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An Exploratory Analysis of Soft Skill Competencies Needed for the

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An Exploratory Analysis of Soft Skill

Competencies Needed for the Hospitality
Industry
a a a
Melvin R. Weber , Alleah Crawford , Junghoon (Jay) Lee & Dori
a
Dennison
a
School of Hospitality Leadership , East Carolina University ,
Greenville , North Carolina , USA

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An Exploratory Analysis of Soft Skill Competencies Needed for the Hospitality Industry, Journal of
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 Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 12:313–332, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1533-2845 print / 1533-2853 online
DOI: 10.1080/15332845.2013.790245

An Exploratory Analysis of Soft Skill

Competencies Needed for
the Hospitality Industry

MELVIN R. WEBER, ALLEAH CRAWFORD, JUNGHOON (JAY) LEE,

and DORI DENNISON
School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Downloaded by [Melvin Weber] at 14:14 07 August 2013

The identification of competencies needed by hospitality managers

has been investigated since the 1980s. In all of the competency re-
search related to management, essential competencies include skills
that can be classified as soft skills. The purpose of this project was to
have human resource professionals rate the importance of soft skill
competencies found in literature and to determine the relative im-
portance of the seven categories of soft skill competencies. The study
combined new data with existing data to complete an exploratory
factor analysis. This exploratory study found a five-component tool
that had similarities to other models found in the literature review
but also had unique differences to the prior research.

KEYWORDS soft skills, employment competencies, technical skills,

human relations skills, conceptual skills

INTRODUCTION

Definitions of the terms “hard skills” and “soft skills” have been reported
by many authors (Clark, 1993; Rainsbury, Hodges, Burchell, & Lay, 2002;
Wellington, 2005). Hard skills are associated with technical aspects of per-
forming a job such as assembling a meal. These skills usually require the
acquisition of knowledge, are primarily cognitive in nature, and are influ-
enced by an individual’s intelligence-quotient score. Soft skills are defined as

The authors would like to thank Dr. Kevin O’Brien, Professor and Associate Dean,
Department of Biostatistics, East Carolina University, for his assistance with the statistical
analysis of this research.
Address correspondence to Melvin Weber, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina
University, RW-316 Rivers Building, Greenville, NC 27858-4353. E-mail: weberm@ecu.edu

313
 314 M. R. Weber et al.

the interpersonal, human, people, or the behavioral skills needed to apply

technical skills and knowledge in the workplace (Kantrowitz, 2005; Rains-
bury et al., 2002). An example of soft skills is when a front desk employee
helps a customer decide on the type of room he/she prefers. The terms hard
and soft skills have developed over the years as a way of identifying char-
acteristics and abilities needed to be successful in management positions.
Companies should always consider the knowledge, skills, and abilities
(KSAs) of their applicants when trying to select the “best fit” for their com-
pany. Currently, there are few tested methods available to assess soft skills
of applicants. Most companies will assess the knowledge and intelligence of
their applicants by testing. The possibility exists that some companies may
not be concerned with the technical skills and abilities of their entry-level
managers because they hope to train them according to their company stan-
dards, whereas most companies want their future managers to have the soft
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skills needed to be successful within their organization.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this project was to extend previous research on soft skill
competencies in hospitality management by developing a tool that identifies
the necessary soft skill competencies of entry-level managers. This project
asked human resource (HR) professionals to rate the relative importance of
soft skill competencies found in the literature and to determine the impor-
tance of each of the seven categories of soft skill competencies. This study
used a convenience sample of members in the Society of Human Resource
Management (SHRM), with a variety of job titles from President/CEO to HR
Specialist.
By studying the soft skills essential to success in the business envi-
ronment, a business can (1) improve their selection process, (2) enhance
their initial training process, (3) improve their development program, (4)
strengthen the performance evaluation process, and, hopefully, (5) reduce
turnover (Weber, Crawford, Rivera, & Finley, 2010), thus reducing the costs
associated with operating a business and increasing profitability.

