The Contributions of Migrant Workers in the Hotel Industry in London - Essay Example

The Contributions of Migrant Workers in the Hotel Industry in London Table of Contents CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 3 1Introduction 3 2Research Objectives 6 1.3Research Questions 6 1.4Interest in the Subject 7 1.5Qualification to Discuss the Topic 7 1.6Structure of the Dissertation 7 2List of References 9 Dunning, J., & Morgan, V. (2013). An Economic Study of the City of London. Hoboken: 9 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Migrants are an essential source of manpower and provide many of the skills that form the basis of the thriving hotel industry across the globe. Research indicates that the Hotel Industry provides a critical source of work for internal (within-country) and global migrants, who are often interested in pursuing the greener pastures away from their motherland (Batnitzky & McDowell 2013). This experience of the migrant laborers and their managers in the Hotel Industry differs significantly due to the geographical location difference of their mother countries, difference in societal practices and the difference in social class (Shen & Huang 2012). Concerning the United Kingdom, the immense contribution of migrants has facilitated the performance of the hotel industry in London because they demand low wages, salary packages and fewer facilities than the native born-born workers. For that reason, the operating costs of running the hotel business have been low due to low costs associated with payroll. These cheap salary packages are often due to migrants receiving insufficient information regarding the rules and regulations governing the international labor market and their rights as employees (Alberti, Holgate & Turner 2014). Consequently, the migrant workers have no idea of the fact that minimum wage policies exist. One of the determining factors of the minimum wage in the United Kingdom is the age group. The wage rates are calculated on the basis of the number of hours spent at work. For instance, the current wage rate per hour of an employee whose age is 21 years and above is £ 6.50. In addition, the migrant workers might lack the information about the existence of health and safety regulations that impose various limitations on the working condition. Therefore, the level of wage set for them by their employees is just what their employers wish for them to earn. The hotel industry exploits the opportunity created by lack of sufficient information in a bid to reduce the expenses, thus increase the profitability level. (Janta et al. 2012). Migrant workers continually play a noteworthy and significant role in the Hotel industry across the globe. The internal movements of labour that occur within nations will be of equivalent volumes and, in a few countries, more noteworthy and essential in meeting the needs of the Hotel Industry (Shen & Huang 2012). The migrant workers are a vital source of government revenue. The tax on their wages makes a substantial contribution to the global government incomes (Batnitzky & McDowell 2013; Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011). There is an unmistakable north-south separation in the labour force contributions of migrant workers to the Hotel Industry, with those from developing countries working at the lower aptitude end of the workforce range and those of the developed nations taking senior administrative positions in every institution (Shen & Huang 2012). Usually, it has been the case in the Hotel Industry that migrant workers are necessary to operational feasibility and will remain so for many years to come (Joppe 2012; Batnitzky & McDowell 2013). Migrant workers are perceived to be an advantage for the hotel industry based on the skills and contribution they make to hoteliers. Migrant labourers have brought different cultural backgrounds into a sector that has previously been dominated by the labor force from the local market (Shen & Huang 2012). It has been seen that the Hotels benefit from the rich cultural diversity of the labor force to deliver services to the clients (Janta et al. 2012; Joppe 2012). Small-sized hoteliers work under customized premise that provide work friendly environment for the diverse-cultured migrant workers. Migrant labourers in some developed nations are more qualified and possess the requisite skills to enable them to perform effectively their responsibilities in the hotel industry (Alberti, Holgate & Turner 2014). Highly skilled and competent employees can only be attracted and maintained by offering a competitive salary and remuneration package. Therefore, they resist accepting positions with what they consider to be an inadequate salary (Batnitzky & McDowell 2013). For those with lower skill levels, adequate training, employee development programs and promotion might open doors for migrant labourers, and yet their access to such activities and programs is limited, thereby limiting their ability to progress further. The cultural diversity of the transient workers in the Hotel Industry is seen as pivotal to their immense contribution and hard work (Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011; Batnitzky & McDowell 2013). Migrant workers face particular vulnerabilities as far as well-being and security in the Hotel Industry are concerned. Many migrants do not view the industry as a suitable place to build a long-term career. As a result, most of them have plans to exploit other economic sectors in foreign nations or return home in the event that their efforts bear no fruits (Alberti, Holgate & Turner 2014). Migrant employees that are hired in the Hotel Industry benefit from the occasional support of the union representatives, but the hotel sector is largely non-unionised and such help, therefore, remains rare (Batnitzky & McDowell 2013; Joppe 2012). National governments are surprised by the commitment of migrant labourers to the success of the Hotel Industry (Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011; Janta et al. 2012). There is inadequate awareness of the causes of conflicts between the responsibilities of migrant workers and the healthy customer relationship in the hotel