high
rate of income# Income is dependent on management performance and "uality of serices#
Serice is a tool which generates this income# It can be argued that internal communication
is a ehicle to delier an effectie serice )-otlatla, =000;=>1+, and that is to be tested within
this study#
The hospitality industry will benefit from this study since the results can be used to inform
staff training, in order to delier a better and more effectie serice to guests# If it is true that
good internal communications improes guest satisfaction in any way, then hotels with
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B
effectie internal communication capability will achiee higher leels of guest satisfaction,
which in turn will increase business turnoer#
1-D Summ#$y #! $ese#$*h '+e$+ie.
This chapter introduced the background of the research, which concerns internal
communication within hospitality establishments and its impact on guest satisfactionG it then
introduced the aims and objecties of the study and briefly indicated its scope, limitations and
benefits#
• Chapter = will reiew preious work and studies done in the field of internal
communication and guest satisfaction in the hotel industry, as well as the deelopment
of serice "uality management and issues of guest satisfaction#
• Chapter ? will e!plain the methods used when doing the research; the design of the
interiews, "uestionnaires and web en"uiries that obtained the information needed in
the study#
• Chapter 1 presents the findings according to the principal sources used )"uestionnaire,
interiew and web search+
• Chapter 2 discusses of the results of the research and works towards the conclusions
that arise from the work#
• Chapter > summarises the results of the research and makes recommendations for
hotel managers, benefit#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /0
CHAPTER /, LITERATURE RE6IEW
/-1 A""$'#*h t' the %ite$#tu$e $e+ie.
The objecties of the study guided the literature reiew, being concerned with the role that
internal communication plays in guest satisfaction, the nature and measurement of the
"uality of internal communication, and the nature and measurement of the "uality of guest
satisfaction#
This literature reiew focuses on eidence of the importance of internal communication, as a
strategy that hotel organisations could utilise in order to attract and fulfil the e!pectations of
guests# It also looks at issues concerning the organisation of the managers and workers who
might implement that strategy, so as to manage demand for, and the supply of, guest
serices#
A range of sources and search terms were used, as summarised in the table below;
T#b%e 1, S'u$*es &'$ the %ite$#tu$e $e+ie.
'atabases used Search terms used
:BSC<6<ST; Academic Search Premier )=00A+
SCI:7C: 'I9:CT; :!panded Academic Search
)/BB0&=00A+
SCI9%S )/BB2&=00B+
Business H -anagement Practices; 4A.: &=00A
:-:9A.'
4<<4.: SC6<.A9
Pro"uest internal Communications
Tripadisor#Com
Internal communication
:!ternal communication
4uest satisfaction
9elation between serice H internal
communication
Cape Town hospitality serice
69 management in hospitality industry
The better hospitality serice
Importance of internal communication
4uest reiews
Both 3internal communication5 and 3guest satisfaction5 are well represented in the literature,
and what is presented here is only a small selection of the sources that could hae been
"uoted#
/-/ The $'%e '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! i! h'te%s
In the hospitality industry, where serice leels are of critical importance, internal
communication structures are said to play an important role# According to 6ubeli )=00>;1+,
internal communications are part of the serice package that both business and tourism hae
come to alue as an e!pertise field# <thers argue that the success of serice hospitality
depends upon the effectieness of staffs in managing their interpersonal relations with
guests#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page //
2.2.1 The management role
-anagement,s primary focus should be on communicatie aspects of the serice encounter,
where internal communication can influence serice satisfaction )Callan et al /BB=;=/2+# All
note that it is important in the serice industry to establish and build relationships with guests#
This is crucial where there are no tangible goods e!changed and transactions are based on
personal relations#
In order to achiee a truly internal communicating organisation, (olin )/BB1;=1+ beliees
that it is important to correlate e!ternal communication functions with effectie use of internal
communication channels# Internal channels are mostly perceied to be such elements as a
weekly or monthly employee,s newsletter, which proides in&house opportunities which
recognise and reward good work#
:!ternal and internal communications issues can of course be separated# Brownell
)/BB0;/B/+ has stated that internationalisation of the hospitality workforce and rapid changes
in guest demands hae necessitated effectie internal communication skills within the
management of the organisation# Also, as the workplace becomes increasingly automated,
clear and timely internal communication becomes italG as the workforce become more
dierse, the need to understand and respond appropriately to human dimensions becomes a
key management task )Eoung and Smith, /BAA;/=+#
:!ternally, in a competitie market place, effectie management depends on effectie
internal communicationG a business of leading and managing is accomplished largely through
internal communication actiities )Brownell, /BB=;//=+#
2.2.2 The interface &ith guests
At the interface between the hotel and its guests, a common problem is that staff may gather
into arious ethnic groups# 9ather than creating a conergent orientation, serice staff may
resort to 3foreigner talk5 and, as a result, contribute to unsatisfactory host&guest encounters
)Sparks and Callan, /BB=;==/+#
The interface with the guest is clearly critical# According to 'awson )=002;/A/+, in his reiew
of professional hotel serice, information that is customised for a specific guest can be
structured in a way that makes it usable in formulation action plans#
2.2.3 Staff communication internally
(ith regard to hospitality enironments, Brownell )/BB1;@+ argued the alue of internal
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /=
communication among staffs; hospitality managers should take responsibility to ensure that
employees feel free to e!change information in a timely and accurate manner, and they
should be encouraged to reward employees, behaiours that promote healthy internal
communication relationships both within and outside of the organisation #
Staying with management tasks, as well as staff when communicating, 6artley and
Bruckmann )=00=;/=0+ hae described the issue of 3line structure5, which is based on the
idea that at each leel, people control and administer the work of a group in the leel below
them# $urthermore, they state some adantages and disadantages of such structures,, as
outlined below#
A+#!t#)es; It clearly sets out lines of administratie responsibilityG you know what you
hae to do and who you report to, and all leels of the organisation can be informed about
matters that are releant to their area#
Dis#+#!t#)es; It leads to e!cessiely long lines of internal communication )for e!ample,
when messages should be sent across the organisation +G people at higher leels can easily
be oerloaded with information, and it can lead to compartmentalisation or diision of
information#
In terms of firmKs and employeesK relationships 'awson )=002;=11+ proposes that building an
effectie internal communication and collaboration between employees is at the heart of
deeloping powerful knowledge within a team# 6oweer, it is important to recognise that
eeryone is implicitly part of a team that deals with the deliery of serice# 6ow they
communicate internally )or fail to do so effectiely+ will be central to how one is able to
engage with them and create alue#
2.2.4 Getting the message out
Internal communication can be used as a marketing tool by serice employees, when it
relates to e!ternal guests )(irt*, =001;/=2+# Internal communication from senior managers to
their employees plays a ital role in maintaining and nurturing a company,s culture and
proiding alue# In a serice setting, internal communication tools for marketing are
especially important because they help to create powerful images and a sense of credibility,
confidence, and reassurance# According to Iimmel )=002;/B?+, there is an array of
strategies )tools+ for marketing and his research emphasised word&of&month as a first
marketing medium# By word&of&month, Iimmel means positie or negatie communication
about products, serices, and ideals ia the personal internal communications of personnel
who hae no commercial ested interest in making that recommendation# It typically takes
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /?
place among friends, ac"uaintances, e!perts, trusted adisers, and occurs among strangers#
According to (irt* )=001;/?A+ 3adertisement5 is the most dominant form of internal&to&
e!ternal communication# An adertisement stands as a contact between serice marketers
and their guests, sering to build awareness, inform, persuade, and remind# Adertising
plays a ital role in proiding factual information about serices and educating guests about
product features and capability#
(hen an employee shares information with others, there should be a positie impact on
guest satisfaction, as well as on indiidual work behaiours, recognition, and superision
)Cumming, .ong and .ewis, /BA?; =@/+# This point of iew relates to the coalition of workers#
According to Bruckmann )=00=;?//+, the success of an organisation can depend on leels of
the team that it employs, and positie working teams encourage fle!ibility, inolement and
efficiency# $urthermore, maintaining employee relationships is important to deeloping good
internal communication skills, which result in enhancing self&esteem, proiding employees
with positie support and more satisfaction for the guests they sere )'odd, =001; >1+#
The formation of relationship teams should attract significant attention as the right team will
enable effectie knowledgeLbased relationships )'awson, =002;=1A+# This re"uires rich and
dynamic interaction between the hotel team )management and workers+, and depends on
how well indiiduals interact and understand each other# :ffectie internal communication is
at the heart of relationships within a team, which will be able to achiee its key objecties of
consistent guest internal communication, deeper guest knowledge and well managed guest
relationships only when the team talks effectiely within itself# In order to support hotel staff
in selling the hotel and its serices to guests, it is important to use appropriate merchandising
materials, made aailable across the different departments or serice areas# In support of
this, managers hae a responsibility to instruct employees properly and to supply what is
necessary for staff to fulfil their serice and selling obligations#
4ilmore )=00?;/1A+ considers that employee performance and attitude play an important role
in selling serices, but it is difficult for an employee to sell with inappropriate attitudes and
without support# 6ence, one of the first tasks of management is to market the hospitality
operation and the role that employees play in it, and share the marketing messages with
those employess# <n the employee,s side, personal selling by staff can be encouraged
through good internal communication from manager and superisor, by using practical
internal marketing messages, and by ensuring that employees are friendly, hospitable, and
strie to delier guest satisfaction# 6ence we again hae the notion that there is an internal
marketing and selling function to perform# This entails each department selling other
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /1
departments effectiely, thereby communicating the whole range of hotel serices not just
their own# It will only be effectie when an employee sells not only what is offered in their
own area but also the products and serices proided in other departments, and encourage
guests to enjoy the complete 3package5# This re"uires employees to know about and hae
some e!perience of all departments# -erchandising with brochures, leaflets, fliers and
signage will help employees promote and e!plain all serices to guests as one# 6oweer
success will still depend upon the commitment of both staff and management, as such
material as this needs to be kept up&to&date and releant, and must be used as part of the
oerall strategy to sere guests what they want while offering as much choice as possible
)4ilmore, =00?;/1A+#
/-A The "$'s"e*ts &'$ the C#"e T'.! h's"it#%ity i!ust$y
According to the C:< of Pam 4olding 6ospitality )a specialised hospitality diision within the
Pam 4olding Property group+ the outlook for the South African hospitality industry remains
positie and considerably brighter when iewed against the backdrop of somewhat sobering
global trends, )'emes; =00B+# South AfricaKs hospitality industry is proing ery resilient
amid the global economic downturn# The country is less dependent on the oerseas market
as much of its business is generated from within South AfricaKs own domestic market, and its
neighbouring Southern African countries
According to Smith Trael 9esearchKs global hotel benchmark surey )ST9, =00B+ the SA
hotel industry in =00B as a whole achieed a 1M increase in reenue per aailable room
when compared to Nune =00A# The figure means that the effectie room reenue or turnoer
for an aerage hotel across the country has actually increased by 1M despite the fact that
the number of rooms in South Africa is increasing due to the opening of new hotels and
lodges as well as the launch of new BHBKs and guesthouses# A further positie aspect is that
this in turn creates new employment opportunities# 'emes says )contrary to negatie
comments recently published regarding hotels in Cape Town+ that the well branded hotels in
South Africa and in Cape Town remain in good shape, unlike those in many other cities and
countries in the world# It must be born in mind that een when Cape Town is in the middle of
its low season, which in any other city in the world routinely prompts special rates being
offered, there has been no indication of a Kprice warK#
/-; I!&'$m#ti'! te*h!'%')y i! the h's"it#%ity i!ust$y
9ecent and ongoing changes in technology hae led to the emergence of new serice
standards and strategies# The hotel industry in particular has yet to fully embrace this change
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /2
to become more efficient and effectie in deliering serice with the assistance of new
technologies )Chathoth, =00>;=+#
According to 7ikolis )=00A;/+ in her e!perience working as a manager in hotels and resorts,
hotels were largely working to keep in touch with old and current guests using cards and
paperwork L especially at the front desk# These 3old&fashioned5 methods are long since
passO in most industries, and since the mid&to&late =0th century, information technology has
offered e!tensie and reliable facilitation within the hospitality workplace# $or e!ample,
information technology became important in dealing with billing and inoicing, because old&
fashioned paper&based book&keeping is time consuming and inefficient, and is not able to
"uickly inform a hotel owner about their hotelKs performance and achieement#
9ecent research shows that there has been a massie increase in the application of new
technologies in almost eery aspect of hotel operations and management ).ee, Barker H
Iandampully, =00?;2+# Technology has traditionally been iewed as the key to productiity in
manufacturing industries and in recent years it has helped serice firms to innoate their
serice offerings and add alue internally and for e!ternal customers# -ost importantly,
information technology can assist with internal communication and distribution of information
across arious departments of a hotel, and between different leels of staff ).ee, Barker H
Iandampully =00?;2+# The collection, analysis, and storage of readily accessible information
has become a powerful tool that presents junior members of staff in a hotel with an
opportunity to assume responsibility for making on&the&spot decisions without the need to
consult senior management# Such applications allow for faster and better decision&making
throughout the organisation )'urocher and 7iman, /BB?;1+#
9iley )=00/;A>+ states that 3good internal communication is a good thing5 L something that is
hard to disagree with# But the process of internal communication is, to some e!tent,
determined by the organisational structure )(ood, /BB1;B/+G e!cellence in guest relations is
most often rooted in a company,s superior internal relations# In more progressie and
successful companies, top leel managers are carefully trained to be responsie and
accessible to employees )Bischoff, /BAB;/=1+# According to 6ai&yan and Baum )=00>; 20B+
skills and "uality of staff are among the most important factors in underpinning competitie
success of hotel business# Skilled staff will communicate well, and ensure that organisational
structures are appropriate# In order to upgrade guest serice Bischoff )/BAB;/=1+ urges
marketers to understand that improing guest serice re"uires long&term formal structures for
internal communication, which allow continuous ealuation of serice performance# In order
to create a long&term improement program, it is important to first assess the current
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page />
situation, know where to start from, set a clear course, and measure current progress as well
as surey guest satisfaction with present serice leels#
Information technology assists in the sharing of information between different units and
departments as well as within different leel of staffs, Prideau!, -oscardo, and .aws
)=00>;B@+# 6ence we find that a range of internal actiities within hotel firms can effectiely
use information technology that proides instant access to information, and motiates and
stimulates hotel employees to embrace empowerment and delier a higher leel of serice
through its use#
/-C :u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!
:ffectie internal communication will assist the deelopment of self&directed or self&managed
work teams# Self&directed teams proide a e!cellent opportunity for integrating the thinking,
methods and tools of the "uality moement into eeryday work since the whole task
)comprised of independent actiities+ is taken into account, rather than just the indiidualKs
jobs in isolation )Smith, /BBA;1+#
6oweer, internal communication may be seen in bad way# According to $letcher )/BBB;?+
poor internal communication might lead to complaints that workersK participation and
contribution are not alued by top management, leading to an unsatisfactory climate among
employees# To oercome the situation, $letcher proides some methods called 3step
changes5 of internal communication improement# This method is to surey employees and
use modern statistical techni"ues to analy*e surey responsesG when management
understand e!actly which factors will make the biggest difference to oerall internal
communication satisfactory among employees, they can concentrate their efforts to them,
that can add alue to the business and to the internal communication itself#
:ffectie internal communication with internal stakeholders, whether they are employees or
management, can deelop a cohesie culture, where eeryone is focussed on the same goal
and has the same objecties# By working within a cohesie culture, stakeholders can work
together and collaborate more effectiely, resulting in the following specific benefits;
employees can make more decisions themseles since they hae the tools and knowledge to
know the PrightP decisions in line with the organisation,s goalsG staff can identify better with
the goals, missions and procedures of the organisation, which can result in a sense of
Pmaking a differenceP and increase effort and efficiencyG programmes and departments
share more resources and information resulting in less duplication of work and stronger
impact as a whole organisationG day&to&day conflict can be reduced since a lot of conflict is
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /@
the result of conflicting ideas on what is important to the organisation #
According to Antonis )=002;/B?+, internal communication should play different roles within an
organisation# 6uman resources want internal communication to play a leading role in change
management, organisation deelopment initiaties and defining the culture of organisation#
Internal communication plays a role in staff motiation, building of staff moraleG it assists in
linking the different directorates and helping to improe interaction and collaboration between
units in order to improe operational deliery and productiity# Therefore, effectie internal
communication will assist in strengthening a team work actiity )$letcher, /BBB;?+, and
ineffectie internal communication will seriously hamper the work of an organisation#
(hen employees are inoled in internal communication processes, and properly
understand internal communication ehicles and channels, then internal communication
become much more effectie )(illard, =00A;/+# According to 6orwath )an accounting
company+, in their 36otel Performance Confidence Indicator5 research in the (estern Cape,
they establish the leel of hotel serice confidence by considering internal communicationG
room serice, location, alues, cleanliness and serice performance are the aspects
identified by guests when ealuating the hotel serice proision )Bramwell =00B+#
6ence, it is clear that "uality in internal communications is a key component in an
organisation,s employee engagement strategyG it is about the transfer of meaning or
understanding, not just about moing information around )Cerghese, =00@+#
The paragraphs that follow summarise other factors )eident from the literature+ that might
affect "uality in internal communications#
2.'.1 Hospitality language
Blue and 6arun )=00?;@2+ talk of 3:nglish for <ccupational Purposes5, and suggest that the
term 5hospitality language5 can be iewed as a reference to special aspects of language in
the conte!t of the hospitality industry# (hether in :nglish or in another language, there is an
identifiable cluster of language skills, which staff dealing with hotel guests should ac"uire#
These skills include how to address a person, solicit and gie necessary information,
respond to "uestions, use prompts, use gestures, deal with difficult guests, and appease
complainants#
'ifferent conte!ts of internal communication practices )Nameson, =00/;/=?+ are referred to
as 3proocatie concepts, and will screen effectie management practices in the future#
Secondly, this means that internal communication is a high&leerage actiity# It is, therefore,
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /A
among the most potent tools to improe organisational effectieness and to implement ideas
that are gained from applied hospitality research#
2.'.2 The nature of communication in organisations
Communication management, according to Cos H Schoemaker )=001;=?+ can be see as a
circle of input, transformation and output L into, through and out of an organisation# $igure /
below shows how they term input as 3concern communication5, throughput as 3internal
communication5 and output as 3marketing communication5;
Fi)u$e /, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! m#!#)eme!t m'e%
?S'u$*e, 6's E S*h'em#>e$3 /00;,/A@
(hat they do not show is the way that the e!ternal world receies and then returns the
messages that they receie )that is represented simplistically by the bottom arrow+, but it
does make clear a 3systems5 iew of how information describes the components of input,
throughput and output so that the operation of the organisation can be facilitated and
managed# At all points in an organisation decisions hae to be taken, and if they are
3informed5 decisions then we can see the organisation as a knowledgable one# In this sense,
(ood )/BB1;/>A+ states that to succeed in an organisation, managers should be able to
apply knowledge, through a ariety of internal communication practices#
In the hospitality industry, where serice leels are of critical importance, internal
communication plays an important role# As Callan found, the success of serice hospitality
depends "uite considerably on the effectieness of staff to manage their interpersonal
relations with guests# -anagement,s primary focus is on internal communication aspects of
the serice encounter, where internal communication can influence serice satisfaction
)Callan, et al#/BB=;=/2+# 7ote that it is important in the serice industry to establish and build
relationships with guests# This is crucial where there are no tangible goods to be e!changed
and the transaction is based on personal relationships#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /B
In order to achiee a truly communicating organisation , (olin )/BB1;/B+ argues that it is
important to correlate e!ternal communication functions with the effectie use of internal
communication channels such as weekly or monthly employee newsletters, which proide in
house&opportunities to recognise and reward good work# (heelhouse )/BAB+ and Petcharak
)=00=+ defined many rather more abstract kinds of internal communication, such as
downward internal communication, upward internal communication, and lateral internal
communication#
• D'.!.#$ i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; 'ownward internal communication is occurs
from higher leels in an organisation to lower leels# It is mostly of an informatie or
directie nature# Internal communication from managers to subordinates is an e!ample
of downward internal communication# The other channels of downward internal
communication used by managers are policy manuals, employee handbooks,
newsletters, maga*ines, memoranda, annual reports, posters and bulletin boards#
:ach item should hae a specific purpose and be written clearly#
• U".#$ i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; According to Cheng )/BB2;/2+ upward internal
communication is the internal communication that comes from the lower leel to the top
leel, such as from the employees to the managers# 6e regards it as the most
important# :!amples of upward internal communication include the suggestion bo!,
employee satisfaction sureys, open&door policies, management&employee meetings,
and e!it interiews# -anagers should accept new ideas, een the offbeat ones, without
anger# They should encourage more frankness from their employees and make
themseles more accessible#
• L#te$#% i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; .ateral internal communication is the interchange of
information and ideas among all sectors of an organisation, or people, at the same
leel# :ffectie lateral internal communication is an essential element of teamwork#
(ithout this interchange, the structure of the organisation would be no different from an
office building and all employees working independently# %sually, a hospitality
organisation is a group of people working together for the most satisfaction of guests#
'odd )=001;1+, in his study regarding internal communication, reminds us that personal skills
include self&confidence, motiation and persuasieness, which are necessary to make ideas
clear, show sensitiity to cultural diersity, deal with conflict management, team building and
leadership, and oercome internal communication an!iety# At the same leel, Callan
)/BB=;=/?+ emphasises that L more than in most other industries L the hospitality industry
relies heaily on the people skills of serice proiders# 6ence, effectie internal
communication in organisations inoles 3face&to&face communication5# 4ross )=001;>=+ in
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =0
her internal communication study asserts that arious internal communication methods may
be used, but insists that the use of face&to&face interaction is necessary to create real inter&
personal relationships where other media such as audio, print and email do not of
themseles encourage the deelopment of personal and people skills#
.ockwood, in his research, found that managing "uality is a difficult and comple! problem in
the hospitality industry because guest satisfaction depends on a high leel of interaction
between staff and guests# 6is e!perience in the hospitality industry shows that it is necessary
for eery employee to delier a high standard of serice in each and eery corner of an
establishment and in order to achiee and maintain a good image within its target market
).ockwood, /BB2;?+# <ther research confirms that people are the key to both creating and
sustaining an organisationJs "uality of serice )Peters and Austin, /BB1;BAG -oscardo, and
.aws, =00>;B@+# %nderstanding a guest,s perception of serice alue is increasingly
recognised as central to an organisation,s continued successG whateer the actual leel of
serice, it is what the guest thinks that is most importantG what a guest thinks is greatly
influenced by what they hear from employees within the hotel#
2.'.3 Internal communication &ea(nesses
As well as the good things that need to be done to delier good serice, the literature reeals
typical problems as well#
(ood )/BB1;1B+ considers that hospitality and catering organisations hae socio&technical
problems that inhibit successG he finds that hospitality organisations do not deelop internal
labour markets whereby skills can be deeloped through internal promotion and upgrading#
Communications skills need to be a major consideration in promotion of staff# In any
organisation it is important to train employees and managers, about internal communication
skills so that they can communicate effectiely )(olin, /BB1;/B@+# Supportie relations are
intended to enhance self&esteem and ego building, which contributes to subordinates, sense
of personal worth and independence and they maintain their sense of significance and
dignity )-ullins, /BB?;/=/+# As already noted, Blue and 6arun )=00=;/+ suggest that
3hospitality language5, whether in :nglish or another language, is a skill that hotel staff need#
(olin )/BB1;/B@+ argues for an internal 3communication committee5 that can deelop an
internal communication plan that can address problems, identify any needed changes, and
encourage the proper use of internal and e!ternal internal communication channels#
According to Bischoff )/BAB;/=1+, in his study of good guest serice, he states that
companies often set out to upgrade guest serices only to end up applying short&term )and
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =/
ultimately ineffectie+ 3band&aid5 changes# -arketers should understand that the process of
improing guest serice should be one that establishes a longLterm, formal structure for
internal communication which allows continuous ealuation of serice performance#
$urthermore, in order to create a long&term improement program, it is first necessary to
assess one,s current situation# <ne should know where one begins in order to set a clear
course which measures progress#
It has been argued that the concept of internal communication re"uires a strategy that will
e"uip employees with techni"ues, tools, and tactics to deelop a solid internal
communication strategy for the company and to drie it throughout the organisation # The
power of internal communication had been oerlooked in the past, howeer, modern top
e!ecuties hae come to realise that the effects of a well&deeloped and well&e!ecuted
internal communication culture cannot be ignored ):ans, /BBB+# The way in which
managers approach their jobs and behaiours that they display towards subordinates, is
likely to be coordinated by predisposition about people, human nature and work )-ullins,
/BB?;//>+#
'ifferent elements can interfere with internal communication and can lead to poor serice#
Boyat*is and Taylor )=00=;/2A+ hae stated that when managers look at employees, and
immediately realise that they hae had a bad day or that cultural differences were
responsible for someone,s reluctance to speak up, then the manager should use 3emotional
intelligence5 )their ability manage their own and other peopleKs emotions+ in dealing with the
situation# This personal judgment is always a factor that influences internal communication
outcomes# According to Tesone, )=002;/>1+, the practice of management inoles
accomplishing the objecties of the organisation, which can be achieed through actiities of
others# Thus, an ability to communicate effectiely is crucial to the success of managers#
People communicate at work for a ariety of reasons by means of a spoken word, written
word, non&erbal internal communication, numbers, drawings and graphics, and by using a
range of media including the telephone, face&to&face meetings, ideo&conferencing, e mail,
letters and memos )Taylor, =00/; >+# .eadership is dynamic and interactie, and is
concerned with the business of shared alues and ision, clear and motiational language
and appropriate internal communication strategies )Brownell, /BB=;///+# $urthermore,
hospitality managers who emerge as leaders in =/st century are likely to be men and women
who deal effectiely with multi&cultural workforce, who present their ideas clearly, and who
are able to mobilise others around common goals# Their competence and sensitiity will
ultimately be effectie for a large number of employees, traellers and guests worldwide#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ==
Those who can not do this L the majorityF & will neer become leaders#
(hen internal communication fails to achiee its objecties, barriers hae surfaced between
sender and receier# Perhaps it is because of bias on the part of one or emotion on the part
of the other, or perhaps the distractions hae impinged on both parties )Sigband H Bell,
/BB1;//+# <n the side of hospitality internal communication management, Sigband and Bell
state that one must be able to identify barriers to successful internal communication in order
to oercome them# They identified two kinds of barrier, namely nonerbal barriers, for
e!ample, when a speaker,s gestures or facial e!pressions contradict the apparent meaning
of the messageG and erbal barriers, for e!ample when one uses a word cautiously, the
intended meaning may not be the meaning that the listener receies#
Se!e$ b#$$ie$s;
& Power plays
& Stress
E!+i$'!me!t#%
b#$$ie$s;
& 7oise
& 'istance
Re*ei+e$ b#$$ie$s;
& 3I was not told5
& 3It,s not my fault5
& Bias and prejudice
& 4uit and shame
Re#*ti'!;
& 9efusal to comply
& Conflict
& 9etaliation
Mess#)e
QRSM5
Fi)u$e A, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! b#$$ie$s ?b#se '! A(ui!' #! Cie%e!s @
As shown in $igure =, according to A"uino and Cielens )/BBB;//+ there are many barriers
that affect communication, for e!ample just distance between two people is an
understandable barrier if they work in different physical places# 6oweer a greater distance
sometimes separates indiiduals who work in the same building but where there are
differences in rank, status, or the amount of power that each hold in the system# The greater
the e!tent of these circumstantial differences, the less people tend to communicate#
$urthermore, they screened other internal communication barriers, namely a breakdown in
understanding )ariation of meaning+, internal communication chains )message from A to B,
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =?