Research Objectives
In this study, the authors had three specific objectives:

• To determine the relative importance and reliability of soft skill competen-

cies.
• To examine the factor structure of the soft skills through an exploratory
factor analysis.
• To propose a soft skill competency tool to be used by HR professionals,
especially those in hospitality.
 Soft Skills 315

There is a need to continue the investigation into specific soft skills that are
vital to hospitality management and other managers, as well as a need to
study methods by which these skills may be developed and utilized.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Soft Skills in the Workplace
Katz (1974) placed the skills required by effective managers into three cate-
gories: technical, human, and conceptual. Technical skills are detail-oriented
skills that are required of entry-level managers. An example is calculating
food cost in a restaurant. Human skills are those interpersonal skills needed
to be able to manage a group of people or interact in a one-on-one for-
mat. Team building and communication skills are examples of human skills.
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Conceptual skills are the planning and visioning skills needed by managers.
Decision-making and forecasting are examples of conceptual skills (Katz,
1974).
Sandwith (1993) identified five competency domains for management
training: (a) conceptual/creative, (b) leadership, (c) interpersonal, (d) ad-
ministrative, and (e) technical. These domains are similar to the categories
identified by Katz (1974). The conceptual/creative domain corresponds to
the conceptual skills category, the technical and administrative domains cor-
respond to the technical skills category, and the leadership and interpersonal
domains correspond to the human skills category.
The terms “hard skills” and “soft skills” are based on these categories
and domains. Hard skills correspond to the skills in the technical and ad-
ministrative categories, and soft skills correspond to the skills in the human,
conceptual, leadership, and interpersonal categories. Rainsbury et al. (2002)
classified the competencies of superior managers identified by Spencer and
Spencer (1993) as hard skills or soft skills. Only 3 of the 20 competencies
were classified as hard skills (analytical thinking, conceptual thinking, and
technical expertise), with the remaining 17 classified as soft skills. The cat-
egories of the soft skills include: achievement and action, impact and influ-
ence, managerial (team management and developing others), and personal
effectiveness (Rainsbury et al., 2002).

Management Competencies
In continuing the search for competencies, Boyatzis (1982) was among the
first to study the topic of managerial competencies. His goal was to complete
a comprehensive list of competencies that relate to performance effective-
ness in managers, regardless of the organization. Boyatzis found that his list
of competencies distinguished superior from average and poor managers.
These competencies accounted for 27%, or approximately one-quarter, of
 316 M. R. Weber et al.

the variance in the performance effectiveness of the managers. Boyatzis

also found evidence for six clusters of competencies which included: (a)
goal and action management, (b) leadership, (c) HR management, (d) di-
recting subordinates, (e) focus on others, and (f) specialized knowledge.
These basic functions of management tasks can be referred to the terms of
analyzing, planning, organizing, controlling, motivating, or coordinating
(Boyatzis, 1982).
Taking a different approach to managerial competencies, Bray and
Howard (1983) were interested in studying personality via the assessment
center method. They reported the importance of two motives/traits, the need
for advancement and inner work standards. The need for advancement was
the motivation to be promoted faster and further than one’s peers. Inner
work standards equated to having high standards of work performance even
though a lower standard may be sufficient to satisfy the manager’s superior
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(Bray & Howard, 1983).

Similar to managerial competencies, Stevens and Campion (1994, 1999)
suggested a taxonomy of individual competencies needed for teamwork.
These authors wanted to develop a measure of KSA for staffing teams within
the organization. Their taxonomy defined five dimensions of competencies:

(a) conflict resolution (managing effectively and resolving conflict),

(b) collaborative problem solving (recognizing opportunities and involving
all teams),
(c) communication (including establishing both verbal and non-verbal com-
munication networks),
(d) goal setting and performance management (establishing specific, chal-
lenging, and realistic goals, then monitoring feedback on performance),
(e) planning and task coordination (coordinating tasks and information to
establish role expectations).

Their results from a variety of employment tests (verbal, quantitative, percep-

tual speed, and mechanical ability) showed criterion-related validity of team-
work performance, task performance, and overall job performance. An un-
expected finding was a high correlation with employment aptitude tests. This
suggests that KSAs associated with working with others (a soft skill compe-
tency) relates to performance effectiveness (Stevens & Campion, 1994, 1999).
Chen, Donahue, and Klimoski (2004) built upon the work of Stevens
and Campion (1999). Chen et al. studied different types of skills within a
team environment. Their subjects were college students. Using the same
teamwork tests as Stevens and Champion, they found that, after students
took a course designed to improve teamwork skills, their knowledge and
skills significantly increased.
Using the studies by Boyatzis (1982) and Stevens and Campion (1994),
four categories for soft skills can be identified:
 Soft Skills 317

(1) Leadership/people/relationship skills—These skills are those needed to

negotiate with others, to participate in a team environment, to provide
service to clients/customers/peers, and to resolve conflict. These skills
are important because they aid in helping individuals and organizations
accomplish their goals (Kantrowitz, 2005).
(2) Communication—These skills are associated with listening, presenting,
verbalizing, and nonverbal communications. Riggio (1986) used the So-
cial Skills Indicator (SSI) to assess social and communication skills. He
found that higher scores on the SSI related to better job performance.
Riggio, Riggio, Salinas, and Cole (2003) found that groups chose leaders
who had higher levels of communication skills (as measured by the SSI).
(3) Management/organization—These skills included articulating goals, or-
ganizing people and resources, monitoring progress, and resolving prob-
lems (Kantrowitz, 2005). Mintzberg (1975) sought to determine how
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managers spend their time. He used structured observation methods.

