Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                

A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES IN HOTEL INDUSTRY

For a service sector organization, High quality services are essential to survive in any competition. Human resource activities in hotel industry are not just a human touch and serve with smile but they require creativeness, problem handling and systematic thinking. Present competitive environment goads on the organization to recruit the candidate with relevant competencies and it is a great challenge for them to enhance their competencies to survive in competition. Training is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of all these practices. In any organization, training has a big impact on all the HR practices. The training for competency development identifies the training needs across key behavioral and technical competencies. The gaps between the individual's capacity and requirement of the current and future roles have been identified and rectified through training programmes. This paper intends to reveal the impact of training programme on competency development on hotel industry....Read more
Man In India, 96 (9) : 3071-3077 © Serials Publications 1 Ph.D Resarch Scholar, Karpagam University (Karpagam Academy of Higher Education), Coimbatore, Tamilnadu – 641 021, India. 2 Associate Professor, Department of Management, Karpagam University (Karpagam Academy of Higher Education), Coimbatore, Tamilnadu – 641 021, India A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES IN HOTEL INDUSTRY Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan 1 and Dharmaraj Arumugam 2 For a service sector organization, High quality services are essential to survive in any competition. Human resource activities in hotel industry are not just a human touch and serve with smile but they require creativeness, problem handling and systematic thinking. Present competitive environment goads on the organization to recruit the candidate with relevant competencies and it is a great challenge for them to enhance their competencies to survive in competition. Training is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of all these practices. In any organization, training has a big impact on all the HR practices. The training for competency development identifies the training needs across key behavioral and technical competencies. The gaps between the individual’s capacity and requirement of the current and future roles have been identified and rectified through training programmes. This paper intends to reveal the impact of training programme on competency development on hotel industry. Key words: Training, competency, competency development, hotel industry. 1. INTRODUCTION Research on human resource management began in manufacturing sector and now it has become more important in service sector. Due to globalization, services of very high quality become imperative to survive in competitive environment. High quality services naturally seek highly committed human resources. Hoque, K. (1999) stated that service sector is rather heterogeneous, comprising financial companies, retailing operation, transport operations and of course, the tourism and hospitality industries 1 . The tourism industry is the major employer of skilled labour and also provides scope for unskilled and semi-skilled labour. Human resource is the key for the organizational success. Schneider, B. (1994) found that management of human resources involves a complex process of designing policies, practices and procedures of organizations for recruiting, motivating, developing and retaining employees 2 . Human resource activities in hotel industry are not just a human touch and serve with smile but it requires creativeness, problem handling and systematic thinking. So selecting right candidate for right position is a challenging task which requires well defined recruitment and selection procedures. HRD activities do not just end with placing a right candidate on right job. It includes effective practices
3072 MAN IN INDIA in work environment, communication, staffing, managing performance, training, compensation, competency development, career development, team building and culture development. Training is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of all these practices. In any organization, training has a big impact on all the HR practices. 1.1. Training in hotel Industry Training programmes are very common in hotel industries. Many hotels understand the importance of human resource development, motivation, satisfaction and their retention. Training covers implementing effective behavioral interventions which require that all those involved in the intervention are thoroughly knowledgeable about and competent in the use of specific intervention techniques. Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan and Dharmaraj, A. (2015) has explained about the HR practices in hotel industry and has stated how the personnel are the backbone of the quality in service, and the need for training to the hotel employees of various categories. Through the reviews the significance of the training to employees is sketched out. The advantages of training employees have been recorded. As hotel management is the combination of technical and professional skills, an employee who is efficient in technical side may not cope with professional attributes. This gap is particularly filled by suitable training and development methods. Training methods are reframed time to time according to the need and the behavioral aspects of human force. The quality of service retains the customers and makes the business profitable. The efficiency of employees decides the quality of service. The efficiency of employees depends upon the various training and development programs offered to them time to time. Hence, it conclusively proves that training is an indispensable aspect of HR practices in the hotel industry 3 . As recruitment and selection places candidate as per the job requirements, training prepares employee performs job effectively that will lead to best customer satisfaction in hotel industry. In hotel industry, different employee levels require specific training methods to enhance their job-related capabilities. Operational staff requires on-the-job training. So they can learn by working with their supervisor or training manager. In addition, Lanier et al. (2010) suggested job rotation as an effective training tool. This cross-training method of career development not only provides trainees with a higher understanding of the operation, but also raises levels of job satisfaction, and provides cost effective ways for a company to manage its human resources 4 . In-house training is the most suitable method for department managers that will limit the time spent on outside hotels and also general and departmental managers can enhance their knowledge by participating in seminars, workshops and conferences. The important issues that are notable in hotel industries are language training, guest relations and selling skills 4 .