from B to C and from C to '+, denial barriers )not wanting to hear or blocking the message+,
guilt, shame or stress )arising in difficult conditions or during emotional stress+, fear of
change and anger#
.ack of fundamental knowledge, according to Sigband and Bell )/BB1;/2+, can be classified
as another barrier to clear internal communication of ideas# 6ow can one intelligently discuss
a problem with those who do not hae a background to understand the intended messageF
-oreoer, the same researcher identified other barriers such as; responsibilities of those
inoled in internal communication, appearance of communicators or the instruments used to
communicate, distractions such as noise punch, presses, inade"uate illumination, hissing
entilation, and so on, poor organisation of ideas and poor listening, which are classified as
the most serious barriers to the internal communication of ideas# Therefore one of the main
barriers hampering the deelopment of "uality serice has seen as a lack of top
management capable of seeing, understanding and dealing with these things )$letcher
/BBB;?+# If the whole organisation is not working together to encourage "uality as a team, the
effort will be in ain# (hen top management has proen its commitments, it will flow through
the organisation and become part of the make&up of each employee in organisation #
Nones and 4eorge )=00?;?+ see two important aspects to be managed; the internal influence
of co&workers )information transmitted through co&workers, ia interaction or obseration,
may reflect organisational realities more accurately+ and the organisation,s culture )the
alues, norms, standards of behaiour, and common e!pectations that send messages to
members about what goals they should pursue and how they should behae to reach those
goals+#
2.'.4 )liminating potential arriers of internal communication
So it can be seen that that seeral factors can lead to the breakdown of internal
communication# Scheepers and Nattiem )=00=;/@+ also refer to these factors as 3barriers5# In
their iew, these barriers may originate with the sender )speaking too fast+, a medium )a
different language+, channels )a crackling telephone+, or the receier )not listening carefully+#
$or seeral reasons, co&workers respond to one another based not only on perceptions of
indiidual competence, but in terms of their arious identities and group memberships )'odd,
=001;/1A+# This perception of differences is what can inhibit the process of intercultural
internal communicationG hence itKs management is critical if one is to maintain harmony#
(hen you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself
doesnKt contain meaning# The meaning e!ists in your mind and may not be the same as
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =1
comes to the mind of the receier# In order to oercome barriers between communicators,
6ahn )=002+ reminds us of what we should always remember; that to understand one
another, the sender and the receier must share similar meanings for words, gestures, tone
of oice, and other symbols#
2.'.' *ultural "ariety and discrimination
According to 'odd )=001;/1?+, stereotypes comprise a set mental picture of a particular
group, and arbitrarily attributing the traits of that group to someone who belongs to it is based
on incomplete information and limited e!posure to members of that group# This can lead to
errors in judgment and internal communication# Scheepers and Nattiem )=00=+, in their
description of psychological, perceptual and social barriers of internal communication,
e!pressed that feelings, perceptions religion, age, gender, and education, may cause
breakdowns in internal communication#
<rganisations hae to represent or reflect the global society we lie in, which is increasingly
multi&cultural and dierse because of the limitless boundaries of modern radio, teleision,
and media communications# This often leads to poor inter&personal communications because
of a simple lack of cultural understanding of the way others actually work and think )-edley
=0/0+# The failure to understand other peoplesK backgrounds was said to be one e!ample of
poor internal communication, arising from a lack of mutual, cultural understanding#
.anguage is culturally embeddedG those who speak other languages are priileged to hae
insight into other cultures, howeer understanding other cultures can only be accomplished if
sincere efforts are made to literally speak their language )9ice, =002;21+#
(hen meeting people from other cultures, the chances are that both may consider the other
to be 3ab&normal3 or 3alien5# Intercultural research shows that prejudice and stereotyping
often result because of how difference is perceied and alued )6all, /BB0;A>+#
According to 9ice )=002;2>+ cultural diersity in a workforce increases the probability that
some people may become angry and annoyed with different behaiours from different people
with whom they work# 6e reealed further challenges that face twenty&first century managers
based on studies of cognitie style, diersity and its effects on organisational internal
communication# Correspondence by e&mail can increase rapport )by putting a safe distance
between sender and recipient, and inoking a more careful and formalised style of
communication+ but of course it lacks the richness of face&to&face communication and when
the formality gies way to a style that offends one party, then it can become highly
acrimonious )or worse+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =2
To deal with language and culture in the conte!t of South Africa, human resource managers
hae to work for effectie diersity management in the workplace# %ndoubtedly, good
leadership that recognises this in hospitality and tourism companies plays an important role#
It is acknowledged that the South African situation is uni"ue and that it een differs from one
part of the country to another )Tshikwatamba, =00?;=+# Case studies by Prime )/BB>;1+
showed the compelling need for South African companies to build a new corporate identity
grounded on the integration of the dierse cultural forces# To sustain a successful cross&
cultural management process the search for a combination of :uropean, Asian and African
worlds must be suggested# This could be deeloped through common social actiities inside
the workplace )in small group units with a thick network of informal relationships, trust and
intimacy+, or outside the workplace )in sponsored leisure and sports actiities+#
The ision of an organisation comes from management, and so the deelopment of good
internal communication can be regarded as a key managerial function# As such, in a
multilingual conte!t recognising this is a necessary minimum# Then, training people in
literacy, linguistic skills, cross&cultural internal communication skills, must follow#
According to 'oorley and Carcia, )=00@;/B>+ diersity is presently a bu**word, but it is a
good step for businesses to embrace diersity# It means that eeryone should respect people
who may look, speak and think in a different way# Tesone )=002;@1+, using American culture
as an e!ample )it is influenced by many different races, ethnic background, community and
global regions+ notes the multiple influences and considers that this makes the American
culture heterogeneous in nature# The hospitality industry is also heterogeneous and, for this
reason, indiiduals in this industry should learn to disregard culture differences and embrace
cultural similarities, which mean enrolling in cultural diersity training programs#
Problems with diersity in internal communication brings weaknesses among workers# They
do not workG they do not succeed and can een cause productiity to decrease# Thus one
should obtain a handle on diersity in internal communication )Argueta, =00>+# The fact is
that workforce demographics change# $or e!ample if one,s workforce is composed of men,
women, people of colour, or immigrants, one should learn how to profit from thisG drie
change from the top before throwing money away on programmes, seminars, workshops,
training, speakers, newsletters, websites, consultants, and so on )Argueta, =00>+#
According to Brian )=00>+ diersity management inoles transformation of oneKs own self as
well as the team# To manage and deelop a dierse team one needs to deelop and
understand dependency, independency and inter&dependencyG understanding the needs of
others to surie and to succeed and obsering again oneKs own positie or negatie actions#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =>
It is true that the "uality of life that we lead, the clothes that we wear, the humanity that we
e!ude, the food on our table, the education of our family depends on the "uality of our
relationships within and outside of the workplace# (hen seen in this conte!t we begin to
understand that there is a ital need for teamwork for us all to succeed# And the more dierse
the backgrounds, skills and talents of the team, the more we win# In other studies on diersity
management, it was concluded that informed management is essential, and that the effectie
management of diersity remains a challenge for many hospitality managers and their
organisations )6ughes, /BBB;?B>+#
The widespread concern oer standards of serice "uality in the tourism and hospitality
sector may encourage more employer interest in managing diersity# After all, the ery
nature of the modern hotel industry comes from the dierse nature of its offerings, and
diersity in the workforce should not just be accepted, it should be encouraged )-a!well et
al#, =000;=1+# As society becomes eer more dierse, the challenge of responding to cultural
diersity in the hotel industry will heighten because the ery serice that is offered is a social
e!perience L culturally relatie and culturally defined )Christensen, /BB?;??+# It is not just
about the workforce L a dierse guest base means that successful management of diersity
not only addresses internal problems but also proides guests with a "uality serice
e!perience that meets their e!pectations )7ykiel, /BB@;1+#
/-D U!e$st#!i!) )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
In the /BB0s, the hospitality industry seemed increasingly to be acknowledging that "uality
was really about satisfying the needs and e!pectations of guests ).ockwood#/BB2;?+# In this
case, 3"uality5 must take account of the predominance of guest re"uirements#
2.+.1 Ser"ice e,cellence
According to 'ickson, $ord, and %pchurch )=00>;?+ serice e!cellence, should be the
mission of the hospitality industry, so that employees should deelop an understanding of
what the factors are that lead to serice e!cellence and how they can be aligned# Alignment
is the idea of deeloping and making consistent the arious cues that managers use to
communicate to employees what is important and what is not, what has alue to the hotel
and what does not, and what they should do for their guests and what they should not# (hen
these cues are aligned they send a powerful message to guide each employee as to what
the hotelKs commitment to e!cellent guest serice means in eery encounter with eery
guest# -anaging "uality is a difficult and comple! problem in the hospitality industry, it also
needs to counter the problems of guest satisfaction through the high leel of interaction
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =@
between staff and guests ).ockwood#/BB2;?+#
2.+.2 The gap model
If the performance of a serice does not lie up to the standard which the guest was led to
e!pect, it will result in a perception of poor serice "uality from the guest,s perspectie# It is
the gap between a guestKs e!pectations, and their perceptions of what was receied, that is
the most important gap to manage in deliering serice "uality# Interestingly, research
conducted by Parasuraman et al# )/BA2+ shows that actual serice deliered is less important
than the e!pectations and perceptions of the recipient# This work shows that serice "uality
can be e!plained as a series of gaps between what the guest e!pects, and what
management specifies should be delieredG it is interesting to note that the authors of this
work point out that although their ideas apply in any serice conte!t, they might need re&
interpretation in moing from one to another# The idea can be illustrated in the hospitality
and educational conte!ts, as follows;
Gap 1. *onsumer e,pectation - management perception gap
-anagers fre"uently think that they hae a good feel for what their guests want# 6oweer,
there is eidence to suggest that they are fre"uently unaware of certain crucial guest
e!pectations or do not rate some factors as important as do their guests# $or e!ample,
6oliday InnsT resistance to proiding tea& and coffee&making facilities in their rooms showed a
product¢red adherence to room serice standards# In education, students may want to
deelop the presentation skills they feel will be of alue to them in industry but lecturers may
see essay writing skills as much more important#
Gap 2. Management perception - ser"ice $uality specification gap
:en when managers are aware of all that guests e!pect, there may be a number of factors
L resource constraints, market conditions, andUor management indifference L which can
preent them from setting specifications to meet these e!pectations# In hospitality education,
students may want to spend their industrial practice stages abroadG but time and financial
constraints may preent an institution from establishing and monitoring such placements#
Gap 3. Ser"ice $uality specification - consumer satisfaction gap
<nce formal serice specifications are in place, it is still possible for the actual performance
to fall short of these re"uirements# This is especially true in the proision of education, where
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =A
the role of the contact personnel L the lecturing staff L is so crucial to meeting e!pectations
and ensuring student satisfaction# This can lead to wide ariability in performance and, in
turn, makes it difficult if not impossible to delier standardised "uality#
Gap 4. *onsumer satisfaction - e,ternal internal communications gap
Another possible reason for the perception of poor serice "uality by guests is that their
e!pectations are boosted by media adertising, sales presentations and other internal
communications to a leel e!ceeding the organisation,s ability to delier# <n the other hand
we may fail to tell them about features of our serice that would enhance their perceptions of
our offering# :ducation establishments which go out of their way to make themseles look
good through the promises they make in their glossy literature or their promotional ideos
may be raising e!pectations that they cannot sustain when prospectie students isit the site
or oer the e!tended period of contact that a student has with such an establishment#
These ideas concerning serice "uality are important, and hae achieed wide acceptanceG
they are commonly referred to as the 3gap model5 of serice management#
(e learn that to understand guest satisfaction, it is necessary to understand what the guests
themseles hae to say about their e!pectations and perceptions of serice# As will become
clear, this became one of the principal challenges in achieing this research#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =B
CHAPTER A, RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
A-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The aim of this study was to gather data to analyse and understand internal communications
within the hotel industry, and its impact on guest satisfaction# Both "uantitatie and
"ualitatie approaches to data collection and analysis were chosen#
3.1.1 .uantitati"e research
Struwing and Stead )=00/;@&A+ hae stated that "uantitatie research can be defined as a
form of conclusie research, which inoles large representatie samples and fairly
structured data collection procedures# The emphasis of "uantitatie research is on the
measurement and analysis of statistical data to determine relationships between entities, in
order to draw "uantifiable conclusions#
As e!plained in more detail in the paragraphs that follow )see section ?#=+, "uantitatie
methods were chosen to obtain an understanding of perceptions about internal
communications within the hotels# There was a large group of potential respondents, and the
intention was to inestigate general feelings about internal communications in terms of mode
)of communication+, language, culture and so on# A structured "uestionnaire was used to
gather data, and simple statistical analysis was undertakenG howeer, some open&ended
"uestions allowed for limited "ualitatie data to be gathered#
3.1.2 .ualitati"e research
Dualitatie research ):reaut, =00@;/+ is used to gain insight into peopleKs attitudes,
behaiours, alue systems, concerns, motiations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles# It is
focused on analysis of the situation of indiiduals rather than groups, and is used to inform
business decisions and policy formation#
As e!plained in more detail in the paragraphs that follow )see section ?#?+, "ualitatie
research was used to gain an understanding of guest satisfaction, as seen by guests# 6ere a
smaller number of 3respondents5 was needed to proide some indicatie eidence about the
impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction# The Internet proided the primary
source of this "ualitatie data#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?0
3.1.3 /rogression of the pro0ect
$ollowing design of the main "uestionnaire, data concerning managementKs general
perceptions of internal communication was first collected in =00A# $ollowing the inestigation
of guest satisfaction using data from the Internet )see section ?#? below+ a second
supplementary "uestionnaire was compiled focusing more on the "uality of internal
communication and its effect on guest satisfaction, as indicated in the figure below;
Ge!e$#% h'te% su$+ey
< Nunior, middle and senior
management attitudes to
internal communication
H'te% st#&&
Guest su$+ey
& 'ata from tripadisor#com
gathered and analysed
Su""%eme!t#$y
h'te% su$+ey
& $ocus on the quality of
internal communication
Guests
t$i"#+is'$-*'m
H'te% st#&&
Resu%ts
Duestionnaire
design
Calidated
guest opinions
'ebated and agreed
communications issues
Interim
results
Interim
results
$inal research
results
6otel rankings
4uest e!periences
Fi)u$e ;, O+e$+ie. '& the #t# *'%%e*ti'! "$'*ess
A-/ D#t# *'%%e*ti'!
3.2.1 De"elopment of the main $uestionnaire
Before the first "uestionnaire was compiled, the researcher met with two general managers,
fie human resource managers and different post graduate students in Tourism and
6ospitality in order to discuss the objecties of this study in detail# The results of the
discussions were used to compile an appropriate "uestionnaire#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?/
The "uestionnaire was diided into two sections; first demographic "uestions such as age,
gender, languages spoken, and nationalities, and second specific "uestions about internal
communications and guest satisfaction as seen within the hospitality operation#
The "uestionnaire included structured "uestions, as well as open&ended and closedLended
"uestions# The last page of the "uestionnaire proided additional space where respondents
could add further comments#
A descriptie glossary of specific terms used in the "uestionnaire was proided which helped
respondents to understand the proper meanings of the "uestions and to reduce ambiguity
while answering the "uestionnaire# This main "uestionnaire is presented in Appendi! / of
this thesis#
3.2.2 General sur"ey of internal communication in the hotels
$ifteen hotels in the Cape Town area with 1& and 2&star grading were approached# They
were all located in strategically busy areas where most of the big olume hotels are located;
in the Cape Town central business district, 7orthern suburbs, Southern suburbs, Camps Bay
and 6out Bay#
Ten accepted the opportunity to participate in the study# In order to prepare the way for the
surey, short meetings were held with managers in these hotels, to discuss their participation
in the project and the completion of the "uestionnaires#
The objecties and intended alue of the research were e!plained in the interiews with the
managers# <nce permission was granted, blank "uestionnaires were left to be distributed
among all leels of their management team, including junior middle and senior management#
Nunior managers represented a range of functions including the food and beerages
department, front office, house keeping department and securityG senior managers tended of
course to hae an oeriew of all functions#
The reason for choosing this population is seen at two leels# $irstly, junior and middle
managers form a direct relationship and collaboration with hotel employees and guests,
hence it is they who are responsible, within their departments, to ensure internal
communication and monitor its impact on guest satisfaction# Secondly, senior managers
deal mostly with interdepartmental and intergroup communications and hae to make
decisions based on the way things are workingG it is therefore important for this group to
obtain information about how internal communication actually impacts on guest satisfaction
so that problems can be dealt with#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?=
:ach "uestionnaire was distributed and returned in an enclosed enelope, which assured
confidentiality and safety#
3.2.3 Guest sur"ey
The hotels did not permit access to their in&house guest reiews, nor would they allow a
surey to be undertaken 3at the door5# It was therefore necessary to find an alternatie
source of information about the actual leels of guest satisfaction )as seen by the guests
themseles+#
A leading hospitality e!pert and tour operator in Cape Town was contacted and asked how
the industry measures serice performance )Snyman, =00B+# She adised that there is no
agency or guide that gies formalised or tightly structured ratings for the "uality of serice at
hotels, but the primary source of information used today is the (orld (ide (eb# She
specifically referred to 3tripadisor#com5
/
, a web site that receies "ualitatie feed&back from
guests and L most importantly L that stries to ensure the "uality of that feedback in
appropriate ways, by proper identification of the originator and alidation of their comments#
This source can therefore be compared faourably )Snyman argued+ with traditional sources
such as the 3Conde 7ast 9ewards5, 3AA Awards5, 3The (orld .u!ury 6otel Awards5 and
3(orld Trael Awards5# 4uests who know what they e!pect can see reported problems )and
compliments+ and thereby manage their e!pectations of serice and make an appropriate
choice of hotel#
In iew of these clear precautions, and because all of the participating hotels were
represented in the opinions aailable on tripadisor#com, it was decided to use
tripadisor#com as the primary source of guest satisfaction data# It is important to note that
the Internet is now the predominant source of information for irtually all 3modern5 traellers,
and one might e!pect that hotel managers will attempt to make sure that what is said on the
Internet reflects well upon them, and that they deal effectiely with all problems that are
reported# After all, if one finds a hotel that seems to deal promptly and effectiely with
problems )as will be eident ia sources such as tripadisor#com+, one might be tempted to
rate it more highly than a hotel that has neer been the subject of any reports at all#
/ A number of other web&based sources were inestigated and an assessment was made concerning the
reliability of the sources# Tripadisor#com was chosen because of the efforts made to alidate the site
contentG specifically, it accommodates the opinions of literally millions of traellers, moderates and e!amines
"uestionable reiews, encourages replies from reiewed hotels, encourages members to report inappropriate
content, and applies applicable laws )it is illegal to post fake reiews in many countries such as the %SA,
%nited Iingdom, $rance, Italy, and 4ermany, Ireland, Sweden and the 7etherlands+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ??
3.2.4 Supplementary hotel sur"ey
The first "uestionnaire garnered general eidence about internal communications and its
potential impact on guest satisfaction, but it did not focus particularly on the "uality of internal
communications# $ollowing the second surey of the "uality of guest satisfaction, it was
decided that it was necessary to supplement the data from the first surey with an
assessment of the "uality of internal communication# This would proide two data sets that
might indicate more clearly the relationship between these two perspectie#
Some "uestions were selected from the main "uestionnaire, relating more closely to the
"uality of internal communication# A second "uestionnaire was deeloped, based upon
them, but using wording that much more clearly elicited iews about "uality and adopting a
.ikert scale approach to make the collection of data simpler and "uicker# This second
"uestionnaire is presented in Appendi! = of this thesis#
3.2.' 1imitations of the study
The research was limited to a study of information about internal communication within
hotels, and the resulting leels of guest satisfaction# $urther, it e!tended only to a selection
of larger, highly 3rated5 hotels within the Cape Town area#
It must also be noted that some time elapsed between data collection within the hotel and
from the InternetG this was further justification for the supplementary hotel surey and it is
hoped that the general trends that are apparent gie a useful result, and that the
methodology that has been adopted might proide a basis for more detailed work in due
course#
A-A Summ#$y
This chapter has outlined the research design and methodology for this study# 'ifferent
methods were used in order to capture information about internal communications within
hotels, and the general leel of guest satisfaction that resulted from isits# The use of the
Internet as a source is interesting )in comparison with more traditional methods of data
ac"uisition+ and proides an opportunity to make judgement about the reliability and usability
of the Internet for traellers# It also proided a focus on "uality issues that led to the
supplementary surey within the hotels#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?1
CHAPTER ;, PRESENTATION3 ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS
;-1 The #!#%ysis '& the $ese#$*h #""$'#*h '& the stuy
The preious chapter described the methods and strategies that were used to obtain
respondents, information# This chapter presents the results of the sureys and web searches#
The chapter follows the se"uence established in the preious chapter;
• 4eneral hotel surey )main "uestionnaire+
• 4uest surey )Internet+
• Supplementary hotel surey )supplementary "uestionnaire+
;-/ Ge!e$#% h'te% su$+ey
The paragraphs that follow summarise the results of the "uestionnaire&based surey
concerning internal communication as seen by the hotel staffs# The detailed tables and
graphs are presented in Appendi! ?# 6ere only the principal results are gien# The response
was ade"uate; /02 completed and usable "uestionnaires were receied from the hotel
management )junior, middle and senior managers+#
The results presented here are organised according to the "uestions in the "uestionnaire;
demographics first, then communication issues#
4.2.1 Demographics
The principal demographic characteristics were considered to be age, gender, nationality,
home language, preferred working language and seniority# The notes and the table below
summarise the distribution of respondents under these categories;
• <f the /02 respondents that answered and returned the "uestionnaire, the majority
were young rather than old; BM were younger than =0 years oldG 11M )the largest
group+ comprised young managers aged between =/ and ?0 years oldG ?AM were ?/
to 10 years oldG @M were between 1/ and 20 and ?M were oer 20#
• -ales dominated the sample of hotel managers; >=M were males and the remaining
?AM were females#
• 7ationality was based on two categories; South African )>@M+, or non&South African
)??M+#
• .anguage is always an issue in South Africa, and a range of home languages were
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?2
spoken by the sample of managersG 1/M of respondents hae :nglish as their home
language, ?/M hae Vhosa, /?M hae Afrikaans, >M 8ulu, and BM some other
language#
• The language preferred by the majority for use in the workplace was :nglish )@2M+#
//M indicated Afrikaans as the preferred working language and /0M Vhosa, in both
cases because it would make isitors using those languages feel welcome# ?M
preferred Tswana but proided no reasons for this choice###
• In terms of management leel, the largest group comprised the junior managers at
>BMG this compares with middle managers )=?M+ and senior managers )AM+# <ne
respondent did not want to state his management leel and was recorded as a 3don,t
know5#
4.2.2 *ommunication issues
The remainder of the "uestionnaire was concerned with a range of communications issues,
including; listening, understanding, importance of communication, place of communication,
knowledge about hotel serices, access to channels of communication, role of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?>
communication in serice deliery, dealing with diersity and culture, range of languages
used, strengths and weaknesses, factors affecting communication, factors affecting guest
satisfaction, training, managing change, decision making and soling problems# The table
and notes that follow summarise what was found#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?@
These issues correspond to the "uestions included within the "uestionnaire and the results
are summarised in the notes that follow )see Appendi! ? for the details+# In so doing, the
)edited+ words of the "uestion are presented first )in italics+ followed by notes on the results#
1istening
How well do you listen to messages from your workplace colleagues?
The largest number )?1M+ consider that their capability to listen to messages is 3ery good5,
=BM stated 3e!cellent5, =2M 3good5, and only /=M 3fair5# This indicates that most hotel
managers do not consider they hae a problem when listening within their work#
Some reasons cited for 3fair5 listening included that some employees come from abroad and
their :nglish proficiency is poorG howeer, they were recruited not for their :nglish language
capability but because of their hospitality e!perience, or for other significant criteria such as
foreign language skills#
2nderstanding
How well do you understand messages from your workplace colleagues?
<f course, listening is not the same thing as understanding# The largest number )1?M+
indicated that their understanding is 3ery good5, ?0M 3good5, /BM 3e!cellent5 and BM only
3fair5# This parallels the result for listening, but suggests more confidence to understand than
to just listen# Perhaps they were referring to the e!tent to which they understand the
messages to which they listenF
Importance of communication
Communication undertaken by employees is important for building the hotel!s image and
reputation" #agree$disagree%.
There is little hesitation in agreeing with this statement# A majority of managers )1BM+
strongly agreed and almost as many )10M+ agreed with the statement# A small number )BM+
were uncertain and ?M disagreed# (here there are different perceptions amongst managers
regarding relationships between communication and hotel image and reputation, there would
be major implications in dealing with communication management# 6oweer, the results
indicate that almost all managers agree about the importance of communications#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?A
/lace of communication
Communication at the reception area determines guests& perceptions of the hotel!s ser'ice
image" #agree$disagree%
Almost all respondents, A>M, agreed that communication at reception areas, influences
guests, perceptions of the hotelKs serice image# //M were uncertain and ?M disagreed )it
would be interesting to inestigate further how this could possibly be the case+# This
indicates that managers place much alue on the "uality of communication at reception
areas, as might be e!pected#
3no&ledge aout hotel ser"ices
(nowledge of hotel products from the reception staff indicate the le'els of ser'ice that guest
can recei'e in the establishment" #agree$disagree%
-anagers are clearly focussed on product )or serice+ knowledge at reception areas# B0M of
respondents agreed that staff should be knowledgeable and trained to proide details of
hotel products and serices to guests# <nly AM were uncertain, and =M disagreed#
%ccess to channels of communication
)mployees ha'e access to channels of communication and are trained how to use them"
#agree$disagree%
A majority of hotel managers, A0M, emphasised the accessibility of their hotels,
communication channels and training of employees to use them# The remaining AM seemed
to consider this not necessary, and /1M were uncertain# Although managers should play a
direct role in educating staff about the use of communication channels and other facilitates
aailable to them, in relatie terms )compared with some of the answers aboe+ this seems
to point to a 3weak spot5 in some cases, possibly concerned with the need for training#
#ole of communication in ser"ice deli"ery
*nternal communication plays a key role in deli'ering a ser'ice in a hotel establishment"
#agree$disagree%
The results reealed different perceptions# ABM of respondents 3strongly agreed5 or 3agreed5
that communication plays a key role in deliering proper serices in a hotelG BM were
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?B
uncertain, with the statement, and =M strongly disagreed#
Dealing &ith di"ersity and culture
+anaging di'ersity in the hospitality industry is the key for businesses to succeed or to fail"
#agree$disagree%
The results indicate a strong leel of agreement that managing diersity is important to
success# 12M agreed and ??M strongly agreedG only /AM were uncertain and only =M
strongly disagreed with the statement#
*gnorance of other cultures by some employees affects their ser'ice performance#agree$
disagree%
There was less certainty about this# A majority of managers, ??M, beliee that
understanding culture has an impact, but 1=M were not coninced#
#ange of languages used
Ha'ing a lot of employees speaking international languages can enhance ser'ice
performance" #agree$disagree%
Surprisingly, managers were not coninced about this# ??#?M of managers strongly
disagreed, 1?M disagreed, /AM were uncertain and only >M agreed#
Communications channels preferred# There are different ways for employees to
communicate, using different channels# These communication channels include all modes L
from erbal to digital )email+# 9espondents were asked to choose between, erbal, memos,
emails, notice boards and telephones#
(hat is your preferred internal communication channel to be used in your organisationF
The majority of managers )1=M+ indicated that they prefer to use erbal communicationG =>M
prefer to use memos, =/M e&mails, and //M telephones# The use of S-S messages was
not eident in the results#
Strengths and &ea(nesses
*dentify your strengths and weaknesses
In the discussions leading to the "uestionnaire design, different aspects of communications
were identified that might indicate strength or weakness L this might be regarded as a
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 10
working list in that it is not alidated by any preious research, but it does hae the legitimacy
that comes from e!pert and peer discussions# 9espondents were asked to choose from the
list, with the result shown in the chart below# By summing the responses the red bars )to the
right+ indicate where respondents consider they perform well, and the blue bars )to the left+
indicate where they consider they are weaker# The different strengths and weaknesses hae
been ranked so the strongest )oerall, across all respondents+ appear at the top, and the
weakest at the bottom#
It is interesting to see that deliery&related skills are seen to be the weakest, despite the
simple assertion )in the second line+ that 3e!plaining clearly5 is strength rather than a
weakness#
4actors affecting communication
,hat factors mostly affect communication in the hotel?
9espondents were asked to choose what factors affect communication from a short list,
including; poor internal communication channels, cultural diersity, language barriers, accent
difficulties, and poor interdepartmental cooperation
??M rated cultural diersity as the factor that affects communication the mostG =AM rated
4ood erbal deliery
4ood nonerbal deliery
Articulate ideas
4ood telephone conersation skills
%se appropriate technical language
6elp others feel satisfied with the conersation
(rite effectiely
$eel confident
:ffectie communication with subordinates
-anage impressions positiely
9ead effectiely
:!plain clearly
.isten well
Fi)u$e C, St$e!)ths #! .e#>!esses
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1/
poor interdepartmental communication# Poor communication channels were rated third,
language barriers fourth )BM+ and accent fifth )1M+# The emphasis on culture and
interdepartmental issues suggests "uite strong challenges for senior managers to deal with#
4actors affecting guest satisfaction
,hat factor do you think most affects guest satisfaction?
Perhaps it is to be e!pected that the majority of respondents chose 3guest behaiour5 and
3guest interference5 as the factors that most affects guest satisfactionG employee diersity,
internal communication, and management style were seen as less significant# This, of
course, is seen from the inside of the hotel and needs to be compared with what guests
would regard as important#
Training
How often do staff members recei'e communication training in your hotel establishment?
It might be e!pected that training is e!tremely important in ensuring the right skills, building
team spirit and employee loyalty, and proiding satisfaction to employees generally# The
results are interesting, indicating that only /=M of respondents confirming 3continuous5
trainingG =0M monthlyG =>M si!&monthlyG ?0M annually, and /1M neer schedule
communication training in their hotel,s operational program#
4uest satisfaction is determined by staff discipline and behaiour toward guests, both these
attributes come from training and education and this is especially important when faced with
diersity in the workforce#
Managing change
How much can communication enhance a company!s ability to change?
9espondents were asked to comment on the contribution of communications to change; in
the people working in the hotel, in beliefs attitudes and alues, behaiours, systems and
structure, the company,s image, and )most importantly for this studyF+ serice performance#
The results are interesting# A largest number of respondents )?>M+ consider that
communication can influence change in serice performance, which is the focus of this studyG
??M beliee that it can change behaiourG =AM that it can change peopleG =>M that it can
change beliefs attitudes and aluesG /AM that it can change systems and structureG only /?M
beliee that it can change company,s image# This final result is perhaps the most
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1=
une!pected L and worryingF
Decision ma(ing
9espondents were asked to rate /? aspects of decision making and communications
dependencies# The chart bellow presents the ranking, positie rankings shown by the bars
on the right, and negatie by the bars on the left# The /? aspects hae been sorted most
positie at the top, least positie at the bottom#
The original "uestions asked for a four point response based on 37eer5, 3Seldom5, 3<ften5,
3Always5G 37eer5 and 3Seldom5 hae been summed to create the negatie bar on the left,
3<ften5 and 3Always5 hae been summed to create the positie bar at the right#
Again a pattern can be seen, with the rather simpler issues coming out as truisms )issues of
productiity, understanding and communications as a critical success factor+ and the rather
more challenging issues )such as peer relationships and language+ being seen as not 3true5#
<erall, howeer, there are more positie responses indicating that the issues are more true
than not true#
5eral and non!"eral communication
(hen asked, the majority of respondents )A@M+ indicated that problems with erbal
communication are often related to problems with guest satisfactionG e"ually the majority
I perform better when ignoring all around me#
I need my peer,s confirmation before doing anything
7on&:nglish speaking staff slow down serice
Communications problems affect guest satisfaction
In hiring erbal and non&erbal taken into account
-anagers use employees, ideas
-anagement notices commmunications problems
-anagers communicate organi*ational goals
Communications systems encourage serice
I can sort out guest,s complaints by talking
Communication is the key for a hotel to succeed
I understand the messages from my colleagues
Communication encourages productiity
Fi)u$e D, R#!>i!) '& e*isi'! m#>i!) #! $e%#te issues
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1?