The roles he developed were categorized as decisional roles (resource
allocation, resolving conflict, negotiation, and entrepreneurs), informa-
tion roles (monitoring, disseminating, and speaking), and interpersonal
roles (leader, figurehead, and liaison).
(4) Cognitive skills and knowledge—These skills are related to creative think-
ing, making sound decisions, and solving problems within the workplace
(Conrad, 1999). Kesselman, Lopez, and Lopez (1982) found that prob-
lem solving, decision-making, and planning scores (as assessed by an
in-basket exercise) were positively related to overall job performance.
Spector, Schneider, Vance, and Hezlett (2000) also found that in-basket
performance significantly and positively correlated with management po-
tential scores.

Soft Skills in Hospitality Management

The identification of competencies needed by hospitality managers has been
investigated since the 1980s. Tas (1988) reported a list of 36 competencies
required for management trainees. These competencies were divided into es-
sential, considerable importance, and moderate importance. In the essential
category, the six competencies were all related to soft skills needed to de-
velop good working relationships with customers and employees. In 1994,
food and beverage management competencies were reported by Okeiyi,
Finley, and Postel, identifying soft skills as essential competencies for food
and beverage managers. More recently, a study to determine competen-
cies needed by hospitality and tourism graduates found that communication
skills and the ability to manage and motivate subordinates were ranked as
two of the most important skills (Mayo & Thomas-Haysbert, 2005). There has
been an interest in competencies specifically related to hospitality, including
competencies for club managers (Perdue, Ninemeier, & Woods, 2002), infor-
mation technology managers at the hotel property level (Cobanoglu, Pelin, &
 318 M. R. Weber et al.

Poorani, 2006), hospitality managers at different organizational levels (Kay &

Russette, 2000), in the United Kingdom (Baum, 1990), in Spain (Agut, Grau,
& Peiro, 2003), and in Australia (Dimmock, Breen, & Walo, 2003).

METHODOLOGY
Sampling Procedures
In prior studies, the researchers developed a list of competencies based on a
thorough review of the literature. The researchers identified 107 competen-
cies which were then combined into seven categories of soft skills: (1) com-
munication (C), (2) performance management (PM), (3) self-management
(SM), (4) leadership (L), (5) interpersonal (IP), (6) political/cultural (PC),
Downloaded by [Melvin Weber] at 14:14 07 August 2013

and (7) counterproductive (CP). A Delphi panel was convened in the fall
of 2009 (Weber et al., 2010). The Delphi panel consisted of six industry
professionals with a HR background, and six academicians (in hospitality
programs) who taught a HR class. This panel added nine competencies to
the existing 107, the new competencies were: (1) shows enthusiasm, (2)
takes rejection, (3) updates skills, (4) voices opinions, (5) uses humor to
make a point, (6) takes initiative, (7) takes risks, (8) tolerates stress, and (9)
undermines others (counterproductive).
For this study, an e-mail invitation to participate in a web based sur-
vey (Qualtrics) was sent to a convenience sample of 3000 members of the
SHRM. The members were located in the states of Florida, Texas, Illinois,
and California, creating a geographically representative sample. Because of
the poor response rate of the prior study, the researchers chose to adapt
the sampling procedure for this study. In order to gain a larger sample, HR
professionals were targeted and found to be experts in the relative impor-
tance of soft skill competencies for entry-level management. Although the HR
managers in our sample were not affiliated with the hospitality businesses,
the researchers determined that the HR professionals understand the nature
of customer service business today (from handling telephone calls to/from
business partners, to improving attentiveness and politeness of face-to-face
encounters in and outside the business properties, to providing quality ser-
vice as a critical component of business operations regardless of the nature
of the business). Thus, HR managers in many general businesses work on
managing employee service quality as an important part of their job. There-
fore, with no substantial difference in viewing the hospitality nature, the HR
managers in our study can rate the importance of soft skill competencies
without hurting the reliability, even though they are not from the hospital-
ity industry. This approach allowed for a larger pool of participants. With
a developed model from this study, the researchers worked to confirm or
re-specify it specific to hospitality management in future studies.
 Soft Skills 319

