Involvement of line managers in HR policy making seems to be working well in
some resorts. The HR director of Resort A undertakes a strong consultative process
before any HR-related decision is implemented. As she noted:
And again it comes back to work with the GM, line managers and the host committee.
So that’s why I have said I have many opportunities to discuss HR issues and take all
managers on board. I don’t want to sit here and say and make it sound like I want to change
everything. We do them together (HRM39, Resort A).
In addition, some resorts such as A also hold “meet the management sessions”
fortnightly. One of the HoDs organises this meeting. Employees and managers represent
their respective departments in the meeting. They discuss employee concerns. The HR
manager is also present in the meetings and he/she is responsible for follow-up on the
issues discussed in the meetings. Because employees participated in such meetings,
a line manager of the resort described it as “a real opportunity to hammer out the HR
problems” (LNM40, Resort A). GMs in some resorts also set aside up to 20 minutes every
week for each executive. In this meeting, they formally discuss work-related matters.
Some HR and line managers use this meeting as a learning opportunity and seek advice
from the GM about dealing with employees. As a line manager noted:
The current RM [resident manager] understands HRM and resort operations fairly well.
So, he is trying to streamline HR activities. I help him and I also learn from him especially
every time I meet him on a one-to-one basis (HRM12, Resort D).
Some resorts also conduct management development programs where participants
are rotated between different departments before they are assigned managerial roles
in respective departments. Line managers who have undergone such programs seem to
understand the value of other functional areas such as HR, something which can be
understood from the following quote from a line manager:
As I see it, to tell you frankly, if HR doesn’t work well in a resort, there will be huge
implications for the operation. Firstly, staff turnover will be very high. Secondly, if employees
are not happy, guests wouldn’t be happy too, as simple as that. Thirdly, minor problems will
emerge and gradually build up if HR doesn’t work structurally. As a consequence, managers
will have to be always busy and bogged down with solving these problems rather than
concentrating on operational matters (LNM33, Resort G).
Relational social capital: interactions between HR actors at a personal level
As line managers see GMs and HR managers as sources of learning, they engage
with GMs and HR managers in informal mentoring and coaching relationships.
In Resort A, HR actors interact with each other through the informal “Peer and Beer
Appraisals” which take place every six months. This seems to be an opportunity for
managers to acknowledge their mistakes and learn from each other about the proper
way of fulfilling their roles. In addition, the unique settings in resorts help managers to
build relationships among HR actors. Managers and employees frequently meet each
other during meal times and in other social activities.
HR managers are trusted and respected by employees and fellow managers in most
resorts. For instance, the previous HR manager of Resort B was so popular that the
employees went on strike over his dismissal. The frequent turnover of HR managers in
resorts appears to be a major obstacle for the HR department in building a strong
relationship with owners and other managers. The HR heads in Resorts B and C had
been in their posts longer than those in other resorts. However, Resort C has had five
different HR directors in 12 years. In Resort A, most of the expatriate managers are