Addressing the issue of high dependence on foreign labours through human resource investment: a literature review

Due to labour shortages and increasing labour cost, many hotels have employed foreign labour. However, some five-star hotels continue to employ the local workers. Although the employment of foreign labour helps to fill job vacancies, the over flooding of foreign labour is detrimental to Malaysia’s economy, social tranquillity, national peace and political stability. This paper reviews articles on foreign labours, human capital investment and compensation. Past studies found that a well-designed and implementation of job-skill training improves corporate profits and create shareholder’s value as increased human capital leads to customer satisfaction. Human capital refers to employee’s knowledge, experience, professional competency and cognitive ability. High investment in human capital is essential to service firms that provide customize service and seek to compete based on their services. To secure their investment, luxury hotels provide an effective compensation plan that includes internal and external equity

Human Capital Investment: The Datai Sets a Risky Example

Human capital investment is important for service firms that provide personalised services, for example, luxury hotels. Hotels in Langkawi claim that they conduct continuous training. The extent of the training is just sufficient to fulfil the Ministry of Human Resources training requirements. Rarely do businesses spend above the minimum requirement. This is especially true in the hotel industry, an industry that many perceive as a stepping stone in building their careers. This makes it significant to conduct and in-depth interview with the master minds of The Datai Investing in People (DIP) training programme. The purpose of the interviews is to investigate how human capital investment is carried out in the hotel industry. Furthermore, the fact that covid-19 spreads around the world only a year after the “new” Datai reopens makes it seems riskier as it is very doubtful that the hotel will get the expected returns from its investment. The findings of this study may enhance understanding of human capital investment in the hotel industry as it provides in-depth explanation of how The Datai invests in its human capital. The finding will also bridge the gap between theory and practice as it enhances understanding of why many hotels choose to limit their human capital investment. The Datai’s sacrifice makes it clear why it has remained as the employer of choice

Menangani isu kebergantungan yang tinggi terhadap pekerja asing melalui pelaburan sumber manusia: ulasan karya

Due to labour shortages and increasing labour cost, many hotels have employed foreign labour. However, some five-star hotels continue to employ the local workers. Although the employment of foreign labour helps to fill job vacancies, the over flooding of foreign labour is detrimental to Malaysia’s economy, social tranquillity, national peace and political stability. This paper reviews articles on foreign labours, human capital investment and compensation. Past studies found that a well-designed and implementation of job-skill training improves corporate profits and create shareholder’s value as increased human capital leads to customer satisfaction. Human capital refers to employee’s knowledge, experience, professional competency and cognitive ability. High investment in human capital is essential to service firms that provide customize service and seek to compete based on their services. To secure their investment, luxury hotels provide an effective compensation plan that includes internal and external equity

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNICATION COLLABORATIONS AND PERFORMANCE OF SMES IN TRANS-NZOIA COUNTY, KENYA

This papers looks at the relationship between communication collaborations and performance of SMEs in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. This was done due to the challenges that individual are facing in surviving in business. SMEs enter strategic collaboration to access to provide access to information necessary for their business growth and survival. The theory that informed this study is resource based view theory advanced by Barney. A descriptive research design was used to select 136 SMEs from a target of 216 located in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. Data for this research was collected using questionnaire. Correlation statistics showed that there existed significant positive relationship between strategic communication and performance of SMEs in Trans-Nzoia County. This happened through sharing of information or viability of business enterprises through the formal collaborating networks by SMEs in the county. The paper concludes that for performance of SMEs to improve, joint communication and sharing is a critical component. The paper therefore recommends that: the communiqué on decision reached by strategic collaboration members should all be inclusive to make all members feel part of the association.  Article visualizations

Competitiveness of the Hotel Industry: A Knowledge Management Approach

There is also an emerging research agenda on knowledge management within the hotel sector. Hotels are currently increasingly dependent on their competence to possess internal and external knowledge, making knowledge a critical resource for competitiveness and obtaining competitive advantages for innovation and differentiation of its competitors. Strategies tacit-oriented and explicit-oriented knowledge also has the dominant role in hospitality service operations. The principal goal of this study is to identify the role of knowledge management organizational processes as a determinant of competitiveness in the hotel industry, particularly how knowledge management strategies centered on the source (internal and external) and knowledge (tacit and explicit) have positive an impact on the competitiveness of hotels. We use a quantitative approach based in an email survey applied to 55 Portuguese hotels. Our results show that knowledge management strategies oriented to source and type of knowledge are critical for hotels competitiveness and obtaining competitive advantages.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A proactive and entrepreneurial international market approach: Some evidence in the Portuguese hotel sector