)@AM+ indicated that problems with non&erbal communication are also related problems of
serice performance#
Sol"ing prolems
(hat methods are used to sole communication problems within the workplaceF
9espondents mostly preferred to deal with indiiduals directly, then in writing, otherwise by
means of a group meeting so as to find a collectie solution#
4.2.3 *ommunications strategies adopted y the hotels
The inestigation of the ten hotels reealed that they employed different communications
strategies, for e!ample in terms of their use of the Internet and other technologies# 6oweer,
a detailed analysis of these communications strategies is beyond the scope of the present
project and must be left for later inestigation# 6ere we are principally concerned with
perceptions of internal communications rather than formalised strategies that may or may not
e!ist#
;-A Guest su$+ey
The paragraphs that follow present the data collected from the web, comprising guest
reiews of serice receied in the hotels in Cape Town as found on tripadisor#com )see the
figure below for a sample reiew+# The reasons and justification for this approach are dealt
with in the preious chapter, but the significant factors are that these reiews are
independent of the hotels, they are alidated, and a range of reiews is aailable from
different categories of isitors such as business isitors, couples, families, friends and solo
traellers# 9eiews generally deal with the location, "uality of the hotel, the "uality of
serice, and the actual serices offered# Clearly, they are offered for the benefit of future
traellers, and the information proided gies an oerall picture of the "uality and standard of
hotels# 6otels hae an opportunity to respond to comments#
As well as descriptie comments on the e!perience, reiews include details such as the date,
an oerall rating, detailed ratings for alue, rooms, location, cleanliness, serice and sleep
"uality# 9eaders of reiews can also indicate whether the reiew was helpful or not# The
number and content of reiews changes day by day, of course, as different guests check in
and report different hotel serice e!periences#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 11
Fi)u$e F, A s#m"%e $e+ie. &$'m t$i"#+is'$-*'m
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 12
4.3.1 The hotels
The notes that follow proide some descriptie material about each of the hotels, based on
what is aailable on the trip adisor web site# In each case the number of reiews that
recommended the hotel is proided, as a first indication of the "uality of serice#
Harour 6ridge Hotel 7 Suites
The 6otel is a new four&star hotel located at the 9oggebaai Canal, .ower .ong Street, on the
fringe of busy downtown Cape Town# It thereby claims to be safe and secure, and within
easy walking distance of all the major attractions including the popular CHA waterfront and
the Cape Town International Conention Centre# @2M of reiews would recommend this
hotel#
Garden *ourt De 8aal
The hotel is a well established four&star hotel located at -ill Street in 4ardens, some way
from the city centre# It was formerly one of fie Cape Town 6oliday Inns and therefore there
are fewer reiews, but it is popular; AAM of reiews would recommend the hotel#
5ictoria 7 %lfred Hotel
.ocated on the (aterfront Pierhead, this hotel is at the centre of tourist actiity on the
waterfront# It has attracted many reiews )only two hotels haing attracted more+ and it is
popular; ABM of reiews would recommend the hotel to others#
The 8estin Grand *ape To&n %raella .uays
This large hotel is rated four&star and it is located ne!t to the Cape Town International
Conention Centre in .ower .ong Street# $ormerly it was the Arabella Sheraton 4rand
6otel# It attracts more reiews than any other; a total of =1@ reiews of which B=M would
recommend the hotel to others#
/rotea Hotel /resident
Situated on the Atlantic sea front, this four&star hotel is in Bantry Bay# It has receied
relatiely few reiews )=@+ of which only >0M recommended the hotel to others#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1>
3ensington /lace Hotel
Situated up on the side of Table -ountain at the edges of the built up area, this hotel has
receied relatiely few reiews )2A+ but they are uniformly positie; BAM would recommend
the hotel to others# All reiews are either 3good5 or 3e!cellent5#
Steenerg Hotel
This is a fie&star hotel located well outside Cape Town, to the south in the Steenberg
:state# A useful number of reiews rate the hotel highly; B>M would recommend the hotel
to others#
Green&ays Hotel
This fie&star hotel is located in the southern suburbs of Cape Town# Although there were
relatiely few reiews )?/+ /00M of isitors would recommend the hotel to others L the only
hotel with this happy result#
*ommodore Hotel
This fie&star hotel is located on the CHA (aterfront, the centre of tourist actiity in Cape
Town, and a perfect location near the sea front and the shopping mall# A large number of
reiews submitted )/2/+ included ABM that would recommend the hotel to others#
Mandela #hodes /lace Hotel
This four&star hotel is located at the corner of (ale Street H Burg Street in the centre of Cape
Town, a short stroll from 4reenmarket S"uare and the Slae .odge -useum# It is still new,
and has fewer reiews than others )AA+ but B0M would recommend the hotel to other isitors#
4.3.2 Summarising hotel guest satisfaction
In order to summarise guest satisfaction the detail from tripadisor#com was tabulated and
summarised on a weighted scoring basis# The aailable ratings are based on the scale
3e!cellent5, 3ery good5, 3aerage5, 3poor5, and 3terrible5# These scores were weighted and
aggregated as follows;
The total number of responses at each leel of the scale was noted
The totals were summed to an aggregate but multiplied by a weighting factor in so doing;
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1@
:!cellent; ! ? )times three+
Cery good; ! = )times two+
Aerage; ! / )times one+
Poor; ! &/ )times minus one+
Terrible; ! &= )times minus two+#
)This would lead to a best possible score of three, and a worst of minus two+
The aggregate assessment was normalised to /00M to gie an easy&to use final figure#
This produced the following result )sorted high to low+;
This result can be seen graphically as follows;
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Fi)u$e G, Summ#$y '& h'te% s*'$es
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1A
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Fi)u$e H, G$#"hi*#% summ#$y '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
;-; Su""%eme!t#$y h'te% su$+ey
As can be seen, the analysis of web data has led to a single result, in the sense that the
ratings on tripadisor#com were able to be aggregated and normalised so as to gie a single
figure for each hotel# It was necessary to deelop a single indication of the "uality of internal
communication within the hotels, for comparison#
Therefore, as e!plained in the preious chapter, a simple .ikert&scale )agree&disagree+
"uestionnaire was deeloped based on those items in the main "uestionnaire )see section
1#=+ that dealt with the "uality of communications# This was based on one principal "uestion
and /? supplementary "uestions, all focused on the "uality of internal communications within
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1B
the hotel# Seenty si! )@>+ responses were receied and the results are presented below
)ranked highest left, lowest right+, hence the hotels are not in the same se"uence as in the
figure aboe#
These results are presented again in a simpler format and discussed further in the ne!t
chapter#
;-C Summ#$y
This chapter has presented three sets of results; the initial main surey of managersK
opinions about internal communications, within the hotels, the guest satisfaction data
gathered from the web, and the supplementary surey of hotel staff concerning the "uality of
internal communications#
The first data set gies an oerall understanding of the issues that are seen to be important,
and how internal communications can be managed# There was general agreement that
effectie internal communications are important in achieing guest satisfaction, but some
areas )such as staff training+ seem to be gien low priority# The second data set allows the
hotels to be ranked according to guest satisfaction, based on willingness to recommend the
Internal communications
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 20
hotel to others, and based on an aggregation of detailed data about the leel of satisfaction#
The third data set allows the hotels to be ranked according to perceptions of the "uality of
internal communication based on /? agree&disagree statements closely related to internal
communications "uality#
4uest satisfaction was found to be a rather ambiguous concept and the actual manifestation
of satisfaction aries from person to person, and according to the product or serice in
"uestion# In the ne!t chapter, results of the research are discussed to deelop a clearer iew
of the importance of internal communications, and the steps that hotel managers could
consider taking to ensure that eeryone in hospitality benefits#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2/
CHAPTER C, Dis*ussi'! '& the $esu%ts
C-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The preious chapter presented the collected data, with a minimum of discussion# This
chapter discusses the results more critically with the aim of presenting conclusions in the
ne!t, final, chapter# This discussion and further interpretation is proided in order to render a
better understanding of the role of internal communication on guest satisfaction in hospitality
establishments in Cape TownG it addresses leels of practical knowledge and understanding
within all leels of hotel management as well as the relationship between internal
communication and guest satisfaction#
The literature reiew and early interiew findings support the notion that internal
communication is important, not only to eradicate poor serice performance leading to guest
dissatisfaction, but also to improe business performance and contribute to economic growth
within the industry, and een the nation# As will be seen, the findings emphasise the need
for good working relationships and improed internal communication between hotel
departments, employees, and management, to ensure that internal communication becomes
a concern for the hotel business as a whole, not only for indiiduals, managers, employees,
or departments# A key issue, of course, is to seek eidence that other factors might affect
guest satisfactionG it is important to weigh the influence of internal communication against
those other factors as it might not be the oer&riding factor in achieing guest satisfaction#
The objecties of this study are reisited here in order to proide a structure for this
discussion#
C-/ ObBe*ti+es '& the stuy
The main objectie of this study is to determine the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in large hotels within Cape Town, as well as to understand how well&
managed internal communication can add real alue to the hospitality industry# In this way,
the study determines the steps that can be taken by hotel managements to achiee this#
There were four specific objecties, closely aligned to the four principal research "uestions
)see Chapter /, section /#A for the details+;
• $irst, to inestigate the nature of internal communication as seen by managers in large
hotels in Cape Town, by means of interiews#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2=
• Second, to assess the "uality of internal communication as seen by hotel employees,
by means of a "uestionnaire based surey#
• Third, to assess the "uality of guest satisfaction, by means of a surey of guest reiews
on the web#
• $ourth, to e!amine the eident relationship between the "uality of internal
communication and the "uality of guest satisfaction#
Although not formally stated, it is worth noting that & as a new researcher, undertaking and
understanding the research process for the first time & a further objectie was to learn about
research by adopting a range of different kinds of en"uiry, especially in the matter of data
collection# There are some comments about this at the end of the chapter#
C-A Dis*ussi'! '& Resu%ts
The research results are based on a ariety of sources, including interiews and sureys in
the ten chosen hotels in Cape Town, and on data gathered from the web# The interiewed
managers were from different countries )although the majority from South Africa+ and were
working at all leels# The composition of the workforce at the working leel was een more
dierse# It follows that the data sources are indeed dierse#
It should also be noted that the work was undertaken oer an e!tended period of time, and
so there is the risk that the data collected is not representatie of the same period in time
)although the supplementary surey of the "uality of internal communication was undertaken
simultaneously with the gathering of web data specifically to minimise that risk+#
The paragraphs that follow discuss the results of the study under four headings that reflect
the four objecties and research "uestions that were set for the study, making reference to
the literature where appropriate;
• The nature of internal communication in hotels
• The "uality of internal communication
• The "uality of guest satisfaction
• The impact of internal communication on the guest satisfaction#
C-; The !#tu$e '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! i! h'te%s
There is eidence in the literature )and some eidence from this research+ that internal
communication is considered critical to serice "uality# Some hotel managements see it as a
basic re"uirement that would threaten Cape TownKs surial as a tourist destination, gien
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2?
the high leel of competition world wide#
Iey issues identified include;
• 'iersity
• .anguage
• Training
• Information technology
'.4.1 Issues of di"ersity
9espondents were asked what were the factors that can affect internal communication the
most; cultural diersity came through as the factor that most affects internal communication#
In hotels, management and the workforce generally both include dierse people from
different regions, different cultural backgrounds, and different preious e!periences# This
means that erbal& communication and non&erbal communication problems can emerge
between hotel employees and managementG as some managers indicated in their interiews,
non&erbal communication works better amongst workers from the same cultural background
and difficulties can arise when the backgrounds are different#
Dealing &ith di"ersity
Staff from different places must be able to communicate in order to deelop a trust in each
otherG non&South Africans can only achiee good performance with difficulty because they
face dierse communication challenges arising from language and from cultural background#
:en amongst South African nationals, internal communication is challenging because of the
leel of job understanding and arying cultural backgrounds# 4enerally, erbal internal
communication can be learned "uickly, but difficulty emerges with regard to non&erbal
communication and with e!pressing ideas rather than just listening to them# As Cape Town
is known for its cultural diersity L a characteristic that attracts many isitors L it is
particularly important to manage these things well#
'iersity consists of isible and non&isible differences that include factors such as gender,
age, background, race, disability, personality, and work style# -anaging diersity is founded
on the premise that harnessing those differences will create a productie enironment in
which eeryone inoles hisU her talents#
In the study, the majority of respondents considered that Cape Town positiely embraces the
dierse cultural diersity that e!ists, and hotel managements seemingly accept the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 21
importance of managing diersity in hospitality establishments# The "uestion arises as to
how this might be done, but seeral authors hae adopted an enthusiastic approach toward
diersity management# $or e!ample, 4roschl and 'oherty )/BBB;=>=+ assert that the benefits
range from being better able to meet the needs of dierse guests, improed decision&making,
reduction in costs associated with turnoer, increased productiity, "uality improement, and
enhanced creatiity and innoation# 6oweer, neither theorists nor practitioners in the
diersity management area hae a common iew on the precise objecties and
characteristics of diersity management# In this study, there is a similar feeling about the
importance of it, without any consensus about the details#
-anaging diersity means acknowledging peopleKs differences and recognising these
differences as aluable, and it demands the preention of discrimination and the promotion of
inclusieness# 4ood management must work to deal with a dierse workforce#
The recognition of other cultures
In the hospitality industry, where more dierse workforces work together and follow an
objectie of proiding serice, recognition of other workers, culture, attitudes and behaiours
should be gien primary importance# It gies employees self confidence# Tesone )=002;@1+
considers that while social culture is applicable to the entire hospitality workers, there are
also cultural 3systems5 that form within the oerall organisation, for e!ample in a conte!t
where specific messages are repeatedly communicated#
This study has found that the majority of staff feel confident in communications despite
diersity, and so it can be concluded that hotel management is successful in dealing with it#
<nce a message is clear and understood the organisation has an opportunity to serice
success, although Tesone cautions us that success might arise as much from local
circumstances rather than from the oerall actions of management#
1ocal and gloal conte,ts
It begins to be important to note the different conse"uences of communication at the
operational and management leels# Clearly, there must be effectie communications with
guests at the operational leel, but at the heart of the management of any organisation there
has to be good communications about management issues L success depends on the
accumulation of ideas, sharing of information about what is working well and what is not, and
effectie contributions to discussions about strategic plans and their implementation# In
recent years, the hospitality industry has e!perienced significant changesG for e!ample due to
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 22
the interest of many hotel chains in 3going international5 )Burgess et al#, /BB2+# Such
competitie pressures as these hae to be dealt with, and they significantly add to the burden
of internal communications at all leels# This becomes an issue of more than just hotel
image and reputation in Cape Town; the world is watching, and the manner of
communication has to become appropriate to the global space# :mployees hae an
important task in building image and reputation; workers, co&workers, superisors,
leadership and management, all play an important role in building a corporate identity )-iles
and -angold, =001;12+# (hen this happens in a global conte!t, the nature of corporate
identity might hae to change#
The different perceptions of managers regarding relationships between internal
communication and hotel image and reputation hae major implications when in dealing with
internal communication management in a changing strategic conte!t# 'uring any period of
change, the first and foremost task of all managers should be to ensure that employees are
aware of new alues and priorities, and understand the ideas communicated by management
that implement new strategies# Information sharing, in itself, is a symbolic way of e"ualising
power, oercoming conflict and building trust )Spector, /BAB+
'.4.2 Issues of 1anguage
It has been found in this study that the :nglish language is preferred as the first language in
the workplace# <f course, :nglish might be spoken by the majority but it is likely to be the
first language of only a minority of staff# In diersity management, helping most of the staff to
use the same language will reduce ambiguity in internal communication# 6ence, the :nglish
language plays an important role in the hospitality industry in Cape Town# -anagers
influence culture and encourage shared organisational alues through the languages spoken
in the workplace# By encouraging the use of appropriate languages, management
demonstrates appropriate responses to critical incidents that arise during the internal
communication process# By using appropriate languages, managers show employees iidly
how success can be achieed despite the different hospitality challenges# Since managers
sere as information links in any organisation, their ability to listen objectiely and to coney
messages accurately is a prere"uisite to smooth working# As a workforce becomes
increasingly dierse, the language preference at the workplace is indeed a key issue#
1anguage in a strategic conte,t
It was noted aboe that the hospitality industry in Cape Town works in an increasingly global
conte!t, forcing change in order to maintain success# To deal with the management of this
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2>
change, the literature elucidates some of the possibilities#
In order for any meaningful change to occur, managers must deelop and articulate a ision
of their organisation,s future and implement strategies that will make that ision a reality
)6ickman and Sila, /BA1;?1+# Although serices remain one of the most intangible and
elusie aspects of organisation life, leaders should search for internal communication
strategies that will deal with the intangibility and elusieness#
Pet*er, Steyn, H -ostert, )=00A;2&>+ remind us that part of the change is adjusting the
serice mi! that is offered, by applying a suitable selection of Internal communication
strategies# $or e!ample, a hotel that is in the 3growth phase5 of its serice life cycle will focus
on communicating with guests, to persuade them to choose its offerings rather than those of
competitorsG a hotel that is in the 3optimisation phase5 of its serice life cycle will focus on
internal communications that reduce costs and increase efficiency# A hotel that is able to
compete successfully will position its serice offering in such a life cycle in order to attract
and then retain guests, and thereby create a sustainable competitie adantage for its
serice offering# Such a hotel should ensure that it has the necessary systems and strategies
in place to manage the demand for its offering and the capacity to delier it#
Such changes and strategies as these will clearly put pressure on the whole teamKs ability to
communicate strategically, tactically, and operationally#
Home language arriers
In Cape Town there is a huge mi!ture of nationalities and backgrounds# 'eeply rooted
South African languages )there are // official languages in South Africa alone+ and strong
historical and political backgrounds that are considerably different from those of other nations
combine to make one of the most aried mi!es in the world# It includes western, eastern and
African cultures and languages#
-yles )=00B;?+ in her research concerning oral communication in inter&cultural encounters,
highlighted that to be a successful communicator in the work place re"uires the :nglish
knowledge as well as the re"uisite industry knowledge and skills# It also inoles the ability to
interpret body language, understand collo"uial e!pressions, and the natie language of other
staff and guests who also hae :nglish as a second language# It has been found that we
can no longer assume that staff with :nglish as their second language can go on to work in
workplaces where :nglish is the first language# Those with :nglish as second language must
be able to accommodate the social and linguistic realities of the global workplace# In the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2@
conte!t of this study it was found that whilst some respondents had :nglish as their home
language, with other home languages performance and response to change is significantly
affected# 'ifficulty also stems from people,s oices, intonations from their home language,
and the attribution of other meanings for words#
'.4.3 Issues of training
These important issues of communicatie competence suggest that training programs for
new employees will not be easy and must strie to deal with language as well as other skills#
1ac( of Internal communication training
(hen asked how often staff receie internal communication training at their hotels, the
results showed an ambiguity; managers understand the problems but do not emphasise
communication training# Some neer schedule communication training and others schedule it
only once a year# 6ence, it appears that communication training is not gien the importance
it deseres, since only a minority of managers proide staffs with training twice a year, or
more# This is important in an industry that relies on efficient internal communication skills for
its success#
The hotel industry is highly competitie and re"uires good communications capability and
therefore ade"uate training for staff, ensuring that they know how to delier the serice that
is re"uired, and how to sustain and enhance the company,s culture, staff attitudes, and
benefits# Bonit* )=00@;/1+ argues that anyone who wants a profitable business should learn
how to make work meaningful to employees# The best way to do that is to put people first
through open internal communication and training in communications competencies#
Internal communication Training
:mployees, perceptions of how organisational conditions facilitate their enironment and
performance are important# The nature of the enironment might be difficult to understand
but growing emphasis on the effect of the organisational enironment on employee growth
and deelopment is a step towards understanding the need for training#
Internal communication training should be based on employees, current knowledge# Preious
researchers, educators and practitioners alike hae placed increasing emphasis on internal
communicationsG it is assumed that a strong internal communication enironment leads to
increased productiity, greater job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, grieances, and
turnoer, and generally increases organisation commitment# It is here that the benefits of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2A
training should be seen# The fundamental beliefs of the early )Iyle et al#=00>+ 3human
relations5 moement were that happy workers are more productie workers# If this is the
case, e!istence of a strong internal communication enironment, effectie training and
education, and the subse"uent good feelings generated, would all hae a direct and
beneficial impact on performance#
Internal communication training can take seeral forms# -anagement sets the e!ample by
being open, listening actiely and speaking honestlyG more formal internal communication
training can help fill knowledge gaps according to analysis of training needs in all aspects of
the work of the hotel#
)stalishing communications training needs
There is a range of aspects of communications that might warrant an inestment in training#
The different communication channels that are used might not be familiar to new staff, and
established staff might hae to learn to deal with new technologies# Typically, this study has
found that hotel managers in Cape Town prefer to use erbal communication, but also
emphasised memos, e&mails, and telephones# Inowing which channel is the most
appropriate to use might be one way of starting a training programme#
6oweer, discussion of memos, e&mails, and telephones masks the purpose and significance
of communications# Bonit* )=00@+ has emphasised that 3open5 internal communication
encourages employees to "uestion the serice approach, een decisions made by
management, and to ocalise their concerns# This is not "uite the same thing as taking an
order from the restaurant to the kitchen, or sending a chambermaid to a room that needs
clean towels# If it is important for an employee to e!press an opinion, and to challenge
management, then this is a "uite different aspect to communications training#
At yet a different leel, today the Internet proides information that is far beyond what might
hae been imagined =0 years ago# (ith an infinite source of information on all imaginable
topics, how might hotel staff use this to good effectF Again, not when running to the kitchen
or the housekeeperKs office, but perhaps there are other points in the serice operation where
the Internet is a factor# If nothing else, guests e!pect today to be able to access the Internet
form their hotels, and if the staff can not access it, where will that lead toF
$inally, there is the "uestion of the style of a communication# (hether the e!pectation is to
be open or not, whether staff send emails, memos or make telephone calls, the style and
manner of the communication is important# <n the one hand, it might be e!pected to keep it
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2B
informal but informatie and on the other to show proper respect for seniors# In all cases, it
is important to remember to proide contact information for return communications L an
email address or phone number, at the least#
6ence we find that there are many aspects to communications that might be important to
include in a training programme# %ndertaking a needs analysis is almost certainly a
necessary pre&re"uisite#
'.4.4 Issues of information technology
Information technology can work magic for a hotel# $ront&end staff can be enabled to deote
more time to guest re"uirements in a pleasing way, without compromising standard operating
procedures# $rom the moment of reseration until the time of checks&out, eerything can be
recorded and the data can be made aailable where it is needed# The computer system
monitors guest re"uirements, their likes and dislikes, their wants and satisfaction leels, all in
a readable way that helps the hotel management improe and enhance future serices
)Shekhar, =00A+# The impact on communication is, potentially, fundamental# As guests
become familiar with the adantages of adanced information management systems in good
hotels, they begin to e!pect it in all hotels# But in order to achiee good results from an
information system one must first understand the re"uirement in terms of information
needed, the flow of work that uses that information, and the proper procedures to achiee
effectie implementation# And then, staff must be able to use the technology#
Information systems form a fascinating and rapidly e!panding field of study# The hospitality
industry traditionally lags other sectors in adopting information technology, but this has
changed in recent years, especially with the wide scale adoption of the Internet as an
information source, and research into its application has followed suit )Connor and -urphy
=001;=+# Information technologies re"uire yet more skills in the hotel, and yet staff must still
be able to help guests in cases of systems failure# In this study, one e!ample was found
where the concierge was not able to work the system to open more teleision channels for
the guest L hardly rocket science, but then the concierge is probably one of the focal points
in terms of information flow and perhaps it is there that the ma!imum information
management competency is re"uiredF
Information technology is also ery isible to the guest# A contentious issue proes to be the
pricing of Internet serices# 4uests who are asked to spend more than W/0 for one hour of
Internet access L irrespectie of data olumes L are understandably shocked#
This study has found that guests are highly information technology aware, and that the way
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >0
that it is managed to enhance isitor satisfaction is critical# There are many e!amples where
technology issues alone affected perceptions of "uality of serice in fundamental ways, and it
is clear that guests prefer to undertake most routine communications using well&designed
systems# It is clear that this is an area where deelopments continue apace, and L as we will
find L the Internet een proides a aluable resource for researchers who are studying the
hospitality industry#
C-C The (u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!
'.'.1 The role of managers
-anagers can influence shared alues through personal e!ample and deliberate role
modelling# By modelling desirable communication behaiour, hospitality managers
demonstrate the appropriate responses to critical incidents that arise during the transition
process )Brownell, /BB0;=00+#
This study has found that the great majority of managers support good internal
communication with their subordinates, and consider it helpful if not essential to good hotel
serice operations# -anagers must e!plain to their subordinates that arrangements within
the organisation are necessary, een when they might not personally realise the benefits#
They must manage through difficulties so that indiidual failures do not preclude future
success# They must display a positie attitude with which to greet each day, to influence the
work of the whole team, and to respond to the people around them#
'.'.2 The supplementary sur"ey
$ollowing the general reiew of the nature of internal communication, the perceied "uality of
internal communication )as seen by the hotel staff+ was assessed using a short
supplementary "uestionnaire based on selected "uestions from the main surey, those
relating specifically to accurate internal communication# $urther, the "uestionnaire was
reduced to a simple .ikert surey in order to gather the necessary data rapidly, at the same
time that the gather of web data from tripadisor#com was undertaken#
The results of this surey, based on simple summation and normalisation of the responses,
are presented in the chart below# It can be seen that there are significant differences
between the hotels, with the Iensington Palace clearly ranked the highest, and the -andela
9hodes the lowest#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >/
Fi)u$e 11, A summ#$y '& the (u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!s
It is interesting to dwell on some of the details )highest rated first+#
• As noted, the Iensington Place 6otel did well, and the surey results showed that the
management feels confident when dealing with internal communication issues although
training was not high on their priorities# The hotel staff clearly hae communications
strengths already#
• -anagers at the (estin 4rand are confident when dealing with internal communication
issues, and the eidence is that they pay careful attention to oercoming problems of
culture# <erall, they did well in this assessment#
• At the 6arbour Bridge 6otel the "uality of internal communication is aerage# There
was some eidence that management does not put emphasis on internal
communication and do not see it as a tool to achiee guest satisfaction, but this has not
led to a poor oerall rating that might arise from their attention to managing diersity#
• In the Protea 6otel President, management,s leel of listening to and understanding
messages was seen as problematic# 7eertheless, they achieed an aerage result,
possibly because the reerse was seen to be a strength# There was a similar lack of
training here#
Internal communications
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >=
• The Commodore 6otel does not seem to proide any internal communication training
but other things are working well enough to earn an aerage result# There is concern
for diersity management and for cooperation amongst the staff#
• -anagement at the Cictoria H Alfred hotel showed their concern about internal
communication but no strong interest in training, and their result was only aerageG
dealing with diersity might hae been an issue for many working there#
• The Steenberg Place 6otel places an emphasis on written communications but this has
earned them only an aerage result# This is a pity because one would imagine that
written communications hae the adantage that they are usually more carefully
formulated than oral communications, so the message coneyed tends to be more
clearly stated and the recipient has time to think properly about it#
• In the 4reenways 6otel, there was high importance placed on internal communications
and in particular on managing cultural differences, but the result was not strong L
possibly because of an acknowledged lack of training#
• The 4arden Court de (aal did not do well either# There is a perception that the chain
of communication between management and staff is good and the hotel management
proide internal communication training# 6ence, management is clearly aware of the
significance of internal communication# 6oweer, the "uality of spoken messages is
rated low and so problems clearly remain#
• The -andela 9hodes sees managing cultural diersity as a 3key for the business to
succeed or to fail5 and are concerned about staff feeling happy in their work# 6oweer
spoken messages are not always considered to be clear and internal communication
training is seen as an issue# (orse, despite managementKs concern, at the working
leel messages between staff from different cultures and backgrounds are not always
clear# The oerall result was poor, as has been noted#
In summary, there is interesting subjectie eidence that begins to e!plain the ways in which
"uality in internal communications can be achieed# There is a general high concern for
culture and managing diersity# (here concern still fails to successfully manage culture and
diersity, the clarity and security of written messages can oercome the problem# The "uality
of the internal communication amongst these ten hotels is found to ary, but it remains to be
seen whether this relates in any way to guest satisfaction#
Barriers can arise at any point in the internal communication process, and it is found that a
problem at any point can undermine the oerall result# 6ence, when internal communication
is failing, it is of primary importance to identify where the causes of failure are# Common
problems )in the general case, not just in hotels+ hae been reported by 8morenski )=00B;/+G
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >?
a lack of time to communicate effectiely, when staff are spread geographically, don,t hae
the tools to communicate, suffer from language barriers, ethnic and cultural barriers,
educational differences, and differences in e!perience# At the end of the day, the most
important thing is how well the guests enjoy their stay in a hotel, and the e!tent to which
problems in communications right through to the guest are recognised and dealt with# 6ere,
it has been found that a majority of managers recognise that cultural diersity weakens
internal communication, but the eidence shows that it can be dealt with#
C-D The (u#%ity '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
$rom the results aboe, it seems to be difficult for managers to optimise the "uality of internal
communication# There are many facets to the problem, and dealing with all of them in a
balanced way is clearly an issue# 6oweer, understanding guest e!pectations and
determining the impact of internal communications )and other factors+ on the actual leel of
guest satisfaction achieed is what is most important# In some cases, guests, e!pectations
may be clear and in others they may not# Perhaps the importance of internal
communications might ary according to the kind of guest, and their e!pectationsF
The data from tripadisor#com proides information about guest satisfaction# 'ata was
accessed about each of the hotels in the surey and it was e!tracted and analysed in two
ways; "uantitatiely in order to produce a numerical ranking, and "ualitatiely in order to
produce insight into how guests think#
The "uantitatie results are shown in the $igure below# 7ote that the results are ranked
according to this result, and therefore the se"uence of the hotels is changed#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >1
Fi)u$e 1/, A summ#$y '& the (u#%ity '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
As described earlier, the results were generated from the oerall tripadisor ratings at fie
leels, from 3:!cellent5 to 3Terrible5G the count of opinions in each category was weighted
and normalised to produce a single satisfaction figure for each hotel in turn# The Iensington
Palace, Steenberg and 4reenways hotels gained the highest ratingsG the (estin 4rand,
-andela 9hodes, Cictoria H Alfred and 4arden Court hotels earned an aerage but slowly
falling rating, and the Commodore, 6arbour Bridge and Protea 6otel President make up the
tail of the distribution#
It should be noted that the numbers of responses for the different hotels is markedly different
)there were /22 for the (estin 4rand, but only si! for the 4arden Court+, and that there were
other measures aailable on tripadisor such as the simple percentage of guests who would
recommend a particular hotel to others, but these hae been ignored at this stage#
It can be seen that the results seem to differ markedly from the preious results for the
"uality of internal communication, and therefore the differences become interesting#
C-F The im"#*t '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! '! )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
The combination of the two sets of results presented below )and sorted by the "uality of
4uest satisfaction
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4uest satisfaction
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >2
internal communications+ shows that there is some eidence of a correlation between
internal communications and guest satisfaction, but there are clear discontinuities#
Fi)u$e 1A, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! #! )uest s#tis&#*ti'! *'m"#$e
The 6arbour Bridge and 4arden Court hotels hae only small samples so these results might
not be reliable# The Iensington Palace, (estin 4rand, Commodore, and Cictoria H Alfred
seem to indicate a relationship, and so the four remaining cases are worth picking out; two
that seem to be below the e!pected guest satisfaction, and two that are aboe;
/# Protea 6otel President L it would be useful to see whether it has been marked down
because of internal communications issues, or for other reasons#
=# Steenberg L how did it get such a high rating despite internal communications
problemsF
?# 4reenways L the same "uestion#
1# -andela 9hodes & the same "uestion again#
'.9.1 /rotea Hotel /resident
The guest opinions are ery helpful in understanding what has gone wrong here# There are
minor problems with location;
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >>
-.ery much in the middle of the &hustle and bustle& of city life. /ot a place to go to relax and
for peace 0 quiet. Too busy-
more serious problems with e!cessie numbers of guests;
-1ool area packed o'er /ew 2ear with not enough sun beds to go round and yes people
were towelling the sun beds and not returning till after lunch-
and other serious problems with serice that might relate to internal communications, but
seem to hae more fundamental origins;
-They were 'ery sorry that they lost our early arri'al notice, they were sorry that the man
had not checked out by 33, they were 'ery sorry that it took 4 hours to clean a room.
5nfortunately the computer said the room was not ready, so they could not let us in.
)'entually * got the manager to go upstairs and check it and then we were allowed in-
-6rom the dated decor in the lobby and rooms, to the maid not lea'ing wash cloths in the
room on 7 separate occasions, we were completely under whelmed by the ser'ice at this
hotel. ,e had to call the manager to get anything done because the ser'ice staff didn&t
ha'e a clue8-
-The rooms are a fair si9e but the bathrooms are hopeless. :er'ice is not great, 6orgot the
soap and tissues on day 3, the face cloth on day 4 and hea'en help us for day 7-
There seems to be some confusion about the Internet serices, which are reported to be free
in one case, but chargeable in another;
-,ireless internet charge a bit of a rip off-
-6rankly, don&t e'en both trying to use the free wireless internet because it would be faster
to print your email and mail it with a stamp-
Perhaps there are two leels of Internet serice on offerF
The two cases where the manager had to be called indicate that there are almost certainly
communications problems between guests and the staff, if the management hae to be
called in to act as intermediaries# 6oweer, the oerall picture here is that the Protea 6otel
President is simply prone to oer&crowding, poor maintenance of the rooms, and poorly
trained or managed staff# <ne report is particularly damning;
the worst hotel ha'e stayed at in years8
incredibly disappointing comparing to the
1rotea 6ire 0 *ce stayed in a week before and lo'ed it. The 1rotea 1resident is extremely
run down, the room was gross #dirt on the walls, smoke filled hallways from smoking
rooms with no proper 'entilation%, they charged for e'erything, including internet #1rotea
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >@
6ire 0 *ce offered free unlimited access $ 1resident says wireless throughout hotel but they
charge ridiculous prices to use it8%, and the staff were way below sub par. The staffs also
did not say that rate included buffet breakfast the next day. The next morning the request
was to pay for breakfast. This place is basically like a run down ;est ,estern and suited to
tour groups of <= years old. >o not stay here if you want 'alue for your money, because it
should be described as a three if not two star compared to their four star rating".
This echoes the problems that were found in the assessment of internal communications
)earlier, see Section 2#2+, but clearly there are basic issues that are causing this worrying
leel of guest dissatisfaction#
'.9.2 Steenerg Hotel
4uests were generally ery positie about the Steenberg 6otel despite the perceptions within
the hotel that there are problems with internal communications# The comments help us to
see what they liked;
-The :teenberg is a beautiful place to stay. ,e were there for ? nights in late 6ebruary and
lo'ed staying there. ,ith its colonial buildings and beautifully landscaped grounds, this is a
?@@ star hotel. The golf course is lo'ely and the 'ineyard, with its newly designed building,
is worth stopping off for lunchAwine tasting. ,e had our 3B month old son with us and on a
couple of occasions had a staff member baby$sit for us so we could enCoy dinner at the
delicious Caterina&s restaurant. The front$of$house staff were exceptionally good, assisting
with external bookings to enhance our stay e'en further-
-The hotel is on a wine estate and is con'erted from the original farm buildings which sit in
the middle of beautiful 'ineyards and now a golf course. The aspect is fantastic with 'iews
of the 'ineyards and mountains. The location is behind the mountain and is D? mins dri'e
into town so its quiet rather than central. Ha'ing said that it is close to local shopping
centres, other wine farms and other local restaurants.
.ocation stands out, and a hint of highly "ualified staff at the front desk# There was more
praise for staff in the restaurant;
-;reakfasts were 'ery nice in the newly reno'ated restaurant and the staff were welcoming
to guests that we had for breakfast which included young children. Howe'er * thought that
the restaurant was not the best for dinner. * can&t fault the food which was from an
interesting menu and cooked well and the ser'ice was out of a text book but it was
somehow cool and not friendly. *ts a shame because the restaurant is a fantastic building
with stunning 'iews-
This comment is interesting because it hints at communication problems )3cool and not
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >A
friendly5+ which might point to the somewhat lower assessment of its internal
communications found preiously#
'.9.3 Green&ays
.ocation comes through again as a determining factor in guest satisfaction;
-,e stayed for ? nights during the ,orld Cup. All of the staff were extremely friendly 0
efficient. The hotel was charming and immaculate and set in beautiful grounds.-
But there was more L some faces were recognised and suggest a high leel of repeat
business;
-Half of the guests looked familiar from the last year, but there were also some new faces
and a lot of families with children in all ages. The staff is 'ery attenti'e, but not intrusi'e.