Man In India, 96 (9) : 3071-3077 © Serials Publications A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES IN HOTEL INDUSTRY Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan1 and Dharmaraj Arumugam2 For a service sector organization, High quality services are essential to survive in any competition. Human resource activities in hotel industry are not just a human touch and serve with smile but they require creativeness, problem handling and systematic thinking. Present competitive environment goads on the organization to recruit the candidate with relevant competencies and it is a great challenge for them to enhance their competencies to survive in competition. Training is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of all these practices. In any organization, training has a big impact on all the HR practices. The training for competency development identifies the training needs across key behavioral and technical competencies. The gaps between the individual’s capacity and requirement of the current and future roles have been identified and rectified through training programmes. This paper intends to reveal the impact of training programme on competency development on hotel industry. Key words: Training, competency, competency development, hotel industry. 1. INTRODUCTION Research on human resource management began in manufacturing sector and now it has become more important in service sector. Due to globalization, services of very high quality become imperative to survive in competitive environment. High quality services naturally seek highly committed human resources. Hoque, K. (1999) stated that service sector is rather heterogeneous, comprising financial companies, retailing operation, transport operations and of course, the tourism and hospitality industries1. The tourism industry is the major employer of skilled labour and also provides scope for unskilled and semi-skilled labour. Human resource is the key for the organizational success. Schneider, B. (1994) found that management of human resources involves a complex process of designing policies, practices and procedures of organizations for recruiting, motivating, developing and retaining employees2. Human resource activities in hotel industry are not just a human touch and serve with smile but it requires creativeness, problem handling and systematic thinking. So selecting right candidate for right position is a challenging task which requires well defined recruitment and selection procedures. HRD activities do not just end with placing a right candidate on right job. It includes effective practices 1 2 Ph.D Resarch Scholar, Karpagam University (Karpagam Academy of Higher Education), Coimbatore, Tamilnadu – 641 021, India. Associate Professor, Department of Management, Karpagam University (Karpagam Academy of Higher Education), Coimbatore, Tamilnadu – 641 021, India 3072 MAN IN INDIA in work environment, communication, staffing, managing performance, training, compensation, competency development, career development, team building and culture development. Training is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of all these practices. In any organization, training has a big impact on all the HR practices. 1.1. Training in hotel Industry Training programmes are very common in hotel industries. Many hotels understand the importance of human resource development, motivation, satisfaction and their retention. Training covers implementing effective behavioral interventions which require that all those involved in the intervention are thoroughly knowledgeable about and competent in the use of specific intervention techniques. Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan and Dharmaraj, A. (2015) has explained about the HR practices in hotel industry and has stated how the personnel are the backbone of the quality in service, and the need for training to the hotel employees of various categories. Through the reviews the significance of the training to employees is sketched out. The advantages of training employees have been recorded. As hotel management is the combination of technical and professional skills, an employee who is efficient in technical side may not cope with professional attributes. This gap is particularly filled by suitable training and development methods. Training methods are reframed time to time according to the need and the behavioral aspects of human force. The quality of service retains the customers and makes the business profitable. The efficiency of employees decides the quality of service. The efficiency of employees depends upon the various training and development programs offered to them time to time. Hence, it conclusively proves that training is an indispensable aspect of HR practices in the hotel industry3. As recruitment and selection places candidate as per the job requirements, training prepares employee performs job effectively that will lead to best customer satisfaction in hotel industry. In hotel industry, different employee levels require specific training methods to enhance their job-related capabilities. Operational staff requires on-the-job training. So they can learn by working with their supervisor or training manager. In addition, Lanier et al. (2010) suggested job rotation as an effective training tool. This cross-training method of career development not only provides trainees with a higher understanding of the operation, but also raises levels of job satisfaction, and provides cost effective ways for a company to manage its human resources4. In-house