TABLE 1 Coefficient Alpha for Each Category (N = 116)

Scale # of items Reliability

Communication/persuasion 18 .89
Performance management 21 .92
Self-management 15 .88
Interpersonal 22 .93
Leadership/organization 20 .92
Political/cultural 13 .88
Counterproductive 7 .71

RESULTS

A total of 251 responses were gathered; 71 had missing data, thus, 180
responses were recorded, or a 6% response rate to the study. According to
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Survey Sampling, Inc., a Connecticut-based research company specializing

in survey sampling and administration, a typical online survey reported a
response rate between 3 and 8% (based on more than 600 similar electronic
surveys; Jeong, Oh, & Gregoire, 2003). The web-based survey used a Likert
type scale, ranging from 0 (Not Necessary) to 5 (Essential). Reliability of
the scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. As suggested by Nunnaly
(1978), 0.7 is an acceptable reliability coefficient, but lower thresholds are
sometimes used in the literature. Each of the multi-item scales was found to
be reliable. The items in each category performed well, with the coefficients
ranging from a = 0.71 for the counterproductive category to a = 0.93 for
the interpersonal category. Table 1 illustrates the coefficient alpha for each
category in this research.

Data Analysis
Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Ver-
sion 20). In the last category of counterproductive competencies, the six
items required reverse coding (i.e., Gains power to exercise influence over
others). Analysis was conducted using principal component analysis, canon-
ical analysis, and parallel analysis. Demographics of the sample and instru-
ment were assessed, especially the relationship of participant gender, race,
education, and years of experience. The following is a description of the
findings from each analysis.

Demographics
The sample for this research included responses from HR professionals, all
members of SHRM. Of the sample, 82% was female, and more than 65%
 320 M. R. Weber et al.

TABLE 2 Demographics (N = 180)

Frequency Percentage

Gender
Female 148 81.8
Male 31 17.1
Missing data 1 0.6
Race
African American 25 13.8
Asian 10 5.5
Caucasian 118 65.2
Hispanic/Latino 21 11.6
Other 5 2.8
Missing data 1 0.6
Education
Graduate degree 87 48.1
Bachelor’s degree 69 38.1
Associate’s degree/some college 16 8.8
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High school diploma or equivalent 3 1.7

Other 3 1.7
Missing data 2 1.2
Years of experience
5–10 46 25.4
11–15 23 12.7
16–20 41 22.7
21–25 28 15.5
26–30 17 9.4
30+ 20 11.0
Missing data 4 2.2

of the sample was Caucasian. The sample is highly educated, with 86%
receiving a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is not surprising, as the HR
field requires a degree for most entry-level and advanced positions. Of those
participants that completed the demographic field of job title, the responses
ranged from President/CEO to Vice-President of HR Management to HR
Specialist. Table 2 provides the specific breakdown of the sample according
to gender, ethnicity, education, and years of experience.

Competency Findings
The instrument used for this research had 116 items, assessing soft skill
competencies in the areas of communication/persuasion, performance man-
agement, self-management, interpersonal, leadership/organization, politi-
cal/cultural, and counterproductive (these items were reverse scored before
analyses were conducted). Means for these items ranged from 4.79 to 0.49.
Although the majority of the items had high means (≥4.0), there was repre-
sentation at all range levels. Table 3 reports the 10 highest and the 10 lowest
means of the scale items. The means for each competency category ranged
from 4.23 (performance management) to 1.55 (counterproductive).
 Soft Skills 321

TABLE 3 10 Highest and Lowest Means (N = 180)

Scale item Mean Standard deviation Competency area∗

10 highest means
1. PM1: Acts with integrity 4.79 0.536 PM
2. PM10: Follows through 4.67 0.548 PM
on commitments
3. PM13: Inspires trust 4.60 0.630 PM
through honesty,
competence, and
confidence
4. PC4: Handles 4.60 0.697 PC
delicate/confidential
situations
5. L11: Holds self 4.59 0.722 L
accountable for actions
6. PM2: Acts straightforward 4.58 0.642 PM
and honest
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7. C8: Listens effectively 4.57 0.686 C

8. IP1: Acts courteous and 4.52 0.663 IP
respectful
9. PM16: Models behavior 4.46 0.764 PM
he/she would like to see
others perform
10. C11: Provides clear 4.44 0.740 C
direction
10 lowest means
1. CP3: Makes 0.49 1.331 CP
inappropriate/off color
comments
2. CP7: Undermines others 0.66 1.543 CP
3. CP5: Talks before he/she 1.22 1.679 CP
thinks
4. CP6: Under/over 1.64 1.786 CP
estimates own skills and
abilities
5. CP4: Micromanages 2.15 2.155 CP
projects
6. CP1: Acts 2.34 2.047 CP
assertively/aggressively
7. CP2: Gains power to 2.35 1.719 CP
exercise influence over
others
8. C18: Uses humor to make 2.63 1.270 C
a point
9. IP21: Uses democratic 3.04 1.167 IP
decision making
10. SM10: Shows an 3.15 1.295 SM
entrepreneurial spirit
Notes. ∗ PM = performance management, C = communication/persuasion, L = leadership/organization,
SM = self-management, CP = counterproductive, IP = interpersonal.
 322 M. R. Weber et al.