+ost of the staff members e'en know how to pronounce my name. Henry e'en
remembers that * like my porridge prepared with water. *t is hard to belie'e, but the garden
looks lusher, greener than last year. :amantha, the chef is a real asset for the hotel, her
kitchen is fresh, healthy, simply delicious.-
The personalities of the staff, and the closeness of the relationship with guests comes
through strongly# There was much supporting eidence, consistently concerned with location
and the "ualities of the staff themseles;
-This hotel is relaxed, informal and about as far away as you could get from the stick on
glitter of corporate identikit chain hotels. The gardens are ama9ing. ;reakfast outside on
the terrace was superb and the public spaces are relaxing and homely. The staff, without
exception, were keen to please... but not intrusi'e. ,hich makes this is the place to go if
you want to be treated as a 'isitor rather than a customer.-
-,e had a family room looking out o'er the front dri'eway, the room was clean, spacious
and comfortable with two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and a lounge area, and a shared
balcony. Eooms were made up promptly each day whilst we were at breakfast. The dining
room looks a little old fashioned and a bit small and cramped, we took breakfast on the
terrace which was 'ery pleasant. The staff are 'ery eager to please and try to be 'ery
helpful, sometimes a bit o'er attenti'e and ner'ous-
Nust another hint that staff were either noices or uncomfortable in the conte!t of the hotel,
echoing the somewhat lower assessment earlier of internal communications#
'.9.4 Mandela #hodes /lace
6ere we find more of a mi!ed bag of reiews, deriing from the oerall aerage leel of guest
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >B
satisfaction# Some were e!cellent;
-,e originally booked a studio room and were upgraded to a spacious one bedroom apt
with a 'iew of Table +t. Fnly concern with room was the lack of a in room safety deposit
box. Gocation is great $ across from the street from the Cathedral which is stop H? on the
Ho$Ho bus. Also easy walking distance to the Ireen :treet +arket. ;reakfast was
included in price $ buffet with the ability to order eggs made to preference as well.
;reakfast area located upstairs next to pool area. +ain floor has an *talian restaurant
which was quite good. Hotel has great security and an on$site AT+ which made banking
'ery easy. -
Somewhat more cautious, but still positie;
-The accommodation was excellent a 4 bed apartment, howe'er with a 'ery small 'iew of
Table mt e'en though we requested the Tower. 4 reasonable si9ed bedrooms and 4
bathrooms was brilliant together with a well fitted kitchen, which admittedly we didn&t use,
but the washer and dryer was a godsend. ;reakfast daily in the restaurant was 'ery good
with a good selection and friendly staff, who were 'ery knowledgeable about the region
and areas to 'isit. The car park was safe and secure ... ?= Eand a day. location wise it&s in
the city rather than near the waterfront but a ?= rand taxi ride is easy enough. /ot a bad
place for a base in a wonderful city-
(hen we dig deeper we find real eidence that there are communications problems mi!ed in
with staff incompetence and technical problems;
-The hotel has great potential but they continued to find ways to screw things up. .ery
simple things likeJ /o hangers in the closet $ waited D? minutes before deli'ered, T.
missing remote and not connected to the satellite, Can&t exchange currency, Eoom ser'ice
menu is 'ery limited, ;reakfast does not open until Kish. Hard to make a business meeting
on time. /o electrical con'erters a'ailable..:A is a 'ery different than AsiaA)uropeA5:A.
Gaundry $ said they would pick up, ne'er did. /o newspapers in the morning, 1hone H to
housekeepingAGaundry does not work. must call receptionist, +ust pay for the internet by
the HF5E, not e'en by the day-
C-G Summ#$y
$rom the comparison of the "uality of internal communication and the "uality of guest
satisfaction we find that there is no clear relationship between the two, because there is in
fact a range of factors other than internal communications that will affect guest satisfactionG
the "uality of internal communications is rather secondary to such factors as location, the
condition of the rooms, the cost of additional serices, and the capability and attitude of the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @0
staff# 6oweer, it is clearly important that communication is neertheless important,
otherwise rooms will neer be properly cleaned, guest e!pectations about e!tra serices will
be misguided, and the inherent ability of staff to work well )gien a chance+ will be obscured
by unclear or ill&informed instructions from managers and superisors#
A managerial focus on the "uality of internal communication is therefore necessary, but the
"uality of internal communication is found to be not sufficient, on its own, as a criterion upon
which to achiee high leels of guest satisfaction#
The following chapter will finalise the research by summarising what has been found and by
giing recommendations concerning internal communications within hotels#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @/
CHAPTER D, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
D-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The preious chapter e!panded on the findings and re&isited the four principal objecties of
the research;
• The nature of internal communication in hotels
• The "uality of internal communication
• The "uality of guest satisfaction
• The impact of internal communication on the guest satisfaction#
It has been found that the nature of internal communication is comple!, and that
managements struggle to deal with all the issues# There is generally inade"uate attention to
training about internal communications, and issues of diersity and culture need to be
addressed energetically if guest serices are not to be compromised# -easures deried
from a simple surey successfully reealed differences between perceied "uality of internal
communication within the hotels, and the world web proided ery useful data about leels of
guest satisfaction that was able to be rendered into a simple single measureG comparison of
the two sets of measurements suggests that internal communications alone will not ensure
guest satisfaction, but that it is a necessary, if insufficient, criterion with which to work#
It follows that the research has achieed is four principal objecties#
This final chapter now reflects on the work and its significance, and makes recommendations
that should ensure better leels of hotel serice in the future#
D-/ Si)!i&i*#!*e '& this stuy
This study proides hotel managers with new information and insight into the importance and
significance of internal communications, in deliering serices that delight and satisfy guests#
-anagers at all leels re"uire confidence if they are to lead their business in a competitie
enironment, especially in the =/st century when technology changes and reshapes the
landscape of the hospitality industry and tourism in general# This confidence will migrate
down to staff at the operational leel where it will benefit guest satisfaction and L hopefully L
the profitability of the hotel#
The relationship between internal communication and guest satisfaction has been found to
be elusie, but almost certainly in the nature of an 3enabling5 one; without effectie
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @=
communications guest satisfaction will be seerely compromisedG with it, staff will be
enabled to delier to the best of their ability in the serice roles that they fulfil# :idence of
guest satisfaction is the best adertisement for a hotel on the local, national and international
leels, and it is interesting that the world wide web L the ultimate communications ehicle L
has proen to be such an effectie source of information not only for this research but also
for traellers# In this research the use of tripadisor#com proided high "uality information
that would hae been ery difficulty to obtain within the hotel, and it is of course the ery
information that is now commonly used by many traellers when deciding where to stay#
D-A Re*'mme!#ti'!s
It is found that good serice re"uires good internal communications, although other factors
such as location can oerride the effects of poor communications# 7eertheless, internal
communications need management time and arrangements must be in place to ensure that it
is established, sustained, and moed on in the light of new systems, new technologies and
shifting isitor e!pectations#
+.3.1 General recommendations
The following general recommendations should be considered;
• Senior, middle, and junior management should deelop trust in each other in the
workplace, through effectie internal communication#
• -anagement should help workers use all means of internal communication for the sake
of guest satisfaction#
• :mployees should receie continuous organisational culture training that focuses on
behaiours, attitudes and serice e!pected#
• :mployees within all hotel departments should be trained to use better erbal and non&
erbal internal communication techni"ues#
It is eident from the literature that communication training benefits employees in many ways;
• Increased interpersonal trustG
• Increased information sharingG
• Improed employee mental healthG reduce stress
• Increased employee commitmentG
• Increased accuracy of indiidual,s self perception and confidence
• 9educed misunderstandingG
• Improed problem soling abilityG and
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @?
• Increased fre"uency of employee recognition#
• Increased guest satisfaction#
(hilst this study has not e!amined these benefits of training in detail, the eidence supports
each and eery one of these claimed benefits L misunderstandings are common, staff are
sometimes an!ious and nerous, they fail to sole problems and sometimes the commitment
to guest satisfaction is ery low#
+.3.2 *ultural di"ersity
Cultural diersity has come through as a common issue, but where it is a problem it can
actually be turned into an opportunity# 6otels that employ a dierse range of staff can
respond to the dierse re"uirements of their guests, particularly when guests alue cultural
diersity of course# It is not about internal communication discipline, it is about playing the
adantage of a aried e!perience for the guests#
6ence management should consider;
• Putting people first by means of open internal communication in the workplace
• :!plaining, training and e"uipping staff with dierse backgrounds to use appropriate
internal communication channels without denying their diersity#
• Proiding diersity training and education whereby workers will learn about other
cultures and how they can benefit from them#
• Insisting that staff should understand that nobody,s culture is more superior than any
other or to another in the workplace#
• 'eeloping their own abilities so as to be appropriate to work in multicultural world#
All should be aware that any erbal or non&erbal internal communication is built from a
language backgroundG a hotel worker,s cultural background should be acknowledged and
respected at all points in the job#
+.3.3 Guest satisfaction.
%ltimately, this is all about guest satisfaction# 9ecommendations specifically relating to the
enhancement of guest satisfaction e!tend beyond just effectie internal communication, but
are all related to it in some way# -anagement should;
• :ncourage a problem&soling approach that engenders confidence amongst the staff
and reduces the threat to guest satisfaction#
• :ducate employees to be true representaties of the hotel and its serices, and to
understand that they hae a responsibility to sole guests, problems#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @1
• :"uip staff with an attitude of information sharing so that they can all understand and
promote the guest serices offered by the hotel#
• Constantly monitor emerging technologies )such as tripadisor+ that might proide the
means of innoation that would offer additional alue to guests#
D-; Fi!#% $e&%e*ti'!s '! the "$'Be*t
$or the researcher, this was a particularly challenging project# The initial objecties of the
work were focused entirely within the hotel and not concerned with gathering data from
outsideG it became clear of course that this would not delier a reliable indication of guest
satisfaction, and opinions from within the hotel would ineitably be biased# The idea to reach
out to tripadisor came from an interiew with an established tourism serice operator who
has to make decisions about hotel accommodation for inbound tourists eery day, and it is
interesting to reflect that at the start of the project ery few people had eer heard of
tripadisorG the problems that caused delay in the completion of the project had at least that
one adantage#
Another issue was the design of the research, which proed to be one of the principal risks to
the successful completion of the work# 'esign of the initial "uestionnaire was poor; the
"uality of the wording used was marginal and led to some problems of comprehension, and
the desire to formulate "uestions in different ways, in order to 3see how it works5, led to some
problems in the collation and analysis of the data# 6appily, as the project progressed these
issues were dealt with and a great deal of learning was achieed#
In summary, the researcher faced different challenges during this study, but addressed them
as indicated below;
• The process of research design proed particularly challenging because of a lack of
preious research e!perience and limited access to source material, support and
guidance;
following the first e!amination of the thesis, additional superisory support was
engaged and the design was e!tended so as to reliably complete the data collection
and analysis#
• %nwillingness on the part of some hotel general managers to accommodate the
researcher, and the difficulty of accessing reliable guest satisfaction data;
e!pert industry assistant was sought and adice to use the world wide web was
followed up#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @2
• The usual difficulties of data collection )getting back all the "uestionnaires+ were faced
early in the project;
supplementary data collection was undertaken with an easy&to&use "uestionnaire
haing simple content and a simple agree&disagree approach#
• Analysis of the main surey data proed problematic, partly because of the
inade"uacies of the initial design, and partly because of ine!perience;
a decision was taken to restrict the analysis of the "uantitatie data to simple
descriptie statistics and to aoid embarking on an e!tended inferential statistical
analysisG the use of -icrosoft :!cel and the presentation of the results was simplified
in deeloping this final ersion of the thesis#
D-C C'!*%ui!) *'mme!ts
The findings from this study show that the management of internal communication is
important and that it contributes to guest satisfaction L the ultimate target of the hospitality
industry L but that on its own it is not likely to be sufficient# :ffectie internal communication
enables managers and staff to engage in an effectie and efficient way resulting in improed
serice performance at all leels, but in the end guest satisfaction depends on other factors
such as location# The belief within the hotels that good management of internal
communications renders better serice to guests needs to be balanced by an understanding
of these other oer&riding factors#
.anguage was e!pected to be a significant factor in achieing good internal communications,
and it has been shown )as might be e!pected+ that a majority of hotel workers in Cape Town
use :nglish as their principal working languageG howeer, language did not materialise as
an issue affecting the opinions of guests# A more common issue dragging guest satisfaction
down was poor managerial attention to the need for communications training, that was
eident in the main surey of hotel managers and in the guest reiews# Cultural diersity in
the work force is both a problem and an opportunity L it gets in the way of effectie
communication but some guests enjoy the ariety of staff with whom they meet#
$inally, the aailability of guest satisfaction data on the web is changing the way that
traellers choose their hotels, and it will change the way that hotel managements work# It is
after all a two&edged affair; on tripadisor )and other similar web sites+ any comment from a
guest can be countered and neutralised by an appropriate reply from the hotel management#
If there is no reply, then potential guests will almost certainly assume the worst and go
elsewhere# (e must e!pect further changes in the patterns of tourism and hospitality
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @>
management as technological innoation takes us on into the future#
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in the %I; the role of the public sectorP, in Iandampully, N# ):ds+,Serice Duality
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-edley, -# =0/0# PSi! (ays to Combat Internal communication $ailure in a -ulti&Cultural
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-otlatla, C#'#T# =000# Introduction to business management# 2th :d# Cape Town; %niersity
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-ullins, .# /BB?# 6ospitality management# .ondon; Pitman Publishing#
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @B
9iley, -# =00/# -anaging people# .ondon; Biddle#
Scheepers, N#, and Nattiem, 9# =00=# Internal communication for personnel management#
Cape Town; %niersity Press#
Sigband, 7# B# H Bell, A# 6# )ed#+ /BB1# Internal communication for managers# >th ed# South
(est; International Thomson#
Smith, T# =00B# 4lobal hotel benchmark surey#
http;UUwww#bi*community#comUArticleU/B>U/>>U?AB@>#htmlX march =00BY#
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Struwig $#(# H Stead 4#B# =00/# Planning, designing and reporting research# Pearson
:ducation Publishing# South Africa#
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=0/0Y#
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and coworker support improe restaurant serice X<n lineY# Aailable
http;UUwww#entrepreneur#comUtradejournalsUarticleU/@/0/A1A1#html X? $ebruary =0/0Y#
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=00BY#
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http;UUinternalcommunications#co#ukUcategories#phpFid[/2#
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The 6ague; .:--A#
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(illard, N# =00A# Actiating brand culture; -oing Internal communication from 3Think&feel&
do5 and3$eel&do&think5 X<n lineY aailable;
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A/
APPENDII 1, :UESTIONNAIRE ON MANAGEMENT
PERCEPTIONS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
/# Age;
=# 4ender;
$emale
-ale
?# 7ationality;
South African
7on&South African
6ome language;
:nglish
Afrikaans
Vhosa
8ulu
Tswana Tswana
<thers )please specify+
(hich language do you prefer to use in your workplace )mark with V+F
:nglish
Afrikaans
Vhosa
8ulu
Tswana
<thers )please specify+
Indicate your management leel;
Nunior management
-iddle management
Senior management
6ow well do you listen to the message from workplace colleaguesF
less&=0
=/&?0
?/&10
1/&20
2/&oer
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A=
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )2 is the most preferable and /
is not+#
/ Poor
= $air
? 4ood
1 Cery good
2 :!cellent
6ow well do you understand messages from your workplace colleaguesF Indicate your
preference by making a cross oer your choice# )2 is the most preferable and / is not+#
/ Poor
= $air
? 4ood
1 Cery good
2 :!cellent
(hat is the most personal preference of the internal communication channel to be used in
your organi*ationF
Cerbal Internal communication
-emos
:mails
7otice boards
Telephones
Please read the following statements and indicate your response by making a cross oer
your preference# -anaging diersity in the hospitality industry is the key for businesses to
succeed or to fail# )2 are the most preferable and / is not+#
/ Strongly disagree
= 'isagree
? %ncertain
1 Agree
2 Strongly agree
Arrange the following statements of internal communication behaiour, according to your
preferences# -ark / in the block ne!t to your highest preference behaiour and = in the block
of your ne!t preference#
Self&confidence
-ake idea clear
Showing positie attitudes when facing cultural diersity
<ercoming Internal communication an!iety
$eel nerous about speaking
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A?
Identify your strengths and weaknesses; put the sign )Z+ ne!t to what you do wellG and the
sign )&+ behind what you think you do not do well#
/#-anage impressions positiely
=# .isten well
?# 9ead effectiely
1# (rite effectiely
2# Articulate ideas
># 4ood erbal deliery
@#4ood nonerbal deliery
A# 4ood telephone conersation skills
B# :ffectie Internal communication with subordinates
/0# Aoid arguing
//# Cooperate willingly
/=# %se appropriate technical language
/?# 6elp others feel satisfied with the conersation
/1# :!plain clearly
/2# $eel confident
/># Control outcome of the situation
Internal communication plays a key role in deliering a serice in a hotel establishment#
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# 7umber / being the most
preferable and 2 is least preferable#
/ Strongly agree
= Agree
? %ncertain
1 'isagree
2 Strongly disagree
6ow much can internal communication enhance a company,s changeF -ark / in the block of
your highest choice and > as your lowest choice#
Changing the people in the hotel
Changing beliefs, attitudes and alue
Changing behaiours
Changing systems and structure
Changing the company,s image
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A1
Changing serice performance
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest factor, = for
the ne!t and 2 for the lowest #(hat factors mostly affect internal communication in the
hotelF
Poor Internal communication channels
Staffs cultural diersity
.anguage barriers
Accent difficulties
Poor interdepartmental cooperation
Please read the following statements and in each case indicate your preference by making a
cross oer your choice#
7eer Seldom <ften Always
I understand the messages communicated to me by my
colleagues#
1 ? = /
I can sort out any guest,s complaints by talking to him# 1 ? = /
I need my peer,s confirmation before doing anything 1 ? = /
I perform better when ignoring all around me# 1 ? = /
In my hotel all our Internal communication systems help in the
establishment of serice performance#
1 ? = /
<ur managers use our employees, ideas in our workplace# 1 ? = /
<ur managers communicate the organi*ational goals of our
workplace#
1 ? = /
In my workplace Internal communication encourages productiity# 1 ? = /
Internal communication is the key for a hotel to succeed 1 ? = /
The non&:nglish speaking employees slow down serice
performance in hotels in Cape Town
1 ? = /
(hen interiewing people for employment, erbal and non&erbal
Internal communication are taken into consideration#
1 ? = /
-anagement "uickly notices staff Internal communication
problems in our hotel#
1 ? = /
Internal communication problems in my hotel affect guest
satisfaction#
1 ? = /
'o you think that the ignorance of other cultures by some employees affects their serice
performanceF Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice#
/ Cery much
= Somewhat
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A2
? 7ot at all
6aing a lot of employees speaking international languages can enhance serice
performance# Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice#
/ Strongly agree
= Agree
? 'on,t know
1 'isagree
2 Strongly disagree
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest factor, = for
the ne!t and 2 for the lowest# (hat factor do you think affects guest satisfaction at the hotel
the mostF
-anagement style
Product "uality
Internal communication
:mployee diersity
4uest behaiourU interference
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest preference,
and 1 for the lowest preference# (hat do you think is the employee,s resource of preference
when sending guest orders to the chef or to another back house departmentsF
-anually
Automatically )computer+
By phone
$a!
Can poor erbal internal communication be classified as poor guest satisfactionF Indicate
your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )/ is the most preferable and 1 is least
preferable+#
/ Always
= often
? Seldom
1 7ot at all
Can poor non&erbal Internal communication be classified as poor serice performanceF
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )/ is the most preferable and 1
is least preferable+#
Always /
<ften =
Seldom ?
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A>
7ot at all 1
(hat better methods can be used to sole internal communication problems within the
workplaceF )/ is the most preference and 2 is the least preferable,+
Sending a letter of what is supposed to be done
Phone whoeer concerns and warn him
(rite the warning and post it
Call each one and communicate the issue
Call a meeting and find a group solution
Please read the following statement and in each case indicate your preference by making a
cross oer your choice#
Strongly
agree
Agree %ncertain 'isagree
Strongly
disagree
Internal communication undertaken
by employees is an important task
in building a hotel,s image and
reputation
2 1 ? = /
Internal communication adopted at
reception areas often gies guests
perceptions of the hotel serice
image#
2 1 ? = /
Inowledge of hotel products from
the reception staff indicate the
leels of serice that guest can
receie in the establishment#
2 1 ? = /
:mployees hae access to
channels of Internal communication
and are trained how to use them#
2 1 ? = /
6ow often do staff members receie internal communication training in your hotel
establishmentF
A 7eer
B (eekly
C -onthly
' > monthly
: Annually
Please use the space below to add additional comments, if any#
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A@
If you would like to receie feedback regarding this research, please proide your email
address below;
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JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ--
Th#!> y'u3
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page AA
APPENDII /, SUR6EY OF :UALITY OF INTERNAL
COMMUNICATION IN HOTELS-
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page AB
APPENDII A, WORKING GRAPHS AND FIGURES
The pages that follow proide working ersions of the graphs and figures that were used in
the analysis of the main surey results#
/
=#
Ge!e$
0
20
/00
/20
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0
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10
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=0
=/&?0 ?/&10 1/&20 2/&
oer
Total
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B0
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Communication undertaken by
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Communication adopted at reception
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Inowledge of hotel products from the
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serice that customer can receie in the
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:mployees hae access to channels of
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B=
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B?
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B>
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doc_919100830.pdf
Within the hospitality industry, where revenues are driven by guest satisfaction, service is a key to success. Internal communication plays a role that should be examined on how its performance affects guest satisfaction within hospitality.
THE IMPACT OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON GUEST SATISFACTION IN
HOSPITALITY ESTABLISHMENTS IN CAPE TOWN
by
ABDALLAH SEIF BAMPORIKI
Thesis submitte i! "#$ti#% &u%&i%me!t '& the $e(ui$eme!ts &'$ the e)$ee
M#ste$ '& Te*h!'%')y '& T'u$ism #! H's"it#%ity M#!#)eme!t
i! the F#*u%ty '& Busi!ess
#t the C#"e Pe!i!su%# U!i+e$sity '& Te*h!'%')y
Su"e$+is'$, P$'&- A!y Bythe.#y
C#"e T'.!
N'+embe$ /010
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
DECLARATION
I, Abdallah Seif Bamporiki, hereby declare that the contents of this research project represent
my own work and that the research project has not been preiously submitted for academic
e!amination towards any "ualification# $urthermore, it represents my own opinions and not
necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula %niersity of Technology#
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Abdallah Seif Bamporiki 'ate
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ii
ABSTRACT
(ithin the hospitality industry, where reenues are drien by guest satisfaction, serice is a
key to success# Internal communication plays a role that should be e!amined on how its
performance affects guest satisfaction within hospitality# The purpose of this study is to
determine if internal communication plays a role in guest satisfaction within hospitality
establishments in Cape Town#
The study found that sources )such as newsletters, maga*ines, books, journals and peers+
emphasised importance of internal communication in hospitality organi*ations# This internal
communication seres as a nere centre of an organi*ation# If one does not hae a
functioning internal communication system, one may lose guests# In addition, adanced
internal communication solution forms a backbone of a wide range of guest serices, and
increases the guests, motiation to stay#
Cape Town, where hospitality and tourism is increasingly competitie and dierse, human
resource management becomes more problematic# There should be channels of internal
communication, which transmit messages across the organi*ation,s structure# The guest,s
reiew demonstrated that growth of hospitality organisation will be determined by its ability to
delier superior guest alue and importance of understanding guest needs and e!pectation#
The reason for growing emphasis on guest satisfaction is that satisfied guests lead to a
stronger competitie positioning, resulting ultimately in loyal guests, increased market
profitability# -anagement teams in Cape Town and hotel industry sectors are under
increasing pressure to demonstrate that their serices are guest&focused and that continuous
performance improement is being deliered#
Internal communication research generates principles and strategies, which improe
managerial performance, as internal communication acumen is essential to render success
in a wide range of actiities# .anguage proficiency, as well as what a manager says, and
what a manager does, contributes to indiidual effectieness# $urthermore, words and
actions should be consistent and aligned so that they hae ma!imum impact# Selected
research findings regarding erbal internal communication and non&erbal internal
communication as well as electronically are presented to demonstrate how wise internal
communication choices can further managerial goals#
In addition to using words effectiely, managers in all functional areas can also increase their
effect and improe their performance by applying results of research that are focused on
internal communication# A self&administered "uestionnaire was compiled to collect data, and
the study was based on /0 selected hotels within Cape Town and a great alue is gien to
Cape Town business centre where most of tourism businesses held# Information was
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page iii
supplied by senior and junior managers from 1&2 star hotels and the final report combined
results from the "uestion about the role that internal communication plays in guest
satisfaction within hospitality establishments in Cape Town by using an SPSS Program,
while recommendations are also based on these findings#
At this period of twenty one century, the technology is challenging organisational internal
communication, it take major part in marketing and marketing research# The management
are busy straggling with internal communication which they will neer know e!actly how
much they perform without guest concert# They run to the Internet to research what the
guests comment about their satisfaction of serice they receied# The guest reiews about
hotel serice industry emphasi*ed the "uality of serice receied within the hotel organi*ation
een if most of the hotels in Cape Town were too e!pensie as guest reiew recommended#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• $irstly, and most importantly, I thank the Almighty 3Allah )4od+ S(5 for guiding me
towards this achieement#
• -y sincere gratitude to those who hae played a piotal role during the arduous hours
prior to completion of this project, which enabled me to successfully complete my
-aster of Technology 'egree#
• 6ighly acknowledgment to Prof# Andy Bytheway my superisor for his guidance,
patience and encouragement to achiee my goal#
• Acknowledgement to Prof# P#A# 7dakidemi for his encouragement toward my success#
• Special acknowledgement to CP%T research member for proiding the releant
facilities for a proper academic research#
• Thanks to all 6otel School lecturers for their guidance, help and patience during my
four years of study prior to the -aster,s degree registration and their follow up
encouragement during compilation of this thesis#
• Thanks to my wife, 8awad 6ussein, for her encouragement and assistance in
compiling and collecting information during her priate time, her patience and belieing
in my success#
• Thanks to my daughter 9abia and my son %thman, wishing them future knowledge and
high performance standards#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page
2INDEED3 ALLAH DOES NOT DO IN4USTICE3 5E6EN7 AS MUCH AS
AN ATOM8S WEIGHT9 WHILE IF THERE IS A GOOD DEED3 HE
MULTIPLIES IT AND GI6ES FROM HIMSELF
A GREAT REWARD9 :UR8AN ;<;0=
TO GOD ALMIGHTY BE THE GLORY
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page i
T#b%e '& C'!te!ts
/# C6APT:9 /; I7T9<'%CTI<7#####################################################################################/
/#/ Background to the research###########################################################################################################/
/#= Statement of the research problem################################################################################################>
/#? -ain objecties, research "uestions and assumptions##################################################################@
/#1 'elimitations of the study###############################################################################################################A
/#2 Purpose and significance of the study###########################################################################################A
/#> Summary and research oeriew##################################################################################################B
=# C6APT:9 =; .IT:9AT%9: 9:CI
#########################################################################/0=#/ Approach to the literature reiew ################################################################################################/0
=#= The role of internal communication in hotels################################################################################/0
=#? The prospects for the Cape Town hospitality industry#################################################################/1
=#1 Information technology in the hospitality industry #######################################################################/1
=#2 Duality of internal communication################################################################################################/>
=#> %nderstanding guest satisfaction#################################################################################################=>
?# C6APT:9 ?; 9:S:A9C6 ':SI47 A7' -:T6<'<.<4E ######################################=B
?#/ Introduction##################################################################################################################################=B
?#= 'ata collection#############################################################################################################################?0
?#? Summary ####################################################################################################################################??
1# C6APT:9 1; P9:S:7TATI<7, A7A.ESIS A7' I7T:9P9:TATI<7 <$ T6:
9:S%.TS#########################################################################################################################?1
1#/ The analysis of the research approach of the study####################################################################?1
1#= 4eneral hotel surey####################################################################################################################?1
1#? 4uest surey ###############################################################################################################################1=
1#1 Supplementary hotel surey########################################################################################################1A
1#2 Summary#####################################################################################################################################1B
2# C6APT:9 2; 'ISC%SSI<7 <$ T6: 9:S%.TS#########################################################2/
2#/ Introduction #################################################################################################################################2/
2#= <bjecties of the study################################################################################################################2/
2#? 'iscussion of 9esults #################################################################################################################2=
2#1 The nature of internal communication in hotels###########################################################################2=
2#2 The "uality of internal communication ########################################################################################>0
2#> The "uality of guest satisfaction###################################################################################################>?
