1.0 Introduction
The modern business environment has become complex and even more challenging especially with the emergence of competing products. The hospitality industry is among the industries that are experiencing massive dynamic changes. Hospitality industry involves various sectors that experience various changes. Some sectors continue to thrive while others experience a decline in profitability. The hospitality industry is facing numerous challenges that are Human Resource related; for example, recruitment, training, compensation of employees and the decision-making process on issues that affect the industry. This paper will examine the HR issues in the hospitality industry and how they affect the industry and the probable recommendations that can be used to improve the HR roles in the hospitality management.
2.0 Human Resource in Hospitality
2.1 HR issues in Hospitality
Human resource management involves various issues in the industry. However, most of the issues are employee related rather than customer or employer. Some of the major issues in HR involved in the hospitality industry include employees' salary and compensation strategies, recruitment strategies in the organization, and environmental safety measures for the employees (Chuang 2010). HR policies mostly involve employees in the organization because it tries to understand the role of employees and how they influence the organization performance. HR tries to establish a good relationship between employers and employees in the organization as a strategy towards improving the organizational performance (Cegarra-Leiva et al., 2012).
Most managers do not take their responsibilities with great seriousness as may be required or demanded by the HR policies. The manager represents the highest authority in the organization, and he/she is answerable to anything that happens within the organization (Gonzalez et al., 2011). If anything goes wrong with the organization's performance records, the manager is the person to be asked. Therefore, the managers should be responsible for their actions and the employees' actions. HR policies concern the employees more because they are the most affected persons with the organizational issues (Chan & Kuok 2011).
2.2 Management of Employees
Employees are important members of the organization that can influence its performance either to the positive or negative side. The manner in which the employer or the manager treats his/her, employees can influence the performance of the organization. Research indicates that most if the problems that affect the hospitality industry are employment related issues especially the employees (Chuang 2010). Employees just like any other person in the organization have various needs that come with their diversity. Research shows that most businesses fail because there is a poor relationship between the employer or the managers and the employees (Cegarra-Leiva et al., 2012). The poor relationship is associated with the lack of understanding between the two sides. Understanding the employees' needs can be significant to the business because it will help in creating an effective relationship between the employer and the employees (Milman 2010).
Most managers do not listen to the needs of their employees, and this is reflected in the performance of the organization (Marinescu & Ispas 2012). Most of the management challenges come as a result of poor relationship or lack of understanding between the employer and the employees. Most employees face the challenges at workplaces, and they keep quiet because maybe they are desperate for a job. They fear that if they talk ill of their employees of their bosses they might lose their job positions, and another person might be given the position. Again, they fear that if they do something that is against their employers or bosses they might lose their jobs and finding another job might be challenging (Sumarjan et al., 2013). Maintaining the respect between the boss and the worker is good. However, it should not be a forced relationship of something that is unethical. When a boss does something that is not right, it is not ethical to follow what the boss has said if one believes it is unethical.
Most people perceive employment as a favor to the employers or the business owner (Sumarjan et al., 2013). However, they fail the most significance aspect of employment. Going to work every day without understanding the reason or objective of working is not appropriate not only to the organization but also to the employee. Without understanding the reason for going to work means the employees will lack the motivation to work. This is disadvantageous both to the employee and to the business. For example, without motivation, employees will not work, and the business will make a loss and decline in its performance (Tome 2011). To the employee, lack of motivation can lead to losing of a job because no one would expect to hire a person who is not working or does not work towards achieving the organizational objectives. Therefore, it is important to give employees a reason to come to work every day and work effectively towards meeting the goals or objectives of the organization. Motivating employees can help the employer and the business improve its performance (Ozturk et al., 2014). However, the motivation can be realized when there is a good relationship between the employer and the employees. Creating a good relationship has to start with understanding the needs of employees.
