Human Resources Management and Environmental Management for Hotels - Example

Title: Portfolio: Cross unit assessment with Human Resources Management and Environmental Management for Hotels Dated: April 22, 2010 Contents Serial number Subject Page number 1 Introduction 3 2 Why this is a current environmental issue for hotels 6 3 How the issue can be managed from an environmental management perspective 8 4 How human resource management could specifically assist in this area 9 5 Which specific HR functions relate to your chosen environmental issue 11 6 Conclusion 11 7 References 12 1. Introduction: The states, international organizations, regional blocks and the national governments for the conservation of environment as per international standards design the Environmental Management plans. These environmental plans focus on the conservation of environment for the creation of a safer environment for the coming generations. The public sector and private organizations work for the implementation of the plans for the achievement of the desired objectives with the utilization of physical and human resources in a coordinated and well focused pattern. The major environmental issues as faced by the world include water pollution, air pollution, and environmental degradation in the fields of soil, water bodies and in the chemical sectors. Major cause of the environmental degradation is the non-observance of the international environmental arrangements and lack of sufficient knowledge for the protection of the environment for the creation of sustainable enabling environment for the execution of the business activities. Hotel Management and the services relating to the field of hospitality are extended with trained labor with established practices. These staff is equipped with necessary training and tools for the delivery of the services through the observation of environmental standards. The trained staff is an asset for the hotel administration and the executives for the creation and conservation of healthy environment and for the implementation of the policy of the national government and other international bodies in a systematic and coordinating pattern. The major objectives of the top executives of the hotel industry are to help the national governments in their efforts to conserve the natural environment as in protected form and to devise strategies for the formulation and conservation of the environment for the betterment of humanity(1). A protected environment will help in the conservation of water as in the healthy shape, to promote plans for the generation and utilization of safe energies, to dispose of wastes with safe practices and to train the human resources in the lines for the protection of environment. These plans are also designed to achieve the targets of the international commitments as agreed by the countries through the signing of the treaties, international protocols, and agreements in the field of environment for ensuring sustainable progress of the state in other allied fields of the economic interests of the countries(2). Subsequently, these plans are helpful in the completion of coordinated research in the field of environment for achieving the highest environmental standards as per the international commitments of the country. All these steps and arrangements are implemented by the concerned organizations and business firms for the promotion and preservation of the cause of the environment. These practices are observed by all the sate actors including the hotel industry in the basic and essential fields of environment like climate change, biodiversity, ozone layer depletion, international waters, obsolete chemical substances, generation of energy through sustainable patterns and the promotion of safe practices in all these fields. The conservation of environment in the fields of water, energy and waste management by the hotel staff is beneficial for all the stakeholders on win-win basis (3). The hotel industry will get the benefit of the outputs of the implementation of the strategies relating to the environment, the customers will get clean water for its utilization and the government will be benefitted as a responsible country as law abiding country in the field of environment. These objectives are achieved by the top management of the hotel industry through their staff as through imparting training in the field of environment, through technical courses as on job training to the staff and through necessary amendments in the job description for all the staff members of the organization. The hotel staff is treated as skilled labor and the acquisition of necessary knowledge in the field of environment will help them to adapt to the emerging needs for the conservation and promotion of environment as per international standards(4). The international press has highlighted the cause of environment through their publications in the shape of news, features and articles as on regular basis. These publications are directed towards the protection and promotion of environment as clean environment at the regional levels as well as at the international level. These articles help in the modification of the behavior and attitudes of the readers and the hotel staff get benefit from these publications. The selection of the articles primarily focused and well articulated to promote the cause of the environment for the creation of green environment. The observance of the recommendations provides an opportunity to all the stakeholders including the hotel management to formulate their business strategies as to protect the environment. The conservation of environment is a central issue for the economy and sustainability of the states, therefore, all the components of the economy including the hotel industry takes parts for the conservation of environment at the regional as well as at the international levels. The economies are designing and implementing business strategies for the execution of their business through the utilization of human resources as an important input for the achievement of the business targets with the observance and promotion of safe environment(5). Six articles from the New York Times have been selected for the elaboration the cause of the environment and these articles have their relationship with the hotel industry as through the provision of scenario for the creation and promotion environment by all the sectors of economy including the hotel management and the staff. The management of the hotels is the key players for the observance and implementation of the clean environmental practices within the organization and for the planning, implementation, review and promotion of the projects through the utilization of skilled labor for the conservation of environment. These practices will provide a guideline to the future generations for the observance and promotion of safe environmental practices within the organization and at the country level (6). 