Human resource development in the hotel industry of Mauritius: myth or reality?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the role, importance and outcomes attributed to HRD by line managers in the Mauritian hotel industry. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from a purposive sample of 135 hotel line managers. A two-step procedure was followed to analyse data. First, thematic analysis identified key themes in the textual data.Second, the artificial neural software CATPAC was used to generate interrelationships among the themes. Results show that HRD is related to organisational success, service quality improvements, sharing of knowledge and improvements in operational efficiency. Four key outcomes of HRD were identified: improvements in staff attitude, better teamwork, enhanced productivity and better service delivery. The findings indicate the prevalence of a need-driven approach to HRD and the link between HRD and corporate strategy is not clear. Results have implications for organizational and destination competitiveness.

Trends in hospitality management research: a personal reflection

“…While Nudist and its newer format of NVivo have been long established, newer programs are emerging and being adopted. These programs include CatPac and Leximancer, and among authors using these in the arena of hospitality studies has been Lockyer (2005) and Prayag and Hosany (2013).…”

What about the workers? Roles and skills for employees in hotels of the future

“…The availability of cheap labour will influence hotel companies and their behaviour in seeking to address the vexed challenge (in the sector) of increasing productivity, including that of employees (Ashrafi et al, 2013). Productivity gains are frequently attained through training and development, an investment that the hotel sector has been reluctant to make (Prayag and Hosany, 2015). In a drive for profitability, human resource (HR) managers need to be vigilant lest they unwittingly fall foul of the law.…”

Do regional factors matter? Determinants of hotel industry performance in China

“…A high-performing hotel usually has a high occupancy rate and economic output. Scholars and practitioners have investigated the various factors that affect hotel economic performance, particularly capital investment, the quality of facilities, and employee services in order to improve customer satisfaction (Pan, 2015;Prayag & Hosany, 2015). Some studies also emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and various promotion strategies (Nieves & Segarra-Cipr es, 2015; Xiao, O'Neill, & Mattila, 2012).…”

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