People have different needs that range from health related to culturally related needs. Although, something like cultural issues should not be an excuse to miss work or be late for work but work should not deprive people the chance to exercise their cultural rites. Every culture has its own unique characteristics that make it different with other cultures (KImpakom & Tocquer 2009). Forcing an employee to work for extra hours and he/she is not compensated is not ethically and professionally right. Again, forcing an employee to do something that is against his/her ethical beliefs is not right (Moriarty et al., 2012). Therefore, it is important to consider the needs of employees if one wants to create the goo relationship with the employees.
Employees like to work in an environment that they like and in a place that they feel the sense of belongingness (Kimpakom & Tocquer 2009). Based on the mass low's hierarchy of needs, sense of belongingness is one of the needs that human beings regards important. People want to stay in a place where they are appreciated, and their work is acknowledged. However, the poor relationship that we see nowadays in the most hospitality industry is as a result of the lack of sense of belongingness. Managers do not treat their employees with the sense that they desire (Crawford et al., 2010). Therefore, the relationship between employees and employers has become a hostile one where the employees perceive their employers with the enmity perception that further contributes to the deterioration of the relationship.
Everyone in the organization deserves respect from others. However, the case that we have seen in most cases is where the employers or the managers demand more respect from the employees, but they do not respect the employees (Doyle et al., 2012). Respect is for both sides, not one side like we have been witnessing in most organizations. Managers treat their subjects with a lot of disrespect that also contribute to the deterioration of the relationship in the organization. Again, employees like to work with someone who understands them and respects them with their opinions (Milman 2010). Therefore, it is important to respect employees because it is through the same that they will also respect the managers or the employers. Respect is earned and not given as many thinks. Most managers think that because they are managers, and they are above the employees, therefore they can demand respect from them. This is wrong because even employees will only respect someone who respects them back.
2.3 Decision-Making in the Organization
Decision making is another major issue of HR concern that impacts the performance of hospitality industry (Gonzalez et al., 2012). In most cases, people who have never been in a position to make a decision think that it is an easy task to do. Sometimes it is easy because to make a decision is just to decide on an issue based on the features of the circumstances one has encountered. Someone cannot tell that a decision is good or bad unless he/she looks at the consequences or the outcomes of the decision. The outcome of the decision will tell whether such a person is a good decision maker or not. Research shows that decision making is a big challenge to many organizations (Milman 2010).
Most managers think that they are overloaded and left with the difficult task and responsibility in the organization because they consider themselves the only people capable of making decisions. It is true that they are the people responsible for making decisions in the organization. However, this does not mean that they should lock out opinions from other members of the organization. The mistake that most managers do in the organization when it comes to decision making is neglecting the opinions from other people, especially from employees. The stereotypical kind of thinking that most managers have on their positions and the perceptions that they have on their employees contribute significantly to the challenges when making decisions (Kimpakom & Tocquer 2009). Management can be tiresome sometimes because as a manager one has a lot of responsibilities and there are a lot of challenges that comes with the responsibilities. Most of the challenges that managers encounter in the organization are related to decision making.
Being a manager does not mean that one is ever right or correct. Human beings are never perfect in everything. Everyone has a weakness, and they contribute to the ineffectiveness of a person. Managers have always held the perception that because they are the highest authority symbol in the organization then they have all the required skills and abilities to make every right decision that the organization needs (Chan & Kuok 2011). This is wrong because they also have a weakness just like any other person. This perception has always been enhanced by the significant figure that managers have been given in organizations. Employees are looked down upon because of their status in the organization. Therefore, welcoming opinions from employees can greatly improve the decision-making process. Some employees have bright ideas that can help organizations it is only that they are not given a chance to share the ideas that they have. Collecting ideas from various sources can help to make an effective decision that can help the organization improve (Cegarra-Leiva et al., 2012). Therefore, managers should welcome ideas from anyone so long as it supports the goals of the organization and it can help the organization realize its dreams. There is no need for locking out such potential ideas even when it comes from an employee.
2.4 Recruitment and compensation of employees in the Organization...
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