training is the most suitable method for department managers that will limit the time spent on outside hotels and also general and departmental managers can enhance their knowledge by participating in seminars, workshops and conferences. The important issues that are notable in hotel industries are language training, guest relations and selling skills4. A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3073 1.2. Competencies needed in Hotel Industry Present competitive environment spurs the organization to recruit the candidates with relevant competencies and also it is a great challenge for them to enhance their competencies to survive in competition. Gamble et al. (1994) stated that according to the diverse nature of the hospitality industry, it is not easy to precisely define what skills and competencies a hospitality management graduates may need5. Tas et al. (1996) asserted that graduates should have a multi-skills base, which allows them to be creative, flexible and adaptable 6. Employees in the hotel industry should meet specific professional standards to be effective in the position. These standards will enhance the organization to offer services to clients and customers in an effective manner. These standards are normally called as competencies. The essential competency in hotel industry includes an ability to communicate in an efficient manner and exhibit a high degree of professionalism at all times. Moreover, Baum, T. (1990) identified the following as the most important competencies for employees in hotel industries: Management of guest problems with understanding and sensitivity, Effective communication in both written and oral form, Achievement of positive working relationships with employees, Professional appearance and poise, Development of positive customer relations and Motivations of employees to achieve desired performance 7. 2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Key competencies are important for organizational success. Negligence of employee competencies and their development will affect the productivity and profitability of an organization. Competency Development constantly enhances the capability of the workforce to perform their assigned tasks and responsibilities. Hence it is crucial for any organization to concentrate on competency development. Competency development training is essential for any organization for improving its productivity. Such training identifies the training needs across key behavioral and technical competencies. The gaps between the individual’s capacity and requirement of the current and future roles have been identified and rectified through training programmes. 2.1. Objective of the study This research study has aimed to reveal the impact of training programme on competency development on hotel industry. 2.2. Research Methodology 300 employees under different levels from five hotels have been selected using stratified random sampling method. Thus 60 employees from each hotel have been chosen. The survey instrument has been designed with Likert scale to ascertain the 3074 MAN IN INDIA employee perception about the competency development, proposed training programmes, appropriateness of such programmes for competency development, effectiveness of training programmes and the improvements and employee expectation on competency development training. 2.3. Research Hypothesis The research hypotheses tested in this study are: Hypothesis1: The adopted training programmes are associated with competency development needed in hotel industry Hypothesis 2: The adopted training programmes have improved the competencies of different level of employees. Hypothesis 3: Ranking of the employees’ expectation on training on specific competencies is significant among the employees 3. DATA ANALYSIS 3.1. Association of adopted Training programmes and competency Development The hypothesis 1 has been tested using chi-square test. This is Non-Parametric test which is used to find the association between two variables9. Here, it has analyzed the relationship between training and competency development. TABLE 1: CHI-SQUARE TEST ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT Chi-Square Pearson Chi-Square N of Valid Cases Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) 145.410 300 3 .000 Source: Primary Data The output table shows that the significance value is 0.00 which is less than 0.05. The result implies at 95 per cent confidence that the adopted training programmes are associated with competency 3.2. Improvement of competencies after training The hypothesis 2 has been tested using the Wilcoxon test. It is a Non-Parametric test that compares two paired groups. It calculates the difference between each set of pairs, and analyzes that list of differences9. Table 2 shows that the negative ranks have been zero. No one has given his opinion as Competency development after training has been less than Competency development before training. Positive ranks have shown that 264 accepted that Competency development after training has been greater than Competency development before training. 