2. Why this is a current environmental issue for hotels: The hotels are the centers for the provision of services and goods to the customers for the execution of their business plans. The issues as highlighted in the six articles as attached with the assignment are of singular importance to these organizations. These articles provide latest knowledge in the field of utilization of sustainable energy mechanism like solar energy as have been highlighted in the article “Solar Power to the People, With a Lot of Public Help”, By JIM WITKIN on April 21, 2010 in the issue of New York Times. The article has highlighted the importance of solar energy as a renewable energy form and an alternative to the fossil fuels. The understanding of the article to the hotel administration will educate the administration as well as to the staff for judicious utilization of electricity in the hotel programs and for the promotion of the solar energy as an alternative source of energy (7). The article “Calculating Water Use, Direct and Indirect”By HENRY FOUNTAIN has provided a mechanism for the utilization of water as on economical basis. Water is an essential commodity and is used for agricultural, industrial and domestic activities. The understanding and the message of the article is to promote economy for the utilization of water. And conversation of water by the hotel staff will facilitate in the creation of clean water at the national level and the same will have synergetic impacts at the global level for the conversation of clean water as a subject of international importance(8). The Article “Green Diplomacy at Its Most Basic Level” By KATE GALBRAITH in the New York Times, Published on April 18, 2010 has explained the promotion of green diplomacy starting from most basic level. The Article “Lawmakers From Coal States Seek to Delay Emission Limits”, By JOHN M. BRODER, as Published on March 10, 2010 gives the message to conserve air. The message is also valid for the Hotel staff as skilled labor is an essential component of the production process therefore; the article is of extreme importance for the hotels top executives as well as for the staff. The Article “U.S. Bolsters Chemical Restrictions for Water” By CHARLES DUHIGG New York Times, Published on March 22, 2010 has identified chemical restriction s for water for arresting water contamination. Contaminated water is an s source of pollution as well as to create unhealthy environment for all the citizens of the country. The article has sensitized to all the members of the human community including the hotel staff for the conversation of clean and safe water for its future usage (9). The article ha s provided necessary information to all the readers including the hotel staff and the data given in the article will guide the future conducts of the hotel staff for the protection and promotion of clean water in the hotel premises (10). The Article “How Green Is My Mansion”? By FRED A. BERNSTEIN , New York Times, Published on March 10, 2010 has promoted clean environment at the Mentions and Buildings and the information as provided in the article. The article will guide the hotel staff to learn and adopt green practices for the promotion and protection of clean environment in the hotels as well as at their residences (11). The Article “Lawmakers From Coal States Seek to Delay Emission Limits”, By JOHN M. BRODER, New York Times, Published on March 10, 2010 deals with the emissions of unhealthy gases in to the environment and the understanding of the art9icle s will provide a chance to the hotel staff to amend their practices for the utilization and a conservation of energy sources including coal and electricity. The step will promote the clean air and therefore will help in handling the issues relating to climate change at the national as well as at the international levels. 3. How the issue can be managed from an environmental management perspective: The issue relates to the environmental management with the understanding of the causes of enverinmental degradation. The six articles have provided sufficient knowledge for handling environmental issues by the all the stakeholders (12).The hotel management and the top executives can handle the issue of environmental degradation with the observance of the following : 1. Promotion of renewable energies as source of energy and to avoid extra use of energy at the work places and other sites of business activities may be the topp priority of the state's policies. The step will promote conversation of energy on the economy scale (13). The judicial utilization of energy will help in lowering the level of toxic gases into the environment and the issue like ozone layer depletion and climate change will automatically be resolved. 2. Environmental programs and agr5eements provide a framework for the conversation of environment and the observance of the all the guidelines as included in the treaties and agreements will help the organization as well as to the government to protect environment as per international practices. 3. Solar energy is and environment friendly technology for the creation of energy and the countries and the nations are recommended to promote solar energy in their respective energy plans. The energy will help in the promotion of solar energy and will automatically reduce other sources of energy including fossil fuels. 4. The countries are also recommended to promote hydropower and wind energy as an energy sources .The step will promote renewable energy sources and automatically will result in the creation of green and clean environment at the national as well as at the international level. 5. The governments are recommended to include the subject of environment in the curriculum of the educational institutes the step will help in the sensitization of the new generation about the cause of environment and to the protection of environment though their collective as well individuals actions for the performance of their routine activities. 