Conceptual Framework of Management Development Process in the Mauritian Hotel Sector Based on the Grounded Theory Approach

Managers have a vital role to play in ensuring quality and efficiency of service in the hotel sector in general. Effective Management development programmes and processes ensure that hotels have the right quantity and quality of managers that they need in order to be competitive and achieve their objectives especially in a very competitive and fast changing business environment. However, few studies have been carried out to understand the actual process of developing managers within the hotel sector in Mauritius from the perspectives of participants of the management development programmes. The purpose of this paper is to understand the way in which management development process operates within the Mauritian hotel sector. A grounded theory approach was used since little research has been carried out on this aspect in Mauritius. In this context, 25 participants (resort managers, reservation managers, finance managers, front office managers, room service managers and food and beverages managers) from Mauritian hotels were interviewed to get relevant information on the management development process. The data was analysed using the Nvivo software. The research enables to come up with a new conceptual framework on the management development process based on the views of participants. The conceptual framework helps to understand the actual process of management development within the Mauritian context and it can help to compare with other models that exist in the hotel sector around the world.