Faculty & Research
Human Resources Roundtables
March 17, 2009: Human Resources Roundtable
Human Resources Roundtable Program
Although changes in U.S. labor law dominated the discussion in the HR Executive Roundtable, held in Orlando in March 2009, participants also examined the need to reposition their firms for future growth opportunities. Organized by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, the roundtable was cosponsored by Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the HR in Hospitality™ Conference, the nation's foremost human resources conference promoter.
Both the economy and the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) drew the attention of the nineteen participants, most of whom were corporate vice presidents of human resources or principals of law or consulting practices. Although the current HR focus is on careful use of resources, they also discussed the changes in the competitive landscape.
"For those companies willing to make the investments and take some risks, there's market share to be had," pointed out Jo-Anne Kruse, executive vice president of human resources, Travelport. "We need our HR team to ensure the operating organization is well positioned to meet these unique growth opportunities."
In the meantime, Alan Momeyer, vice president of human resources at Loews Corporation, pointed out that companies must address employee motivation and morale during the economic downturn. "We are conducting a company-wide vulnerability audit, to identify areas of concerns among our employees. Then we can dedicate attention and resources to areas where they're needed most."
Roundtable participants agreed that the nearly inevitable prospect of labor law reform will require a renewed emphasis on the human resources function. If adopted, the Employee Free Choice Act would revise the union organization process. The current law provides for secret ballot after a certain percentage of employees have signed cards in support of a union. However, the new proposal would allow certification of a union without an election, provided a majority of employees sign union cards.
"Employers need to maintain a policy of positive human resources and be sure to communicate constantly with their employees," explained Cornell professor David Sherwyn, who is academic director of the Center for Hospitality Research. "It may be too late to work on communication when a union begins its efforts to organize."
Roundtable participants observed that another reason to establish early communication efforts is that the EFCA proposes to increase penalties against employers for unfair labor practices during an organizing campaign and provides for contract arbitration. Employers generally may not discuss working conditions with employees during a campaign. Consequently, employers need to have their communications policies and information set far in advance.
September 4 - 5, 2008: Human Resources Roundtable
Human Resources Roundtable Photographs
Human Resources Roundtable Program
Nearly two dozen practitioners and academics discussed a number of current and future issues regarding strategic human resources at an industry roundtable held in September at the School of Hotel Administration. The roundtable, chaired by Bruce Tracey, an associate professor at the School of Hotel Administration, was part of a series facilitated by Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research.
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Left to right: Michael Tews, assistant |
Given the growing concerns about the economy and the dynamics associated with ownership priorities – especially private equity investors - roundtable participants focused on the strategic and operational role requirements for the human resources function. Changes in ownership structures have created a number of challenges for human resources. In many cases, tension and ambiguity is created when a company is acquired and new owners become directly involved in operational decision making, such as the selection or retention of general managers. In contrast, some owners and private equity interests have provided needed clarity and assume a more hands-off approach regarding performance management. Thus, different ownership philosophies dictate different role requirements for human resources leaders. However, regardless of ownership structures, Chuck Conine, of Hospitality HR Solutions, emphasized the need for human resources to maintain focus on continuous improvement, thereby “making the firm a better asset than it was when they [the new owner] acquired it.”
Building on this point, the roundtable participants focused on the ways in which human resources leaders can help balance the demands and sometimes competing interests associated with asset management, brand management, and human capital management. Many agree about the importance of proper brand management as a guide to human resources policies, while others view asset management concerns to be instrumental for developing HR strategies. The key is designing and implementing a flexible HR system which creates value for ownership by capitalizing on the strengths of the firm's human capital.
October 12, 2006: Human Resources Roundtable
Alignment and innovation were the focal elements of the third Human Resources Roundtable at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Sponsored by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, along with co-sponsors eCornell and Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the roundtable connected industry leaders with Cornell's faculty and students. Its goal is to crystallize the key issues facing the industry's human resources professionals.
"I was particularly struck by the variability in the approaches used by our industry participants," said Associate Professor Bruce Tracey, who organized the roundtable. "Training and outsourcing, for example, drew considerable involvement and debate. What we found as those discussions unfolded was that each company was using a model that fit its own particular business strategy and competitive needs. As such, there was no silver bullet for any of the issues we covered."
