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The purpose of this paper is to present industry perspectives on diversity research for the hospitality industry. This piece transcribes a panel discussion at the 2010 Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute Conference.

The panel discussion created dialogue between industry professionals and academic researchers with the goal of creating research on a variety of diversity topics that are meaningful to the hospitality industry. The variety of topics include visible tattoos in the workplace, multicultural travelers, attracting minority employees to the hospitality industry, and a general discussion of various issues central to the industry.

As a result of this discussion, researchers have learned that there are potential research opportunities regarding many of the topics presented in the discussion panel. Specifically, there is an interest in research regarding consumer perceptions of visible tattoos on employees; understanding what motivates and influences multicultural travelers in their travel decisions; how to attract minorities to choose the hospitality industry as a career; and general comments and concerns about research such as the need to make findings “relevant and applicable.” “We need industry support, especially gaining access and collecting data” (Dr Fevzi Okumus), and feedback should be stressed to make sure “the right thing is happening from a customer's perspective” (Tom Cusimano).

Further research is needed in the areas of how tattoos can influence the customer's experience, what is driving the multicultural traveler's decisions, what career paths are minorities choosing, and how the hospitality industry may successfully attract minorities to make their career in the field.

The paper provides original material from industry professionals and academic researchers. This piece is valuable for members of both the industry and academic community to help each better understand the needs of one another, including the need for collaboration from organizations in research from the academic community, and the need for research from the industry as well as practical application of results.

The modern workplace now consists of four different generations for the first time in history. Each generation, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, has been heavily influenced by the events of their time; this creates a new challenge for employers. Companies must make workplace adjustments in order to create a productive environment for all employees, regardless of their generation. This paper aims to address these issues.

The findings of researchers interested in generational differences, workplace communication, management, diversity in the workplace, and many other topics were studied in the production of this piece.

This research shows that employers must identify the separate characteristics of each generation present in their workplace. Further, employers must foster a work environment that aids productivity for every generation; they must give their employees the information and skills needed to understand the generational characteristics of their co‐workers to create understanding among employees. Other steps that managers can take include mentor programs, generational diversity training, and enhanced communication methods designed to cater to each generation's preferences.

This literature review takes into account the findings of researchers who have studied the characteristics of each generation and the application of these characteristics in the workplace. The problem of a generationally diverse workplace is present in most companies today.

The Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute (Hidi) has put together a review of diversity research that looks at the entrance of diversity into the management conversation, how it compares and contrasts with affirmative action, the transformation of diversity into a broad based and inclusive concept, and some concerns with a broad diversity definition. This paper aims to address these issues.

The methodology includes qualitative archival research which has been done to establish the review. The design of the paper flows through the entrance of diversity to an inclusion of diversity today, with a concern on a broad definition of diversity.

The research has led the author to affirm The Diversity Task Force's 2001 definition of diversity, whereby diversity includes “all characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals” (Diversity Task Force, 2001).

Hidi wishes to be mindful of a broad definition of diversity and emphasizes the importance of recognizing that individuals with primary dimensions may have very different secondary dimensions. Research has been limited to pre‐existing articles. Further research could include broad‐based diversity initiatives, the differences of diversity at a cultural level, and dimensions in diversity that are relevant to the workplace.

The originality of this paper stems from its attempt to define the broad concept of diversity as it has evolved. In all industries, valuing all of the components of an individual is crucial to an organization's success. This paper's value is in providing information to help those organizations, specifically the hospitality industry, and society better understand diversity.

The aim of this study is to explore effective communication strategies for Spanish‐speaking and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees in hotel companies.

A case study approach was employed. Three employee, focus group interviews and semi‐structured interviews with 12 managers were conducted in a resort hotel in Orlando to elicit critical factors related to effective communication strategies with Spanish‐speaking and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees.

It was found that the case study company mainly communicated with its employees through daily meetings, daily written information (e.g. hot sheets), wall postings, e‐mails, and periodic monthly/quarterly meetings. It was found that bilingual employees often worked as unpaid translators and assisted their colleagues. Spanish and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees felt that not being proficient in English hindered their promotion opportunities. Differences were observed among English, Spanish, and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees in terms of style of communication. Some native‐speaking employees seemed to refrain from communicating with non‐English‐speaking employees unless they communicated in English. Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees spoke to other employees about only work‐related issues.

This is one of the first studies looking into communication strategies and challenges for Spanish and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees in hotel companies.

The purpose of this paper is to review the contribution made by this theme issue to the literature examining workforce diversity in the hospitality industry and methods that can be used to remediate communication barriers due to differences.

This paper reviews some of the key contributions arising from this theme issue.

