1
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOURIST COMPANIES
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND THEIR COMPETITIVENESS. A
STUDY ON FIRST CLASS HOTELS IN THE COSTA DEL SOL.
Inmaculada Ma ín Rojo
1
1
D a. Inmaculada Ma ín Rojo. Doc o o Economics and Business Managemen . P o esso o Business
Managemen a he Economics Facul y and Tou ism School o Málaga Uni e si y (Spain). Escuela Uni e si a ia de
Tu ismo. Campus Tea inos. 29071- Málaga (Spain) Telephone numbe : 952-13-32-69; 629-66-90-69. E-MAIL:
icma [email protected]
2
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOURIST COMPANIES
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND THEIR COMPETITIVENESS. A
STUDY ON FIRST CLASS HOTELS IN THE COSTA DEL SOL
Inmaculada Ma ín Rojo
Abs ac :
The p esen pape shows he conclusions o a esea ch ca ied ou on a ep esen a i e
sample o i s class ho els in he Cos a del Sol (an ou s anding ou is ic egion in
Spain). The O ganiza ional Cul u e o his g oup o ho els was p e iously analyzed in
1993, a se ies o p oblems ela ed o managemen was de ec ed a ha ime. A e
iden i ying he O ganiza ional Cul u e as well as managemen weak poin s, a cul u al
change was p oposed. Finally, en yea s la e , a cul u al audi was ca ied ou in hese
es ablishmen s, and he esul s show ha hese ho els O ganiza ional Cul u e has
changed, and ha his change has ebounded in he imp o emen o compe i i eness.
The e o e, his esea ch demons a es he ela ionship be ween O ganiza ional Cul u e
and success in managemen companies.
Key wo ds: O ganiza ional Cul u e, ho els, managemen , cul u al audi , Cos a del Sol.
3
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOURIST COMPANIES
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND THEIR COMPETITIVENESS. A
STUDY ON FIRST CLASS HOTELS IN THE COSTA DEL SOL
Inmaculada Ma ín Rojo
1. The impo ance o O ganiza ional Cul u e in business adminis a ion.
Gene ally, he s udy o a company ocuses me ely on an economic poin o iew, only
bea ing in mind balances, a ios o p o i abili y, incomes, e c. Howe e , we should
conside ha , since he human ac o cons i u es he company, i acqui es a e y special
ele ance; in ac , many companies ail o no conside ing psycho-social aspec s in
hei managemen .
E e y socie y has a cul u e, sha ed by i s people and which se s ce ain beha iou ules.
In he same way, in e e y company (like in a mic osocie y), we will also ind a cul u e
which condi ions i s membe s way o hinking and ac ing. The Cul u e o an o ganiza ion
can be de ined all basic p esump ions, alues, no ms, knowledge and belie s sha ed by
i s membe s as a whole. I is an in angible ac o ha de e mines a whole se ies o
o ganiza ional s uc u es and ela ionships which condi ion he pe o mance and he
way o doing hings in he company, and his in angible ac o is ma e ialized in a e y
speci ic language such as slogans, signs and symbols (logos, anag ams, e c), buildings
a chi ec u al s yle, deco a ion, u ni u e, uni o ms, e c., ha build up he company
Co po a e Image acco ding o i s own Cul u e.
The in e es in analyzing he O ganiza ional Cul u e o he ho els in his pape is based
on he ac ha in hese se ice companies, in cons an con ac wi h cus ome s, he
human ac o and, consequen ly, he Cul u e sha ed by i , is undamen al o hese i ms
managemen , pe o ming a se ies o unc ions ha E.H. Schein (1988) summa izes in
wo: ex e nal adap a ion, de ining he company mission and s a egy, as well as i s
goals, means o each hem, app oaches o measu e he g oup ac ing in he execu ion
o hei goals and inally o co ec hemsel es i hey don´ each hem; and in e nal
4
in eg a ion, es ablishing a common language among employees, powe and hie a chy
ules, ewa d and punishmen sys ems, ideology, e c.
Bo h gene al unc ions comp ise implici ly a whole se ies o o he unc ions, such as: o
de ine he o ganiza ion missions and goals; o imply he knowledge o in angible aspec s
- alues, belie s, ideas... - ha indica es he ela ionships which should exis among he
s a membe s o de e mine beha io inside he company; o ansmi a sense o iden i y
o he membe s o he company; o p o ide a beha io pa e n in he i m; o ac as a
mechanism o social con ol, when ewa ding ce ain ac ions and a i udes and
censu ing and punishing o he s; o in luence s a egies elabo a ion, and also, o a ou
hei implemen a ion, i he Cul u e and he s a egies a e incompa ible, i will be
impossible o de elop hem; o de ine he limi s and dis inc ion be ween a company and
he es o compe i o s; o es ablish he me hods o he ela ionship be ween he
company and i s en i onmen ; all in all, o in luence di ec ly he o ganiza ion
managemen .