4. How human resource management could specifically assist in this area: Human resources are an important segment of the production process and are treated as an input for the completion of industrial process. Trained and skilled human resources are contributing for the achievement of the objectives and targets of the organizations as per their approved business plans. It is understood that environmentally trained human labor work for the promotion and protection of environment to deliver their respective assignments. Job description provide a guideline for the execution of the business plans and the inclusion of environment as a subject in the job description will provide a blue print to the top executives for its observance by all the staff members . The trained human resources will work for t he conversation and protection of environment and their participation will help the organization to promote the cause of environment at the organizational level. A member of the organization works as an important component of the whole production process and as a trained leader in the field of environment will promote healthy practices for t he promotion and conversation of environment at the gross root levels. The efforts made by the individuals will have a synergetic impact on the working of the whole organization and similarly for the whole country. The organization will be treated as environment friendly organization and the countries as green nations among the nations of the world (14). The trained manpower is an asset for the organization as well as all other components of the production process and will help in change management especially relating to the field of environment (15). The human resources as in trained shape will execute all other components of the production process as on environment friendly mechanism therefore will help in the creation of healthy environment within the organization as well as at the country level. 5. Which specific HR functions relate to your chosen environmental issue: Human resources function are performed with the selection of the assignments as to fulfill the assignments as per their objectives. The services as a part of the human resources function have been selected as part of the production process. The assigned jobs within the organizations are delivered in planned , coordinated and well organized manners for the achievement of the objectives of the organization. The services in the hotels are delivered in the shape of service as to coordinate all other members of the organization and to provides goods in the finished form. The trained staff in the hotel environment will work as an agent of the environment and will work for the observance of environmental rules and regulations. The services as per approved standards will help all other stakeholders to work for the promotion of the environmental causes within the organization as well as at all other relevant levels(16) . The services sectors will serve a bridge between the top executives of the hotels and with the customers and trained labor in the filed of environment will always work for the protection and promotion of environment (17). 6. Conclusion: The nations and the states are taking sufficient steps to combat the issue of environmental pollution in all its shape like air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution through the adoption of an Environmental Management plan in their respective country. For example Kyoto protocol, 1997, Movement of Hazardous wastes and their disposal, 1999, United Nations Framework on Climate Change, 1992 and Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer, 1985 are the steps which provide guidelines to the international community for the conservation of environment (18). These protocols and treaties are helping the government to implement the environmental protection plan for securing quality environment at the national as well as at the international level. The conservation of environment is an important issue for the economy of the states, therefore, all the segments of the economy including the hotel administration takes parts for the conservation of environment at the organizational level. The economies are designing business strategies for the execution of their business with the utilization of human resources as an important input of the production process (19). The achievement of the business strategies will be achieved with the active participation of all the components of the economy with the observance and promotion of safe environment (20). 7. References: 1. Druce. C, (2008), ISS Eaton Dials 19M Catering Deal with 02, viewed 2nd May 2008, 2. Kirk, D., (n.d), ‘Environmental Management in hotels’, viewed 26th April 2008 3. Stone, R.J. (2005) Human Resource Management 5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Australia 4. The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa., 2008., Room Attendant Job Description., viewed 29th April 2008 5. Ton .M., 1996., ‘Greening your property’, viewed 1st May 2008 6. Wisconsin Job Net., n.d., Guest Room Attendant / House Keeping., viewed 2nd May 2008 7. Australian Government (Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts), 2008, Cleaner Production Demonstration Project at the Australian International Hotel School and Hotel Kurrajong, viewed 24th May 2008 http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/industry/corporate/eecp/case-studies/kurrajong2.html#3_0 8. Cartwright. R., 1996, ‘Travelers’ Diarrhoea’ in Clift, S., Page, S., (eds) Health and the International Tourist, Routledge 9. DPIE, 1994, Financial evaluation of energy management measures, Australia Government Publishing Service Canberra. 10. Fairbourn. T [ed] (2008), Environmental Management Lecture 1-5 Notes 11. Frederiksen. P; Maenppa. M; and Hokka. V; 2008, ‘The Water Framework Directive: Spatial and Institutional Integration’, Management of Environmental Quality, An International Journal, 19:1, viewed 21st May 2008 12. Gardner. T, 2002, ‘Some Examples of Water Recycling in Australian Urban Environments – A Step Towards Environmental Sustainability’, IWA Water Recycling, Mediterranean Region Crete 13. Green Hotelier, 2006 ‘Wastewater Treatment’, Green Hotelier 14. Holcomb. J; Upchurch. R; Okumus, F; 2007, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: What are Top Hotel Companies Reporting?’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19:6, viewed 19th May 2008 15. Manaktola. K; and Jauhari. V; 2007, ‘Exploring Consumer Attitude and Behaviour Towards Green Practices in the Lodging Industry in India’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19:5, viewed 21st May 2008 Read More