Managing Hospitality Workforce - Case Study Example

Title: Managing Hospitality Workforce Group: Course Name and Code: University: Tutor: Date of Submission: Managing Hospitality Workforce Introduction The development of the human resources function in today’s business environment is highly evident; with significant advancements being witnessed in Australia’s hospitality industry. There is also a notable level of development in HRD function in India. In both countries, it is clear that companies have realised the important role played by employees towards the achievement of the organisation’s objectives and the need to continually develop their abilities so as to ensure that their optimal potential is utilised. As noted in Saee (2006, p. 103), the possession of well trained and motivated staff is a prerequisite in the service industries such as hotels because it is the employees who ensure the provision of quality service to customers. The adoption of training and development among organisations in different countries however differ significantly depending on the business environment. This paper seeks to compare the human resource development in Australia and China, with an objective of establishing how well the two countries have adopted HRD as a strategy for improving productivity. Discussion Australia’s hospitality sector The recognition of the need to engage in continuous development of human resources is apparent in the Australian hospitality sector as indicated by the dedication of employers in the development of employee skills and knowledge. There is a notable growth in the human resource development that has been associated with the need to enhance local and international competitiveness. Ball, Horner and Nield (2007, p. 62) and Nickson (2007, p. 37) note that companies in the hospitality industry are becoming increasingly aware that their success is dependent on the possession of relevant skills and knowledge among their employees. Notably, the hospitality industry in the Australia remains under-skilled, given the significant number of low skilled workers and limited human resource development (Frank, 2010, p. 1; House of Representatives 2006, p. 102). This is a factor that has increased awareness on the need for training and development, in order to increase competitiveness, in the local and international arena. According to an environmental scan done in the Australian hospitality industry in April 2007, skill shortage is apparent in the sector. 90 percent of the managers for example suggested that there was a shortage in skills such as chefs, cooks and bakers (Environmental scan 2007, p. 1). According to the report, there was need to enhance skills such as problem solving, teamwork and communication so as to improve the delivery of services in the hospitality sector. The same proposition is given by Frank (2010, p. 2) who notes that there is a significant skills shortage in the hospitality sector which calls for urgent improvement. Many organisations in the hospitality sector are now dedicating more resources in human resource development. Australia’s hospitality sector is therefore expected to increasingly adopt HRD strategies, more so with the increase in competition. Comparison of HRD in Australia’s and China’s hospitality sectors It is notable that in both Australia and China, low skill jobs are a significant characteristic in the hospitality industry as indicated by the demand for low skill workers. Cairncross and Kelly (2008, p. 368-369) note that while the demand for formalised qualifications is rampant, low skilled jobs are so many in the hospitality industry to an extent that there is a shortage of labour as many employees shy away from taking these jobs. As noted by Zang and Wu (2004, p. 424) and Wang (2005, p. 156), the hospitality industry in China harbours a considerable number of unskilled or lowly educated employees. The huge numbers of unskilled labour is an indication that the level of human resource development is not as high as would be expected in both countries despite increased efforts portrayed by various organisations in the industry. China remains significantly unskilled, yet the adoption of human resource development has not been highly adopted (Zhang & Wu 2004, 425-426). There is a significant level of orientation towards training and development as a means HRD in both Australia and China. This can be explained partly by the rising competition witnessed in both countries as the hospitality industries continue to prosper. Australia’s hospitality industry is growing at an impressive rate and so is China’s. As a matter of fact, it is argued that China could be the world’s most preferred tourist destination by the year 2020 (Wang 2006, p. 113). Domestic and international viability for organisations in this sector therefore to a large extent depends the creation of competitive advantage through consistent development in the workforce (Cairncross & Kelly 2008, p. 367). In response to growth in the hospitality industry, organisations in Australia’s hospitality industry are engaging their staff members in training and development activities in order to improve their skills in to enhance customer satisfaction (Saee 2004, p. 98). In addition, Australia has an organisation by the name Tourism Training Australia which was established in response to the changing nature of the industry and the need to develop skills in the hospitality workforce (Saee 2004, p. 102).Tourism Training Australia strives to assess current and future requirements of the workforce and thus train and offer recommendations for development. The organisation also provides advice to state governments regarding skill development. The same is witnessed in China, where the hospitality industry has grown voluminously. According to Wang (2005, p. 114), training and development endeavours have become increasingly important in China’s hotel industry. The same is established by Ball, Horner, and Nield (2007, p.74), who note that training and development is widely regarded as an important issues by hotel managers interviewed for the study. Notably, most of the hotels showed dedication in training frontline employees and management. Another similarity between the two countries is that training and development of employees in the hospitality industry is highly hampered by the causality of jobs. Seasonal jobs insinuate that these organisations have a significant number of temporary staff. As noted by Cairncross and Kelly (2008, p. 380) and Frank (2010, p. 3-4), there is a significant demand for casual