Factor Analysis
The next phase of analysis consisted of an exploratory factor analysis us-
ing a varimax rotation with principal components analysis (PCA) extraction.
Tabachnik and Fidell (2001) wrote:

PCA is the solution of choice for the researcher who is primarily interested
in reducing the number of variables down to a smaller number of com-
ponents. PCA is also useful as an initial step in [factor analysis] where
it reveals a great deal about maximum number and nature of factors.
(p. 612)

Kahle, Beatty, and Homer (1986) and Madrigal and Kahle (1994) indicated
varimax rotation was desirable in order to reduce the number of high load-
ings of survey questionnaire items into multiple factors. Comrey and Lee
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(1992) suggest that loadings in excess of 0.71 are considered excellent; 0.63
loadings are very good; 0.55 loadings are good; 0.45 loadings are fair; and
0.32 loadings are poor. The researchers used the 0.55 value. The Kaiser’s
measure of sampling adequacy (KMO) and Bartlett tests revealed that fac-
tor analysis was appropriate (0.784 and p < 0.001). Since Bartlett’s test is
extremely sensitive, the test is recommended if there are fewer than five
cases per variable. Any KMO value of 0.6 and above is required for good
factor analysis (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2001). PCA revealed the presence of
30 components with eigenvalues exceeding 1.0, explaining 75.2% of the cu-
mulative variance. The first component had 88 loadings of 0.55 or greater.
Next, an inspection of the scree plot revealed a clear break after the second
component. The second component of the PCA had no loadings of 0.55 or
greater. O’Connor (2000) stated the following about these two procedures:

Unfortunately, these two highly popular decision rules are problem-

atic. The eigenvalues greater-than-one rule typically overestimates, and
sometimes underestimates, the number of components (Zwick & Velicer,
1986). This overly mechanical and somewhat arbitrary rule also does not
always result in components that are reliable, as was originally believed
(Cliff, 1988). The scree test has been a strongly promoted alternative rule
of thumb (Cattell & Vogelmann, 1977). But it involves eyeball searches
of plots for sharp demarcations between the eigenvalues for major and
trivial factors. In practice, such demarcations do not always exist or there
may be more than one demarcation point. Not surprisingly, the reliability
of scree plot interpretations is low, even among experts (Crawford &
Koopman, 1979; Streiner, 1998). (O’Connor, 2000, p. 396)

Using Cattell’s (1966) scree test, it was decided to retain two components
for further investigation. Fortunately, there is consensus among statisticians
that two other procedures are available. They are parallel analysis (PA) and
 Soft Skills 323

Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) test, which typically yield optimal
solutions to the number of component problems (O’Connor, 2000). The
researchers of this article decided to use PA. PA involves comparing the
size of the eigenvalues with those eigenvalues obtained from a randomly
generated data set of the same size. Only those eigenvalues that exceed
the corresponding values from the random data set are retained (Pallant,
2006). Using Monte Carlo Principal Component Analysis (Watkins, 2000), the
results were five components, with the fifth eigenvalue equal to 2.698, and
the eigenvalue from the PA equal to 2.693. Since the scree tests suggested
two components, and the PA suggested five components, the researchers
decided to increase the number of subjects and combine this data set with
earlier data sets, thus creating a data set with an N of 388 subjects.
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Combining Data
To create a larger data set, the researchers combined the data collected with
this portion of the research, with data collected from earlier research. The
combined data set resulted in 388 subjects (or an additional 208), but the
prior data only had 107 soft skill competencies. To verify the two data sets
were similar, a canonical correlation was performed. The goal of canoni-
cal correlation is to analyze the relationship between two sets of variables,
independent variables (IV) and dependent variables (DV) (Tabachnick &
Fidell, 2001). In this case, there were nine extra DVs (C14, C15, C16, C17, C18,
SM13, SM14, SM15, and CP7) generated by the newer research, related to the
107 IVs of prior research. The highest canonical correlation was 0.973 (C14),
with an r 2 of 0.947 (or the % of variability of all the DVs accounted for in the
IVs). The lowest canonical correlation was 0.762 (CP7), with an r 2 of 0.581.
Tabachnick and Fidell state that a cutoff correlation of 0.30 is acceptable.
The canonical correlation supported a strong relationship between the nine
items that were added by the Delphi panel and the original 107 items. Due
to the strength of this relationship, it was deemed that these nine items did
not add new information to the data, so they were deleted from the dataset.
The remaining 107 items were combined with the data collected from earlier
research, resulting in 388 cases that were assessed through the exploratory
factor analysis. The scales have remained the same (0 = Not Necessary to
5 = Essential).
Next, another principal component analysis with varimax rotation was
conducted using the same criteria as that employed with the data set contain-
ing 116 items. The KMO and Bartlett tests revealed that factor analysis was
appropriate (0.968 and p < 0.001). PCA revealed the presence of 15 com-
ponents with eigenvalues exceeding 1.0, explaining 67.3% of the cumulative
variance. An inspection of the scree plot revealed a clear break after the
second component. Using Cattell’s (1966) scree test, it was decided to retain
 324 M. R. Weber et al.

