ASSESSING THE HOSPITALITY ENTREPRENEUR'S ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING THE TRAINING NEED OF A SMALL BUSINESS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY
Bernard Micallefa
aMalta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST), Paola, Malta, bernard.micallef.d300064@mcast.edu.mt
Abstract
The entrepreneur has a vital role in shaping training initiatives in small hospitality businesses, emphasising training’s strategic importance for enhancing employee skills and business adaptability. This research underscores the entrepreneurial mindset towards training, illustrating how a growth-oriented approach significantly influences the willingness to invest in staff development, thereby ensuring alignment with prevailing business exigencies and sector-specific demands. Training commitment is crucial for providing staff with the necessary abilities, thus ensuring smooth adjustment to shifting market trends. However, the study reveals a visible reluctance among certain entrepreneurs towards initiating training programs, predominantly attributed to a false sense of competency sufficiency within the existing workforce and apprehensions concerning financial outlays. Employing Constructivist Ground Theory, this study meticulously uncovers entrepreneurs’ perceptions concerning on-the-job training, elucidating how experiential knowledge acquired through entrepreneurial endeavours is effectively harnessed to inform and shape training methods. The research findings demonstrate the multifaceted benefits of training, notably in bridging the competency gaps between current employee performance levels and job specifications, fostering enhanced self-esteem, boosting confidence, and promoting inclusivity among staff. The study further illustrates the positive ramifications of such training interventions on overall business performance, as evidenced by diminished staff attrition rates and amplified revenue figures. A pivotal revelation of this research was the identification of three interrelated elements fundamental to successful training ventures within small and medium-scale enterprises: meticulously crafted training modules, distinct employee characteristics, and the prevailing work milieu. The research advocates for the formulation of compelling training frameworks that reflect the entrepreneur’s understanding and adjusting the workforce competencies. The engagement level of employees in the training continuum and the quality of the workplace environment emerge as crucial determinants influencing the success of training initiatives.
Keywords: hospitality training, entrepreneurial role, small business, employee development, training design
JEL Classification: M12, M53, J24
To be cited as: Micallef, B. (2024) Assessing the hospitality entrepreneur’s role in implementing the training need of a small business: A grounded theory study. International Journal of Management Courses, 26(1), pp. 15-27.