2#@ The impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction########################################################>1
2#A Summary#####################################################################################################################################>B
># C6APT:9 >; C<7C.%SI<7 A7' 9:C<--:7'ATI<7S #######################################@/
>#/ Introduction##################################################################################################################################@/
>#= Significance of this study #########################################################################################################@/
>#? 9ecommendations#######################################################################################################################@=
>#1 $inal reflections on the project#####################################################################################################@1
>#2 Concluding comments#################################################################################################################@2
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /
CHAPTER 1, INTRODUCTION
1-1 B#*>)$'u! t' the $ese#$*h
The hospitality industry is important to South Africa and Cape Town is one of the faourite
places for isitors, with different isitors, attractions and up&market hotels and restaurants#
6ospitality establishments, more than other businesses, can be described as 3a collection of
people working with a common purpose5 )$rost, Cos, and 'reyer, /BB@;/1@+# (hateer the
goal is, the actiities of people within a hospitality establishment must be coordinated in order
to achiee the goal# Thus, for this to happen, internal communication is needed )$rost, Cos,
and 'reyer, /BB@;/1@+#
4uest satisfaction is the best indicator of success, but how is it delieredF -any factors
might be inoled, including "uality of serice, the "uality of facilities, good information
systems, and relationship between serice proider and guests#
<ne other factor that might be important is internal communication, because increasingly
staff come from different backgrounds, different countries, and different culturesG there is a lot
of staff turn&oer, and the means of internal communication changes with new technology
)email, cell phones, hotel management systems, etc+#
The hospitality workforce and the guests that they sere hae become increasingly dierse,
for e!ample the ageing of the population leads to many older guests and worker mobility
leads to ariety in the workforce# 6ence, those managing hospitality establishments re"uire
a heightened understanding of how the indiidual )whether a guest or a worker+ adapts to
new relationships, new behaiours, and new serices )Brownell, /BB1;?+#
According to Corner, internal communication appears as a concomitant of all social life and
as an e!igency of social surial, in general# Internal communication can be defined as
information handling, including actiities of production, dissemination, reception and storage
)Corner, /BB1;/=2+#
Internal communication in an establishment emphasises and focuses on the relationship
between management and subordinates as indiiduals )'ais, /BB?;/2>+, but Brownell
)/BB1;?+ indicates that most of today,s theorists hae moed from highly relational models to
perspecties that take into account the dynamic characteristics of serice organisations as
well as indiidualistic factors# According to Cummings, .ong and .ewis )/BA?;?=+, internal
communication is described as intra&organisational communication, and is a primary focus of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =
organisational communication# This intra&organisational communication is important because
it permits internal communication management, whether to increase employees, satisfaction
or to ma!imise their productiity efficiencyG these goals re"uire simultaneous consideration of
intrapersonal, interpersonal, intra&group and inter&group internal communication#
It is necessary to get eeryone working at the operational leel within the organisation to
work and communicate effectiely with each other, also with management and with guests, in
order to achiee internal communication in hospitality )(olin, /BB1;/B>+G from the
comments aboe we find that this will depend on indiidual and organisational
characteristics#
Preious comparable studies hae been carried out in the deeloped world, for e!ample in
Australia )Solnet H Paulsen =001+, but there are no studies that could be found based on
internal communication in the hospitality industry in Cape Town#
1.1.1 Three stages to the study
Because internal communication plays an increasingly ital role, this study sets out to
determine the impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction in the Cape Town
hospitality industry# It works in three stages;
• The first stage inestigates the role that internal communication plays in proiding a
sound foundation on which to base language and behaiour, in ways that usefully
direct hospitality serices and delier the re"uired outcome# This stage in the study is
based on the opinions of managers working in a selection of hotels in Cape Town#
• The second stage is based on measurement of the "uality of internal communication of
the same hotels#
• The third stage inestigates the issues more carefully, based on actual guest opinions#
'ata describing guest opinions of serice in the selected hotels was elicited in order to
get specific and aggregated information about guest e!periences, to be assessed
against the eidence from the workforce within the hotels#
1.1.2 Strategic issues in internal communications and guest satisfaction
Internal communication is an increasingly powerful tool for organisations if the organisation
adopts the new technologies and at the same time manages the impact on its people#
'ealing with these two issues depends on how an organisation defines itself, and the alue it
places on employees within it# As companies are being pressurised to improe the bottom
line and to deelop appropriate strategies to achiee that, it is imperatie for them to realise
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?
that despite technological adances their most important asset is, fundamentally, their people
)<lson =00>;?2+#
The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the largest users of information technology )IT+#
-oreoer, the industry is knowledge&intensie as a result of the nature of the serice product,
where guest satisfaction occurs as a result of interaction between manager and employees
and where it is re"uired that employees are knowledgeable of guests, needs in order to
achiee guest satisfaction Iahle )=00=+#
Some e!perts consider that internal communications in hospitality will, beyond simply
communicating with and engaging with employees, encourage employees to Jlie the brand,
in order to gain further competitie adantage, based on the effectieness as well as the
simple efficiency of internal communication strategies )-andla H Can (yk =00A+# The same
e!perts argue that making the right decisions in terms of internal communication strategies is
the key to organisational e!cellence# :ffectie internal communication is gien critical
importance in achieing the potential success of any organisation )$letcher, /BBB;2+#
Two issues challenge hotel management in dealing with staff, and ensuring the best possible
serices deliery; ariety in 3first5 language, and culture# Success depends on how
managers communicate with subordinates, and how both parties understand the work that
should be done# (orkers in hotels in Cape Town are from ery dierse backgrounds and
might speak )as their first language+ Afrikaans, :nglish, other :uropean languages )if from
the $rancophone or Anglophone areas of Africa+, or one of many African or een Asian
languages# Thus, hospitality establishments should inculcate all aspects of language and
cultural backgrounds in internal communication when deliering a serice and ensure the
"uality of guest satisfaction#
According to -agurn )/BA@;/0>+, managers proide information in the form of instructionsG
employees apply this information in ways that might or might not create good relationships
among workers of different backgrounds, languages, cultures, race and colour, as well as
politics# Clarity is needed to gie the recipient of internal communication a clear,
unambiguous understanding of what is re"uired )9iley, =00/;A?+#
This research sets out to gain insight into the relationship between internal communication as
a source of guest satisfaction and "uality of serice#
1.1.3 The scope of the research
The scope of the research is to inestigate perceptions of the nature and impact of internal
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1
communication inside hotels, and see whether guest satisfaction is affected by it in any
particular way#
In a hotel establishment, with good internal communication one might imagine that all
departments )such as food and beerage, house&keeping, maintenance and administration+
would cooperate well together, e!changing information by way of internal communication,
with guest satisfaction as the shared focus of their interest# Cariations in the relationship
between internal communication and guest satisfaction in the different hotels might also lead
to interesting conclusions about the relationship between the two#
The following figure gies an oeriew of some of the concepts inherent in the research, as
seen in an early working diagram#
Fi)u$e 1, Guest s#tis&#*ti'! *y*%e ?#! e#$%y +ie. '& the $ese#$*h@
1.1.4 Definition of terminology
Some of the key terms and phrases inherent in the work are e!plained and discussed in the
Internal communication cycle in ten hotels
Commodore
6otel;
4reenways
6otel
2
Iensington Place
Protea 6otel
President
The (estin 4rand
6arbour Bridge 6otel H
Suites
A -andela 9hodes
Place
> Steenberg Cictoria H Alfred
6otel;
Internal communication
6ouse
keeping
$ood and
Beerage
$inan
ce
-aintenanc
e
69
(orkers
4arden Court
6otel
4uests
4uest
e!pectation
Serice ia internal
communication
4uest satisfaction
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2
paragraphs that follow#
Guest satisfaction
6ospitality researchers in India combined guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction within
a -anagement 'eelopment Programme in hospitality )Sundar =00/;1+, on the argument
that satisfied employees are the only ones who can consistently satisfy guests, and that
improed guest relations come from better serice# :mployee satisfaction is seen as a
ehicle that can be used to achiee guest satisfaction# Similarly, Susskind, Iacmar and
Borchgreink )=00@;/+ point out that guest satisfaction comes from the commitment of the
serice proider toward their serice process# It can be argued that good internal
communications, as a key feature of employeeKs work, will relate strongly to employee
satisfaction, but this needs to be established#
Internal communication
'odd )=001;//+ defines internal communication as action in which participants interpreting
information by interacting through sending and receiing messages across a channel within
an organisation conte!t#
Internal communication takes place between employees or departments across all leels or
diisions of an organisation# Internal communication can be formal or informal, upward,
downward, or hori*ontal# It can take arious forms, such as team briefing, interiewing,
employee or works councils, meetings, memos, newsletters, the grapeine, and )with
appropriate technology support+ an intranet and management reports )B7:T =0/0+#
Internal communications can be iewed as an opportunity to enthuse employees and proide
them with reasons to promote the organisation )Cerghese, =00>+# By inoling employees in
the organisation,s ision, giing them the right "ualifiers or messages, educating them on the
brand and the organisation,s directions better and proiding proof for the messages, their
leel of satisfaction is improed# Internal communications needs to encourage employees to
take a personal approach and apply creatiity while promoting the ision# Also in terms of
planning, implementation and measurement, internal communications must integrate focus
and direction# .earning, doing, measuring and introducing feedback to employees L when it
is well done L is important to building their satisfaction#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >
Managerial communication
-anagerial internal communication is an applied, interdisciplinary field, which focusing on
language and behaiour within an organisational conte!t )(etlaufer, =00/; /=+# It focuses on
the indiidual manager as a unit of analysis, internal communication across arious conte!ts
such as of interpersonal, group, organisational and, in some instances, to mediate when it is
re"uired It includes all releant forms and channels of internal communication that
managers may select in order accomplish their purposes, including written, oral, nonerbal,
and mediation )(etlaufer, =00/; /=+
Hospitality
According to 4ilje )=001;?>+, the word hospitality refers to an act or practice of being
hospitable, as seen in the cordial and generous reception and entertainment of guests,
isitors, and strangers, both socially and commercially# 6e notes that the ancient practice of
hospitality embraced it as a social alue, and reflected a natural relationship between guest
and household#
Hospitality estalishment ! Hotel
An establishment that proides lodging, meals and other serices to traellers and other
paying guests )4ilje, =001;?>+G a hotel is a building where people stay when away from
home for business or leisure reasons, and they pay a fee principally just for accommodation
and meals )Collins, /BB@; A/@+#
Ser"ice
According to Ie )=000;/+, serice is defined as a uni"ue opportunity to make a difference to
someone else,s life by using techni"ues and attitudes# It is also see as something that has a
behaioural impact on those concerned, including staff )8eithaml et al#, /BB>+#
1-/ St#teme!t '& the $ese#$*h "$'b%em
The problem that this study addresses is;
At a time when hospitality employees in Cape Town are working under difficult
circumstances, with different work experience, internal communication background, culture,
nationality, race, colour and gender, there is a risk that inadequate internal communication
reduces guest satisfaction.
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @
The purpose of this study is therefore to inestigate the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town# At the centre of the study is
the need for effectie interpersonal and intercultural communication within the industry, and
hence good staff and departmental relationships# This is an important issue at the current
time because the nature of the hotel business is changing with internationalisation and guest
demographics, and the technology of communication is changing )for e!ample the Internet,
cell phones, and hotel management information systems+ and thereby creates both problems
and opportunities#
1-A M#i! 'bBe*ti+es3 $ese#$*h (uesti'!s #! #ssum"ti'!s
The main objectie of this study is to determine the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in large hotels within Cape Town, as well as to understand how internal
communication can add real alue to the hospitality industry# In this way, the study will
determine the steps that can be taken by hotel managements to ensure that internal
communications contribute to guest satisfaction#
In setting about this main objectie, a range of issues had to be addressed# $or e!ample,
the way in which the internal communication can be measured, the way the "uality of guest
satisfaction can be measured, and the relationship between internal communication and
guest satisfaction#
1.3.1 #esearch $uestions
There are four principal research "uestions;
• (hat is the nature of internal communicationF
• (hat is the measurement of the "uality of internal communicationF
• (hat is the nature and measurement of "uality of guest satisfactionF
• (hat is the relationship between internal communication and guest satisfactionF
1.3.2 %ssumptions
This study makes two significant assumptions;
• That the nature and "uality of internal communication can be established by sureys of
hotel management )at different leels+#
• That the nature and "uality of guest satisfaction can be established by analysis of
olume guest opinions registered on public web sites )where the data contained therein
is alidated as to its source and intention+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A
-ost workers can e!ercise far more creatiity, responsibility and self&control than the job
re"uires# Therefore it is the responsibility of eery manager to learn how to make the best
use of employee skills, in order to perform the job in the best way and to oercome the high
leels of hospitality,s business competition in the =/st century# It is therefore implicit in the
study that hotel managements do in fact strie to delier guest satisfaction and that hotel
staff are willing to assist them through their best efforts#
As will be e!plained, the web was chosen as a source of information about guest satisfaction
because hotels were not willing to allow sureys at or near their premises, and the guest
satisfaction cards filled in within the hotels are not reliable, because of manipulation of the
data#
1-; De%imit#ti'!s '& the stuy
The study is limited to internal communication among hospitality staff from junior to senior
management within ten selected hotels in Cape Town, and to the opinions of guests who
hae stayed in those hotels# The ten hotels are all four and fie star graded, and should
therefore hae a clear intention to delier guest satisfaction# They were randomly selected
from about =0 such hotels operating in Cape Town#
In order to collect "uantitatie information, a "uestionnaire was distributed to selected junior,
middle and senior managers, indiidually# Dualitatie information was gathered from guest,s
comments about serice they receied in Cape Town as found in guest reiews on reputable
web sites# The potential to generalise the results of this study might therefore be limited to
higher "uality hotels in the Cape Town region, and to guests who are responsie to the
e!tent that they are willing to lodge their opinions on public web sites#
1-C Pu$"'se #! si)!i&i*#!*e '& the stuy
The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of internal communication on guest
satisfaction in hospitality establishments within Cape Town# Presently, hotels focus on a high
rate of income# Income is dependent on management performance and "uality of serices#
Serice is a tool which generates this income# It can be argued that internal communication
is a ehicle to delier an effectie serice )-otlatla, =000;=>1+, and that is to be tested within
this study#
The hospitality industry will benefit from this study since the results can be used to inform
staff training, in order to delier a better and more effectie serice to guests# If it is true that
good internal communications improes guest satisfaction in any way, then hotels with
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B
effectie internal communication capability will achiee higher leels of guest satisfaction,
which in turn will increase business turnoer#
1-D Summ#$y #! $ese#$*h '+e$+ie.
This chapter introduced the background of the research, which concerns internal
communication within hospitality establishments and its impact on guest satisfactionG it then
introduced the aims and objecties of the study and briefly indicated its scope, limitations and
benefits#
• Chapter = will reiew preious work and studies done in the field of internal
communication and guest satisfaction in the hotel industry, as well as the deelopment
of serice "uality management and issues of guest satisfaction#
• Chapter ? will e!plain the methods used when doing the research; the design of the
interiews, "uestionnaires and web en"uiries that obtained the information needed in
the study#
• Chapter 1 presents the findings according to the principal sources used )"uestionnaire,
interiew and web search+
• Chapter 2 discusses of the results of the research and works towards the conclusions
that arise from the work#
• Chapter > summarises the results of the research and makes recommendations for
hotel managers, benefit#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /0
CHAPTER /, LITERATURE RE6IEW
/-1 A""$'#*h t' the %ite$#tu$e $e+ie.
The objecties of the study guided the literature reiew, being concerned with the role that
internal communication plays in guest satisfaction, the nature and measurement of the
"uality of internal communication, and the nature and measurement of the "uality of guest
satisfaction#
This literature reiew focuses on eidence of the importance of internal communication, as a
strategy that hotel organisations could utilise in order to attract and fulfil the e!pectations of
guests# It also looks at issues concerning the organisation of the managers and workers who
might implement that strategy, so as to manage demand for, and the supply of, guest
serices#
A range of sources and search terms were used, as summarised in the table below;
T#b%e 1, S'u$*es &'$ the %ite$#tu$e $e+ie.
'atabases used Search terms used
:BSC<6<ST; Academic Search Premier )=00A+
SCI:7C: 'I9:CT; :!panded Academic Search
)/BB0&=00A+
SCI9%S )/BB2&=00B+
Business H -anagement Practices; 4A.: &=00A
:-:9A.'
4<<4.: SC6<.A9
Pro"uest internal Communications
Tripadisor#Com
Internal communication
:!ternal communication
4uest satisfaction
9elation between serice H internal
communication
Cape Town hospitality serice
69 management in hospitality industry
The better hospitality serice
Importance of internal communication
4uest reiews
Both 3internal communication5 and 3guest satisfaction5 are well represented in the literature,
and what is presented here is only a small selection of the sources that could hae been
"uoted#
/-/ The $'%e '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! i! h'te%s
In the hospitality industry, where serice leels are of critical importance, internal
communication structures are said to play an important role# According to 6ubeli )=00>;1+,
internal communications are part of the serice package that both business and tourism hae
come to alue as an e!pertise field# <thers argue that the success of serice hospitality
depends upon the effectieness of staffs in managing their interpersonal relations with
guests#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page //
2.2.1 The management role
-anagement,s primary focus should be on communicatie aspects of the serice encounter,
where internal communication can influence serice satisfaction )Callan et al /BB=;=/2+# All
note that it is important in the serice industry to establish and build relationships with guests#
This is crucial where there are no tangible goods e!changed and transactions are based on
personal relations#
In order to achiee a truly internal communicating organisation, (olin )/BB1;=1+ beliees
that it is important to correlate e!ternal communication functions with effectie use of internal
communication channels# Internal channels are mostly perceied to be such elements as a
weekly or monthly employee,s newsletter, which proides in&house opportunities which
recognise and reward good work#
:!ternal and internal communications issues can of course be separated# Brownell
)/BB0;/B/+ has stated that internationalisation of the hospitality workforce and rapid changes
in guest demands hae necessitated effectie internal communication skills within the
management of the organisation# Also, as the workplace becomes increasingly automated,
clear and timely internal communication becomes italG as the workforce become more
dierse, the need to understand and respond appropriately to human dimensions becomes a
key management task )Eoung and Smith, /BAA;/=+#
:!ternally, in a competitie market place, effectie management depends on effectie
internal communicationG a business of leading and managing is accomplished largely through
internal communication actiities )Brownell, /BB=;//=+#
2.2.2 The interface &ith guests
At the interface between the hotel and its guests, a common problem is that staff may gather
into arious ethnic groups# 9ather than creating a conergent orientation, serice staff may
resort to 3foreigner talk5 and, as a result, contribute to unsatisfactory host&guest encounters
)Sparks and Callan, /BB=;==/+#
The interface with the guest is clearly critical# According to 'awson )=002;/A/+, in his reiew
of professional hotel serice, information that is customised for a specific guest can be
structured in a way that makes it usable in formulation action plans#
2.2.3 Staff communication internally
(ith regard to hospitality enironments, Brownell )/BB1;@+ argued the alue of internal
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /=
communication among staffs; hospitality managers should take responsibility to ensure that
employees feel free to e!change information in a timely and accurate manner, and they
should be encouraged to reward employees, behaiours that promote healthy internal
communication relationships both within and outside of the organisation #
Staying with management tasks, as well as staff when communicating, 6artley and
Bruckmann )=00=;/=0+ hae described the issue of 3line structure5, which is based on the
idea that at each leel, people control and administer the work of a group in the leel below
them# $urthermore, they state some adantages and disadantages of such structures,, as
outlined below#
A+#!t#)es; It clearly sets out lines of administratie responsibilityG you know what you
hae to do and who you report to, and all leels of the organisation can be informed about
matters that are releant to their area#
Dis#+#!t#)es; It leads to e!cessiely long lines of internal communication )for e!ample,
when messages should be sent across the organisation +G people at higher leels can easily
be oerloaded with information, and it can lead to compartmentalisation or diision of
information#
In terms of firmKs and employeesK relationships 'awson )=002;=11+ proposes that building an
effectie internal communication and collaboration between employees is at the heart of
deeloping powerful knowledge within a team# 6oweer, it is important to recognise that
eeryone is implicitly part of a team that deals with the deliery of serice# 6ow they
communicate internally )or fail to do so effectiely+ will be central to how one is able to
engage with them and create alue#
2.2.4 Getting the message out
Internal communication can be used as a marketing tool by serice employees, when it
relates to e!ternal guests )(irt*, =001;/=2+# Internal communication from senior managers to
their employees plays a ital role in maintaining and nurturing a company,s culture and
proiding alue# In a serice setting, internal communication tools for marketing are
especially important because they help to create powerful images and a sense of credibility,
confidence, and reassurance# According to Iimmel )=002;/B?+, there is an array of
strategies )tools+ for marketing and his research emphasised word&of&month as a first
marketing medium# By word&of&month, Iimmel means positie or negatie communication
about products, serices, and ideals ia the personal internal communications of personnel
who hae no commercial ested interest in making that recommendation# It typically takes
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /?
place among friends, ac"uaintances, e!perts, trusted adisers, and occurs among strangers#
According to (irt* )=001;/?A+ 3adertisement5 is the most dominant form of internal&to&
e!ternal communication# An adertisement stands as a contact between serice marketers
and their guests, sering to build awareness, inform, persuade, and remind# Adertising
plays a ital role in proiding factual information about serices and educating guests about
product features and capability#
(hen an employee shares information with others, there should be a positie impact on
guest satisfaction, as well as on indiidual work behaiours, recognition, and superision
)Cumming, .ong and .ewis, /BA?; =@/+# This point of iew relates to the coalition of workers#
According to Bruckmann )=00=;?//+, the success of an organisation can depend on leels of
the team that it employs, and positie working teams encourage fle!ibility, inolement and
efficiency# $urthermore, maintaining employee relationships is important to deeloping good
internal communication skills, which result in enhancing self&esteem, proiding employees
with positie support and more satisfaction for the guests they sere )'odd, =001; >1+#
The formation of relationship teams should attract significant attention as the right team will
enable effectie knowledgeLbased relationships )'awson, =002;=1A+# This re"uires rich and
dynamic interaction between the hotel team )management and workers+, and depends on
how well indiiduals interact and understand each other# :ffectie internal communication is
at the heart of relationships within a team, which will be able to achiee its key objecties of
consistent guest internal communication, deeper guest knowledge and well managed guest
relationships only when the team talks effectiely within itself# In order to support hotel staff
in selling the hotel and its serices to guests, it is important to use appropriate merchandising
materials, made aailable across the different departments or serice areas# In support of
this, managers hae a responsibility to instruct employees properly and to supply what is
necessary for staff to fulfil their serice and selling obligations#
4ilmore )=00?;/1A+ considers that employee performance and attitude play an important role
in selling serices, but it is difficult for an employee to sell with inappropriate attitudes and
without support# 6ence, one of the first tasks of management is to market the hospitality
operation and the role that employees play in it, and share the marketing messages with
those employess# <n the employee,s side, personal selling by staff can be encouraged
through good internal communication from manager and superisor, by using practical
internal marketing messages, and by ensuring that employees are friendly, hospitable, and
strie to delier guest satisfaction# 6ence we again hae the notion that there is an internal
marketing and selling function to perform# This entails each department selling other
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /1
departments effectiely, thereby communicating the whole range of hotel serices not just
their own# It will only be effectie when an employee sells not only what is offered in their
own area but also the products and serices proided in other departments, and encourage
guests to enjoy the complete 3package5# This re"uires employees to know about and hae
some e!perience of all departments# -erchandising with brochures, leaflets, fliers and
signage will help employees promote and e!plain all serices to guests as one# 6oweer
success will still depend upon the commitment of both staff and management, as such
material as this needs to be kept up&to&date and releant, and must be used as part of the
oerall strategy to sere guests what they want while offering as much choice as possible
)4ilmore, =00?;/1A+#
/-A The "$'s"e*ts &'$ the C#"e T'.! h's"it#%ity i!ust$y
According to the C:< of Pam 4olding 6ospitality )a specialised hospitality diision within the
Pam 4olding Property group+ the outlook for the South African hospitality industry remains
positie and considerably brighter when iewed against the backdrop of somewhat sobering
global trends, )'emes; =00B+# South AfricaKs hospitality industry is proing ery resilient
amid the global economic downturn# The country is less dependent on the oerseas market
as much of its business is generated from within South AfricaKs own domestic market, and its
neighbouring Southern African countries
According to Smith Trael 9esearchKs global hotel benchmark surey )ST9, =00B+ the SA
hotel industry in =00B as a whole achieed a 1M increase in reenue per aailable room
when compared to Nune =00A# The figure means that the effectie room reenue or turnoer
for an aerage hotel across the country has actually increased by 1M despite the fact that
the number of rooms in South Africa is increasing due to the opening of new hotels and
lodges as well as the launch of new BHBKs and guesthouses# A further positie aspect is that
this in turn creates new employment opportunities# 'emes says )contrary to negatie
comments recently published regarding hotels in Cape Town+ that the well branded hotels in
South Africa and in Cape Town remain in good shape, unlike those in many other cities and
countries in the world# It must be born in mind that een when Cape Town is in the middle of
its low season, which in any other city in the world routinely prompts special rates being
offered, there has been no indication of a Kprice warK#
/-; I!&'$m#ti'! te*h!'%')y i! the h's"it#%ity i!ust$y
9ecent and ongoing changes in technology hae led to the emergence of new serice
standards and strategies# The hotel industry in particular has yet to fully embrace this change
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /2
to become more efficient and effectie in deliering serice with the assistance of new
technologies )Chathoth, =00>;=+#
According to 7ikolis )=00A;/+ in her e!perience working as a manager in hotels and resorts,
hotels were largely working to keep in touch with old and current guests using cards and
paperwork L especially at the front desk# These 3old&fashioned5 methods are long since
passO in most industries, and since the mid&to&late =0th century, information technology has
offered e!tensie and reliable facilitation within the hospitality workplace# $or e!ample,
information technology became important in dealing with billing and inoicing, because old&
fashioned paper&based book&keeping is time consuming and inefficient, and is not able to
"uickly inform a hotel owner about their hotelKs performance and achieement#
9ecent research shows that there has been a massie increase in the application of new
technologies in almost eery aspect of hotel operations and management ).ee, Barker H
Iandampully, =00?;2+# Technology has traditionally been iewed as the key to productiity in
manufacturing industries and in recent years it has helped serice firms to innoate their
serice offerings and add alue internally and for e!ternal customers# -ost importantly,
information technology can assist with internal communication and distribution of information
across arious departments of a hotel, and between different leels of staff ).ee, Barker H
Iandampully =00?;2+# The collection, analysis, and storage of readily accessible information
has become a powerful tool that presents junior members of staff in a hotel with an
opportunity to assume responsibility for making on&the&spot decisions without the need to
consult senior management# Such applications allow for faster and better decision&making
throughout the organisation )'urocher and 7iman, /BB?;1+#
9iley )=00/;A>+ states that 3good internal communication is a good thing5 L something that is
hard to disagree with# But the process of internal communication is, to some e!tent,
determined by the organisational structure )(ood, /BB1;B/+G e!cellence in guest relations is
most often rooted in a company,s superior internal relations# In more progressie and
successful companies, top leel managers are carefully trained to be responsie and
accessible to employees )Bischoff, /BAB;/=1+# According to 6ai&yan and Baum )=00>; 20B+
skills and "uality of staff are among the most important factors in underpinning competitie
success of hotel business# Skilled staff will communicate well, and ensure that organisational
structures are appropriate# In order to upgrade guest serice Bischoff )/BAB;/=1+ urges
marketers to understand that improing guest serice re"uires long&term formal structures for
internal communication, which allow continuous ealuation of serice performance# In order
to create a long&term improement program, it is important to first assess the current
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page />
situation, know where to start from, set a clear course, and measure current progress as well
as surey guest satisfaction with present serice leels#
Information technology assists in the sharing of information between different units and
departments as well as within different leel of staffs, Prideau!, -oscardo, and .aws
)=00>;B@+# 6ence we find that a range of internal actiities within hotel firms can effectiely
use information technology that proides instant access to information, and motiates and
stimulates hotel employees to embrace empowerment and delier a higher leel of serice
through its use#
/-C :u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!
:ffectie internal communication will assist the deelopment of self&directed or self&managed
work teams# Self&directed teams proide a e!cellent opportunity for integrating the thinking,
methods and tools of the "uality moement into eeryday work since the whole task
)comprised of independent actiities+ is taken into account, rather than just the indiidualKs
jobs in isolation )Smith, /BBA;1+#
6oweer, internal communication may be seen in bad way# According to $letcher )/BBB;?+
poor internal communication might lead to complaints that workersK participation and
contribution are not alued by top management, leading to an unsatisfactory climate among
employees# To oercome the situation, $letcher proides some methods called 3step
changes5 of internal communication improement# This method is to surey employees and
use modern statistical techni"ues to analy*e surey responsesG when management
understand e!actly which factors will make the biggest difference to oerall internal
communication satisfactory among employees, they can concentrate their efforts to them,
that can add alue to the business and to the internal communication itself#
:ffectie internal communication with internal stakeholders, whether they are employees or
management, can deelop a cohesie culture, where eeryone is focussed on the same goal
and has the same objecties# By working within a cohesie culture, stakeholders can work
together and collaborate more effectiely, resulting in the following specific benefits;
employees can make more decisions themseles since they hae the tools and knowledge to
know the PrightP decisions in line with the organisation,s goalsG staff can identify better with
the goals, missions and procedures of the organisation, which can result in a sense of
Pmaking a differenceP and increase effort and efficiencyG programmes and departments
share more resources and information resulting in less duplication of work and stronger
impact as a whole organisationG day&to&day conflict can be reduced since a lot of conflict is
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /@
the result of conflicting ideas on what is important to the organisation #
According to Antonis )=002;/B?+, internal communication should play different roles within an
organisation# 6uman resources want internal communication to play a leading role in change
management, organisation deelopment initiaties and defining the culture of organisation#
Internal communication plays a role in staff motiation, building of staff moraleG it assists in
linking the different directorates and helping to improe interaction and collaboration between
units in order to improe operational deliery and productiity# Therefore, effectie internal
communication will assist in strengthening a team work actiity )$letcher, /BBB;?+, and
ineffectie internal communication will seriously hamper the work of an organisation#
(hen employees are inoled in internal communication processes, and properly
understand internal communication ehicles and channels, then internal communication
become much more effectie )(illard, =00A;/+# According to 6orwath )an accounting
company+, in their 36otel Performance Confidence Indicator5 research in the (estern Cape,
they establish the leel of hotel serice confidence by considering internal communicationG
room serice, location, alues, cleanliness and serice performance are the aspects
identified by guests when ealuating the hotel serice proision )Bramwell =00B+#
6ence, it is clear that "uality in internal communications is a key component in an
organisation,s employee engagement strategyG it is about the transfer of meaning or
understanding, not just about moing information around )Cerghese, =00@+#
The paragraphs that follow summarise other factors )eident from the literature+ that might
affect "uality in internal communications#
2.'.1 Hospitality language
Blue and 6arun )=00?;@2+ talk of 3:nglish for <ccupational Purposes5, and suggest that the
term 5hospitality language5 can be iewed as a reference to special aspects of language in
the conte!t of the hospitality industry# (hether in :nglish or in another language, there is an
identifiable cluster of language skills, which staff dealing with hotel guests should ac"uire#
These skills include how to address a person, solicit and gie necessary information,
respond to "uestions, use prompts, use gestures, deal with difficult guests, and appease
complainants#
'ifferent conte!ts of internal communication practices )Nameson, =00/;/=?+ are referred to
as 3proocatie concepts, and will screen effectie management practices in the future#
Secondly, this means that internal communication is a high&leerage actiity# It is, therefore,
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /A
among the most potent tools to improe organisational effectieness and to implement ideas
that are gained from applied hospitality research#
2.'.2 The nature of communication in organisations
Communication management, according to Cos H Schoemaker )=001;=?+ can be see as a
circle of input, transformation and output L into, through and out of an organisation# $igure /
below shows how they term input as 3concern communication5, throughput as 3internal
communication5 and output as 3marketing communication5;
Fi)u$e /, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! m#!#)eme!t m'e%
?S'u$*e, 6's E S*h'em#>e$3 /00;,/A@
(hat they do not show is the way that the e!ternal world receies and then returns the
messages that they receie )that is represented simplistically by the bottom arrow+, but it
does make clear a 3systems5 iew of how information describes the components of input,
throughput and output so that the operation of the organisation can be facilitated and
managed# At all points in an organisation decisions hae to be taken, and if they are
3informed5 decisions then we can see the organisation as a knowledgable one# In this sense,
(ood )/BB1;/>A+ states that to succeed in an organisation, managers should be able to
apply knowledge, through a ariety of internal communication practices#
In the hospitality industry, where serice leels are of critical importance, internal
communication plays an important role# As Callan found, the success of serice hospitality
depends "uite considerably on the effectieness of staff to manage their interpersonal
relations with guests# -anagement,s primary focus is on internal communication aspects of
the serice encounter, where internal communication can influence serice satisfaction
)Callan, et al#/BB=;=/2+# 7ote that it is important in the serice industry to establish and build
relationships with guests# This is crucial where there are no tangible goods to be e!changed
and the transaction is based on personal relationships#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page /B
In order to achiee a truly communicating organisation , (olin )/BB1;/B+ argues that it is
important to correlate e!ternal communication functions with the effectie use of internal
communication channels such as weekly or monthly employee newsletters, which proide in
house&opportunities to recognise and reward good work# (heelhouse )/BAB+ and Petcharak
)=00=+ defined many rather more abstract kinds of internal communication, such as
downward internal communication, upward internal communication, and lateral internal
communication#
• D'.!.#$ i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; 'ownward internal communication is occurs
from higher leels in an organisation to lower leels# It is mostly of an informatie or
directie nature# Internal communication from managers to subordinates is an e!ample
of downward internal communication# The other channels of downward internal
communication used by managers are policy manuals, employee handbooks,
newsletters, maga*ines, memoranda, annual reports, posters and bulletin boards#
:ach item should hae a specific purpose and be written clearly#
• U".#$ i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; According to Cheng )/BB2;/2+ upward internal
communication is the internal communication that comes from the lower leel to the top
leel, such as from the employees to the managers# 6e regards it as the most
important# :!amples of upward internal communication include the suggestion bo!,
employee satisfaction sureys, open&door policies, management&employee meetings,
and e!it interiews# -anagers should accept new ideas, een the offbeat ones, without
anger# They should encourage more frankness from their employees and make
themseles more accessible#
• L#te$#% i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!; .ateral internal communication is the interchange of
information and ideas among all sectors of an organisation, or people, at the same
leel# :ffectie lateral internal communication is an essential element of teamwork#
(ithout this interchange, the structure of the organisation would be no different from an
office building and all employees working independently# %sually, a hospitality
organisation is a group of people working together for the most satisfaction of guests#
'odd )=001;1+, in his study regarding internal communication, reminds us that personal skills
include self&confidence, motiation and persuasieness, which are necessary to make ideas
clear, show sensitiity to cultural diersity, deal with conflict management, team building and
leadership, and oercome internal communication an!iety# At the same leel, Callan
)/BB=;=/?+ emphasises that L more than in most other industries L the hospitality industry
relies heaily on the people skills of serice proiders# 6ence, effectie internal
communication in organisations inoles 3face&to&face communication5# 4ross )=001;>=+ in
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =0
her internal communication study asserts that arious internal communication methods may
be used, but insists that the use of face&to&face interaction is necessary to create real inter&
personal relationships where other media such as audio, print and email do not of
themseles encourage the deelopment of personal and people skills#
.ockwood, in his research, found that managing "uality is a difficult and comple! problem in
the hospitality industry because guest satisfaction depends on a high leel of interaction
between staff and guests# 6is e!perience in the hospitality industry shows that it is necessary
for eery employee to delier a high standard of serice in each and eery corner of an
establishment and in order to achiee and maintain a good image within its target market
).ockwood, /BB2;?+# <ther research confirms that people are the key to both creating and
sustaining an organisationJs "uality of serice )Peters and Austin, /BB1;BAG -oscardo, and
.aws, =00>;B@+# %nderstanding a guest,s perception of serice alue is increasingly
recognised as central to an organisation,s continued successG whateer the actual leel of
serice, it is what the guest thinks that is most importantG what a guest thinks is greatly
influenced by what they hear from employees within the hotel#
2.'.3 Internal communication &ea(nesses
As well as the good things that need to be done to delier good serice, the literature reeals
typical problems as well#
(ood )/BB1;1B+ considers that hospitality and catering organisations hae socio&technical
problems that inhibit successG he finds that hospitality organisations do not deelop internal
labour markets whereby skills can be deeloped through internal promotion and upgrading#
Communications skills need to be a major consideration in promotion of staff# In any
organisation it is important to train employees and managers, about internal communication
skills so that they can communicate effectiely )(olin, /BB1;/B@+# Supportie relations are
intended to enhance self&esteem and ego building, which contributes to subordinates, sense
of personal worth and independence and they maintain their sense of significance and
dignity )-ullins, /BB?;/=/+# As already noted, Blue and 6arun )=00=;/+ suggest that
3hospitality language5, whether in :nglish or another language, is a skill that hotel staff need#
(olin )/BB1;/B@+ argues for an internal 3communication committee5 that can deelop an
internal communication plan that can address problems, identify any needed changes, and
encourage the proper use of internal and e!ternal internal communication channels#
According to Bischoff )/BAB;/=1+, in his study of good guest serice, he states that
companies often set out to upgrade guest serices only to end up applying short&term )and
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =/
ultimately ineffectie+ 3band&aid5 changes# -arketers should understand that the process of
improing guest serice should be one that establishes a longLterm, formal structure for
internal communication which allows continuous ealuation of serice performance#
$urthermore, in order to create a long&term improement program, it is first necessary to
assess one,s current situation# <ne should know where one begins in order to set a clear
course which measures progress#
It has been argued that the concept of internal communication re"uires a strategy that will
e"uip employees with techni"ues, tools, and tactics to deelop a solid internal
communication strategy for the company and to drie it throughout the organisation # The
power of internal communication had been oerlooked in the past, howeer, modern top
e!ecuties hae come to realise that the effects of a well&deeloped and well&e!ecuted
internal communication culture cannot be ignored ):ans, /BBB+# The way in which
managers approach their jobs and behaiours that they display towards subordinates, is
likely to be coordinated by predisposition about people, human nature and work )-ullins,
/BB?;//>+#
'ifferent elements can interfere with internal communication and can lead to poor serice#
Boyat*is and Taylor )=00=;/2A+ hae stated that when managers look at employees, and
immediately realise that they hae had a bad day or that cultural differences were
responsible for someone,s reluctance to speak up, then the manager should use 3emotional
intelligence5 )their ability manage their own and other peopleKs emotions+ in dealing with the
situation# This personal judgment is always a factor that influences internal communication
outcomes# According to Tesone, )=002;/>1+, the practice of management inoles
accomplishing the objecties of the organisation, which can be achieed through actiities of
others# Thus, an ability to communicate effectiely is crucial to the success of managers#
People communicate at work for a ariety of reasons by means of a spoken word, written
word, non&erbal internal communication, numbers, drawings and graphics, and by using a
range of media including the telephone, face&to&face meetings, ideo&conferencing, e mail,
letters and memos )Taylor, =00/; >+# .eadership is dynamic and interactie, and is
concerned with the business of shared alues and ision, clear and motiational language
and appropriate internal communication strategies )Brownell, /BB=;///+# $urthermore,
hospitality managers who emerge as leaders in =/st century are likely to be men and women
who deal effectiely with multi&cultural workforce, who present their ideas clearly, and who
are able to mobilise others around common goals# Their competence and sensitiity will
ultimately be effectie for a large number of employees, traellers and guests worldwide#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ==
Those who can not do this L the majorityF & will neer become leaders#
(hen internal communication fails to achiee its objecties, barriers hae surfaced between
sender and receier# Perhaps it is because of bias on the part of one or emotion on the part
of the other, or perhaps the distractions hae impinged on both parties )Sigband H Bell,
/BB1;//+# <n the side of hospitality internal communication management, Sigband and Bell
state that one must be able to identify barriers to successful internal communication in order
to oercome them# They identified two kinds of barrier, namely nonerbal barriers, for
e!ample, when a speaker,s gestures or facial e!pressions contradict the apparent meaning
of the messageG and erbal barriers, for e!ample when one uses a word cautiously, the
intended meaning may not be the meaning that the listener receies#
Se!e$ b#$$ie$s;
& Power plays
& Stress
E!+i$'!me!t#%
b#$$ie$s;
& 7oise
& 'istance
Re*ei+e$ b#$$ie$s;
& 3I was not told5
& 3It,s not my fault5
& Bias and prejudice
& 4uit and shame
Re#*ti'!;
& 9efusal to comply
& Conflict
& 9etaliation
Mess#)e
QRSM5
Fi)u$e A, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! b#$$ie$s ?b#se '! A(ui!' #! Cie%e!s @
As shown in $igure =, according to A"uino and Cielens )/BBB;//+ there are many barriers
that affect communication, for e!ample just distance between two people is an
understandable barrier if they work in different physical places# 6oweer a greater distance
sometimes separates indiiduals who work in the same building but where there are
differences in rank, status, or the amount of power that each hold in the system# The greater
the e!tent of these circumstantial differences, the less people tend to communicate#
$urthermore, they screened other internal communication barriers, namely a breakdown in
understanding )ariation of meaning+, internal communication chains )message from A to B,
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =?
