Inter-brand career mobility: a study of general manager perceptions and implications for talent management

Purpose This study aims to examine how career mobility in the hotel industry shapes individuals’ careers toward general manager roles. Design/methodology/approach In this exploratory qualitative research, the authors draw on 45 interviews with general managers from 16 countries. Using abductive reasoning and thematic analysis, the authors adopt a career mobility lens. Findings Evolving openness toward career mobility and structural transformation in the industry are catalysts for inter-brand mobility. The authors identify constraints on and enablers of inter-brand mobility. Specifically, the study findings highlight low perceived permeability in upward mobility from four-star to five-star hotels. Practical implications Organizations should adopt a talent management culture, working toward reducing constraints on inter-brand mobility. This entails changing long-held, archaic perceptions and investing in employees’ transferable skills. Originality/value The authors conceptualize and highlight a novel form of career mobility – inter-brand mobility – which differs from traditional organizational and geographical forms of mobility. Further, the authors add to the discourse on the boundaries of career mobility, theorizing the complexities of inter-brand mobility in the hospitality context.