industry (Alberti, Holgate & Turner 2014; Shen & Huang 2012). Moreover, there are several reasons for migrants being an essential part of the London’s hotels but the two basic ones that would be given more emphasis in this dissertation. The rate at which the demand for both commercial and residential properties are increasing in London is higher than any other place in the United Kingdom. The increase in demand for houses signifies an increasing population in London. A greater part of the demand for residential properties is associated with the increasing hoteliers. The availability of migrant workers in London facilitates the industry’s growth by helping to reduce the operation costs (Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011; Joppe 2012). The cost minimization is possible in this case because the migrant labourers come from poor nations and are often contented with the minimum wage paid by their London employers. Even so, these migrant employees work tirelessly to ensure a constant provision of quality hotel services (Batnitzky & McDowell 2013; Janta et al. 2012). 1.2 Research Objectives The objectives are as follows: To investigate whether the cultural diversity of migrant workers has contributed to the success of the hotel industry in London. To determine whether migrant workers are competent enough to facilitate the success of the hotel industry in London. To investigate whether the employment of migrant workers in London has led to a reduction in their operating costs. 1.3 Research Questions The research questions that would be considered in completing this research paper are as follows: Has a cultural diversity of migrant workers contributed to the success of the Hotel Industry in London? Are migrant workers competent enough to facilitate the success of the hotel industry in London? Has the employment of migrant workers led to the reduction of the operating costs of the hotel industry in London? 1.4 Interest in the Subject The researcher’s interest in this subject was developed after coming to know that there are a large number of migrant employees in the Hotel Industry in London. It was further perceived that the workers were found beneficial for the industry, as they offered a cheap source of labour; which helped the in the reduction of operating costs in the hotel industry. The migrant workers are behind much of the quality of hotel services provided to the clients who typically express their satisfaction with the services (Joppe 2012; Janta et al. 2012). These essential features are significant enough to attract the attention of researchers to this topic. However, there is inadequate research done to shed more light on it and hence, the gaps that require greater investigation (Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011). 1.5 Qualification to Discuss the Topic This research would be conducted using the primary research method in order to obtain first-hand information and gather facts on the ground. Therefore, a proper and in-depth research into the topic is necessary (Janta et al. 2012). This helps the researcher to explore new connections and information about the subject (Zampoukos & Ioannides 2011; Batnitzky & McDowell 2013). 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation This dissertation will be presented in five main chapters. The order that would be followed in this would be starting from the introduction, and then the literature review, which would be followed by the methodology and the results. In the end, the conclusion would be considered. Individual chapter details are provided below: Chapter 1: Introduction, the chapter presents the initial observations in regard to the topic along with the background of the subject considered in this dissertation. Chapter 2: Literature Review, this section contains the ideas gathered from the work done by other researchers. The literature review will provide the opinions on which the researchers have based their research questions. The chapter presents significant theories that elaborate the research topic. Chapter 3: Methodology, this chapter sets out the research design, the research analysis, and all the other considerations relevant to how the research is to be done. Chapter 4: Results and Analysis, this chapter sets out the interpretations and discussion of the results that were generated through primary research. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations, this chapter evaluates the findings and provides the answer to the research questions. In addition, it highlights the areas that are considered suitable for further investigation in order to provide a better understanding of the issues surrounding the hotel industry in London. 2 List of References Alberti, G, Holgate, J & Turner, L 2014, OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE FOR UNIONS ORGANIZING IMMIGRANT WORKERS A Comparison across Countries and Industries, Mobilizing against Inequality: Unions, Immigrant Workers, and the Crisis of Capitalism, vol 1, no. 1, p. 109. Batnitzky, A & McDowell, L 2013, The emergence of an ‘ethnic economy’? The spatial relationships of migrant workers in Londons health and hospitality sectors, Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol 36, no. 12, pp. 1997-2015. Janta, H, Lugosi, P, Brown, L & Ladkin, A 2012, Migrant networks, language learning and tourism employment, Tourism Management, vol 33, no. 2, pp. 431-439. Joppe, M 2012, Migrant workers: Challenges and opportunities in addressing tourism labour shortages, Tourism Management, vol 33, no. 3, pp. 662-671. Shen, H & Huang, C 2012, Domestic migrant workers in Chinas hotel industry: An exploratory study of their life satisfaction and job burnout, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol 31, no. 4, pp. 1283-1291. Zampoukos, K & Ioannides, D 2011, The tourism labour conundrum: agenda for new research in the geography of hospitality workers, Hospitality & Society, vol 1, no. 1, pp. 25-45. Cook, M. (2007). The politics of labour reform in Latin America: Between flexibility and rights. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. Dunning, J., & Morgan, V. (2013). An Economic Study of the City of London. Hoboken: Read More