from B to C and from C to '+, denial barriers )not wanting to hear or blocking the message+,
guilt, shame or stress )arising in difficult conditions or during emotional stress+, fear of
change and anger#
.ack of fundamental knowledge, according to Sigband and Bell )/BB1;/2+, can be classified
as another barrier to clear internal communication of ideas# 6ow can one intelligently discuss
a problem with those who do not hae a background to understand the intended messageF
-oreoer, the same researcher identified other barriers such as; responsibilities of those
inoled in internal communication, appearance of communicators or the instruments used to
communicate, distractions such as noise punch, presses, inade"uate illumination, hissing
entilation, and so on, poor organisation of ideas and poor listening, which are classified as
the most serious barriers to the internal communication of ideas# Therefore one of the main
barriers hampering the deelopment of "uality serice has seen as a lack of top
management capable of seeing, understanding and dealing with these things )$letcher
/BBB;?+# If the whole organisation is not working together to encourage "uality as a team, the
effort will be in ain# (hen top management has proen its commitments, it will flow through
the organisation and become part of the make&up of each employee in organisation #
Nones and 4eorge )=00?;?+ see two important aspects to be managed; the internal influence
of co&workers )information transmitted through co&workers, ia interaction or obseration,
may reflect organisational realities more accurately+ and the organisation,s culture )the
alues, norms, standards of behaiour, and common e!pectations that send messages to
members about what goals they should pursue and how they should behae to reach those
goals+#
2.'.4 )liminating potential arriers of internal communication
So it can be seen that that seeral factors can lead to the breakdown of internal
communication# Scheepers and Nattiem )=00=;/@+ also refer to these factors as 3barriers5# In
their iew, these barriers may originate with the sender )speaking too fast+, a medium )a
different language+, channels )a crackling telephone+, or the receier )not listening carefully+#
$or seeral reasons, co&workers respond to one another based not only on perceptions of
indiidual competence, but in terms of their arious identities and group memberships )'odd,
=001;/1A+# This perception of differences is what can inhibit the process of intercultural
internal communicationG hence itKs management is critical if one is to maintain harmony#
(hen you send a message, you intend to communicate meaning, but the message itself
doesnKt contain meaning# The meaning e!ists in your mind and may not be the same as
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =1
comes to the mind of the receier# In order to oercome barriers between communicators,
6ahn )=002+ reminds us of what we should always remember; that to understand one
another, the sender and the receier must share similar meanings for words, gestures, tone
of oice, and other symbols#
2.'.' *ultural "ariety and discrimination
According to 'odd )=001;/1?+, stereotypes comprise a set mental picture of a particular
group, and arbitrarily attributing the traits of that group to someone who belongs to it is based
on incomplete information and limited e!posure to members of that group# This can lead to
errors in judgment and internal communication# Scheepers and Nattiem )=00=+, in their
description of psychological, perceptual and social barriers of internal communication,
e!pressed that feelings, perceptions religion, age, gender, and education, may cause
breakdowns in internal communication#
<rganisations hae to represent or reflect the global society we lie in, which is increasingly
multi&cultural and dierse because of the limitless boundaries of modern radio, teleision,
and media communications# This often leads to poor inter&personal communications because
of a simple lack of cultural understanding of the way others actually work and think )-edley
=0/0+# The failure to understand other peoplesK backgrounds was said to be one e!ample of
poor internal communication, arising from a lack of mutual, cultural understanding#
.anguage is culturally embeddedG those who speak other languages are priileged to hae
insight into other cultures, howeer understanding other cultures can only be accomplished if
sincere efforts are made to literally speak their language )9ice, =002;21+#
(hen meeting people from other cultures, the chances are that both may consider the other
to be 3ab&normal3 or 3alien5# Intercultural research shows that prejudice and stereotyping
often result because of how difference is perceied and alued )6all, /BB0;A>+#
According to 9ice )=002;2>+ cultural diersity in a workforce increases the probability that
some people may become angry and annoyed with different behaiours from different people
with whom they work# 6e reealed further challenges that face twenty&first century managers
based on studies of cognitie style, diersity and its effects on organisational internal
communication# Correspondence by e&mail can increase rapport )by putting a safe distance
between sender and recipient, and inoking a more careful and formalised style of
communication+ but of course it lacks the richness of face&to&face communication and when
the formality gies way to a style that offends one party, then it can become highly
acrimonious )or worse+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =2
To deal with language and culture in the conte!t of South Africa, human resource managers
hae to work for effectie diersity management in the workplace# %ndoubtedly, good
leadership that recognises this in hospitality and tourism companies plays an important role#
It is acknowledged that the South African situation is uni"ue and that it een differs from one
part of the country to another )Tshikwatamba, =00?;=+# Case studies by Prime )/BB>;1+
showed the compelling need for South African companies to build a new corporate identity
grounded on the integration of the dierse cultural forces# To sustain a successful cross&
cultural management process the search for a combination of :uropean, Asian and African
worlds must be suggested# This could be deeloped through common social actiities inside
the workplace )in small group units with a thick network of informal relationships, trust and
intimacy+, or outside the workplace )in sponsored leisure and sports actiities+#
The ision of an organisation comes from management, and so the deelopment of good
internal communication can be regarded as a key managerial function# As such, in a
multilingual conte!t recognising this is a necessary minimum# Then, training people in
literacy, linguistic skills, cross&cultural internal communication skills, must follow#
According to 'oorley and Carcia, )=00@;/B>+ diersity is presently a bu**word, but it is a
good step for businesses to embrace diersity# It means that eeryone should respect people
who may look, speak and think in a different way# Tesone )=002;@1+, using American culture
as an e!ample )it is influenced by many different races, ethnic background, community and
global regions+ notes the multiple influences and considers that this makes the American
culture heterogeneous in nature# The hospitality industry is also heterogeneous and, for this
reason, indiiduals in this industry should learn to disregard culture differences and embrace
cultural similarities, which mean enrolling in cultural diersity training programs#
Problems with diersity in internal communication brings weaknesses among workers# They
do not workG they do not succeed and can een cause productiity to decrease# Thus one
should obtain a handle on diersity in internal communication )Argueta, =00>+# The fact is
that workforce demographics change# $or e!ample if one,s workforce is composed of men,
women, people of colour, or immigrants, one should learn how to profit from thisG drie
change from the top before throwing money away on programmes, seminars, workshops,
training, speakers, newsletters, websites, consultants, and so on )Argueta, =00>+#
According to Brian )=00>+ diersity management inoles transformation of oneKs own self as
well as the team# To manage and deelop a dierse team one needs to deelop and
understand dependency, independency and inter&dependencyG understanding the needs of
others to surie and to succeed and obsering again oneKs own positie or negatie actions#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =>
It is true that the "uality of life that we lead, the clothes that we wear, the humanity that we
e!ude, the food on our table, the education of our family depends on the "uality of our
relationships within and outside of the workplace# (hen seen in this conte!t we begin to
understand that there is a ital need for teamwork for us all to succeed# And the more dierse
the backgrounds, skills and talents of the team, the more we win# In other studies on diersity
management, it was concluded that informed management is essential, and that the effectie
management of diersity remains a challenge for many hospitality managers and their
organisations )6ughes, /BBB;?B>+#
The widespread concern oer standards of serice "uality in the tourism and hospitality
sector may encourage more employer interest in managing diersity# After all, the ery
nature of the modern hotel industry comes from the dierse nature of its offerings, and
diersity in the workforce should not just be accepted, it should be encouraged )-a!well et
al#, =000;=1+# As society becomes eer more dierse, the challenge of responding to cultural
diersity in the hotel industry will heighten because the ery serice that is offered is a social
e!perience L culturally relatie and culturally defined )Christensen, /BB?;??+# It is not just
about the workforce L a dierse guest base means that successful management of diersity
not only addresses internal problems but also proides guests with a "uality serice
e!perience that meets their e!pectations )7ykiel, /BB@;1+#
/-D U!e$st#!i!) )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
In the /BB0s, the hospitality industry seemed increasingly to be acknowledging that "uality
was really about satisfying the needs and e!pectations of guests ).ockwood#/BB2;?+# In this
case, 3"uality5 must take account of the predominance of guest re"uirements#
2.+.1 Ser"ice e,cellence
According to 'ickson, $ord, and %pchurch )=00>;?+ serice e!cellence, should be the
mission of the hospitality industry, so that employees should deelop an understanding of
what the factors are that lead to serice e!cellence and how they can be aligned# Alignment
is the idea of deeloping and making consistent the arious cues that managers use to
communicate to employees what is important and what is not, what has alue to the hotel
and what does not, and what they should do for their guests and what they should not# (hen
these cues are aligned they send a powerful message to guide each employee as to what
the hotelKs commitment to e!cellent guest serice means in eery encounter with eery
guest# -anaging "uality is a difficult and comple! problem in the hospitality industry, it also
needs to counter the problems of guest satisfaction through the high leel of interaction
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =@
between staff and guests ).ockwood#/BB2;?+#
2.+.2 The gap model
If the performance of a serice does not lie up to the standard which the guest was led to
e!pect, it will result in a perception of poor serice "uality from the guest,s perspectie# It is
the gap between a guestKs e!pectations, and their perceptions of what was receied, that is
the most important gap to manage in deliering serice "uality# Interestingly, research
conducted by Parasuraman et al# )/BA2+ shows that actual serice deliered is less important
than the e!pectations and perceptions of the recipient# This work shows that serice "uality
can be e!plained as a series of gaps between what the guest e!pects, and what
management specifies should be delieredG it is interesting to note that the authors of this
work point out that although their ideas apply in any serice conte!t, they might need re&
interpretation in moing from one to another# The idea can be illustrated in the hospitality
and educational conte!ts, as follows;
Gap 1. *onsumer e,pectation - management perception gap
-anagers fre"uently think that they hae a good feel for what their guests want# 6oweer,
there is eidence to suggest that they are fre"uently unaware of certain crucial guest
e!pectations or do not rate some factors as important as do their guests# $or e!ample,
6oliday InnsT resistance to proiding tea& and coffee&making facilities in their rooms showed a
product¢red adherence to room serice standards# In education, students may want to
deelop the presentation skills they feel will be of alue to them in industry but lecturers may
see essay writing skills as much more important#
Gap 2. Management perception - ser"ice $uality specification gap
:en when managers are aware of all that guests e!pect, there may be a number of factors
L resource constraints, market conditions, andUor management indifference L which can
preent them from setting specifications to meet these e!pectations# In hospitality education,
students may want to spend their industrial practice stages abroadG but time and financial
constraints may preent an institution from establishing and monitoring such placements#
Gap 3. Ser"ice $uality specification - consumer satisfaction gap
<nce formal serice specifications are in place, it is still possible for the actual performance
to fall short of these re"uirements# This is especially true in the proision of education, where
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =A
the role of the contact personnel L the lecturing staff L is so crucial to meeting e!pectations
and ensuring student satisfaction# This can lead to wide ariability in performance and, in
turn, makes it difficult if not impossible to delier standardised "uality#
Gap 4. *onsumer satisfaction - e,ternal internal communications gap
Another possible reason for the perception of poor serice "uality by guests is that their
e!pectations are boosted by media adertising, sales presentations and other internal
communications to a leel e!ceeding the organisation,s ability to delier# <n the other hand
we may fail to tell them about features of our serice that would enhance their perceptions of
our offering# :ducation establishments which go out of their way to make themseles look
good through the promises they make in their glossy literature or their promotional ideos
may be raising e!pectations that they cannot sustain when prospectie students isit the site
or oer the e!tended period of contact that a student has with such an establishment#
These ideas concerning serice "uality are important, and hae achieed wide acceptanceG
they are commonly referred to as the 3gap model5 of serice management#
(e learn that to understand guest satisfaction, it is necessary to understand what the guests
themseles hae to say about their e!pectations and perceptions of serice# As will become
clear, this became one of the principal challenges in achieing this research#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page =B
CHAPTER A, RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
A-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The aim of this study was to gather data to analyse and understand internal communications
within the hotel industry, and its impact on guest satisfaction# Both "uantitatie and
"ualitatie approaches to data collection and analysis were chosen#
3.1.1 .uantitati"e research
Struwing and Stead )=00/;@&A+ hae stated that "uantitatie research can be defined as a
form of conclusie research, which inoles large representatie samples and fairly
structured data collection procedures# The emphasis of "uantitatie research is on the
measurement and analysis of statistical data to determine relationships between entities, in
order to draw "uantifiable conclusions#
As e!plained in more detail in the paragraphs that follow )see section ?#=+, "uantitatie
methods were chosen to obtain an understanding of perceptions about internal
communications within the hotels# There was a large group of potential respondents, and the
intention was to inestigate general feelings about internal communications in terms of mode
)of communication+, language, culture and so on# A structured "uestionnaire was used to
gather data, and simple statistical analysis was undertakenG howeer, some open&ended
"uestions allowed for limited "ualitatie data to be gathered#
3.1.2 .ualitati"e research
Dualitatie research ):reaut, =00@;/+ is used to gain insight into peopleKs attitudes,
behaiours, alue systems, concerns, motiations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles# It is
focused on analysis of the situation of indiiduals rather than groups, and is used to inform
business decisions and policy formation#
As e!plained in more detail in the paragraphs that follow )see section ?#?+, "ualitatie
research was used to gain an understanding of guest satisfaction, as seen by guests# 6ere a
smaller number of 3respondents5 was needed to proide some indicatie eidence about the
impact of internal communication on guest satisfaction# The Internet proided the primary
source of this "ualitatie data#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?0
3.1.3 /rogression of the pro0ect
$ollowing design of the main "uestionnaire, data concerning managementKs general
perceptions of internal communication was first collected in =00A# $ollowing the inestigation
of guest satisfaction using data from the Internet )see section ?#? below+ a second
supplementary "uestionnaire was compiled focusing more on the "uality of internal
communication and its effect on guest satisfaction, as indicated in the figure below;
Ge!e$#% h'te% su$+ey
< Nunior, middle and senior
management attitudes to
internal communication
H'te% st#&&
Guest su$+ey
& 'ata from tripadisor#com
gathered and analysed
Su""%eme!t#$y
h'te% su$+ey
& $ocus on the quality of
internal communication
Guests
t$i"#+is'$-*'m
H'te% st#&&
Resu%ts
Duestionnaire
design
Calidated
guest opinions
'ebated and agreed
communications issues
Interim
results
Interim
results
$inal research
results
6otel rankings
4uest e!periences
Fi)u$e ;, O+e$+ie. '& the #t# *'%%e*ti'! "$'*ess
A-/ D#t# *'%%e*ti'!
3.2.1 De"elopment of the main $uestionnaire
Before the first "uestionnaire was compiled, the researcher met with two general managers,
fie human resource managers and different post graduate students in Tourism and
6ospitality in order to discuss the objecties of this study in detail# The results of the
discussions were used to compile an appropriate "uestionnaire#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?/
The "uestionnaire was diided into two sections; first demographic "uestions such as age,
gender, languages spoken, and nationalities, and second specific "uestions about internal
communications and guest satisfaction as seen within the hospitality operation#
The "uestionnaire included structured "uestions, as well as open&ended and closedLended
"uestions# The last page of the "uestionnaire proided additional space where respondents
could add further comments#
A descriptie glossary of specific terms used in the "uestionnaire was proided which helped
respondents to understand the proper meanings of the "uestions and to reduce ambiguity
while answering the "uestionnaire# This main "uestionnaire is presented in Appendi! / of
this thesis#
3.2.2 General sur"ey of internal communication in the hotels
$ifteen hotels in the Cape Town area with 1& and 2&star grading were approached# They
were all located in strategically busy areas where most of the big olume hotels are located;
in the Cape Town central business district, 7orthern suburbs, Southern suburbs, Camps Bay
and 6out Bay#
Ten accepted the opportunity to participate in the study# In order to prepare the way for the
surey, short meetings were held with managers in these hotels, to discuss their participation
in the project and the completion of the "uestionnaires#
The objecties and intended alue of the research were e!plained in the interiews with the
managers# <nce permission was granted, blank "uestionnaires were left to be distributed
among all leels of their management team, including junior middle and senior management#
Nunior managers represented a range of functions including the food and beerages
department, front office, house keeping department and securityG senior managers tended of
course to hae an oeriew of all functions#
The reason for choosing this population is seen at two leels# $irstly, junior and middle
managers form a direct relationship and collaboration with hotel employees and guests,
hence it is they who are responsible, within their departments, to ensure internal
communication and monitor its impact on guest satisfaction# Secondly, senior managers
deal mostly with interdepartmental and intergroup communications and hae to make
decisions based on the way things are workingG it is therefore important for this group to
obtain information about how internal communication actually impacts on guest satisfaction
so that problems can be dealt with#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?=
:ach "uestionnaire was distributed and returned in an enclosed enelope, which assured
confidentiality and safety#
3.2.3 Guest sur"ey
The hotels did not permit access to their in&house guest reiews, nor would they allow a
surey to be undertaken 3at the door5# It was therefore necessary to find an alternatie
source of information about the actual leels of guest satisfaction )as seen by the guests
themseles+#
A leading hospitality e!pert and tour operator in Cape Town was contacted and asked how
the industry measures serice performance )Snyman, =00B+# She adised that there is no
agency or guide that gies formalised or tightly structured ratings for the "uality of serice at
hotels, but the primary source of information used today is the (orld (ide (eb# She
specifically referred to 3tripadisor#com5
/
, a web site that receies "ualitatie feed&back from
guests and L most importantly L that stries to ensure the "uality of that feedback in
appropriate ways, by proper identification of the originator and alidation of their comments#
This source can therefore be compared faourably )Snyman argued+ with traditional sources
such as the 3Conde 7ast 9ewards5, 3AA Awards5, 3The (orld .u!ury 6otel Awards5 and
3(orld Trael Awards5# 4uests who know what they e!pect can see reported problems )and
compliments+ and thereby manage their e!pectations of serice and make an appropriate
choice of hotel#
In iew of these clear precautions, and because all of the participating hotels were
represented in the opinions aailable on tripadisor#com, it was decided to use
tripadisor#com as the primary source of guest satisfaction data# It is important to note that
the Internet is now the predominant source of information for irtually all 3modern5 traellers,
and one might e!pect that hotel managers will attempt to make sure that what is said on the
Internet reflects well upon them, and that they deal effectiely with all problems that are
reported# After all, if one finds a hotel that seems to deal promptly and effectiely with
problems )as will be eident ia sources such as tripadisor#com+, one might be tempted to
rate it more highly than a hotel that has neer been the subject of any reports at all#
/ A number of other web&based sources were inestigated and an assessment was made concerning the
reliability of the sources# Tripadisor#com was chosen because of the efforts made to alidate the site
contentG specifically, it accommodates the opinions of literally millions of traellers, moderates and e!amines
"uestionable reiews, encourages replies from reiewed hotels, encourages members to report inappropriate
content, and applies applicable laws )it is illegal to post fake reiews in many countries such as the %SA,
%nited Iingdom, $rance, Italy, and 4ermany, Ireland, Sweden and the 7etherlands+#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ??
3.2.4 Supplementary hotel sur"ey
The first "uestionnaire garnered general eidence about internal communications and its
potential impact on guest satisfaction, but it did not focus particularly on the "uality of internal
communications# $ollowing the second surey of the "uality of guest satisfaction, it was
decided that it was necessary to supplement the data from the first surey with an
assessment of the "uality of internal communication# This would proide two data sets that
might indicate more clearly the relationship between these two perspectie#
Some "uestions were selected from the main "uestionnaire, relating more closely to the
"uality of internal communication# A second "uestionnaire was deeloped, based upon
them, but using wording that much more clearly elicited iews about "uality and adopting a
.ikert scale approach to make the collection of data simpler and "uicker# This second
"uestionnaire is presented in Appendi! = of this thesis#
3.2.' 1imitations of the study
The research was limited to a study of information about internal communication within
hotels, and the resulting leels of guest satisfaction# $urther, it e!tended only to a selection
of larger, highly 3rated5 hotels within the Cape Town area#
It must also be noted that some time elapsed between data collection within the hotel and
from the InternetG this was further justification for the supplementary hotel surey and it is
hoped that the general trends that are apparent gie a useful result, and that the
methodology that has been adopted might proide a basis for more detailed work in due
course#
A-A Summ#$y
This chapter has outlined the research design and methodology for this study# 'ifferent
methods were used in order to capture information about internal communications within
hotels, and the general leel of guest satisfaction that resulted from isits# The use of the
Internet as a source is interesting )in comparison with more traditional methods of data
ac"uisition+ and proides an opportunity to make judgement about the reliability and usability
of the Internet for traellers# It also proided a focus on "uality issues that led to the
supplementary surey within the hotels#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?1
CHAPTER ;, PRESENTATION3 ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS
;-1 The #!#%ysis '& the $ese#$*h #""$'#*h '& the stuy
The preious chapter described the methods and strategies that were used to obtain
respondents, information# This chapter presents the results of the sureys and web searches#
The chapter follows the se"uence established in the preious chapter;
• 4eneral hotel surey )main "uestionnaire+
• 4uest surey )Internet+
• Supplementary hotel surey )supplementary "uestionnaire+
;-/ Ge!e$#% h'te% su$+ey
The paragraphs that follow summarise the results of the "uestionnaire&based surey
concerning internal communication as seen by the hotel staffs# The detailed tables and
graphs are presented in Appendi! ?# 6ere only the principal results are gien# The response
was ade"uate; /02 completed and usable "uestionnaires were receied from the hotel
management )junior, middle and senior managers+#
The results presented here are organised according to the "uestions in the "uestionnaire;
demographics first, then communication issues#
4.2.1 Demographics
The principal demographic characteristics were considered to be age, gender, nationality,
home language, preferred working language and seniority# The notes and the table below
summarise the distribution of respondents under these categories;
• <f the /02 respondents that answered and returned the "uestionnaire, the majority
were young rather than old; BM were younger than =0 years oldG 11M )the largest
group+ comprised young managers aged between =/ and ?0 years oldG ?AM were ?/
to 10 years oldG @M were between 1/ and 20 and ?M were oer 20#
• -ales dominated the sample of hotel managers; >=M were males and the remaining
?AM were females#
• 7ationality was based on two categories; South African )>@M+, or non&South African
)??M+#
• .anguage is always an issue in South Africa, and a range of home languages were
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?2
spoken by the sample of managersG 1/M of respondents hae :nglish as their home
language, ?/M hae Vhosa, /?M hae Afrikaans, >M 8ulu, and BM some other
language#
• The language preferred by the majority for use in the workplace was :nglish )@2M+#
//M indicated Afrikaans as the preferred working language and /0M Vhosa, in both
cases because it would make isitors using those languages feel welcome# ?M
preferred Tswana but proided no reasons for this choice###
• In terms of management leel, the largest group comprised the junior managers at
>BMG this compares with middle managers )=?M+ and senior managers )AM+# <ne
respondent did not want to state his management leel and was recorded as a 3don,t
know5#
4.2.2 *ommunication issues
The remainder of the "uestionnaire was concerned with a range of communications issues,
including; listening, understanding, importance of communication, place of communication,
knowledge about hotel serices, access to channels of communication, role of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?>
communication in serice deliery, dealing with diersity and culture, range of languages
used, strengths and weaknesses, factors affecting communication, factors affecting guest
satisfaction, training, managing change, decision making and soling problems# The table
and notes that follow summarise what was found#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?@
These issues correspond to the "uestions included within the "uestionnaire and the results
are summarised in the notes that follow )see Appendi! ? for the details+# In so doing, the
)edited+ words of the "uestion are presented first )in italics+ followed by notes on the results#
1istening
How well do you listen to messages from your workplace colleagues?
The largest number )?1M+ consider that their capability to listen to messages is 3ery good5,
=BM stated 3e!cellent5, =2M 3good5, and only /=M 3fair5# This indicates that most hotel
managers do not consider they hae a problem when listening within their work#
Some reasons cited for 3fair5 listening included that some employees come from abroad and
their :nglish proficiency is poorG howeer, they were recruited not for their :nglish language
capability but because of their hospitality e!perience, or for other significant criteria such as
foreign language skills#
2nderstanding
How well do you understand messages from your workplace colleagues?
<f course, listening is not the same thing as understanding# The largest number )1?M+
indicated that their understanding is 3ery good5, ?0M 3good5, /BM 3e!cellent5 and BM only
3fair5# This parallels the result for listening, but suggests more confidence to understand than
to just listen# Perhaps they were referring to the e!tent to which they understand the
messages to which they listenF
Importance of communication
Communication undertaken by employees is important for building the hotel!s image and
reputation" #agree$disagree%.
There is little hesitation in agreeing with this statement# A majority of managers )1BM+
strongly agreed and almost as many )10M+ agreed with the statement# A small number )BM+
were uncertain and ?M disagreed# (here there are different perceptions amongst managers
regarding relationships between communication and hotel image and reputation, there would
be major implications in dealing with communication management# 6oweer, the results
indicate that almost all managers agree about the importance of communications#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?A
/lace of communication
Communication at the reception area determines guests& perceptions of the hotel!s ser'ice
image" #agree$disagree%
Almost all respondents, A>M, agreed that communication at reception areas, influences
guests, perceptions of the hotelKs serice image# //M were uncertain and ?M disagreed )it
would be interesting to inestigate further how this could possibly be the case+# This
indicates that managers place much alue on the "uality of communication at reception
areas, as might be e!pected#
3no&ledge aout hotel ser"ices
(nowledge of hotel products from the reception staff indicate the le'els of ser'ice that guest
can recei'e in the establishment" #agree$disagree%
-anagers are clearly focussed on product )or serice+ knowledge at reception areas# B0M of
respondents agreed that staff should be knowledgeable and trained to proide details of
hotel products and serices to guests# <nly AM were uncertain, and =M disagreed#
%ccess to channels of communication
)mployees ha'e access to channels of communication and are trained how to use them"
#agree$disagree%
A majority of hotel managers, A0M, emphasised the accessibility of their hotels,
communication channels and training of employees to use them# The remaining AM seemed
to consider this not necessary, and /1M were uncertain# Although managers should play a
direct role in educating staff about the use of communication channels and other facilitates
aailable to them, in relatie terms )compared with some of the answers aboe+ this seems
to point to a 3weak spot5 in some cases, possibly concerned with the need for training#
#ole of communication in ser"ice deli"ery
*nternal communication plays a key role in deli'ering a ser'ice in a hotel establishment"
#agree$disagree%
The results reealed different perceptions# ABM of respondents 3strongly agreed5 or 3agreed5
that communication plays a key role in deliering proper serices in a hotelG BM were
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page ?B
uncertain, with the statement, and =M strongly disagreed#
Dealing &ith di"ersity and culture
+anaging di'ersity in the hospitality industry is the key for businesses to succeed or to fail"
#agree$disagree%
The results indicate a strong leel of agreement that managing diersity is important to
success# 12M agreed and ??M strongly agreedG only /AM were uncertain and only =M
strongly disagreed with the statement#
*gnorance of other cultures by some employees affects their ser'ice performance#agree$
disagree%
There was less certainty about this# A majority of managers, ??M, beliee that
understanding culture has an impact, but 1=M were not coninced#
#ange of languages used
Ha'ing a lot of employees speaking international languages can enhance ser'ice
performance" #agree$disagree%
Surprisingly, managers were not coninced about this# ??#?M of managers strongly
disagreed, 1?M disagreed, /AM were uncertain and only >M agreed#
Communications channels preferred# There are different ways for employees to
communicate, using different channels# These communication channels include all modes L
from erbal to digital )email+# 9espondents were asked to choose between, erbal, memos,
emails, notice boards and telephones#
(hat is your preferred internal communication channel to be used in your organisationF
The majority of managers )1=M+ indicated that they prefer to use erbal communicationG =>M
prefer to use memos, =/M e&mails, and //M telephones# The use of S-S messages was
not eident in the results#
Strengths and &ea(nesses
*dentify your strengths and weaknesses
In the discussions leading to the "uestionnaire design, different aspects of communications
were identified that might indicate strength or weakness L this might be regarded as a
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 10
working list in that it is not alidated by any preious research, but it does hae the legitimacy
that comes from e!pert and peer discussions# 9espondents were asked to choose from the
list, with the result shown in the chart below# By summing the responses the red bars )to the
right+ indicate where respondents consider they perform well, and the blue bars )to the left+
indicate where they consider they are weaker# The different strengths and weaknesses hae
been ranked so the strongest )oerall, across all respondents+ appear at the top, and the
weakest at the bottom#
It is interesting to see that deliery&related skills are seen to be the weakest, despite the
simple assertion )in the second line+ that 3e!plaining clearly5 is strength rather than a
weakness#
4actors affecting communication
,hat factors mostly affect communication in the hotel?
