Hotel Restaurant management case study

Mark Bright has been working as an assistant sales manager at a candy (confectionery) factory. During his last annual review, he was told that he would be promoted to the general manager position at another factory within two years. Although he has been content with his salary, benefits, and the working environment, recently he has started to consider a career change. He finds his current job very routine and not engaging enough. The routine paperwork and often monotonous meetings are the main contributors for him thinking about changing careers. He considers himself a people person as he enjoys engaging with people and interacting with co-workers. He is married with two children. Both children are in elementary school and his wife works as a registered nurse. Thanks to a close friend’s recommendation, a restaurant chain has offered Mark a managerial position in Orlando, Florida. Mark knows little about the complexity of the H&T industry – especially the restaurant industry – but believes he will adapt quickly with his business background and people skills. He is told he will make 30–35 percent more and receive a better benefits package. Before starting this position, Mark will work as an assistant manager in the Winter Garden, Florida branch of the restaurant for six months. During this time, he will also attend some training workshops at a college in Orlando, Florida. While this seems like an arduous process, he considers the opportunity to join the hospitality industry invaluable. The regional human resources management director and area vice president will work with him closely to better prepare him for the position. When he starts his new job in Orlando, the company will subsidize his tuition for a master’s degree at a very prestigious hospitality college in Orlando. He hopes to be a senior executive at a multi-chain restaurant company within the next 10 years. In the long term, he plans to own his restaurant company. Do you think Mark should accept this offer? Explain why or why not. If he accepts this position, what type of skills will Mark need to manage a restaurant compared to being a manager in a candy factory? If he accepts this position, how will it influence his work-life balance? In your view, what are the differences in managing a restaurant compared to managing a candy (confectionery) factory?

Okumus, Fevzi; Altinay, Levent; Chathoth, Prakash; Koseoglu,  Mehmet Ali. Strategic Management for Hospitality and Tourism (p. 23). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.