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Approaches to HRM
This document examines approaches to human resource management in the hotel industry of Barbados. It finds that Barbados hotels have adopted HR strategies and practices to a greater extent than UK hotels. Barbados hotels scored higher in recruitment/selection, training, job design, and communication. They also had higher integration of HR policies with business strategies and each other. The Barbados hotel industry emphasizes service quality and delivering excellent service through HR practices to support its tourism-based economy.
Approaches to HRM
- 1. Approaches To HRMIn The Barbados Hotel Industry DERYA ILERI DEVRAJ CHAMLAGAI
- 2. Aim Article examine; the extent of the adoption of human resource management , the existence of a formal HR strategy , the development of the HR function in the Barbados hotel industry compared with Hoque’s sample of hotels in the UK.
- 3. Introduction Company’ssuccess in terms of its survival and competitive position is determined by workers’ qualities, attitudes and behavior in the workplace. The hotel industry is necessarily labor intensive and this makes it particularly important that it develops effective human resource practices and policies to achieve competitive success.
- 4. Information About Barbados Barbados is a small island where tourism accounts for as much as 70 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. Barbados targets a high spending tourist ..!! delivering of excellent service ..!!
- 5. Literature review HumanResource Concept HRM began as a US concept (Beaumont, 1992) emphasis on individual management to collective management of people so as to win employee commitment to organizational goals but it’s became an controversial argument between Industrial Relations/Personnel Management(IR/PM) and HRM.
- 6. HRM alignsorganizational strategy with the way people are managed; it conveys the belief that if people are managed properly they become a competitive advantage, they become more flexible towards their work.
- 7. BEST PRACTICE SCHOOL HR practices which would improve organizational performance..! Advantages: These practices include selective hiring, extensive training, employment security, diffusion of information, teamwork, reduction of status differences and performance related and incentive pay.
- 8. Disadvantages: Criticismthat can be made about the “best practice” approach is that it is very much based on a US style of management that tends to be individualistic in terms of both national culture and resistance to trade unions.
- 9. Contingency theorists This is in opposition to the "best practice" school. This means that a "fit”. There exists external and internal “fits”. External fit: simply means a situation where there is an integration of the HR systems with overall business strategy ..! Internal fit: on the other hand implies the "synergistic benefits resulting form the introduction of HRM.
- 10. Quality enhancementstrategy would make effort or venture to select good staff and place emphasis on training and providing adequate job security..! Innovation strategy would focus on creativity, teamwork, flexibility and magnificent job security ..! Investment in individuals through the application of HRM will give rise to improved organization performance.
- 11. Human Resource ManagementIn HOTELS HRM practices shift from an autocratic management style to a more consultative one. Practices involves appraisal systems, training , top quality management, empowerment and team working ! UK where management of people in hotel regarded as poor with evidence pot raying low employee discretion, low pay, unsocial hours of poorly rewarded work and an autocratic management style with no consolation!
- 12. In Hogue's(1999a) research, he draws attention to the importance of service quality and the contribution that HRM can make to the provision of high quality service in the hotel industry. It appears however that some parts of the UK industry are increasingly adopting the HRM approach to the management of people.
- 13. Managing people inBarbados Hotel and hotel based restaurants account for more than 60 percent of the 13,000 workforce in the sector and 40 percent (40 percent of 13,000) is managed by the BWU (Barbados Workers' Union). Barbados Hospitality Institute (BHI) is a full service hospitality training institute. Service quality is the mission of this institute. Employment context in Barbados is different form that in the UK ( United Kingdom). In Barbados both aspects of HRM and IR/PM are part of the employment relations context.
- 14. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY To examine the approaches in the Barbados hotel industry, a quantitative survey was used The aim of this survey was to make direct comparisons between human resource practices in the UK and in Barbados.
- 15. The survey population Questionnaires were sent by post to either a human resource manager, general manager or deputy general manager between June and August 2003 in different hotels taking part in the study.
- 16. Questionnaire design Thequestionnaire was based mostly on Hogue's approach (1999a; 2000). Contains 4 parts..! Section A: focused on Background; requesting information of hotel staff, number of rooms etc. Section B: of the questionnaire was on the look out for the measure of the extent to HRM was adopted. It asked about same range of HR practices that Hogue’s (2000) covered including terms and conditions of employment, recruitment and selection, training, job design, quality management, communication and consultation pay systems.
- 17. Section C:focused on the extent to which a formal HRM strategy had been adopted. Strategies included external fit for example i.e. the strategic integration of HR decision making with business strategy. Section D: looked at the measure of the development of the HRM function. This development was examined by asking questions about job title, average percentage of time spent on personnel matters, number of staff employed in the HR department etc.
- 18. Results A responserate of 61.3 percent was achieved. The table below shows that the final sample was reasonably representative of the Barbados hotel sector. Room size Total Hotel population No of total respondents respondents(% of population) <25 18 8 44.4 25-49 15 10 66.7 50-64 8 5 62.5 65-69 16 12 75.0 100-199 16 9 56.2 200+ 2 2 100.0 Total 75 46 61.3
- 19. HRM strategy withinthe Barbados hotel industry compared with Hogue's UK sample HRM Policy Barbados Hotels % Valid cases n=46 UK Hotels % Valid cases n=46 Is there an HR strategy, formally endorsed and actively supported by top management? 65.2 46 56.6 227 HR policy deliberately integrated with business strategy (external fit) 82.6 46 77.2 224 Formal mission statement 47.8 46 84.7 229 If there is a mission statement, does it explicitly refer to HR issues? 68.2 22 75.3 186 HR practices deliberately integrated with one another (internal fit) 80.4 46 74.2 221
- 20. The personnel functionwithin the Barbados hotel industry compared with Hogue's UK sample Personnel function Barbados Hotels % Valid Cases n=46 UK Hotels % Valid Cases n=46 Average percentage of time spent on personnel matters 48.1 46 70.5 127 Respondent spends $ 50% time on personnel matters 38.1 46 85.8 127 Respondent has formal qualification in personnel management 54.3 46 47.8 138 Support staff present 67.4 46 59.4 138
- 21. conclusion Barbadoshotels seem well organized when compared to the UK sample of hotels. Usage of HRM practices, Barbados hotels scored higher than the UK hotels in the areas of recruitment and selection, training, job design, and communication and consultation.
- 22. Barbados hotelshad a higher frequency with respect to HR policy deliberately integrated with business strategy .. ! HR practices deliberately integrated with each other, There is high standard of service in the Barbados hotel industry.
- 23. Barbados hotelsare ahead of their UK counterparts in terms of formal qualifications in HR/personnel management and support staff present in the HR/personnel departments. Barbados HR specialists spent a lot less time on HR matters. Peaceful work environment, and a need for HR practitioners to be multi-skilled.
- 24. The promotionand adoption of “best practice” may be the most effective approach for achieving competitive advantage across an entire, though small, country like Barbados, which depends so much on its people to deliver consistent levels of excellent service …!!
- 25.