9espondents were asked to choose what factors affect communication from a short list,
including; poor internal communication channels, cultural diersity, language barriers, accent
difficulties, and poor interdepartmental cooperation
??M rated cultural diersity as the factor that affects communication the mostG =AM rated
4ood erbal deliery
4ood nonerbal deliery
Articulate ideas
4ood telephone conersation skills
%se appropriate technical language
6elp others feel satisfied with the conersation
(rite effectiely
$eel confident
:ffectie communication with subordinates
-anage impressions positiely
9ead effectiely
:!plain clearly
.isten well
Fi)u$e C, St$e!)ths #! .e#>!esses
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1/
poor interdepartmental communication# Poor communication channels were rated third,
language barriers fourth )BM+ and accent fifth )1M+# The emphasis on culture and
interdepartmental issues suggests "uite strong challenges for senior managers to deal with#
4actors affecting guest satisfaction
,hat factor do you think most affects guest satisfaction?
Perhaps it is to be e!pected that the majority of respondents chose 3guest behaiour5 and
3guest interference5 as the factors that most affects guest satisfactionG employee diersity,
internal communication, and management style were seen as less significant# This, of
course, is seen from the inside of the hotel and needs to be compared with what guests
would regard as important#
Training
How often do staff members recei'e communication training in your hotel establishment?
It might be e!pected that training is e!tremely important in ensuring the right skills, building
team spirit and employee loyalty, and proiding satisfaction to employees generally# The
results are interesting, indicating that only /=M of respondents confirming 3continuous5
trainingG =0M monthlyG =>M si!&monthlyG ?0M annually, and /1M neer schedule
communication training in their hotel,s operational program#
4uest satisfaction is determined by staff discipline and behaiour toward guests, both these
attributes come from training and education and this is especially important when faced with
diersity in the workforce#
Managing change
How much can communication enhance a company!s ability to change?
9espondents were asked to comment on the contribution of communications to change; in
the people working in the hotel, in beliefs attitudes and alues, behaiours, systems and
structure, the company,s image, and )most importantly for this studyF+ serice performance#
The results are interesting# A largest number of respondents )?>M+ consider that
communication can influence change in serice performance, which is the focus of this studyG
??M beliee that it can change behaiourG =AM that it can change peopleG =>M that it can
change beliefs attitudes and aluesG /AM that it can change systems and structureG only /?M
beliee that it can change company,s image# This final result is perhaps the most
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1=
une!pected L and worryingF
Decision ma(ing
9espondents were asked to rate /? aspects of decision making and communications
dependencies# The chart bellow presents the ranking, positie rankings shown by the bars
on the right, and negatie by the bars on the left# The /? aspects hae been sorted most
positie at the top, least positie at the bottom#
The original "uestions asked for a four point response based on 37eer5, 3Seldom5, 3<ften5,
3Always5G 37eer5 and 3Seldom5 hae been summed to create the negatie bar on the left,
3<ften5 and 3Always5 hae been summed to create the positie bar at the right#
Again a pattern can be seen, with the rather simpler issues coming out as truisms )issues of
productiity, understanding and communications as a critical success factor+ and the rather
more challenging issues )such as peer relationships and language+ being seen as not 3true5#
<erall, howeer, there are more positie responses indicating that the issues are more true
than not true#
5eral and non!"eral communication
(hen asked, the majority of respondents )A@M+ indicated that problems with erbal
communication are often related to problems with guest satisfactionG e"ually the majority
I perform better when ignoring all around me#
I need my peer,s confirmation before doing anything
7on&:nglish speaking staff slow down serice
Communications problems affect guest satisfaction
In hiring erbal and non&erbal taken into account
-anagers use employees, ideas
-anagement notices commmunications problems
-anagers communicate organi*ational goals
Communications systems encourage serice
I can sort out guest,s complaints by talking
Communication is the key for a hotel to succeed
I understand the messages from my colleagues
Communication encourages productiity
Fi)u$e D, R#!>i!) '& e*isi'! m#>i!) #! $e%#te issues
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1?
)@AM+ indicated that problems with non&erbal communication are also related problems of
serice performance#
Sol"ing prolems
(hat methods are used to sole communication problems within the workplaceF
9espondents mostly preferred to deal with indiiduals directly, then in writing, otherwise by
means of a group meeting so as to find a collectie solution#
4.2.3 *ommunications strategies adopted y the hotels
The inestigation of the ten hotels reealed that they employed different communications
strategies, for e!ample in terms of their use of the Internet and other technologies# 6oweer,
a detailed analysis of these communications strategies is beyond the scope of the present
project and must be left for later inestigation# 6ere we are principally concerned with
perceptions of internal communications rather than formalised strategies that may or may not
e!ist#
;-A Guest su$+ey
The paragraphs that follow present the data collected from the web, comprising guest
reiews of serice receied in the hotels in Cape Town as found on tripadisor#com )see the
figure below for a sample reiew+# The reasons and justification for this approach are dealt
with in the preious chapter, but the significant factors are that these reiews are
independent of the hotels, they are alidated, and a range of reiews is aailable from
different categories of isitors such as business isitors, couples, families, friends and solo
traellers# 9eiews generally deal with the location, "uality of the hotel, the "uality of
serice, and the actual serices offered# Clearly, they are offered for the benefit of future
traellers, and the information proided gies an oerall picture of the "uality and standard of
hotels# 6otels hae an opportunity to respond to comments#
As well as descriptie comments on the e!perience, reiews include details such as the date,
an oerall rating, detailed ratings for alue, rooms, location, cleanliness, serice and sleep
"uality# 9eaders of reiews can also indicate whether the reiew was helpful or not# The
number and content of reiews changes day by day, of course, as different guests check in
and report different hotel serice e!periences#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 11
Fi)u$e F, A s#m"%e $e+ie. &$'m t$i"#+is'$-*'m
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 12
4.3.1 The hotels
The notes that follow proide some descriptie material about each of the hotels, based on
what is aailable on the trip adisor web site# In each case the number of reiews that
recommended the hotel is proided, as a first indication of the "uality of serice#
Harour 6ridge Hotel 7 Suites
The 6otel is a new four&star hotel located at the 9oggebaai Canal, .ower .ong Street, on the
fringe of busy downtown Cape Town# It thereby claims to be safe and secure, and within
easy walking distance of all the major attractions including the popular CHA waterfront and
the Cape Town International Conention Centre# @2M of reiews would recommend this
hotel#
Garden *ourt De 8aal
The hotel is a well established four&star hotel located at -ill Street in 4ardens, some way
from the city centre# It was formerly one of fie Cape Town 6oliday Inns and therefore there
are fewer reiews, but it is popular; AAM of reiews would recommend the hotel#
5ictoria 7 %lfred Hotel
.ocated on the (aterfront Pierhead, this hotel is at the centre of tourist actiity on the
waterfront# It has attracted many reiews )only two hotels haing attracted more+ and it is
popular; ABM of reiews would recommend the hotel to others#
The 8estin Grand *ape To&n %raella .uays
This large hotel is rated four&star and it is located ne!t to the Cape Town International
Conention Centre in .ower .ong Street# $ormerly it was the Arabella Sheraton 4rand
6otel# It attracts more reiews than any other; a total of =1@ reiews of which B=M would
recommend the hotel to others#
/rotea Hotel /resident
Situated on the Atlantic sea front, this four&star hotel is in Bantry Bay# It has receied
relatiely few reiews )=@+ of which only >0M recommended the hotel to others#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1>
3ensington /lace Hotel
Situated up on the side of Table -ountain at the edges of the built up area, this hotel has
receied relatiely few reiews )2A+ but they are uniformly positie; BAM would recommend
the hotel to others# All reiews are either 3good5 or 3e!cellent5#
Steenerg Hotel
This is a fie&star hotel located well outside Cape Town, to the south in the Steenberg
:state# A useful number of reiews rate the hotel highly; B>M would recommend the hotel
to others#
Green&ays Hotel
This fie&star hotel is located in the southern suburbs of Cape Town# Although there were
relatiely few reiews )?/+ /00M of isitors would recommend the hotel to others L the only
hotel with this happy result#
*ommodore Hotel
This fie&star hotel is located on the CHA (aterfront, the centre of tourist actiity in Cape
Town, and a perfect location near the sea front and the shopping mall# A large number of
reiews submitted )/2/+ included ABM that would recommend the hotel to others#
Mandela #hodes /lace Hotel
This four&star hotel is located at the corner of (ale Street H Burg Street in the centre of Cape
Town, a short stroll from 4reenmarket S"uare and the Slae .odge -useum# It is still new,
and has fewer reiews than others )AA+ but B0M would recommend the hotel to other isitors#
4.3.2 Summarising hotel guest satisfaction
In order to summarise guest satisfaction the detail from tripadisor#com was tabulated and
summarised on a weighted scoring basis# The aailable ratings are based on the scale
3e!cellent5, 3ery good5, 3aerage5, 3poor5, and 3terrible5# These scores were weighted and
aggregated as follows;
The total number of responses at each leel of the scale was noted
The totals were summed to an aggregate but multiplied by a weighting factor in so doing;
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1@
:!cellent; ! ? )times three+
Cery good; ! = )times two+
Aerage; ! / )times one+
Poor; ! &/ )times minus one+
Terrible; ! &= )times minus two+#
)This would lead to a best possible score of three, and a worst of minus two+
The aggregate assessment was normalised to /00M to gie an easy&to use final figure#
This produced the following result )sorted high to low+;
This result can be seen graphically as follows;
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7umber of responses 21 B= ?/ =1@ AA /=0 /= />0 /> ?/
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7ormalised score AB A> A2 @? @= @0 >A >1 2B ?=
Fi)u$e G, Summ#$y '& h'te% s*'$es
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1A
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Fi)u$e H, G$#"hi*#% summ#$y '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
;-; Su""%eme!t#$y h'te% su$+ey
As can be seen, the analysis of web data has led to a single result, in the sense that the
ratings on tripadisor#com were able to be aggregated and normalised so as to gie a single
figure for each hotel# It was necessary to deelop a single indication of the "uality of internal
communication within the hotels, for comparison#
Therefore, as e!plained in the preious chapter, a simple .ikert&scale )agree&disagree+
"uestionnaire was deeloped based on those items in the main "uestionnaire )see section
1#=+ that dealt with the "uality of communications# This was based on one principal "uestion
and /? supplementary "uestions, all focused on the "uality of internal communications within
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 1B
the hotel# Seenty si! )@>+ responses were receied and the results are presented below
)ranked highest left, lowest right+, hence the hotels are not in the same se"uence as in the
figure aboe#
These results are presented again in a simpler format and discussed further in the ne!t
chapter#
;-C Summ#$y
This chapter has presented three sets of results; the initial main surey of managersK
opinions about internal communications, within the hotels, the guest satisfaction data
gathered from the web, and the supplementary surey of hotel staff concerning the "uality of
internal communications#
The first data set gies an oerall understanding of the issues that are seen to be important,
and how internal communications can be managed# There was general agreement that
effectie internal communications are important in achieing guest satisfaction, but some
areas )such as staff training+ seem to be gien low priority# The second data set allows the
hotels to be ranked according to guest satisfaction, based on willingness to recommend the
Internal communications
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 20
hotel to others, and based on an aggregation of detailed data about the leel of satisfaction#
The third data set allows the hotels to be ranked according to perceptions of the "uality of
internal communication based on /? agree&disagree statements closely related to internal
communications "uality#
4uest satisfaction was found to be a rather ambiguous concept and the actual manifestation
of satisfaction aries from person to person, and according to the product or serice in
"uestion# In the ne!t chapter, results of the research are discussed to deelop a clearer iew
of the importance of internal communications, and the steps that hotel managers could
consider taking to ensure that eeryone in hospitality benefits#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2/
CHAPTER C, Dis*ussi'! '& the $esu%ts
C-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The preious chapter presented the collected data, with a minimum of discussion# This
chapter discusses the results more critically with the aim of presenting conclusions in the
ne!t, final, chapter# This discussion and further interpretation is proided in order to render a
better understanding of the role of internal communication on guest satisfaction in hospitality
establishments in Cape TownG it addresses leels of practical knowledge and understanding
within all leels of hotel management as well as the relationship between internal
communication and guest satisfaction#
The literature reiew and early interiew findings support the notion that internal
communication is important, not only to eradicate poor serice performance leading to guest
dissatisfaction, but also to improe business performance and contribute to economic growth
within the industry, and een the nation# As will be seen, the findings emphasise the need
for good working relationships and improed internal communication between hotel
departments, employees, and management, to ensure that internal communication becomes
a concern for the hotel business as a whole, not only for indiiduals, managers, employees,
or departments# A key issue, of course, is to seek eidence that other factors might affect
guest satisfactionG it is important to weigh the influence of internal communication against
those other factors as it might not be the oer&riding factor in achieing guest satisfaction#
The objecties of this study are reisited here in order to proide a structure for this
discussion#
C-/ ObBe*ti+es '& the stuy
The main objectie of this study is to determine the impact of internal communication on
guest satisfaction in large hotels within Cape Town, as well as to understand how well&
managed internal communication can add real alue to the hospitality industry# In this way,
the study determines the steps that can be taken by hotel managements to achiee this#
There were four specific objecties, closely aligned to the four principal research "uestions
)see Chapter /, section /#A for the details+;
• $irst, to inestigate the nature of internal communication as seen by managers in large
hotels in Cape Town, by means of interiews#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2=
• Second, to assess the "uality of internal communication as seen by hotel employees,
by means of a "uestionnaire based surey#
• Third, to assess the "uality of guest satisfaction, by means of a surey of guest reiews
on the web#
• $ourth, to e!amine the eident relationship between the "uality of internal
communication and the "uality of guest satisfaction#
Although not formally stated, it is worth noting that & as a new researcher, undertaking and
understanding the research process for the first time & a further objectie was to learn about
research by adopting a range of different kinds of en"uiry, especially in the matter of data
collection# There are some comments about this at the end of the chapter#
C-A Dis*ussi'! '& Resu%ts
The research results are based on a ariety of sources, including interiews and sureys in
the ten chosen hotels in Cape Town, and on data gathered from the web# The interiewed
managers were from different countries )although the majority from South Africa+ and were
working at all leels# The composition of the workforce at the working leel was een more
dierse# It follows that the data sources are indeed dierse#
It should also be noted that the work was undertaken oer an e!tended period of time, and
so there is the risk that the data collected is not representatie of the same period in time
)although the supplementary surey of the "uality of internal communication was undertaken
simultaneously with the gathering of web data specifically to minimise that risk+#
The paragraphs that follow discuss the results of the study under four headings that reflect
the four objecties and research "uestions that were set for the study, making reference to
the literature where appropriate;
• The nature of internal communication in hotels
• The "uality of internal communication
• The "uality of guest satisfaction
• The impact of internal communication on the guest satisfaction#
C-; The !#tu$e '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! i! h'te%s
There is eidence in the literature )and some eidence from this research+ that internal
communication is considered critical to serice "uality# Some hotel managements see it as a
basic re"uirement that would threaten Cape TownKs surial as a tourist destination, gien
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2?
the high leel of competition world wide#
Iey issues identified include;
• 'iersity
• .anguage
• Training
• Information technology
'.4.1 Issues of di"ersity
9espondents were asked what were the factors that can affect internal communication the
most; cultural diersity came through as the factor that most affects internal communication#
In hotels, management and the workforce generally both include dierse people from
different regions, different cultural backgrounds, and different preious e!periences# This
means that erbal& communication and non&erbal communication problems can emerge
between hotel employees and managementG as some managers indicated in their interiews,
non&erbal communication works better amongst workers from the same cultural background
and difficulties can arise when the backgrounds are different#
Dealing &ith di"ersity
Staff from different places must be able to communicate in order to deelop a trust in each
otherG non&South Africans can only achiee good performance with difficulty because they
face dierse communication challenges arising from language and from cultural background#
:en amongst South African nationals, internal communication is challenging because of the
leel of job understanding and arying cultural backgrounds# 4enerally, erbal internal
communication can be learned "uickly, but difficulty emerges with regard to non&erbal
communication and with e!pressing ideas rather than just listening to them# As Cape Town
is known for its cultural diersity L a characteristic that attracts many isitors L it is
particularly important to manage these things well#
'iersity consists of isible and non&isible differences that include factors such as gender,
age, background, race, disability, personality, and work style# -anaging diersity is founded
on the premise that harnessing those differences will create a productie enironment in
which eeryone inoles hisU her talents#
In the study, the majority of respondents considered that Cape Town positiely embraces the
dierse cultural diersity that e!ists, and hotel managements seemingly accept the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 21
importance of managing diersity in hospitality establishments# The "uestion arises as to
how this might be done, but seeral authors hae adopted an enthusiastic approach toward
diersity management# $or e!ample, 4roschl and 'oherty )/BBB;=>=+ assert that the benefits
range from being better able to meet the needs of dierse guests, improed decision&making,
reduction in costs associated with turnoer, increased productiity, "uality improement, and
enhanced creatiity and innoation# 6oweer, neither theorists nor practitioners in the
diersity management area hae a common iew on the precise objecties and
characteristics of diersity management# In this study, there is a similar feeling about the
importance of it, without any consensus about the details#
-anaging diersity means acknowledging peopleKs differences and recognising these
differences as aluable, and it demands the preention of discrimination and the promotion of
inclusieness# 4ood management must work to deal with a dierse workforce#
The recognition of other cultures
In the hospitality industry, where more dierse workforces work together and follow an
objectie of proiding serice, recognition of other workers, culture, attitudes and behaiours
should be gien primary importance# It gies employees self confidence# Tesone )=002;@1+
considers that while social culture is applicable to the entire hospitality workers, there are
also cultural 3systems5 that form within the oerall organisation, for e!ample in a conte!t
where specific messages are repeatedly communicated#
This study has found that the majority of staff feel confident in communications despite
diersity, and so it can be concluded that hotel management is successful in dealing with it#
<nce a message is clear and understood the organisation has an opportunity to serice
success, although Tesone cautions us that success might arise as much from local
circumstances rather than from the oerall actions of management#
1ocal and gloal conte,ts
It begins to be important to note the different conse"uences of communication at the
operational and management leels# Clearly, there must be effectie communications with
guests at the operational leel, but at the heart of the management of any organisation there
has to be good communications about management issues L success depends on the
accumulation of ideas, sharing of information about what is working well and what is not, and
effectie contributions to discussions about strategic plans and their implementation# In
recent years, the hospitality industry has e!perienced significant changesG for e!ample due to
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 22
the interest of many hotel chains in 3going international5 )Burgess et al#, /BB2+# Such
competitie pressures as these hae to be dealt with, and they significantly add to the burden
of internal communications at all leels# This becomes an issue of more than just hotel
image and reputation in Cape Town; the world is watching, and the manner of
communication has to become appropriate to the global space# :mployees hae an
important task in building image and reputation; workers, co&workers, superisors,
leadership and management, all play an important role in building a corporate identity )-iles
and -angold, =001;12+# (hen this happens in a global conte!t, the nature of corporate
identity might hae to change#
The different perceptions of managers regarding relationships between internal
communication and hotel image and reputation hae major implications when in dealing with
internal communication management in a changing strategic conte!t# 'uring any period of
change, the first and foremost task of all managers should be to ensure that employees are
aware of new alues and priorities, and understand the ideas communicated by management
that implement new strategies# Information sharing, in itself, is a symbolic way of e"ualising
power, oercoming conflict and building trust )Spector, /BAB+
'.4.2 Issues of 1anguage
It has been found in this study that the :nglish language is preferred as the first language in
the workplace# <f course, :nglish might be spoken by the majority but it is likely to be the
first language of only a minority of staff# In diersity management, helping most of the staff to
use the same language will reduce ambiguity in internal communication# 6ence, the :nglish
language plays an important role in the hospitality industry in Cape Town# -anagers
influence culture and encourage shared organisational alues through the languages spoken
in the workplace# By encouraging the use of appropriate languages, management
demonstrates appropriate responses to critical incidents that arise during the internal
communication process# By using appropriate languages, managers show employees iidly
how success can be achieed despite the different hospitality challenges# Since managers
sere as information links in any organisation, their ability to listen objectiely and to coney
messages accurately is a prere"uisite to smooth working# As a workforce becomes
increasingly dierse, the language preference at the workplace is indeed a key issue#
1anguage in a strategic conte,t
It was noted aboe that the hospitality industry in Cape Town works in an increasingly global
conte!t, forcing change in order to maintain success# To deal with the management of this
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2>
change, the literature elucidates some of the possibilities#
In order for any meaningful change to occur, managers must deelop and articulate a ision
of their organisation,s future and implement strategies that will make that ision a reality
)6ickman and Sila, /BA1;?1+# Although serices remain one of the most intangible and
elusie aspects of organisation life, leaders should search for internal communication
strategies that will deal with the intangibility and elusieness#
Pet*er, Steyn, H -ostert, )=00A;2&>+ remind us that part of the change is adjusting the
serice mi! that is offered, by applying a suitable selection of Internal communication
strategies# $or e!ample, a hotel that is in the 3growth phase5 of its serice life cycle will focus
on communicating with guests, to persuade them to choose its offerings rather than those of
competitorsG a hotel that is in the 3optimisation phase5 of its serice life cycle will focus on
internal communications that reduce costs and increase efficiency# A hotel that is able to
compete successfully will position its serice offering in such a life cycle in order to attract
and then retain guests, and thereby create a sustainable competitie adantage for its
serice offering# Such a hotel should ensure that it has the necessary systems and strategies
in place to manage the demand for its offering and the capacity to delier it#
Such changes and strategies as these will clearly put pressure on the whole teamKs ability to
communicate strategically, tactically, and operationally#
Home language arriers
In Cape Town there is a huge mi!ture of nationalities and backgrounds# 'eeply rooted
South African languages )there are // official languages in South Africa alone+ and strong
historical and political backgrounds that are considerably different from those of other nations
combine to make one of the most aried mi!es in the world# It includes western, eastern and
African cultures and languages#
-yles )=00B;?+ in her research concerning oral communication in inter&cultural encounters,
highlighted that to be a successful communicator in the work place re"uires the :nglish
knowledge as well as the re"uisite industry knowledge and skills# It also inoles the ability to
interpret body language, understand collo"uial e!pressions, and the natie language of other
staff and guests who also hae :nglish as a second language# It has been found that we
can no longer assume that staff with :nglish as their second language can go on to work in
workplaces where :nglish is the first language# Those with :nglish as second language must
be able to accommodate the social and linguistic realities of the global workplace# In the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2@
conte!t of this study it was found that whilst some respondents had :nglish as their home
language, with other home languages performance and response to change is significantly
affected# 'ifficulty also stems from people,s oices, intonations from their home language,
and the attribution of other meanings for words#
'.4.3 Issues of training
These important issues of communicatie competence suggest that training programs for
new employees will not be easy and must strie to deal with language as well as other skills#
1ac( of Internal communication training
(hen asked how often staff receie internal communication training at their hotels, the
results showed an ambiguity; managers understand the problems but do not emphasise
communication training# Some neer schedule communication training and others schedule it
only once a year# 6ence, it appears that communication training is not gien the importance
it deseres, since only a minority of managers proide staffs with training twice a year, or
more# This is important in an industry that relies on efficient internal communication skills for
its success#
The hotel industry is highly competitie and re"uires good communications capability and
therefore ade"uate training for staff, ensuring that they know how to delier the serice that
is re"uired, and how to sustain and enhance the company,s culture, staff attitudes, and
benefits# Bonit* )=00@;/1+ argues that anyone who wants a profitable business should learn
how to make work meaningful to employees# The best way to do that is to put people first
through open internal communication and training in communications competencies#
Internal communication Training
:mployees, perceptions of how organisational conditions facilitate their enironment and
performance are important# The nature of the enironment might be difficult to understand
but growing emphasis on the effect of the organisational enironment on employee growth
and deelopment is a step towards understanding the need for training#
Internal communication training should be based on employees, current knowledge# Preious
researchers, educators and practitioners alike hae placed increasing emphasis on internal
communicationsG it is assumed that a strong internal communication enironment leads to
increased productiity, greater job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, grieances, and
turnoer, and generally increases organisation commitment# It is here that the benefits of
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2A
training should be seen# The fundamental beliefs of the early )Iyle et al#=00>+ 3human
relations5 moement were that happy workers are more productie workers# If this is the
case, e!istence of a strong internal communication enironment, effectie training and
education, and the subse"uent good feelings generated, would all hae a direct and
beneficial impact on performance#
Internal communication training can take seeral forms# -anagement sets the e!ample by
being open, listening actiely and speaking honestlyG more formal internal communication
training can help fill knowledge gaps according to analysis of training needs in all aspects of
the work of the hotel#
)stalishing communications training needs
There is a range of aspects of communications that might warrant an inestment in training#
The different communication channels that are used might not be familiar to new staff, and
established staff might hae to learn to deal with new technologies# Typically, this study has
found that hotel managers in Cape Town prefer to use erbal communication, but also
emphasised memos, e&mails, and telephones# Inowing which channel is the most
appropriate to use might be one way of starting a training programme#
6oweer, discussion of memos, e&mails, and telephones masks the purpose and significance
of communications# Bonit* )=00@+ has emphasised that 3open5 internal communication
encourages employees to "uestion the serice approach, een decisions made by
management, and to ocalise their concerns# This is not "uite the same thing as taking an
order from the restaurant to the kitchen, or sending a chambermaid to a room that needs
clean towels# If it is important for an employee to e!press an opinion, and to challenge
management, then this is a "uite different aspect to communications training#
At yet a different leel, today the Internet proides information that is far beyond what might
hae been imagined =0 years ago# (ith an infinite source of information on all imaginable
topics, how might hotel staff use this to good effectF Again, not when running to the kitchen
or the housekeeperKs office, but perhaps there are other points in the serice operation where
the Internet is a factor# If nothing else, guests e!pect today to be able to access the Internet
form their hotels, and if the staff can not access it, where will that lead toF
$inally, there is the "uestion of the style of a communication# (hether the e!pectation is to
be open or not, whether staff send emails, memos or make telephone calls, the style and
manner of the communication is important# <n the one hand, it might be e!pected to keep it
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page 2B
informal but informatie and on the other to show proper respect for seniors# In all cases, it
is important to remember to proide contact information for return communications L an
email address or phone number, at the least#
6ence we find that there are many aspects to communications that might be important to
include in a training programme# %ndertaking a needs analysis is almost certainly a
necessary pre&re"uisite#
'.4.4 Issues of information technology
Information technology can work magic for a hotel# $ront&end staff can be enabled to deote
more time to guest re"uirements in a pleasing way, without compromising standard operating
procedures# $rom the moment of reseration until the time of checks&out, eerything can be
recorded and the data can be made aailable where it is needed# The computer system
monitors guest re"uirements, their likes and dislikes, their wants and satisfaction leels, all in
a readable way that helps the hotel management improe and enhance future serices
)Shekhar, =00A+# The impact on communication is, potentially, fundamental# As guests
become familiar with the adantages of adanced information management systems in good
hotels, they begin to e!pect it in all hotels# But in order to achiee good results from an
information system one must first understand the re"uirement in terms of information
needed, the flow of work that uses that information, and the proper procedures to achiee
effectie implementation# And then, staff must be able to use the technology#
Information systems form a fascinating and rapidly e!panding field of study# The hospitality
industry traditionally lags other sectors in adopting information technology, but this has
changed in recent years, especially with the wide scale adoption of the Internet as an
information source, and research into its application has followed suit )Connor and -urphy
=001;=+# Information technologies re"uire yet more skills in the hotel, and yet staff must still
be able to help guests in cases of systems failure# In this study, one e!ample was found
where the concierge was not able to work the system to open more teleision channels for
the guest L hardly rocket science, but then the concierge is probably one of the focal points
in terms of information flow and perhaps it is there that the ma!imum information
management competency is re"uiredF
Information technology is also ery isible to the guest# A contentious issue proes to be the
pricing of Internet serices# 4uests who are asked to spend more than W/0 for one hour of
Internet access L irrespectie of data olumes L are understandably shocked#
This study has found that guests are highly information technology aware, and that the way
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >0
that it is managed to enhance isitor satisfaction is critical# There are many e!amples where
technology issues alone affected perceptions of "uality of serice in fundamental ways, and it
is clear that guests prefer to undertake most routine communications using well&designed
systems# It is clear that this is an area where deelopments continue apace, and L as we will
find L the Internet een proides a aluable resource for researchers who are studying the
hospitality industry#
C-C The (u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!
