Are people the greatest asset: talent management in SME hotels in Nigeria during the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the approaches to talent management (TM) in small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) hotels in Nigeria during the COVID-19 crisis drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of Strategy. Design/methodology/approach An interpretivist methodology was adopted, and 42 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with SME hotel owners, self-initiated expatriate (SIE) talent and local workers in Nigerian hotels. A thematic approach to analysis was undertaken to identify key themes. Findings The findings highlight how SME hotel owners’ reactive and short-term approaches to TM have created problems during the pandemic as they are unable to rely on acquiring SIE talent to fill key skills gaps. Furthermore, failure to capitalise on the expertise and networks of their current SIEs has resulted in a lack of knowledge sharing with other local employees. This results in TM strategies that do not offer differentiated approaches that balance talent flows to achieve competitive advantage. Practical implications SME hotel leaders should adopt a more equitable approach to TM that values all workers rather than exclusively focusing on SIEs. Employment contracts should ensure that SIEs are responsible for training and developing local workers as part of a networking approach to RBV. Originality/value This novel study focused on TM within SME hotels in a Nigerian context during COVID-19. The findings show how SME senior leaders value SIE talent above local workers and pursue a TM strategy that perpetuates the status quo. The COVID-19 crisis has acted as a catalyst for leaders to recognise the value of local talent and consider a more sustainable approach to TM.

Leaders in the pandemic: Contributions to the literature on leadership in organizations in extreme contexts

“…Thus, they could effectively see and help workers navigate the unexpected events that unfolded, which brought external pressures to keep the organization competitive. Decisions before the pandemic, such as the lack of investment in local labor, led to complex situations, as shown by Howe-Walsh et al (2022), who warns of the need for continuous investment in people to face unexpected crises.…”

“…Therefore, the dimensions in this extreme context varied greatly, but virtually all companies had to make mana gement and leadership adjustments to survive the pandemic. Some stressors of the context are political instability, government failures to address ongoing terrorist activities, economic inefficiency generated by the lack of a sound fiscal and monetary policy, an inadequate healthcare system, and, for some countries, the lack of qualified local labor and the consequent use of expatriates, which became unfeasible during the pandemic (Howe-Walsh et al, 2022). The closure of borders was also a context stressor, and companies had to survive with existing resources and strive to repatriate as many employees as possible who were trapped abroad (Yeo, 2021).…”

Líderes na pandemia: Contribuições para a literatura sobre liderança nas organizações em contextos extremos

“…Estressores do contexto podem ser a instabilidade política, falhas do governo em lidar com atividades terroristas em andamento; ineficiência econômica, gerada pela falta de uma política fiscal e monetária sólida; um sistema de saúde inadequado; e, para alguns países, a falta de mão de obra local qualificada e a consequente utilização de expatriados, o que se tornou inviável na pandemia (Howe-Walsh et al, 2022). Também foram estressores do Líderes na pandemia: Contribuições para a literatura sobre liderança nas organizações em contextos extremos ISSN 1678-6971 (versão eletrônica) • RAM, São Paulo, 24( 6), eRAMD230072, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD230072.pt contexto o bloqueio e o fechamento de fronteiras, e as empresas tiveram que sobreviver com os recursos existentes, além de se esforçarem para repatriar o maior número possível de funcionários que ficaram presos no exterior (Yeo, 2021).…”