Internationalization is a process of such complexity that its explanation, in terms of one single theoretical perspective is difficult. Drawing on a comprehensive multi-case study, this doctoral thesis explores the influence environmental and organizational stimuli as determinants of Portuguese hotel firms’ international engagement. It also proposes to understand the linkage between the antecedent firm motivational stimuli factors with, time of entry, market selection and entry mode strategies. The strategy regarding the epistemological position is via a deductive research approach, where is identify, and tests, in the field, the propositions initially proposed, for further development. A previously used framework was adopted to structure the factors involved, thus ensuring that all comprehensive evidence was obtained through empirical research. Having its foundations in Barney´s resource-based theory and International Entrepreneurship principles within Dunning's eclectic model determinants, this model sheds light on firm´s resources and competences as determinants factors for the decision to go abroad, pointing the ownership and location advantages as main determinants factors of internationalization strategy decisions. Due to the limited number of the total population, a non-probability purposive sampling method was adopted. This study is mainly based on semi-structured interviews to top level managers, responsible for the internationalization process and supplemented by confirmatory questionnaires, memos, press releases, media articles and in-situ observations. Accordingly, a within and cross-case analysis was applied for the deduction of facts. From the data analysis, it is seen that that the internal competences and the firm’s managerial entrepreneurial profile were important stimuli for the Potuguese hotel grups becoming involved in international activities. Accordingly, it was found that the combination of proactive, internal and external, stimuli drives initially, the Portuguese hotel groups to international market. It was the junction of these proactive stimuli, within an entrepreneurial vision from managers that triggered the process of internationalization. An evolution of the nature´s motivational stimuli was also found given the level of international engagement and the development of market environment. Hence, from an opportunistic market seeker motivation, the Portuguese hotel firms turned to efficiency seeking motivation, less based on tacit competences exploitation and more focused in network and coordination competences, emerging a systematic market exploitation taking into account the new profile of demand and firm growth ambitions in international market. It was also found that, in the early stages of international engagement a positive linkage between the firm proactive stimuli factors and the Portuguese firm international strategies. From the contributions that emerged from the work, stood out, in the theoretical field the achievement of a deeper knowledge, of the motivational, and stimuli factor, on the internationalization process and the importance of manager´s proactive attitude as key determinant of the linkage between the company's competitive advantages and strategies of internationalization. Concerning the practical implications, a better understanding of the key resources and competencies to exploring market opportunities, can be an aid to hotel firms companies that are considering expanding to other markets, thus, preventing the dispersion and improper use of scarce firm assets.A internacionalização é um processo de tal complexidade que a sua explicação é difícil em termos de uma única perspetiva teórica. Baseado num estudo multi-caso, esta tese de doutoramento explora a influência dos estímulos ambientais e organizacionais como determinantes do envolvimento das empresas hoteleiras portuguesas no mercado internacional. Também propõe compreender a ligação entre os estímulos motivacionais e as estratégias relativas ao processo de internacionalização. A abordagem epistemológica do estudo é maioritariamente dedutiva, onde o pesquisador identifica e testa no campo, as proposições inicialmente propostas. Assim e em conformidade, foi adotada uma matriz previamente estruturada, garantindo que todas as variáveis do modelo fossem obtidas através de uma pesquisa empírica. Tendo nos seus fundamentos a Teoria Baseada nos Recursos de Barney, integrando os princípios do Empreendedorismo Internacional e utilizando as determinantes do modelo eclético de Dunning para explicar as estratégias de internacionalização, este modelo lança luz sobre os recursos e competências da empresa como determinantes na decisão de sair para o estrangeiro, apontando as vantagens de propriedade e de localização, como principais fatores decisivos nas estratégias de internacionalização. Devido ao número limitado da população, foi adotado um método de amostragem nãoprobabilístico. A recolha de dados, foi baseada em entrevistas semiestruturadas a gestores e responsáveis pelo processo de internacionalização. Posteriormente foi complementada por um questionário confirmatório, memorandos, comunicados, artigos de imprensa e observações. A estruturação e análise dos dados foram obtidas através de uma análise caso a caso e de cruzamento de todos os casos, seguindo as questões de investigação, as dimensões do estudo e as variáveis do modelo. A partir da análise de dados, foi observado que os participantes do estudo identificaram como estímulos importantes para o envolvimento internacional, as competências internas, o perfil do gestor e as oportunidades de mercado. Por conseguinte, verificou-se que a combinação de estímulos organizacionais e ambientais com uma natureza proactiva motivou os grupos hoteleiros portugueses a se envolverem no mercado internacional. Foi também observado, uma evolução da natureza dos estímulos motivacionais, consequência de um maior envolvimento internacional das empresas hoteleiras e evolução das condições económicas do mercado doméstico e internacional. Assim, partindo inicialmente de uma abordagem oportunista ao mercado internacional, as empresas hoteleiras portuguesas passaram a adotar uma abordagem mais sistematizada, tendo em conta a dinâmica dos mercados e as suas ambições de crescimento. Observou-se também que, nas fases iniciais de envolvimento internacional existe uma ligação entre os estímulos motivacionais e as estratégias de internacionalização. Das contribuições teóricas do trabalho destacam-se a obtenção de evidências sobre a importância, dos estímulos motivacionais no processo de internacionalização e da atitude proactiva do gestor como determinante na ligação entre as vantagens competitivas da empresa e as estratégias de internacionalização. Quanto às implicações práticas, e tendo em conta as contingências e o desenvolvimento dos mercados, destacam-se a compreensão e a importância dos recursos e competências das empresas hoteleiras na exploração das oportunidades no mercado internacional, sendo uma mais-valia para as empresas hoteleiras Portuguesas que estão a considerar expandir-se para outros mercados

