Technology transfer to hotels in China by multinational hotel enterprises in Hong Kong

Foreign direct investment in China's hotel industry was regarded by China's government as both a major channel to attract funds from overseas and as an important mechanism to introduce foreign management technology which was almost non-existent in hotels before 1979. The main players in this process were multinational hotel enterprises (MNHEs). A common transfer mechanism used by MNHEs is a specific type of training, 'cross-training'. This paper identifies those MNHEs in Hong Kong which provide cross-training, describes the form and content of such training, according to personal interviews with MNHE training managers and human resources directors in Hong Kong, estimates its effectiveness based on the results of a survey of actual trainees from hotels in China, and offers recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of cross-training as a technology transfer mechanism.