ABSTRACT
In a later work, Lucas (2004) develops this important theme for service industries, where the role and behaviours of hospitality employees are impacted upon crucially by the organization, its management and the customer they are serving. The challenge for many hospitality employees is to satisfy the needs and demands of all these stakeholders, and this complexity of relationship can create significant problems for individual workers through the role conflict that can result. The hotel receptionist dealing with a stressed guest, disappointed and angry about the poor decorative order of a hotel bedroom, is in a parlous position, faced with the ‘power’ of the customer, and the ‘power’ of the organization and management that demands maximum occupancy and revenue from all rooms, including those not yet featuring on the carefully costed refurbishment schedule.