labour aimed at addressing seasonal factors and market conditions. Accordingly, it may prove inconvenient for the employers to train these employees only for them to be terminated once the high season is over. Training is therefore offered to permanent staff only; a factor that is expected to influence the degree of efficiency when the temporary employees are hired. The same applies to China, given the seasonality of jobs in the hospitality industry. Employment of casual workers mostly depends on the time of the year, such that organisations may find it difficult to train these employees. Overall, the existence of temporary job offers hampers the effectiveness of training and development in Australia and China. There is a difference in the approach taken by China in enhancing development of employees as compared to Australia. This lies in the tendency of China’s organisations to rely on traditional learning methods where learning and development can be transferred from one person to another and from one organisation to the other (Wang 2006, p. 114). While this almost always effective even in sophisticated organisations, it is notable that the Chinese organisations have not yet paid much attention to training and development as a means of improving operational effectiveness. It is however established that China’s four- and five-star hotels have adopted the Western HRD perspective in their training and development practices (Wang 2006, p. 113). As a westernized world, Australia organisations in Australia are more likely to use more recent techniques in training and development. As noted by Saee (2006, p. 101), these organisations are increasingly taking their employees for short courses and organising seminars, workshops and in-house trainings to train employees and hence develop their capabilities. While training should be all-round, it is notable that China’s hospitality industry concentrates on providing basic skills and tends to focus on training front-line management staff because they have a significant level of interaction with the customers (Wang 2006, p. 114). This is a significant difference with Australia where there is a significant inclusion of all employees in the training program (Saee 2006, p. 101). Saee notes organisations in Australia’s hospitality industry are training their managers, supervisors and frontline staff to enhance productivity. Further, the general focus in China was on operational skills as compared to interpersonal skills (Wang 2005, p. 114). The justification this is that service quality is dependent on the performance of frontline employees. Interpersonal skills however are highly imperative in the hospitality industry hence the reason why organisations must ensure that they are addressed during training. Conclusion This discussion undoubtedly establishes that there is a significant improvement in the adoption of human resource development in the hospitality sector in Australia and China. This has been triggered by increasing competition and realisation that employees are a significant asset in the organisation. A number of similarities and differences in the implementation of human resource development have been identified including high levels of under-skilled workers, increased adoption of HRD, significant level of casual workers which hampers the implementation of HRD. Notably, Australia seems to be more advanced than China as far as the adoption of HRD within the hospitality sector is concerned. In conclusion however, there is an imperative need for increased human resource development in the hospitality industry in Australia and China so as to enhance sustainability. Reference List Ball, S, Horner, S & Nield, K 2007, Contemporary hospitality and tourism management issues in China and India: today's dragons and tigers, Butterworth-Heinemann, UK, Oxford. Cairncross, G & Kelly, S 2008, Human resource development and 'casualisation' in hotels and resorts in Eastern Australia: Getting the best to the customer? Journal of Management and Organization, Vol.14, no. 4, pp. 367-384. Envirnomental scan 2007, Overview of the hospitality industry April 2007, Environmental Scan, An Australian Government Initiative. Frank, R 2010, Workforce challenges in the Australian tourism sector, viewed on February 2, 2011 < http://www.aph.gov.au/HOUSE/committee/ewrwp/tourism/subs/sub52.pdf> House of Representatives, Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation 2007, Current vacancies: Workforce challenges facing the Australian tourism sector, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia Hai-yan, K & Baum, T 2006, Skills and work in the hospitality sector :The case of hotel front office employees in China, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 509-518 Nickson, D 2007, Human resource management for the hospitality and tourism industries, Butterworth-Heinemann, UK, Oxford. Saee, J 2006, Managerial competence within the hospitality and tourism service industries: global cultural contextual analysis, Taylor & Francis, London. Wang, Y 2005, Strategic employee training and development in Chinese luxury hotels, Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 111-118. Zhang, HQ & Wu, E 2004, Human resources issues facing the hotel and travel industry in China, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 424-428. Appendices Appendix 1: Differences in HRD practices Australia China Significant development of HRD: Witnessed by more advanced training methods such as workshops, seminars and in-house trainings Simple method mostly involving transfers of skills from one person to the other. China is slowly adopting western HRD concepts especially among four and five star hotels Higher dedication to HRD – Presence of a training organization (Tourism Training Australia) Significantly lower level of HRD adoption. No umbrella organization to enhance training was identified Organisations ensure training in most of their positions including management, supervisors and frontline staff Justification: - Ensures high level of efficiency. Chinese organizations concentrate on frontline staff. Justification: - frontline staff are mostly the ones who deal with customers Focus on both operational and interpersonal skills Focus on operational skills Appendix 2: Similarities in HRD practices Similarities Recognition to engage in HRD due to competition Increasing adoption of HRD in organizations in the hospitality sector Low employee skills/low skill jobs Casual jobs due to seasonality of work which limits training and development for the employees Read More