(IHCs) dominate the hotel industry around the world, including in Jordan. While considerable research has been conducted to evaluate the impact of employee training in a wide range of industries, research in the area of human resources training in the hotel industry is lagging behind. In Jordan, general managers in IHCs are often expatriate individuals. This research aimed to identify the value of ‘training abroad’ for local department heads of IHCs. In addition to a literature review on this topic, focus groups with a representative group of 24 IHC department heads, were conducted to discuss the current context of ‘training abroad’ programs in IHCs in Jordan and gain a better understanding of the perceptions, barriers and benefits of these programs. Five major themes were identified which reflected issues, ideas and attitudes of department heads towards ‘training abroad’. Overall, it seems that department heads support ‘training abroad’ and they view it as a necessary and important component for their own success but also the success of the hotel overall. The participants identified important components of a ‘training abroad’ program such as being specific for certain job aspects but also generic enough so that participants can learn about various aspects of the hotel business. Criteria that play a role in the selection process of candidates for this training, include among others, work experience, confidence and ambition to develop further in their career, reliability, and management support. Perceived barriers to ‘training abroad’ for IHC department heads in Jordan include existing culture, cost of training, family commitments and company reluctance to support such training. Participants discussed benefits of personal and professional growth as a result of the ‘training abroad’ experience. Ultimately, improved leadership at the hotel could lead to improved services and better business and profit for the hotel. This study provided an important insight into the area of human resource training for IHC managerial staff in Jordan. This information will guide the development of more empirical research on this topic but it may also have practical implications human resource management practices in IHCs in Jordan.
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In-Text Citation: (Masadeh et al., 2020)
To Cite this Article: Masadeh, M., Alhammad, F., Al-Ababneh, M. M. A., & Al-Sabi, S. (2020). Exploring the Role of Training Abroad Programs for Department Head Managers of International Hotel Chains in Jordan: Perceptions and Attitudes. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(6), 797–815.
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