Functional flexibility in hotels — is it feasible?

Abstract

Functional flexibility - where there is a degree of substitution between workers - is theoretically fashionable again as a possible management tool for hotels. But will it work in practice? This article aims to show how a hotel would work if functional flexibility were in place. It looks at the barriers to its establishment (possible loss of occupational identity, value and skill differentials, and resistance to technical change), as well as the opportunities it presents and discusses how it might best be implemented.