The summary highlights the research on workforce and diversity and communication barriers and discusses the implications of diversity for hospitality employers and researchers.

Diversity is a modern day reality that brings challenges and opportunities to hospitality operators.

The research in this theme provides insight from both practitioner and academic perspectives as to how employers can remove communication barriers at the workplace.

This paper aims to review the question as to how academia and industry might work together to create research ideas that will result in methodologically sound research that also has pragmatic benefits for industry.

The introduction of this article reviews industry panel reflections from the 2010 Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute (Hidi) conference. The main body of the article contains the author's perspective on what industry can gain from understanding and using the results of diversity research.

The paper presents the findings of the 2010 Hidi conference and how research can be a valuable management tool.

For researchers, the article gives industry research priorities for diversity research. For practitioners, it explains how research can be used to help manage organizations.

The paper provides research priorities and gives an overview on the use of research by an industry leader. This approach is unique and will have value to the readers.

One out of four foodservice employees speaks a foreign language at home. Furthermore, 37 percent of those employees speak limited English. Given this, hospitality managers must find ways to effectively communicate with their employees. This paper seeks to address these issues.

The methodology employed a perspective‐taking manipulation. Participants were placed in the role of an individual that does not speak the native language that is used in the workplace. Groups were measured on performance, quality, and accuracy. Groups were video‐taped to measure frequency of non‐verbal behaviors. Participants were surveyed to measure their levels of positivity.

The results of this study identified effective non‐verbal communication strategies for managers (combination of gestures, demonstrating, and pointing). When the leader used these strategies, the groups were able to complete the recipes faster. Managers who spoke another language expressed a more positive behavior towards the group. The group also expressed more positive behaviors towards each other when they had a second language leader.

A limitation is that data were collected from students and the methodology simulated an environment of limited language proficiency. Although this method has been shown to be effective, the true experiences of what non‐English speaking workers might face include more complex processes.

This research suggests that non‐verbal tools are effective when communication barriers exist. Managers who are multiculturally competent are more efficient in leading employees. Positive feedback must be given even if it is non‐verbal.

This research offers valuable strategies for hospitality managers to communicate with those employees who speak limited English.

The increasing number of Hispanic immigrant employee workers in the hospitality industry in the USA has led to some imperative issues and questions, such as how communication barriers and culture gaps influence work injuries. The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence the extent to which immigrant employees report work injuries to their managers.

Using survey methodology, 154 full‐time employees working at a hospitality operation were requested to participate (60 percent were Hispanic immigrant employees, 40 percent were US born). Participants were given a Spanish or English language survey that contained the measures of interests, as well as demographic questions, and a debriefing statement.

The results showed that immigrant workers reported fewer injuries to their supervisors/managers than US‐born workers and the extent to which Hispanic immigrants speak English was related to the frequency of reporting work injuries. Immigrant climate moderated the relationship between Hispanic immigrant workers' English fluency and the frequency of reporting work injuries. The effect of English fluency was more pronounced for a negative climate work environment than a positive climate work environment.

This study provides support for the view that limited English fluency has a negative influence on Hispanic immigrant workers' reporting of injuries in the workplace.

The current research shows that language barriers can be a possible explanation as to why immigrant workers report fewer work injuries to management than US‐born workers. Both English fluency and immigrant climate influenced the extent to which Hispanic immigrant employees reported injuries to management.

Being innovative is important for non-profit sport organizations in order to meet the ever-changing and increasing societal needs. Understanding why and to what extent organizational innovativeness differs between non-profit sport organizations is, therefore, important to assess and increase their chances of survival. The purpose of this study is to compare the structural characteristics and attitudes of innovation attributes between three groups of sport federations (SFs).

An online self-assessment survey was sent to all recognized regional Belgian SFs (N = 156). Simultaneously, an observational desk research (i.e. media analysis) was carried out. Results from both data collection methods were combined to develop a composite organizational innovativeness-index, based on which the federations were then clustered in three distinct adopter groups.

Comparative statistics show that structural background characteristics generally are poor indicators for adopter categorization. In contrast, the attitudes about compatibility (i.e. the consistency of innovations with existing values) and complexity (i.e. the extent to which innovations are difficult to apprehend) seem the most important distinctive determinants for the different groups of SFs.

The study's contribution is twofold. First, it offers a methodological contribution with the development of an index, which enables the categorization of non-profit sport organizations according to their organizational innovativeness; thus, it provides a critical counter-argument to the importance of organizational structural background characteristics from previous studies. Second, the study's results may support non-profit sport organizations in improving their innovativeness, for instance by improving the perception of compatibility with innovation or by guiding policymakers in creating a more supportive environment for these organizations to do so.