Development of the Organizational Culture of the Hotels’ Rooms Division Due to the Implementation of the COVID-19 Prevention Health Protocols

Hotels have implemented strict health protocols to protect customers and employees from the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Due to the extensive changes, they imposed in the daily operation- contactless transactions, personal protective equipment, changes in the service offering, etc.- these health protocols affected the Organizational Culture (OC) of all the hotel departments. The aim of this study is (a) to investigate the development of the organizational culture in the areas of Organizational Design, Customers Service, and Human Resources Management of the Rooms Division of hotels due to the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention health protocols and (b) to propose strategic level policies that will help hotel managers to reduce the negative and strengthen the positive elements of this evolution. The Delphi method was chosen to achieve the above research objective. From July 7, 2021, to March 28, 2022, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from hotel managers and academics specializing in hotel management through three consecutive research rounds. The organizational culture of the Rooms Division of hotels has evolved to a considerable extent due to the implementation of the health protocols for the prevention of the COVID-19 spread in the fields of Organizational Design, Customer Service, and Human Resources Management. This evolution created significant challenges for hotel businesses, which can be a threat and, in some cases, an opportunity. The results of this study hold elements of originality and scientific and practical value.