MANAGERIAL SKILLS IN HOTEL INDUSTRY – EVIDENCE FROM CROATIA

Regardless of the type of organization and management level, the basic task of the manager is to give a prompt and proactive answer to any kind of pressure which is a part of his/her daily business, with the final aim of providing adequate service to customers (clients, consumers, businesses…). Over the decades, the hotel industry has experienced continued evolution by becoming one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Today, the hotel industry is exposed to dynamic changes and great market heterogeneity, and, therefore, managers in the hotel industry need to be in a constant race for competitive advantage achievements. Among the numerous sources of competitive advantage, managerial skills also stand out because they produce higher value and affect organizational performance. It is well documented that skilful managers are the key determinants of organizational success. Unquestionably, only skilful managers could become effective managers, and effective managers are crucial for organizational success. An effective manager is the one who should have an extensive set of developed skills in all essential areas of managing which, with the company’s growth and progress, become more complex and demand more attention. This paper focuses on the managerial skills, considering the main skill areas of management. The main aim of this paper is to analyse managerial skills in the Croatian hotel industry, specifically in large hotels in the Split-Dalmatia County. The main research question is: whether the level of managerial skills relates to organization effectiveness - is there a relationship between managerial skills and organizational performance in large hotels in the Split-Dalmatia County? In the light of posed research questions, two hypotheses are settled. Quantitative research was conducted and interesting results were found. To collect data, a questionnaire was used as the main research instrument. Out of 61 questionnaires that were sent, a total of 36 correctly completed questionnaires were used for analyses, yielding a response rate of 59%.Two hypotheses were accepted and the research question positively answered. Results showed that managerial skills are well developed; that organizational performance of large hotels in the Split – Dalmatia County depend on managerial skills in directing them to compete on the market. In addition, the research result pointed out that the effect of communication skill is larger than any other