Policy changes and its enforcement toward foreign workers in hotel industry

The change of government after the 14th Malaysian general election is followed by some changes in government policies and practices. Hence, business practices including those in the service industry are also affected. Among the issues raised in the Dewan Rakyat is regarding the employment of foreign labour. While the news has broadcasted information regarding efforts to reduce the number of foreign workers in Malaysia under the new government, scholarly article regarding the matter remains scarce. This paper tracks the current policies on foreign workers and their enforcement effort. Findings from secondary data reveal that there are some changes in policies that regulate foreign workers’ employment, and there is stricter enforcement of the regulations. While the local employees can rest assured that there will be fewer competition for jobs, it is also crucial for them to improve their attitude and increase their productivity

The Internationalisation of Emerging Market Firms: A Study of the Indian Service Sector

This study investigates the motives for and favoured investment modes of internationalisation of Indian services sector firms. Further, this study examines capabilities and resources and how companies deploy these in international markets. This entails understanding how the companies adapt to host markets and the mechanisms which trigger dynamic capability adoption. Finally, this study analyses the effects of the external market on their internationalisation motives. This study’s relevance is significant given increasing investments from emerging and transition economies, which form a third of global investments today compared to less than ten percent two decades ago. This coupled with the notion that emerging market companies lack the pre-existing capabilities required for internationalisation, is probed in this study. Internationalisation theories have been sourced from a western context based on developed market companies’ investment into other developed or emerging market countries; in this context, this study provides evidence of a subaltern view in reference to the internationalisation of emerging market firms. The empirical material consists of five Indian service sector firms with significant international presence in the Information Technology, Telecom and Hospitality service sectors. The research adopts an interpretivist cum constructivist approach to understanding their internationalisation motives using a qualitative exploratory case-study based research method. Data was collected in the form of semi-structured interviews (elite interviews) with the decision makers of the companies under study. This was supplemented with email questionnaires from former employees who had worked in overseas locations. This was further supplemented with secondary data towards reliability and triangulation purposes. Findings from this thesis illustrate that the firms studied are heterogeneous in nature about their internationalisation motives. There is divergence in managerial learning across host markets in the adaption of internationalisation for the creation of competitive advantage. In analysing the internationalisation motives of these companies, this study extends the existing theoretical understanding behind the concept of multinational companies. This study also makes a theoretical contribution towards the understanding of fast capability acquisition by Indian service sector firms towards rapid internationalisation while developing a competitive advantage in foreign host markets