As we can see, his a iable will be decisi e o a i m's success o ailu e.
A his poin , a ques ion a ises: wha kind o Cul u e is mo e e ec i e o achie e
success? And is he e a g ea a ie y o Cul u es? The e is a numbe o classi ica ions
made by R. Ha ison (1972), H. Anso (1985), A. E zioni (1961), Handy (1976), N.
Se hia and M. on Glinow (1985), R. Lessem (1992) e c.; howe e , we will p opose he
ollowing classi ica ion, keeping in mind in e nal and ex e nal en i onmen , as well as
hei connec ion (Ma ín Rojo, I.; 1995):
a) An open and humanis ic Cul u e: ou wa ds Cul u e wo ied abou human esou ces.
b) A closed and humanis ic Cul u e: Cul u e ha seldom akes in o accoun he ex e nal
en i onmen , bu wo ied by human esou ces.
c) An open and Machia ellian Cul u e: in cons an in e ac ion wi h he ou side, bu wich
ha dly bea s in mind human esou ces; hei philosophy is “ he end jus i ies he means”
d) A closed and Machia ellian Cul u e: guided o he inside and no conside ing he
impo ance o human esou ces in he company's in e nal managemen .
The e o e, he success o a company will be achie ed wi h a s ong in e nal Cul u e
which ha monizes wi h he ex e nal en i onmen . This would be he e ec i e Cul u e; on
5
he con a y, i ha mony does no exis inside he o ganiza ion and/o be ween he
company and i s en i onmen , he Cul u e will be ine ec i e and we will ail.
I is di icul o iden i y which is he mos sui able Cul u e, because i will depend on he
ype o ac i i y which he company de elops, he coun y whe e i is loca ed, i s socio-
economic si ua ion, e c. Ne e heless, an open, humanis ic pa e n would come close
o he e ec i e Cul u e, because i allows he company's adap a ion o i s en i onmen
as well as he cus ome s, supplie s, go e nmen and o he social g oups accep ance.
Also, om he in e nal poin o iew, i is o be no ed he e ha he companies ha wo y
abou hei employees, usually ob ain long e m be e esul s.
Conside ing he impo ance o he managemen O ganiza ional Cul u e a iable, we
belie e ha i is con enien ha each company knows i s Cul u e in o de o check i s
e ec i eness, and i i would be con enien o ca y ou a cul u al change; o do so, we
will ha e o make a cul u al audi based on iles and epo s published by he company
as well as ex e nal ins i u ions, in e iews o o ganiza ions ou s anding membe s,
ques ionnai es o mula ed o he pe sonnel o he company's s a and he esea che 's
di ec obse a ion
2
.
In he ollowing sec ions will p esen he conclusions o a cul u al audi pe o med on a
sample o i s class ho els in he Cos a del Sol, which will show he impo ance o his
a iable in ho els managemen .
2. Cul u al audi o i s class ho els in he Cos a del Sol in 1993.
This esea ch began in he yea 1993. A his ime, he Cos a del Sol ou is sec o was
going h ough a di icul pe iod and, specially, i s class ho els expe ienced a s ong all
in he numbe o ou is s and, he e o e, in hei incomes, e en up o a poin ha some
o hem hough o closing down. Al hough he easons o his c isis we e e y a ied:
appea ance o new ou is des ina ions, ou -ope a o s s ong p essu es o ix lowe
p ices, changes in ou is s mo i a ions, e c., i was hough ha he ac ha hese
companies did no sha e an e ec i e Cul u e could also ha e been in luen ial. Hence,
we conside ed he hypo hesis o he possible necessi y o a cul u al change due o
2
Fo u he in o ma ion abou how ca y ou a cul u al audi , consul in Ma ín Rojo, I. (1995): La Cul u a
Emp esa ial de los ho eles de la Cos a del Sol. Málaga: Jun a de Andalucía.

6
ei he a bad adap a ion o he en i onmen , o hese companies a sca ce conce n o
human esou ces, o bo h hings.
A e s udying he o igins and de elopmen o he ou is phenomenon in he Cos a del
Sol, based on w i en documen s- books, a icles, iles, s a is ics, e c- and in e iews
wi h ou s anding pe sonali i es o his economic sec o , we p oceeded o he elec ion o
a sample o 20 i s class ho els in he Cos a del Sol, a e y ep esen a i e sample i we
conside i cons i u ed he 70% o he o al ho els o his ca ego y in Cos a del Sol, o
analyze hei his o y and also hei managemen and hei O ganiza ional Cul u e. We
isi ed he ho els, we in e iewed hei manage s and some o hei employees and we
submi ed hem a ques ionnai e wi h 50 ques ions on he ollowing aspec s
3
:
a) E ec i eness in he wo king s yle: 10 ques ions we e o mula ed, en being he
maximum a e which could be ob ained in his sec ion.
b) Flexibili y and capaci y o adap a ion o changes: 13 ques ions we e o mula ed, 13
being he possible maximum punc ua ion.
c) S a aining and impo ance o p o essionali y o p omo e hem: 5 ques ions we e
o mula ed, 5 being he possible maximum punc ua ion.
d) Impo ance g an ed o human ela ionships a wo k : 7 ques ions we e o mula ed, 7
being he possible maximum punc ua ion.
e) Le el o con lic in he o ganiza ion: 3 ques ions we e o mula ed, 3 being he
possible maximum punc ua ion.
