The ordinary heroes of the Taj (how a deeply rooted customer-centric culture can motivate employees to place the well-being of their customers before their own)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 20, Issue 4

Deshpande R. and Raina A.Harvard Business Review (USA), December 2011, Vol. 89 No. 12, Start page: 119, No. of pages: 5

Praises the courage displayed by the employees of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel (Taj Mumbai hotel) when terrorists attacked the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, where they placed the safety of guests over their own well-being, thereby risking and, in some cases, sacrificing their lives. Reports the results of research into this episode which demonstrates that this behaviour was not merely a crisis response, but was instead a manifestation of the Taj Group’s deeply rooted customer-centric culture that, the authors argue, other companies can emulate, both in extreme circumstances and during periods of normal working. Identifies the key ingredients of this Taj-style customer centricity to include: a values-driven recruitment system that emphasizes integrity and duty over talent and skills; training of customer ambassadors who serve the guest first and the company second; and a recognition-as-reward system that values well-earned plaudits, from customers, colleagues, and immediate supervisors, over money and advancement. Concludes that each of the three elements has important features and nuances, which are explored in detail to provide useful tips for other companies.ISSN: 0017-8012Reference: 41AA427

Keywords: Employees behaviour, Employees attitudes, Customer orientation, Customers, Organizations, Hotels, India, Case studies