The purpose of this study was to identify top managers’ competencies in hotel unit leaders perceived
to be most critical for career development, and using the Fuzzy Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process
methods to determine perceptions of the importance of various competencies in different dimensions.
This study uses snowball sampling methods to collect data from 25 hotel top managers and uses qualitative
and quantitative surveys, including interviews, questionnaire review and a questionnaire survey.
A two-stage research design is adopted to understand the differences in perceived competency requirements
better. The analytical results demonstrate the required competencies of top managers in the
hotel industry, and divide them into generic and technical dimensions, 18 competency domains, and
107 competency indices. The top three most important competency domains are “leadership,” “crisis
management,” and “problem-solving.” The proposed management competency framework provides an
important implication for educators, practitioners, and researchers.