tourism and hospitality industry. Economic determinism, the predominance of
SMEs, a low-skills base, employer antipathy to a more progressive approach to
HRM, labour market characteristics, organizations ensuring best fit HRM practices
to support a high volume, low-cost strategy; all are plausible reasons for a
view of HRM which is not necessarily premised on high-skills, high-wages and a
high-quality route to competitive advantage. That said, it would be equally wrong
to paint a wholly pessimistic picture. It was recognized earlier in the chapter that
there are also examples of good practice HRM, particularly in certain sub-sectors
of the industry and in market segments where organizations are likely to seek
differentiation on the basis of offering high-quality services.