) Communica ion and in o ma ion le el in he o ganiza ion: 5 ques ions we e
o mula ed, 5 being he possible maximum punc ua ion.
g) Open ques ions abou he phylosophy ollowed by hese companies, which
composed he se en emaining ques ions o he ques ionnai e.
Once he ques ionnai e was o mula ed, we a i ed o he ollowing conclusions:
1)In ela ion o he g oups o ques ions A, B, C and D, a e a i hme ic means and hei
a ia ion coe icien s we e calcula ed, i was obse ed ha hese we e no
ep esen a i e since, when ep esen ing he ob ained punc ua ions g aphically, bimodal
dis ibu ions appea ed.
3
This ques ionnai e is published in Ma ín Rojo, I. (1995): La Cul u a Emp esa ial de los ho eles de la Cos a del
Sol. Málaga: Jun a de Andalucía.
7
The esul s ob ained can be summa ized as ollows:
•In he ques ions ela ed o e ec i eness in he wo king s yle (g oup A ques ions), he e
was a g oup o ho els which ob ained punc ua ions a ound alue 4, p ecisely he oldes
independen ho els c ea ed in he six ies and se en ies; and ano he g oup, made up o
ho els c ea ed la e on o which belonged o a ho el chain, a ound alue 7.
•Rega ding lexibili y and capaci y o adap a ion o changes (g oup B ques ions), he
oldes independen ho els ob ained ma ks nea 6, while he mos mode n ones o hose
belonging o chains we e a ound alue 8.
•In ela ion o he impo ance g an ed o s a aining and p o essionali y (g oup C
ques ions), he oldes independen ho els ob ained punc ua ions a ound 2 and he mos
mode n ones o hose belonging o chains nea alue 4.
•Conce ning he impo ance o human ela ionships in he company (g oup D
ques ions), he oldes independen ho els ob ained a punc ua ion nea 6 and he mos
mode n ones o hose belonging o chains nea 3.
2) In g oups E and F, ques ions as ega ds he deg ee o con lic and communica ion
and in o ma ion in he company, i was obse ed ha mos ho els ob ained a alue nea
2-3 in ela ion o labou dispu es, and 4 in ela ion o he communica ion and
in o ma ion le el.
3) G oup G o open ques ions, e e ing o he manage ial philosophy, was answe ed in
he ollowing way:
•Employees wea a uni o m in all he ho els in ques ion.
•A 70% o he ho els p esen ed a hie a chical py amidal o ganiza ional s uc u e, a 20%
in a adial o m and a 10 % in a ne o m.
•In o de o in luence employees,cha isma was used in a 20% o he ho els, while
unc ions o asks we e changed in a 15%, a ional deba e was he sys em chosen by a
25% and a di e en , indi idual deal wi h e e y pe son was used by a 40%.
•As o mo i a ion, an economic incen i e was p o ided by a 50% o he ho els,
p omo ion and pe sonal de elopmen we e o e ed in a 40% o he cases and in a 10%
employees we e ewa ded wi h s abili y a hei pos s.
•In ela ion o he wo ke s' way o lea ning, in a 25% o he ho els hey lea ned by
hemsel es o wo king in eams, in a 30% he olde pe sonnel ough he newe
8
membe s and in a 40% o he ho els employees p e e ed o ain i in an independen
way, wi hou being imposed any hing.
•As o he company's main mission i is o c ea e and main ain a p o i able business o
he 85% o he cases; o imp o e i s pe sonnel, i s p oduc s and ma ke s de elopmen
(10%); and o dis ibu e esou ces acco ding o e iciency (5%).
•Rega ding he o m o Cul u e managemen , a 55% o he cases decla ed o do i in a
a ional way, aking in o accoun he pe sonnel’s belie s and a i udes, while a 35% o
he ho els su eyed admi s o use ins inc and cul u al alues c i e ia and, a 10%
c ea i eness and imagina ion.
A e ca ying ou in e iews wi h he ho el manage s, we de ec ed he need o imp o e
quali y, as well as o apply new echnologies, o de elop pe o mances o p ese e he
en i onmen ( o example, ene gy sa ing, oxic esiduals elimina ion, noise educ ion,
e c.), o mode nize he equipmen , o pe o m ou aining cou ses, o belong o
companies o he sec o associa ions o o es ablish alliances and coope a ion wi h
o he i ms.