TABLE 4 PCA with Varimax Rotation – 5 Components (N = 388)

Competency/Component (Mean – SD) 1 2 3 4 5

PM1: Acts with integrity (4.50 – 0.629) .614

PM2: Acts straightforward (4.32 – 0.729) .560
PM10: Follows through (4.36 – 0.697) .593
PM13: Inspires trust (4.30 – 0.724) .649
IP1: Acts courteous (4.19 – 0.768) .696
IP3: Admits mistakes (3.85 – 0.913) .567
IP8: Cooperates w/ others (4.03 – 0.858) .620
IP11: Develops rapport (3.93 – 0.811) .568
IP14: Hears others (4.02 – 0.841) .658
IP15: Listens to concerns (3.98 – 0.873) .606
IP16: Promotes team env. (4.10 – 0.813) .584
IP22: Is a team player (4.09 – 0.907) .621
PC11: Shows interest (4.02 – 0.823) .585
PM5: Articulate (4.03 – 0.892) .561
PM7: Coaches/trains (3.77 – 1.005) .789
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PM8: Develops others (3.76 – 1.070) .845

PM9: Evaluates performance (3.80 – 1.023) .764
PM12: Identifies talent (3.54 – 1.074) .738
PM17: Motivates others (3.92 – 0.938) .646
PM20: Recognizes people’s efforts (3.97 – 0.890) .572
L6: Delegates (3.64 – 0.982) .642
CP1: Acts aggressively (3.20 – 1.486) .715
CP2: Gains power to influence (2.64 – 1.796) .783
CP3: Makes inappropriate comments (3.66 – 1.636) .783
CP4: Micromanages projects (3.23 – 1.778) .813
CP5: Talks before thinking (2.99 – 1.883) .772
CP6: Under/over estimates own skill (2.94 – 1.883) .819
PC7: Manages impressions (3.48 – 0.900) .617
PC8: Modifies reaction to culture (3.58 – 0.977) .610
PC10: Responds to upset customers (3.95 – 0.995) .558
C1: Acts creatively (3.33 – 0.980) .564
C6: Gives feedback effectively (3.73 – 1.079) .623
C7: Influences others (3.68 – 0.905) .609
% of variance explained 43.05 4.210 3.080 2.423 2.165
Reliability (α) 0.941 0.934 0.894 0.673 0.752
Note. There were no double loadings on any component.

two components for further investigation. According to O’Connor (2000),

it was also deemed necessary to conduct PA. Using Monte Carlo Principals
Component Analysis (Watkins, 2000), the results were five components, with
the fifth eigenvalue equal to 2.317, and the eigenvalue from the PA equal to
2.016. The researchers next analyzed the Rotated Components Matrix. This
revealed five components. See Table 4 for the five components.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the authors explored the relative importance and reliability of
soft skill competencies. The findings of the study revealed the most important
 Soft Skills 325

categories of soft skills as performance management and leadership. The in-

dividual categories of soft skills were supported as reliable as was the result-
ing five-factor structure determined through the exploratory factor analysis.
The five-factor structure revealed in this study included a total of 33 items
and provides a framework for a soft skill competency tool to be used by HR
professionals.