36 of the respondents have felt that Competency development after training has been equal to Competency development before training. A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3075 TABLE 2: WILCOXON MATCHED PAIR TEST RESULT FOR COMPARING COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT Competency development after training – competency development before training N Mean Rank Sum of Ranks Negative Ranks Positive Ranks 0 (a) 264 (b) .00 44.50 .00 11746 Ties Total 36 (c) 300 Source: Primary Data a. Competency development after training < Competency development before training b. Competency development after training > Competency development before training c. Competency development after training = Competency development before training TABLE 3: TEST STATISTICS OF WILCOXON MATCHED PAIR TEST FOR COMPARING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION Test Statistics(b) Z Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) Competency development after training – competency development before training -7.213(a) .000 Source: Primary Data From table 3, the significance value of 0.00 is less than 0.05. At 95 per cent confidence level, the adopted training programmes have improved the competencies of different level of employees. 3.3. Employees’ expectation on training on specific competencies The hypothesis 3 has been tested using the Kendall’s co-efficient of concordance test. This test is a Non-Parametric test several related samples from the same population which measure the agreement of raters10. Kendall’s co-efficient of concordance test has been used to check whether there is any significant agreement in the ranking of the employees’ expectation on training on specific competencies. TABLE 4: KENDALL’S W TEST FOR RANKING OF THE EMPLOYEES’ EXPECTATION ON TRAINING ON SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES Mean Rank Motivational training to achieve desired performance Guidance for exploring International scope Interpersonal training to maintain positive working relationships with employees Management of guest problems with understanding and sensitivity Communications ability Technical training concerning the knowledge and skills essential to producing the product or service Ethical awareness Development of positive customer relations Source: Primary Data 1.26 8.03 5.21 4.01 6.03 2.32 7.20 3.3 3076 MAN IN INDIA TABLE 5: KENDALL’S W TEST FOR EMPLOYEES’ EXPECTATION ON TRAINING ON SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES - TEST STATISTICS N Kendall’s W(a) Chi-Square Df Asymp. Sig. 300 .832 1127.209 7 .000 Source: Primary Data Table 5 shows that the value of the Kendall’s W has been 0.832 and the significance level has been 0.000. This significance value has been less than 0.05. It clearly shows that there is a highly positive agreement between the respondents regarding ranking of the employees’ expectation on training on specific competencies at 95 percent confidence level. From the table 4, it can be concluded that Motivational training to achieve desired performance got the ranking First, Technical training concerning the knowledge and skills essential to producing the product or service got the ranking second, Development of positive customer relations got the ranking third, Management of guest problems with understanding and sensitivity got the ranking forth. Interpersonal training to maintain positive working relationships with employees got the ranking fifth, Communications ability got the ranking sixth, Ethical awareness got the ranking seventh and Guidance for exploring International scope got the eight ranking. 4. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSION From the study, it has been found that the appropriate training programmes for competency development adopted in most hotels and those training programmes have brought improvements to employees’ competencies. But employees have been expecting more training programmes on motivational training, guidance for international scope, technical training and interpersonal training. The training on any human resources practice would bring improvements to the productivity of the organization. Customer requirements and expectation will differ on changing environment and needs. So employers of the hotel industries should understand these changes and identify the competencies needed for the employees to fulfil these changes. Appropriate training programmes should be designed to develop these identified competencies. References Hoque, K. (1999). Human resource management and performance in the UK hotel industry. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 37(3), 419-443. Schneider, B.(1994). HRM - A service perspective. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 5(1), 64-76. A STUDY ON TRAINING AND COMPETENCY... 3077 Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan., Dharmaraj, A. (2015). Training – An Imperative Hr Practice In Hotel Industry, International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 5(12), 96 – 103. Lanier, D., Jackson, F. H., Lanier, R. (2010). Job rotation as a leadership development tool. Consortium Journal of Hospitality & Tourism, 14(2), 21-25. Gamble, P. R., Lockwood, A., Messenger, S. (1994). European management skills in the hospitality industry. European Hospitality Management, HCIMA conference proceedings, Amsterdam: 25-26 March. Tas, R. F., LaBrecque, S. V. and Clayton, H. R. (1996). Property management competencies for management trainees The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 37(4), 90-96. Baum, T. (1990). Competencies for hotel management: industry expectation of education. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2(4), 13-16. Kothari, C. R. (2001). Research Methodology – methods & techniques, New Delhi: Wishwa Prakashan, 2001, p. 238. Kothari. C. R. (2005). Research Methodology Methods & Techniques, New Delhi, New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers, 2005, 291. Tutorial – Kendal’s W Defined, SPSS 20.0 for Window.