Brunt Hotels, PLC, owns more than 60 hotels throughout the United Kingdom. They recently acquired a small hotel chain headquartered in France. Brunt’s chief executive decided that half of the new hotels in France would be retained and rebranded as part of the Brunt Hotels Group; the other half will be sold. This will support Brunt’s strategic objective of growing the organization slowly to make sure that new ventures are well supported and opened on time and on budget. Brunt’s hotels are considered budget accommodations; they are functional, clean and reasonably priced. 
Most guests stay for one to three nights and are a combination of business and leisure travellers. The hotels are typically situated in downtown locations that are easily accessible by mass transit. Tourists are attracted to these hotels in popular visitor destinations where the many local attractions mean that they will not be spending much time in their hotel rooms. The organization has decided to use an ethnocentric approach and send some of their existing UK-based managers to France to lead the changeover of the new hotels and then manage them after they re-open. If this new overseas venture is successful, Brunt may decide to acquire other small hotel groups in other European countries. The organization would like to own 150 hotels in the next fi ve years. Their 10-year plan is to own 300 hotels across Europe. This is an ambitious target, so it is important that the organization fi nds an effective formula to operate successfully in other countries.

(Activity A) Based on the information from above, what do you think the key priorities should be? 
(Activity C) Write a recruitment advertisement for the new positions which can be sent to existing managers by e-mail. Your advertisement should include, at a minimum, the following information: 
Main responsibilities of the new job. 
The skills you are looking for in the position. 
(Activity E) You are a management consultant who must design a selection process for the candidates. There is no budget limit for the development of the process; the senior management team knows that it is important to get the right person for the job. However, because the new hotels must be up and running quickly, they ask you to design a selection process which will take a maximum of two days. You must present your ideas and be able to justify why your method is appropriate. 
(Activity G) The management team asks you to conduct Internet-based research to find out what expatriate support services are available in France. You should create a list of the services that are available and provide details of at least one organization which could provide the services. These services should then be listed in order of priority for the expatriates. You will present your ideas, so you should be prepared to justify your reasons for prioritizing the services. 
Do you think Brunt Hotels should mostly hire expatriate or local managers? Why? 
Which of the six managers listed below is most qualified to head the new division? Why? Which training should they attend to complete their skillset?

Overview of Work History and Characteristics 
Manager A: Now age 28, joined the organization at 18 years of age. Has worked for Brunt Hotels for 10 years. Five of these years were in a management position. Has never travelled abroad for business or holidays/vacations. Is concerned about not knowing very much about French culture and the way hotels are managed in France. 
Manager B ■ Age 55. ■ Has worked for Brunt Hotels for 22 years. ■ Joined the organization as a hotel cleaner and worked through the ranks to management. ■ Regularly visits Asia for extended vacations but has never travelled in Europe. ■ Is concerned that he or she is used to having a close support network in the UK and that this might not be possible due to the various locations of the French hotels. 
Manager C ■ Age 49. ■ Has worked for Brunt Hotels for nine years. ■ Joined the organization in a management role. ■ Previously worked for a small, family-run hotel. ■ Has visited France four times on family holidays. ■ Is concerned that he or she has little HR knowledge and is worried about the implications when getting the new hotel ready. 
Manager D ■ Age 38. ■ Joined Brunt Hotels six months ago. ■ Is concerned that he or she has not had much management experience in this organization, but has previous management experience in another large hotel group. ■ Is very interested in learning about new cultures. ■ Has six years’ previous experience of working in a restaurant. ■ Is concerned that his or her family may fi nd it diffi cult to settle in France. 
Manager E ■ Age 21. ■ Joined Brunt Hotels two years ago. ■ Graduated from University three years ago. ■ Completed a one-year placement in a French hotel as part of university degree. ■ Understands some basic French and is keen to master the language. ■ Is concerned about how his or her staff will react to having a young English manager. 
Manager F ■ Age 41. ■ Joined Brunt Hotels 14 years ago. ■ Became a manager for Brunt Hotels one year ago. ■ Has six years’ previous experience of working in a tourist information center. ■ Is concerned about his or her communication skills and lack of IT skills.

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