'.'.1 The role of managers
-anagers can influence shared alues through personal e!ample and deliberate role
modelling# By modelling desirable communication behaiour, hospitality managers
demonstrate the appropriate responses to critical incidents that arise during the transition
process )Brownell, /BB0;=00+#
This study has found that the great majority of managers support good internal
communication with their subordinates, and consider it helpful if not essential to good hotel
serice operations# -anagers must e!plain to their subordinates that arrangements within
the organisation are necessary, een when they might not personally realise the benefits#
They must manage through difficulties so that indiidual failures do not preclude future
success# They must display a positie attitude with which to greet each day, to influence the
work of the whole team, and to respond to the people around them#
'.'.2 The supplementary sur"ey
$ollowing the general reiew of the nature of internal communication, the perceied "uality of
internal communication )as seen by the hotel staff+ was assessed using a short
supplementary "uestionnaire based on selected "uestions from the main surey, those
relating specifically to accurate internal communication# $urther, the "uestionnaire was
reduced to a simple .ikert surey in order to gather the necessary data rapidly, at the same
time that the gather of web data from tripadisor#com was undertaken#
The results of this surey, based on simple summation and normalisation of the responses,
are presented in the chart below# It can be seen that there are significant differences
between the hotels, with the Iensington Palace clearly ranked the highest, and the -andela
9hodes the lowest#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >/
Fi)u$e 11, A summ#$y '& the (u#%ity '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'!s
It is interesting to dwell on some of the details )highest rated first+#
• As noted, the Iensington Place 6otel did well, and the surey results showed that the
management feels confident when dealing with internal communication issues although
training was not high on their priorities# The hotel staff clearly hae communications
strengths already#
• -anagers at the (estin 4rand are confident when dealing with internal communication
issues, and the eidence is that they pay careful attention to oercoming problems of
culture# <erall, they did well in this assessment#
• At the 6arbour Bridge 6otel the "uality of internal communication is aerage# There
was some eidence that management does not put emphasis on internal
communication and do not see it as a tool to achiee guest satisfaction, but this has not
led to a poor oerall rating that might arise from their attention to managing diersity#
• In the Protea 6otel President, management,s leel of listening to and understanding
messages was seen as problematic# 7eertheless, they achieed an aerage result,
possibly because the reerse was seen to be a strength# There was a similar lack of
training here#
Internal communications
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >=
• The Commodore 6otel does not seem to proide any internal communication training
but other things are working well enough to earn an aerage result# There is concern
for diersity management and for cooperation amongst the staff#
• -anagement at the Cictoria H Alfred hotel showed their concern about internal
communication but no strong interest in training, and their result was only aerageG
dealing with diersity might hae been an issue for many working there#
• The Steenberg Place 6otel places an emphasis on written communications but this has
earned them only an aerage result# This is a pity because one would imagine that
written communications hae the adantage that they are usually more carefully
formulated than oral communications, so the message coneyed tends to be more
clearly stated and the recipient has time to think properly about it#
• In the 4reenways 6otel, there was high importance placed on internal communications
and in particular on managing cultural differences, but the result was not strong L
possibly because of an acknowledged lack of training#
• The 4arden Court de (aal did not do well either# There is a perception that the chain
of communication between management and staff is good and the hotel management
proide internal communication training# 6ence, management is clearly aware of the
significance of internal communication# 6oweer, the "uality of spoken messages is
rated low and so problems clearly remain#
• The -andela 9hodes sees managing cultural diersity as a 3key for the business to
succeed or to fail5 and are concerned about staff feeling happy in their work# 6oweer
spoken messages are not always considered to be clear and internal communication
training is seen as an issue# (orse, despite managementKs concern, at the working
leel messages between staff from different cultures and backgrounds are not always
clear# The oerall result was poor, as has been noted#
In summary, there is interesting subjectie eidence that begins to e!plain the ways in which
"uality in internal communications can be achieed# There is a general high concern for
culture and managing diersity# (here concern still fails to successfully manage culture and
diersity, the clarity and security of written messages can oercome the problem# The "uality
of the internal communication amongst these ten hotels is found to ary, but it remains to be
seen whether this relates in any way to guest satisfaction#
Barriers can arise at any point in the internal communication process, and it is found that a
problem at any point can undermine the oerall result# 6ence, when internal communication
is failing, it is of primary importance to identify where the causes of failure are# Common
problems )in the general case, not just in hotels+ hae been reported by 8morenski )=00B;/+G
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >?
a lack of time to communicate effectiely, when staff are spread geographically, don,t hae
the tools to communicate, suffer from language barriers, ethnic and cultural barriers,
educational differences, and differences in e!perience# At the end of the day, the most
important thing is how well the guests enjoy their stay in a hotel, and the e!tent to which
problems in communications right through to the guest are recognised and dealt with# 6ere,
it has been found that a majority of managers recognise that cultural diersity weakens
internal communication, but the eidence shows that it can be dealt with#
C-D The (u#%ity '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
$rom the results aboe, it seems to be difficult for managers to optimise the "uality of internal
communication# There are many facets to the problem, and dealing with all of them in a
balanced way is clearly an issue# 6oweer, understanding guest e!pectations and
determining the impact of internal communications )and other factors+ on the actual leel of
guest satisfaction achieed is what is most important# In some cases, guests, e!pectations
may be clear and in others they may not# Perhaps the importance of internal
communications might ary according to the kind of guest, and their e!pectationsF
The data from tripadisor#com proides information about guest satisfaction# 'ata was
accessed about each of the hotels in the surey and it was e!tracted and analysed in two
ways; "uantitatiely in order to produce a numerical ranking, and "ualitatiely in order to
produce insight into how guests think#
The "uantitatie results are shown in the $igure below# 7ote that the results are ranked
according to this result, and therefore the se"uence of the hotels is changed#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >1
Fi)u$e 1/, A summ#$y '& the (u#%ity '& )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
As described earlier, the results were generated from the oerall tripadisor ratings at fie
leels, from 3:!cellent5 to 3Terrible5G the count of opinions in each category was weighted
and normalised to produce a single satisfaction figure for each hotel in turn# The Iensington
Palace, Steenberg and 4reenways hotels gained the highest ratingsG the (estin 4rand,
-andela 9hodes, Cictoria H Alfred and 4arden Court hotels earned an aerage but slowly
falling rating, and the Commodore, 6arbour Bridge and Protea 6otel President make up the
tail of the distribution#
It should be noted that the numbers of responses for the different hotels is markedly different
)there were /22 for the (estin 4rand, but only si! for the 4arden Court+, and that there were
other measures aailable on tripadisor such as the simple percentage of guests who would
recommend a particular hotel to others, but these hae been ignored at this stage#
It can be seen that the results seem to differ markedly from the preious results for the
"uality of internal communication, and therefore the differences become interesting#
C-F The im"#*t '& i!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! '! )uest s#tis&#*ti'!
The combination of the two sets of results presented below )and sorted by the "uality of
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >2
internal communications+ shows that there is some eidence of a correlation between
internal communications and guest satisfaction, but there are clear discontinuities#
Fi)u$e 1A, I!te$!#% *'mmu!i*#ti'! #! )uest s#tis&#*ti'! *'m"#$e
The 6arbour Bridge and 4arden Court hotels hae only small samples so these results might
not be reliable# The Iensington Palace, (estin 4rand, Commodore, and Cictoria H Alfred
seem to indicate a relationship, and so the four remaining cases are worth picking out; two
that seem to be below the e!pected guest satisfaction, and two that are aboe;
/# Protea 6otel President L it would be useful to see whether it has been marked down
because of internal communications issues, or for other reasons#
=# Steenberg L how did it get such a high rating despite internal communications
problemsF
?# 4reenways L the same "uestion#
1# -andela 9hodes & the same "uestion again#
'.9.1 /rotea Hotel /resident
The guest opinions are ery helpful in understanding what has gone wrong here# There are
minor problems with location;
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >>
-.ery much in the middle of the &hustle and bustle& of city life. /ot a place to go to relax and
for peace 0 quiet. Too busy-
more serious problems with e!cessie numbers of guests;
-1ool area packed o'er /ew 2ear with not enough sun beds to go round and yes people
were towelling the sun beds and not returning till after lunch-
and other serious problems with serice that might relate to internal communications, but
seem to hae more fundamental origins;
-They were 'ery sorry that they lost our early arri'al notice, they were sorry that the man
had not checked out by 33, they were 'ery sorry that it took 4 hours to clean a room.
5nfortunately the computer said the room was not ready, so they could not let us in.
)'entually * got the manager to go upstairs and check it and then we were allowed in-
-6rom the dated decor in the lobby and rooms, to the maid not lea'ing wash cloths in the
room on 7 separate occasions, we were completely under whelmed by the ser'ice at this
hotel. ,e had to call the manager to get anything done because the ser'ice staff didn&t
ha'e a clue8-
-The rooms are a fair si9e but the bathrooms are hopeless. :er'ice is not great, 6orgot the
soap and tissues on day 3, the face cloth on day 4 and hea'en help us for day 7-
There seems to be some confusion about the Internet serices, which are reported to be free
in one case, but chargeable in another;
-,ireless internet charge a bit of a rip off-
-6rankly, don&t e'en both trying to use the free wireless internet because it would be faster
to print your email and mail it with a stamp-
Perhaps there are two leels of Internet serice on offerF
The two cases where the manager had to be called indicate that there are almost certainly
communications problems between guests and the staff, if the management hae to be
called in to act as intermediaries# 6oweer, the oerall picture here is that the Protea 6otel
President is simply prone to oer&crowding, poor maintenance of the rooms, and poorly
trained or managed staff# <ne report is particularly damning;
the worst hotel ha'e stayed at in years8
incredibly disappointing comparing to the 1rotea 6ire 0 *ce stayed in a week before and lo'ed it. The 1rotea 1resident is extremely
run down, the room was gross #dirt on the walls, smoke filled hallways from smoking
rooms with no proper 'entilation%, they charged for e'erything, including internet #1rotea
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >@
6ire 0 *ce offered free unlimited access $ 1resident says wireless throughout hotel but they
charge ridiculous prices to use it8%, and the staff were way below sub par. The staffs also
did not say that rate included buffet breakfast the next day. The next morning the request
was to pay for breakfast. This place is basically like a run down ;est ,estern and suited to
tour groups of <= years old. >o not stay here if you want 'alue for your money, because it
should be described as a three if not two star compared to their four star rating".
This echoes the problems that were found in the assessment of internal communications
)earlier, see Section 2#2+, but clearly there are basic issues that are causing this worrying
leel of guest dissatisfaction#
'.9.2 Steenerg Hotel
4uests were generally ery positie about the Steenberg 6otel despite the perceptions within
the hotel that there are problems with internal communications# The comments help us to
see what they liked;
-The :teenberg is a beautiful place to stay. ,e were there for ? nights in late 6ebruary and
lo'ed staying there. ,ith its colonial buildings and beautifully landscaped grounds, this is a
?@@ star hotel. The golf course is lo'ely and the 'ineyard, with its newly designed building,
is worth stopping off for lunchAwine tasting. ,e had our 3B month old son with us and on a
couple of occasions had a staff member baby$sit for us so we could enCoy dinner at the
delicious Caterina&s restaurant. The front$of$house staff were exceptionally good, assisting
with external bookings to enhance our stay e'en further-
-The hotel is on a wine estate and is con'erted from the original farm buildings which sit in
the middle of beautiful 'ineyards and now a golf course. The aspect is fantastic with 'iews
of the 'ineyards and mountains. The location is behind the mountain and is D? mins dri'e
into town so its quiet rather than central. Ha'ing said that it is close to local shopping
centres, other wine farms and other local restaurants.
.ocation stands out, and a hint of highly "ualified staff at the front desk# There was more
praise for staff in the restaurant;
-;reakfasts were 'ery nice in the newly reno'ated restaurant and the staff were welcoming
to guests that we had for breakfast which included young children. Howe'er * thought that
the restaurant was not the best for dinner. * can&t fault the food which was from an
interesting menu and cooked well and the ser'ice was out of a text book but it was
somehow cool and not friendly. *ts a shame because the restaurant is a fantastic building
with stunning 'iews-
This comment is interesting because it hints at communication problems )3cool and not
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >A
friendly5+ which might point to the somewhat lower assessment of its internal
communications found preiously#
'.9.3 Green&ays
.ocation comes through again as a determining factor in guest satisfaction;
-,e stayed for ? nights during the ,orld Cup. All of the staff were extremely friendly 0
efficient. The hotel was charming and immaculate and set in beautiful grounds.-
But there was more L some faces were recognised and suggest a high leel of repeat
business;
-Half of the guests looked familiar from the last year, but there were also some new faces
and a lot of families with children in all ages. The staff is 'ery attenti'e, but not intrusi'e.
+ost of the staff members e'en know how to pronounce my name. Henry e'en
remembers that * like my porridge prepared with water. *t is hard to belie'e, but the garden
looks lusher, greener than last year. :amantha, the chef is a real asset for the hotel, her
kitchen is fresh, healthy, simply delicious.-
The personalities of the staff, and the closeness of the relationship with guests comes
through strongly# There was much supporting eidence, consistently concerned with location
and the "ualities of the staff themseles;
-This hotel is relaxed, informal and about as far away as you could get from the stick on
glitter of corporate identikit chain hotels. The gardens are ama9ing. ;reakfast outside on
the terrace was superb and the public spaces are relaxing and homely. The staff, without
exception, were keen to please... but not intrusi'e. ,hich makes this is the place to go if
you want to be treated as a 'isitor rather than a customer.-
-,e had a family room looking out o'er the front dri'eway, the room was clean, spacious
and comfortable with two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and a lounge area, and a shared
balcony. Eooms were made up promptly each day whilst we were at breakfast. The dining
room looks a little old fashioned and a bit small and cramped, we took breakfast on the
terrace which was 'ery pleasant. The staff are 'ery eager to please and try to be 'ery
helpful, sometimes a bit o'er attenti'e and ner'ous-
Nust another hint that staff were either noices or uncomfortable in the conte!t of the hotel,
echoing the somewhat lower assessment earlier of internal communications#
'.9.4 Mandela #hodes /lace
6ere we find more of a mi!ed bag of reiews, deriing from the oerall aerage leel of guest
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page >B
satisfaction# Some were e!cellent;
-,e originally booked a studio room and were upgraded to a spacious one bedroom apt
with a 'iew of Table +t. Fnly concern with room was the lack of a in room safety deposit
box. Gocation is great $ across from the street from the Cathedral which is stop H? on the
Ho$Ho bus. Also easy walking distance to the Ireen :treet +arket. ;reakfast was
included in price $ buffet with the ability to order eggs made to preference as well.
;reakfast area located upstairs next to pool area. +ain floor has an *talian restaurant
which was quite good. Hotel has great security and an on$site AT+ which made banking
'ery easy. -
Somewhat more cautious, but still positie;
-The accommodation was excellent a 4 bed apartment, howe'er with a 'ery small 'iew of
Table mt e'en though we requested the Tower. 4 reasonable si9ed bedrooms and 4
bathrooms was brilliant together with a well fitted kitchen, which admittedly we didn&t use,
but the washer and dryer was a godsend. ;reakfast daily in the restaurant was 'ery good
with a good selection and friendly staff, who were 'ery knowledgeable about the region
and areas to 'isit. The car park was safe and secure ... ?= Eand a day. location wise it&s in
the city rather than near the waterfront but a ?= rand taxi ride is easy enough. /ot a bad
place for a base in a wonderful city-
(hen we dig deeper we find real eidence that there are communications problems mi!ed in
with staff incompetence and technical problems;
-The hotel has great potential but they continued to find ways to screw things up. .ery
simple things likeJ /o hangers in the closet $ waited D? minutes before deli'ered, T.
missing remote and not connected to the satellite, Can&t exchange currency, Eoom ser'ice
menu is 'ery limited, ;reakfast does not open until Kish. Hard to make a business meeting
on time. /o electrical con'erters a'ailable..:A is a 'ery different than AsiaA)uropeA5:A.
Gaundry $ said they would pick up, ne'er did. /o newspapers in the morning, 1hone H to
housekeepingAGaundry does not work. must call receptionist, +ust pay for the internet by
the HF5E, not e'en by the day-
C-G Summ#$y
$rom the comparison of the "uality of internal communication and the "uality of guest
satisfaction we find that there is no clear relationship between the two, because there is in
fact a range of factors other than internal communications that will affect guest satisfactionG
the "uality of internal communications is rather secondary to such factors as location, the
condition of the rooms, the cost of additional serices, and the capability and attitude of the
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @0
staff# 6oweer, it is clearly important that communication is neertheless important,
otherwise rooms will neer be properly cleaned, guest e!pectations about e!tra serices will
be misguided, and the inherent ability of staff to work well )gien a chance+ will be obscured
by unclear or ill&informed instructions from managers and superisors#
A managerial focus on the "uality of internal communication is therefore necessary, but the
"uality of internal communication is found to be not sufficient, on its own, as a criterion upon
which to achiee high leels of guest satisfaction#
The following chapter will finalise the research by summarising what has been found and by
giing recommendations concerning internal communications within hotels#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @/
CHAPTER D, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
D-1 I!t$'u*ti'!
The preious chapter e!panded on the findings and re&isited the four principal objecties of
the research;
• The nature of internal communication in hotels
• The "uality of internal communication
• The "uality of guest satisfaction
• The impact of internal communication on the guest satisfaction#
It has been found that the nature of internal communication is comple!, and that
managements struggle to deal with all the issues# There is generally inade"uate attention to
training about internal communications, and issues of diersity and culture need to be
addressed energetically if guest serices are not to be compromised# -easures deried
from a simple surey successfully reealed differences between perceied "uality of internal
communication within the hotels, and the world web proided ery useful data about leels of
guest satisfaction that was able to be rendered into a simple single measureG comparison of
the two sets of measurements suggests that internal communications alone will not ensure
guest satisfaction, but that it is a necessary, if insufficient, criterion with which to work#
It follows that the research has achieed is four principal objecties#
This final chapter now reflects on the work and its significance, and makes recommendations
that should ensure better leels of hotel serice in the future#
D-/ Si)!i&i*#!*e '& this stuy
This study proides hotel managers with new information and insight into the importance and
significance of internal communications, in deliering serices that delight and satisfy guests#
-anagers at all leels re"uire confidence if they are to lead their business in a competitie
enironment, especially in the =/st century when technology changes and reshapes the
landscape of the hospitality industry and tourism in general# This confidence will migrate
down to staff at the operational leel where it will benefit guest satisfaction and L hopefully L
the profitability of the hotel#
The relationship between internal communication and guest satisfaction has been found to
be elusie, but almost certainly in the nature of an 3enabling5 one; without effectie
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @=
communications guest satisfaction will be seerely compromisedG with it, staff will be
enabled to delier to the best of their ability in the serice roles that they fulfil# :idence of
guest satisfaction is the best adertisement for a hotel on the local, national and international
leels, and it is interesting that the world wide web L the ultimate communications ehicle L
has proen to be such an effectie source of information not only for this research but also
for traellers# In this research the use of tripadisor#com proided high "uality information
that would hae been ery difficulty to obtain within the hotel, and it is of course the ery
information that is now commonly used by many traellers when deciding where to stay#
D-A Re*'mme!#ti'!s
It is found that good serice re"uires good internal communications, although other factors
such as location can oerride the effects of poor communications# 7eertheless, internal
communications need management time and arrangements must be in place to ensure that it
is established, sustained, and moed on in the light of new systems, new technologies and
shifting isitor e!pectations#
+.3.1 General recommendations
The following general recommendations should be considered;
• Senior, middle, and junior management should deelop trust in each other in the
workplace, through effectie internal communication#
• -anagement should help workers use all means of internal communication for the sake
of guest satisfaction#
• :mployees should receie continuous organisational culture training that focuses on
behaiours, attitudes and serice e!pected#
• :mployees within all hotel departments should be trained to use better erbal and non&
erbal internal communication techni"ues#
It is eident from the literature that communication training benefits employees in many ways;
• Increased interpersonal trustG
• Increased information sharingG
• Improed employee mental healthG reduce stress
• Increased employee commitmentG
• Increased accuracy of indiidual,s self perception and confidence
• 9educed misunderstandingG
• Improed problem soling abilityG and
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @?
• Increased fre"uency of employee recognition#
• Increased guest satisfaction#
(hilst this study has not e!amined these benefits of training in detail, the eidence supports
each and eery one of these claimed benefits L misunderstandings are common, staff are
sometimes an!ious and nerous, they fail to sole problems and sometimes the commitment
to guest satisfaction is ery low#
+.3.2 *ultural di"ersity
Cultural diersity has come through as a common issue, but where it is a problem it can
actually be turned into an opportunity# 6otels that employ a dierse range of staff can
respond to the dierse re"uirements of their guests, particularly when guests alue cultural
diersity of course# It is not about internal communication discipline, it is about playing the
adantage of a aried e!perience for the guests#
6ence management should consider;
• Putting people first by means of open internal communication in the workplace
• :!plaining, training and e"uipping staff with dierse backgrounds to use appropriate
internal communication channels without denying their diersity#
• Proiding diersity training and education whereby workers will learn about other
cultures and how they can benefit from them#
• Insisting that staff should understand that nobody,s culture is more superior than any
other or to another in the workplace#
• 'eeloping their own abilities so as to be appropriate to work in multicultural world#
All should be aware that any erbal or non&erbal internal communication is built from a
language backgroundG a hotel worker,s cultural background should be acknowledged and
respected at all points in the job#
+.3.3 Guest satisfaction.
%ltimately, this is all about guest satisfaction# 9ecommendations specifically relating to the
enhancement of guest satisfaction e!tend beyond just effectie internal communication, but
are all related to it in some way# -anagement should;
• :ncourage a problem&soling approach that engenders confidence amongst the staff
and reduces the threat to guest satisfaction#
• :ducate employees to be true representaties of the hotel and its serices, and to
understand that they hae a responsibility to sole guests, problems#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @1
• :"uip staff with an attitude of information sharing so that they can all understand and
promote the guest serices offered by the hotel#
• Constantly monitor emerging technologies )such as tripadisor+ that might proide the
means of innoation that would offer additional alue to guests#
D-; Fi!#% $e&%e*ti'!s '! the "$'Be*t
$or the researcher, this was a particularly challenging project# The initial objecties of the
work were focused entirely within the hotel and not concerned with gathering data from
outsideG it became clear of course that this would not delier a reliable indication of guest
satisfaction, and opinions from within the hotel would ineitably be biased# The idea to reach
out to tripadisor came from an interiew with an established tourism serice operator who
has to make decisions about hotel accommodation for inbound tourists eery day, and it is
interesting to reflect that at the start of the project ery few people had eer heard of
tripadisorG the problems that caused delay in the completion of the project had at least that
one adantage#
Another issue was the design of the research, which proed to be one of the principal risks to
the successful completion of the work# 'esign of the initial "uestionnaire was poor; the
"uality of the wording used was marginal and led to some problems of comprehension, and
the desire to formulate "uestions in different ways, in order to 3see how it works5, led to some
problems in the collation and analysis of the data# 6appily, as the project progressed these
issues were dealt with and a great deal of learning was achieed#
In summary, the researcher faced different challenges during this study, but addressed them
as indicated below;
• The process of research design proed particularly challenging because of a lack of
preious research e!perience and limited access to source material, support and
guidance;
following the first e!amination of the thesis, additional superisory support was
engaged and the design was e!tended so as to reliably complete the data collection
and analysis#
• %nwillingness on the part of some hotel general managers to accommodate the
researcher, and the difficulty of accessing reliable guest satisfaction data;
e!pert industry assistant was sought and adice to use the world wide web was
followed up#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @2
• The usual difficulties of data collection )getting back all the "uestionnaires+ were faced
early in the project;
supplementary data collection was undertaken with an easy&to&use "uestionnaire
haing simple content and a simple agree&disagree approach#
• Analysis of the main surey data proed problematic, partly because of the
inade"uacies of the initial design, and partly because of ine!perience;
a decision was taken to restrict the analysis of the "uantitatie data to simple
descriptie statistics and to aoid embarking on an e!tended inferential statistical
analysisG the use of -icrosoft :!cel and the presentation of the results was simplified
in deeloping this final ersion of the thesis#
D-C C'!*%ui!) *'mme!ts
The findings from this study show that the management of internal communication is
important and that it contributes to guest satisfaction L the ultimate target of the hospitality
industry L but that on its own it is not likely to be sufficient# :ffectie internal communication
enables managers and staff to engage in an effectie and efficient way resulting in improed
serice performance at all leels, but in the end guest satisfaction depends on other factors
such as location# The belief within the hotels that good management of internal
communications renders better serice to guests needs to be balanced by an understanding
of these other oer&riding factors#
.anguage was e!pected to be a significant factor in achieing good internal communications,
and it has been shown )as might be e!pected+ that a majority of hotel workers in Cape Town
use :nglish as their principal working languageG howeer, language did not materialise as
an issue affecting the opinions of guests# A more common issue dragging guest satisfaction
down was poor managerial attention to the need for communications training, that was
eident in the main surey of hotel managers and in the guest reiews# Cultural diersity in
the work force is both a problem and an opportunity L it gets in the way of effectie
communication but some guests enjoy the ariety of staff with whom they meet#
$inally, the aailability of guest satisfaction data on the web is changing the way that
traellers choose their hotels, and it will change the way that hotel managements work# It is
after all a two&edged affair; on tripadisor )and other similar web sites+ any comment from a
guest can be countered and neutralised by an appropriate reply from the hotel management#
If there is no reply, then potential guests will almost certainly assume the worst and go
elsewhere# (e must e!pect further changes in the patterns of tourism and hospitality
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page @>
management as technological innoation takes us on into the future#
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-anagement H <rgani*ational 6istory, /# /@@&/BB#
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loyalty in hotels; Australian managerial perspecties, -anaging Serice Duality /? )2+
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satisfactionK, South African Nournal of :conomic and -anagement Sciences, //)1+ ?B/&
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in the %I; the role of the public sectorP, in Iandampully, N# ):ds+,Serice Duality
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-edley, -# =0/0# PSi! (ays to Combat Internal communication $ailure in a -ulti&Cultural
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communication &$ailure&in&a&-ulti&Cultural&(orkplaceHid[?2=1B?B
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serice; Challenges and conclusions# -anaging tourism and hospitality serices# CABI,
<!fordshire#
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Press#
-ullins, .# /BB?# 6ospitality management# .ondon; Pitman Publishing#
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6arperCollins, .ondon#
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Theory and international application# Cambridge ; Iing .ynn#
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9iley, -# =00/# -anaging people# .ondon; Biddle#
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Cape Town; %niersity Press#
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http;UUwww#bi*community#comUArticleU/B>U/>>U?AB@>#htmlX march =00BY#
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Struwig $#(# H Stead 4#B# =00/# Planning, designing and reporting research# Pearson
:ducation Publishing# South Africa#
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and coworker support improe restaurant serice X<n lineY# Aailable
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A/
APPENDII 1, :UESTIONNAIRE ON MANAGEMENT
PERCEPTIONS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
/# Age;
=# 4ender;
$emale
-ale
?# 7ationality;
South African
7on&South African
6ome language;
:nglish
Afrikaans
Vhosa
8ulu
Tswana Tswana
<thers )please specify+
(hich language do you prefer to use in your workplace )mark with V+F
:nglish
Afrikaans
Vhosa
8ulu
Tswana
<thers )please specify+
Indicate your management leel;
Nunior management
-iddle management
Senior management
6ow well do you listen to the message from workplace colleaguesF
less&=0
=/&?0
?/&10
1/&20
2/&oer
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A=
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )2 is the most preferable and /
is not+#
/ Poor
= $air
? 4ood
1 Cery good
2 :!cellent
6ow well do you understand messages from your workplace colleaguesF Indicate your
preference by making a cross oer your choice# )2 is the most preferable and / is not+#
/ Poor
= $air
? 4ood
1 Cery good
2 :!cellent
(hat is the most personal preference of the internal communication channel to be used in
your organi*ationF
Cerbal Internal communication
-emos
:mails
7otice boards
Telephones
Please read the following statements and indicate your response by making a cross oer
your preference# -anaging diersity in the hospitality industry is the key for businesses to
succeed or to fail# )2 are the most preferable and / is not+#
/ Strongly disagree
= 'isagree
? %ncertain
1 Agree
2 Strongly agree
Arrange the following statements of internal communication behaiour, according to your
preferences# -ark / in the block ne!t to your highest preference behaiour and = in the block
of your ne!t preference#
Self&confidence
-ake idea clear
Showing positie attitudes when facing cultural diersity
<ercoming Internal communication an!iety
$eel nerous about speaking
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A?
Identify your strengths and weaknesses; put the sign )Z+ ne!t to what you do wellG and the
sign )&+ behind what you think you do not do well#
/#-anage impressions positiely
=# .isten well
?# 9ead effectiely
1# (rite effectiely
2# Articulate ideas
># 4ood erbal deliery
@#4ood nonerbal deliery
A# 4ood telephone conersation skills
B# :ffectie Internal communication with subordinates
/0# Aoid arguing
//# Cooperate willingly
/=# %se appropriate technical language
/?# 6elp others feel satisfied with the conersation
/1# :!plain clearly
/2# $eel confident
/># Control outcome of the situation
Internal communication plays a key role in deliering a serice in a hotel establishment#
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# 7umber / being the most
preferable and 2 is least preferable#
/ Strongly agree
= Agree
? %ncertain
1 'isagree
2 Strongly disagree
6ow much can internal communication enhance a company,s changeF -ark / in the block of
your highest choice and > as your lowest choice#
Changing the people in the hotel
Changing beliefs, attitudes and alue
Changing behaiours
Changing systems and structure
Changing the company,s image
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A1
Changing serice performance
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest factor, = for
the ne!t and 2 for the lowest #(hat factors mostly affect internal communication in the
hotelF
Poor Internal communication channels
Staffs cultural diersity
.anguage barriers
Accent difficulties
Poor interdepartmental cooperation
Please read the following statements and in each case indicate your preference by making a
cross oer your choice#
7eer Seldom <ften Always
I understand the messages communicated to me by my
colleagues#
1 ? = /
I can sort out any guest,s complaints by talking to him# 1 ? = /
I need my peer,s confirmation before doing anything 1 ? = /
I perform better when ignoring all around me# 1 ? = /
In my hotel all our Internal communication systems help in the
establishment of serice performance#
1 ? = /
<ur managers use our employees, ideas in our workplace# 1 ? = /
<ur managers communicate the organi*ational goals of our
workplace#
1 ? = /
In my workplace Internal communication encourages productiity# 1 ? = /
Internal communication is the key for a hotel to succeed 1 ? = /
The non&:nglish speaking employees slow down serice
performance in hotels in Cape Town
1 ? = /
(hen interiewing people for employment, erbal and non&erbal
Internal communication are taken into consideration#
1 ? = /
-anagement "uickly notices staff Internal communication
problems in our hotel#
1 ? = /
Internal communication problems in my hotel affect guest
satisfaction#
1 ? = /
'o you think that the ignorance of other cultures by some employees affects their serice
performanceF Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice#
/ Cery much
= Somewhat
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A2
? 7ot at all
6aing a lot of employees speaking international languages can enhance serice
performance# Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice#
/ Strongly agree
= Agree
? 'on,t know
1 'isagree
2 Strongly disagree
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest factor, = for
the ne!t and 2 for the lowest# (hat factor do you think affects guest satisfaction at the hotel
the mostF
-anagement style
Product "uality
Internal communication
:mployee diersity
4uest behaiourU interference
Please respond to each of the following statements by marking / for the highest preference,
and 1 for the lowest preference# (hat do you think is the employee,s resource of preference
when sending guest orders to the chef or to another back house departmentsF
-anually
Automatically )computer+
By phone
$a!
Can poor erbal internal communication be classified as poor guest satisfactionF Indicate
your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )/ is the most preferable and 1 is least
preferable+#
/ Always
= often
? Seldom
1 7ot at all
Can poor non&erbal Internal communication be classified as poor serice performanceF
Indicate your preference by making a cross oer your choice# )/ is the most preferable and 1
is least preferable+#
Always /
<ften =
Seldom ?
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A>
7ot at all 1
(hat better methods can be used to sole internal communication problems within the
workplaceF )/ is the most preference and 2 is the least preferable,+
Sending a letter of what is supposed to be done
Phone whoeer concerns and warn him
(rite the warning and post it
Call each one and communicate the issue
Call a meeting and find a group solution
Please read the following statement and in each case indicate your preference by making a
cross oer your choice#
Strongly
agree
Agree %ncertain 'isagree
Strongly
disagree
Internal communication undertaken
by employees is an important task
in building a hotel,s image and
reputation
2 1 ? = /
Internal communication adopted at
reception areas often gies guests
perceptions of the hotel serice
image#
2 1 ? = /
Inowledge of hotel products from
the reception staff indicate the
leels of serice that guest can
receie in the establishment#
2 1 ? = /
:mployees hae access to
channels of Internal communication
and are trained how to use them#
2 1 ? = /
6ow often do staff members receie internal communication training in your hotel
establishmentF
A 7eer
B (eekly
C -onthly
' > monthly
: Annually
Please use the space below to add additional comments, if any#
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page A@
If you would like to receie feedback regarding this research, please proide your email
address below;
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JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ--
Th#!> y'u3
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page AA
APPENDII /, SUR6EY OF :UALITY OF INTERNAL
COMMUNICATION IN HOTELS-
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page AB
APPENDII A, WORKING GRAPHS AND FIGURES
The pages that follow proide working ersions of the graphs and figures that were used in
the analysis of the main surey results#
/
=#
Ge!e$
0
20
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oer
Total
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B0
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Communication undertaken by
employees is an important task in
building a hotel,s image and reputation
Communication adopted at reception
areas often gies customers
perceptions of the hotel serice image#
Inowledge of hotel products from the
reception staff indicate the leels of
serice that customer can receie in the
establishment#
:mployees hae access to channels of
communication and are trained how to
use them#
/0#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B=
C'mmu!i'*#ti'! "%#ys # >ey $'%e i! e%i+e$i!) se$+i*e
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su**ess '$ &#i%%u$e
0
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%ncertain Agree Strongly
agree
Total
/=#
Ignorance of other cultures by some employees affect
serice performence
0
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/=#
The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B?
E"%'yees s"e#>i!) the i!te$!#ti'!#%
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The impact of internal communications on guest satisfaction in hospitality establishments in Cape Town Page B1
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doc_919100830.pdf