(the Male´ office) and carried out by the line managers. When asked about the HR
department’s role, the HR assistant based in the resort described his role thus:
My role is handling employee work permit matters, preparing show cause letters, maintaining
employee attendance and performance records, updating and maintaining the employee database
and maintaining personal files, and preparing the salary sheet. I follow the instructions
from various HoDs [head of departments] and from the Male´ office (NME23, Resort E).
At the time of interviews, some resorts were in the process of devolving HR
responsibilities to line managers. Resort B has devolved most of the HR responsibilities
to the line managers. As the HR director explained:
Overall, HR policy making lies with the HR department, but job specific activities
are increasingly given to the respective departments. I would say HR is becoming more
decentralized (HRM45, Resort B).
Resort A has also been gradually devolving HR responsibilities to the line managers. As
a result, there seems to be no clear distinction between HRM responsibilities of the HR
department and line managers. Tensions between HR and line managers appear to be
common in Resorts A and B because HRmanagers have to undertake HR responsibilities
that are supposed to be performed by line managers. As an HR director explained:
Currently, it’s HR’s responsibility to meet them [new employees] on the first day, sort out the
uniform, show them around their department, show them their accommodation, and take
them for dinner. All of these things, [while] important, are not in the HR’s job. But at the
moment the departments are saying: no, we don’t have to be on the first day on the mountain,
like. I don’t want to sound like I am trying to get out of the job but these people are going to
work for you, you need to build up the relationship and the connection (HRM39, Resort A).
Resort C also provides a greater autonomy for line managers in the implementation of
HRM. However, Resorts D, F and G still have a centralised form of HR. In Resort D, the
assistant HR manager centrally does all the HR work from writing HR policies to
approving and preparing employee leave forms. As he commented:
I am doing all the HR-related work. Of course I consult with GMs and other HoDs.
It’s sometimes too much for me. Maybe our HoDs are still not ready to take up HR roles
(HRM12, Resort D).
Some resort managers believe that HR roles can be better performed by HR managers
than the line managers as the latter need to be equipped with the required knowledge
and skills. As the following comment from a GM indicated:
We have hired a qualified and experienced HR manager to implement professional HRM
because I know our HoDs don’t have the ability to handle HR matters and they feel that they
have enough to do in their departments (SNM20, Resort F).
The above quote also shows line managers’ preoccupation with their area of
expertise remains as a constraint for them to play an active role in implementing HRM
practices in resorts.
The HRM role of GMs and owners
Both GMs and resort owners appear to be playing a significant role in the development
and implementation of HR policy in resorts. HR managers acknowledged the positive
attitude of GMs towards HRM. As an HR director of a resort commented:
On a day-to-day basis, what’s critical is how your general manager feels about HR, because
if they are not supportive and do not believe in HR, then you have to struggle. Here, the GM is