In he ligh o hese esul s, i seemed o be clea ha a cul u al change was necessa y,
since hese companies c isis was pa ly due o he ac ha hey did no sha e an
e ec i e Cul u e, as hey did no app oach o he maximum alues o he ques ionnai e,
in addi ion o he p e iously men ioned p oblems (lack o quali y, echnologies, e c)
de ec ed in he in e iews.
3. Cul u al change in he Cos a del Sol i s class ho el
A e ca ying ou he cul u al audi , wo ypes o Cul u e we e obse ed: on he one
hand, ha o olde independen ho els and, on he o he hand, he cul u e obse ed in
he ho els ecen ly c ea ed o which belonged o a chain. The ho els in he second g oup
could be epo ed o ha e cha ac e is ics such as a mo e e ec i e wo king s yle, mo e
lexibili y and capaci y o adap a ion o changes, and a bigge conce n o he
pe sonnel’s p o essionali y and aining. Ne e heless, i was s ill necessa y o imp o e.
Rega ding he impo ance g an ed o human ela ionships inside he company, he
olde independen ho els ob ained be e ma ks, while as o he es o he analyzed
9
aspec s (deg ee o con lic s, communica ion and in o ma ion le el), no ele an
di e ences we e obse ed in ega d o he ho els age o membe ship o o some chain.
A e conside ing all his in o ma ion, we came o he conclusion ha hese ho els
p esen ed a Cul u e wi h he ollowing cha ac e is ics:
•I was open Cul u e and acing ou wa ds, gi ing g ea impo ance o he ela ionships
wi h hei en i onmen and o hei Co po a e Image, al hough he le el o associa ion
and coope a ion among companies was low.
•I was beginning o gi e mo e and mo e impo ance o he human ac o wo ke s'
aining wel a e, mo i a ion, e c; howe e , such aspec s could s ill qui e imp o e, since
his conce n was eally heo e ical a he han p ac ical.
•I was ancho ed in he pas and eluc an o change and o be lexible in o de o adap
o new si ua ions.
All in all, he hypo hesis ha hese companies did no sha e an e ec i e cul u e was
e i ied, hus showing ha hei business managemen could conside ably imp o e by
means o a cul u al change.
A e publishing his su ey conclusions and in o ming he Cos a del Sol ho els, labo
unions and go e nmen abou hem, he ollowing changes we e sugges ed:
- A g ea e go e nmen collabo a ion o wi h ho els.
- Imp o emen o ela ionships be ween manage s and labo unions.
- Inc ease o ou is companies associa ions and coope a ion.
- C ea ion o companies s a egic alliances o coope a ion be ween ho els and o he
o ganiza ions like ou -ope a o s, cleaning and main enance companies, e c.
- Mo e lexibili y and adap abili y o new en i onmen al si ua ions, o example ob aining
quali y ce i ica es, se ing up new echnologies, unning he company wi hou damaging
he en i onmen , e c. So i would be in e es ing o c ea e quali y ci cles in companies o
o use b ains o ming, o mo i a e he s a pa icipa ion and o c ea e a wo king
a mosphe e mo e open o new ideas and o changes.
- A g ea e impo ance o he human ac o , imp o ing he ela ionships be ween bosses
and subo dina es, mo i a ing he pe sonnel, o e ing aining cou ses, e c. A way o ge
i , could be holding s a mee ings in which he pe sonnel could discuss hei p oblems,
16
- Se hia, N.K & Von Glinow, M.A. (1985). A i ing a ou Cul u es by Managing
he Rewa d Sys em. In Kilmann, R.H. and o he s /Eds.) Gaining con ol o
Co po a e Cul u e, San F ancisco: Jossey-Bass Publishe .
- Spinelli, M.A. & Cana os, G.C. (2000). In es iga ing he Rela ionship be ween
Employee Sa is ac ion and Gues Sa is ac ion. Co nell Ho el and Res au an
Adminis a ion Qua e ly. Vol. 41, no. 6, decembe 2000, 29-33.
- S eensma, H.K.; Ma ino, L.& Wea e , K.M. (2000). A i udes owa d
coope a i e s a egies:a c oss-cul u al analysis o en ep eneu s. Jou nal o
In e na ional Business S udies, 31, 4 ( ou h qua e 2000), 591-609.
- SOPDE, S.A. (2000). Análisis del sec o ho ele o de la Cos a del Sol 2000,
Málaga: Sociedad de Plani icación y Desa ollo, SOPDE, S.A.
- The ene , M. (1986). Audi de la Cul u e D´en e p ise. Pa is: Les edi ions
d´o ganiza ion.