Approaches to HRM

Approaches To HRM In TheBarbados Hotel Industry

DERYA ILERIDEVRAJ CHAMLAGAI

AimArticle 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.

IntroductionCompany’s success 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.

Information About BarbadosBarbados 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 ..!!

Literature review

Human Resource ConceptHRM 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.

HRM aligns organizational 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.

BEST PRACTICE SCHOOLHR 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.

Disadvantages:Criticism that 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.

Contingency theoristsThis 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.

Quality enhancement strategy 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.

Human Resource Management In 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!

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.

Managing people in Barbados

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.

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.

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.

Questionnaire designThe questionnaire 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.

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.

ResultsA response rate 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

populationNo of total respondents

respondents(% of population)

<25 18 8 44.425-49 15 10 66.750-64 8 5 62.565-69 16 12 75.0100-199 16 9 56.2200+ 2 2 100.0Total 75 46 61.3

HRM strategy within the Barbados hotel industry compared with Hogue's UK sample

HRM Policy BarbadosHotels %

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 withbusiness 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 itexplicitly 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

The personnel function within the Barbados hotelindustry compared with Hogue's UK sample

Personnel function Barbados Hotels %

Valid Cases n=46

UKHotels %

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

conclusionBarbados hotels 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.

Barbados hotels had 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.

Barbados hotels are 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.

The promotion and 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 …!!

Finished