A Potential Tool
The first factor was labeled “team developer.” The soft skills included in this
factor relate to an entry-level manager’s ability to create trust and rapport
with the employees while cooperating, listening, and ultimately creating a
team environment by working as a team member. Teamwork is essential in
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hospitality. Although there are many different departments and work groups
within a hospitality organization, they must all work together in order to
meet and exceed the needs of the guest.
The second factor was labeled “coach.” This factor assesses an entry-
level manager’s ability to develop staff members through training, evaluation
of performance, recognition of others, and motivation. Coaching is important
in the hospitality industry as it is an industry plagued with high turnover. Krell
(2012) states that the annual turnover rate averages 15% across all industries,
but companies in the accommodation and food/beverage industries have the
highest annual turnover rate of 35%, followed by the arts at 27%, and health
care at 20%. Coaching and developing staff has been shown to improve
commitment and job satisfaction while decreasing one’s intent to leave the
organization (Krell, 2012).
The third factor was labeled “destroyer.” This factor includes the neg-
ative skills that can be brought in with an entry-level manager. These soft
skills can create a negative work environment which has been shown to
impact absenteeism as well as job satisfaction. There has been a lengthy de-
bate regarding the primary determinants of job satisfaction and subsequent
turnover. Some researchers believe that structural or organizational charac-
teristics of the job are the primary determinants (Kulik, Oldham, & Hackman,
1987) while others believe that personal or individual characteristics of the
workers are more important (Hackman & Lawler, 1971). Employees are less
likely to respond in a positive manner to a manager that micromanages, acts
aggressively, or makes inappropriate comments.
The fourth factor was labeled “problem handler.” This factor focuses on
an entry-level manager’s ability to respond to situations in a favorable or ap-
propriate manner. In an industry that is focused on service and perception,
this soft skill is essential. An entry-level manager that can manage impres-
sions, who can be culturally adept, and who can respond to customers in a
productive manner is an asset to any hospitality company.
 326 M. R. Weber et al.

TABLE 5 Comparison of the Current Study with Literature Models

Factor and Stevens & Campion

description Current study Sandwith (1993) (1994, 1999)

1 Team developer— 3. Interpersonal— 3. Communication

Build trust, rapport, focuses on the skills
and cooperation for effective
interaction with
others.
2 Coach—Provide 2. Leadership—turns No similarities
training, evaluate, thoughts into actions
provide recognition
3 Destroyer— No similarities No similarities
Micromanage and
aggressive
management
4 Problem No similarities 1. Conflict resolution
handler—Respond to 2. Collaborative
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customer problems problem solving

5 Influencer—Provide 2. Leadership—turns 4. Goal setting and
feedback to improve thoughts into actions performance
performance management
5. Planning and task
coordination

The final factor was labeled “influencer.” This factor focuses on the
ability of an entry-level manager to see the bigger picture and to work
with employees to achieve results. This is done through the use of cre-
ativity/influence and is shared with other employees through feedback for
improvement and enhancement of the employee’s performance. The impor-
tance of influencing the work of others to achieve results is a key component
of this factor.
The results of the factor analysis identified in this study supports previ-
ous findings in the soft skill literature, including that of Sandwith (1993) and
Stevens and Campion (1994, 1999) who each suggested a five-factor model.
Similarities as well as differences between the factor analysis results in this
study and models found in the literature review are easy to see, and a com-
parison of the factors is provided in Table 5 below. Sandwith developed a
model with five items, and two of these items (Interpersonal and Leadership)
were similar to this study’s factors. Sandwith’s other three items related to
hard skills (Conceptual, Administrative, and Technical). All five of Stevens
and Campion’s (1994, 1999) were identified in this study’s five factors. The
one factor that had no similarities was the destroyer, or the factor that related
to counterproductive soft skills.

Implications for the Hospitality Management

Previous studies of hospitality managers, hospitality educators, and hospital-
ity students revealed that soft skill competencies were relevant and needed
 Soft Skills 327