Tracey added that the companies even had different ways of determining their HR priorities. "Some companies were focused on demonstrating that their HR practices provided clear and convincing value for their company, complete with forecasting and rigorous program evaluation," Tracey explained. "Others took a more philosophical approach and simply focused on what they thought was right for their firm. However, all participants were pushing to think differently about their current and future HR needs."
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From left to right: Andy Harman, vice president, organizational development, Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc. and Roger Ahlfeld, senior vice president, human resources and training, Uno Restaurants LLC |
Two aspects of this year's roundtable served as springboards for discussion. First, Cornell faculty members presented recent research studies, including training and compensation practices. Second, Hotel School students participated in the sessions. The students' presence provided more of the collegiate experience sought by roundtable participants and opened additional discussions.
Professor Tracey explained that the roundtables are a learning experience for students and faculty members alike. For example, the discussion on training began with research that examined the utility of various proactive efforts that were designed to help employees transfer what they learned to their jobs. However, the ensuing discussion revealed that firms were focused on a wide array of both formal and informal activities that could be taken to improve training effectiveness-from enhancing managerial involvement throughout the training process, to making jobs more flexible so that employees have the opportunity to use what they have learned.
Among the industry participants were Roger Ahlfeld, Uno Restaurants; Allison Barber, Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Abigail Charpentier, ARAMARK; Andy Harmon, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.; Keith Kefgen, HVS Executive Search; Jo-Anne Kruse, Travelport; Stacy Lezaja, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo; Mark Lomanno, Smith Travel Research; Henrik Mansson, Movenpick; Alan Momeyer, Loews Corporation, Janice Schnabel, Marsh USA; David Shoemaker, eCornell; Paul Wagner, Shea Stokes; Sandra Ward, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts; Steven Wells, American Food and Vending Corporation; and Emily Yen, ClubCorp.
Co-sponsored by
May 12-13, 2005: Human Resources Roundtable
Topics:
Short-term incentives/pay-for-performance programs
- Current initiatives
- Implementation challenges The growing influence of unions
- UNITE HERE developments
- Priorities and approaches to union management Diversity Management
- Program innovation
- Evaluation Leadership Succession
- Planning for the future
- Building bench strength
Faculty Chair
J. Bruce Tracey, associate professor
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Participants |
Participants were a select group from the following companies:
- ARAMARK
- ClubCorp
- Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
- Four Seasons Hotels
- Hilton Hotels Corporation
- Houston's Restaurant
- HVS International
- Loews Corporation
- PA Consulting Group
- Uno Restaurants
- Watson Wyatt
- Wynn Resorts
April 24-25, 2003: Human Resources Roundtable
The event, which took place at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration on April 24-25, brought senior executives from some of North America's largest hospitality companies to campus for an in-depth conversation on the critical human-resource issues facing the industry.
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From left to right: JoAnne Kruse, senior vice president human resources, Cendant Corporation; J. Bruce Tracey, associate professor, Cornell Hotel School; Alan Momeyer, vice president human resources, Loew's Corporation; Judi Brownell, professor, Cornell Hotel School |
"I was very pleased with the quality of our discussions," said Cornell Hotel School Associate Professor J. Bruce Tracey, who chaired the event. "We covered a lot of ground, and it was extremely rewarding to learn how the top HR people think and respond to some of the most vexing challenges in our industry. I think everyone walked away with some really valuable insights."
Topics included the evolving roles of HR in the industry, strategies for winning the talent war (retention and turnover), and how to identify leaders and move them through an organization to acquire skills and knowledge. JoAnne Kruse, senior vice president of human resources at Cendant Corporation's Travel Distribution Services division, who participated in the roundtable discussions, stated: "The roundtable was a unique opportunity to share knowledge and develop new strategies for HR executives with a specific focus on the travel and hospitality industry." Tracey added that the roundtable was "a great example of collaboration between the hospitality industry and the faculty at the Cornell Hotel School, which is a central purpose of The Center for Hospitality Research."