Management of Operative Staff in a Labour-scarce Economy: The Views of Human Resource Managers in the Hotel Industry in Singapore

Abstract

This article explores the views of HR managers on the management of oper ative staff in the hotel industry in Singapore at a period of acute labour short age. Using a case-study qualitative methodology, it examines how external and internal environmental factors affect the HRM of operative staff. In the view of the HR managers, the labour shortage has resulted in recruitment and retention problems, high labour turnover, decline in discipline at the work place, along with other difficulties. The HR managers indicated that the exter nal environment dictates how operative staff should be managed.

The study reveals that the problems in the HRM of operative staff, as a result of the labour shortage, have been compounded by the lack of coherent and systematic HR practices and strategies in the hotels. The main argument, there fore, is that to mitigate the effects of the external environment successfully, HR managers should pay more attention to the development of internal HRM prac tices and strategies. It is suggested that one such strategy could be the devel opment of an internal labour market in hotels.