by entry-level hospitality managers. One of the greatest benefits of this study

is the emerging factor structure. With this factor structure, an instrument/tool
can be developed that will assess one’s soft skill competency before he/she
enters the management field. The factor structure also allows for identifi-
cation of the “vital few” competencies required for successful entry-level
managers. From an original literature review, 107 competencies were iden-
tified. Through the exploratory factor analysis, five factors consisting of 33
competencies have been identified as essential. This creates a more stream-
lined approach to training and developing managers in terms of soft skill
development.
With the identification of the competencies that are required in order
to be successful as an entry-level manager, a practitioner may find it easier
to select the right candidate for each management position. This identi-
fication, though important for all industries, is essential to the hospitality
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industry. Soft skill competencies in the hospitality industry have been stud-
ied since the early 1980s and indicate that, by increasing knowledge of soft
skill competencies, hospitality managers can have a positive influence on
their organizations and also on the customers of their organizations. Some
possible implications for the hospitality industry are: better customer re-
tention, higher employee morale resulting in a greater retention rate, and
reduced labor costs through a lower turnover rate, which can lead to in-
creased profitability. Many scholars advocate that hospitality executives who
understand the value of their employees or their company’s human capital
will adopt policies and procedures that result in greater employee retention
(Cho, Woods, Jang, & Erdem, 2006; Hinkin & Tracey, 2000). Tenured work-
forces not only reduce the separation, recruiting, selection, and hiring costs
associated with turnover, but these tenured employees become more pro-
ductive, resulting in higher competiveness and added profitability (Heskett,
Jones, Loveman, Sasser, & Schlessinger, 1994; Simons & Hinkin, 2001).
By using the soft skills identified as important in this study, hospitality
practitioners may be more likely to select the right candidate who will be
successful in an entry-level management position. A follow-up study to this
project will be to identify or develop a tool that can be used to evaluate
applicants’ soft skills. This tool can then be used to increase employee reten-
tion, and thus, increase profitability. Numerous studies examined the impact
of hiring and promotion practices on retention and performance (Becker
& Huselid, 1999; Cho et al., 2006; Milman, 2003; Milman & Ricci, 2004). A
tool used in pre-employment testing can be valuable. Cho et al. (2006) the-
orized that pre-employment testing (and the applicants passing these tests)
can heighten the new hires’ sense of organization commitment. A further
explanation of these resources can be seen in Figure 1 (Weber, Crawford,
Rivera, & Finley, 2010).
In summary, this exploratory research presents a contribution to the ex-
isting body of knowledge of employee soft skills. Further study to develop
 328 M. R. Weber et al.

5. Incorporating 1. Selection 1. HR professionals

competencies needed for
success in the previous
steps, entry-level managers
will have success and
therefore want to stay with
the company.
understand what particular
Process competencies are needed
and can assess and evaluate
these during selection.

5. Reduce
Turnover
2. Initial
Industry benefits from the Training
application of vital soft skill
competencies
4. With the understanding 2. HR professionals can
of what skills are needed incorporate these
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for success, these can be competencies into the

evaluated so that they can initial training phase to
continue to be fostered, create confidence and
learned, and rewarded. competence among entry-
level managers.

4. Performance 3. As the manager begins 3. Development

to develop further,
Evaluation necessary soft skill Program
competencies can be taught
and practiced during
mentoring and
development.

FIGURE 1 Application of soft skill competencies (Weber, Crawford, Rivera, & Finley, 2010;
color figure available online.)

an employee pre-employment tool can lead to a higher retention rate and

greater productivity of tenured employees, and thus to profitability in hospi-
tality organizations. This study is significant to the hospitality industry, which
reports a median tenure of leisure and hospitality occupations to be 2.4 years
in January 2012, compared to 4.6 years for all private U. S. occupations. Over
the past two decades, the median tenure for this occupational group has been
less than the national norm (U. S. Department of Labor Statistics, 2012). Used
appropriately, the findings in this study can assist hospitality executives in
building their organizations’ human capital. This will influence higher em-
ployee satisfaction and retention, leading to satisfied guests, and to positive
firm performance.

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH

The researchers recognize limitations to this research project. The sample

size for the PCA did not meet the recommendation of five subjects per item.
 Soft Skills 329

To overcome this limitation, the researchers assessed KMO which was above
0.6. The criticisms of KMO are recognized by the authors. The survey was
a self-report measure and assumed that respondents would respond in an
honest manner; however the results could be susceptible to response bias.
Another limitation is that the response rate was low. In spite of being
low, the response rate was within the referenced acceptable range. The re-
sponses provided important findings and an opportunity to develop mean-
ingful dialogue with HR professionals. For this reason, the analyses were
conducted in an exploratory manner in order to be able to begin to examine
the data and make logical sense of the findings. The researchers also used
a general business sample of HR managers because they would not have
been able to find a large number of hospitality HR professionals. Although
the researchers assume that using the general business sample in this study
did not substantially affect the reliability, future research may use a sam-
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ple frame in the hospitality setting in order to increase the reliability of the
responses.
The next phase of this project will continue to survey a national pool
of HR professionals to continue to add to the data set, and to conduct a
comparative analysis between regional areas. By gaining the perspective of
a national sample, the researchers intend to develop an assessment tool for
soft skill identification and development. Additionally, the research will also
seek to confirm the five factors revealed in this study, specifically within the
hospitality industry.

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