Thesis Abstract

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><div><b><p><b>INTRODUCTION</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>THE<br>BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Since the beginning of recorded time, people have travelled, and during<br>their travels, have needed shelter. This consequently encouraged the springing<br>up of some accommodation in form of inns and small hotels and subsequent larger<br>hospitality suites, to meet such needs. This thus hospitality is said to be the<br>worlds‟ second oldest profession.</p><p>Just after the civil war in 1970, there was a<br>virtual absence of hotels and especially, the well known names in the<br>international hotel industry in Nigeria. Not until the late 70‟s, during the<br>oil boom era, did Nigeria start experiencing some growth in her hotel industry.<br>In recent years however, Nigeriahosting of several major international events<br>like the common wealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM), All African games,<br>carnivals, meeting including the visits of two American presidents an other<br>presidents with their entourage, has led to the building of several more hotels<br>in Nigeria, especially in the major cities.</p><p>This growth is not restricted to Nigeria alone,<br>example, the American food service industry in 1979 had 110 billion dollars of<br>busing for meals away from home and was infact the third largest industry in<br>the country in terms of gross retail sales, it employs</p></b></b></b></div><b><b><b><div><p>12</p><p>about 6 million people and had average of 125. 42 employees in 1995 and<br>yet still needs many additional employees every year.</p><p>Nigeria has since seen many important developments<br>and changes in the relative improvement in the standard of living of a vast<br>majority of working people. These improvements have come about as a result of<br>many different factors including greater national productivity, stronger growth<br>of economy, having more enlightened management and pressures from trade unions.</p><p>The contributions made by the hotel and catering industry to this<br>general rise in standard of living are considerable, providing essential and<br>leisure services, employment and wealth creation.</p><p>Hotel development in any country is a detailed process, requiring a high<br>level of pre-planning prior to, during and after construction. There is still<br>evidence in many places in Nigeria that this pre-planning has not adequately<br>been carried out, resulting in some hotels that are unable to meet today‟s and<br>tomorrows ever-changing and increasing customer needs, including the fact that<br>demand far outstrips supply, with major cities like Lagos having now shortages.<br>Nevertheless, Tourism, of which the hotel and catering industry is a principal<br>element is said to be a potential growth sector in Nigeria.</p><p>The conditions of employment of a large number of<br>the industry‟s staff have not kept peace with those enjoyed by working people<br>elsewhere, in spite of the technical</p></div><div><p>13</p><p>improvements within the catering industry itself. The reasons for the<br>slow rate of improvement in the industry‟s condition of employment are<br>considerable including an understandable reluctance on the part of many<br>proprietors and managers to adjust labor earnings according to improvements in<br>the industry. Another reason could be that trade union movements exert little<br>influence in most sectors of the industry, since moreover most people that make<br>up the industry‟s workforce are people who are not prepared to make a career<br>out of the job.</p><p>The working conditions of the industry‟s staff are<br>for most cases unattractive. There are intrinsic problems which are unavoidable<br>such as having to work long evenings and weekends. Other problems however can<br>certainly be removed or reduced by determined management action. Such problems<br>are staff reliance on tips, ignorance of workers on methods of calculating pay<br>and the distribution of service charges, and management‟s reluctance to involve<br>staff in matters that affect their working lives. Management should therefore<br>evolve a way of bringing out the best in these groups of ignored members of our<br>workforce.</p><p>In Nigeria, there are many organizations that<br>provide catering services and which by their nature can be termed hotels. It is<br>estimated that there exists about 550 hotels, inns and commercial guest houses<br>in Nigeria by the year 2008 that employs between 10 and 250 people in line with<br>their sizes. It is said that about 418 – 900 people were employed in 2003<br>worldwide.</p></div><div><p>14</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>STATEMENT<br>OF THE PROBLEM</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>In an industry in Africa where there seems to have<br>been a continued growth over the years, expertise is therefore expected to be<br>limited and this constitutes a problem.</p><p>There and other problems are what the study wishes to consider and make<br>recommendation where necessary. The problem reduction in experienced hands in<br>this industry in the third world, seem to be the case due to managers<br>reluctance to train its workers and employ able hands.</p><p>Another problem lies in the fact that most workers<br>in the industry have no clear cut channels to register their protests and<br>grievances since management usually stifles unionization agitation.</p><p>The third problem concerns the issue of how the<br>basic payment and benefits of workers is commensurate with their dedication to<br>work and efforts. As employers are less responsive to changes in the economy<br>with respect to adjustments of pay and benefit packages in line with economic<br>growth as being experienced in most developing countries today, including<br>Nigeria, they are left with employees whose dedication to work decreases; with<br>huge reduction in their morals and motivation to work.</p><p>We are also confronted with an environment where<br>employees are usually kept in the dark without being enlightened on things they<br>have the right to know. Example, payment</p></b></div><b><div><p>15</p><p>determination method, criteria for promotion (etc),<br>but rather such issues are based on the whims of management. This constitutes a<br>problem.</p><p>The last problem is the general belief by most<br>people that jobs in the industry is one of last resort which they can take up<br>when they do not find a “better” job to do. This thus discourages young people<br>who may wish to have a career in the hotel and catering industry.</p><p>Having identified some of the problems, this study<br>intends to find possible solutions to some of them.</p><p><b>1.3 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>THE<br>OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>To this end, this study aims at<br>assessing the reasonability of all the entitlements due or payable to that part<br>of the labor force that works fully or partly in the hotel and catering<br>industry. The objectives of this study are thus.</p><p>v To examine the reasonability of other entitlements and benefits that is<br>not part of the basic payment.</p><p>v To assess the degree to which payment is commensurate with the efforts<br>of employees in this industry.</p><p>v To evaluate the extent to which payment and benefits in this industry<br>are similar to those of like-industries.</p></b></div><b><div><p>16</p><p>v To examine the industrial relations existing in the hotel under study<br>and its impact on worker‟s welfare.</p><p>v To identify the impact of inappropriate payment and employee benefit<br>schemes or their absence altogether, on employee performance.</p><p><b>1.4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>RESEARCH<br>QUESTIONS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The following research questions<br>will be raised:</p><p>1. &nbsp; <br>To what extent do the workers in<br>the hotel and catering industry satisfied and motivated by their payment?</p><p>2. &nbsp; <br>To what extent do the working<br>condition obtainable in this industry quite satisfactory relative to workers<br>effort?</p><p>3. &nbsp; <br>To what degree is management<br>involved in the training and development of its workers?</p><p>4. &nbsp; To what<br>extent does management agree to the formation of unions?</p><p>5. &nbsp; <br>To what extent is management<br>responsive to changes in the economy with reference to the adjustment of<br>payment and benefit packages in line with economic indicators?</p><p><b>1.5 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>RESEARCH<br>HYPOTHESIS</b></p><p><b></b></p></b></div><b><b><div><p>The<br>hypothesis of this research work includes:</p><p>HO: &nbsp; &nbsp; Employee payment packet and benefit are not equal to the efforts they<br>put in,</p><p>HA: &nbsp; &nbsp; Employee payment packet and benefit are equal to the efforts they put<br>on.</p></div><div><p>17</p><p>HO: &nbsp; &nbsp; Management<br>does not encourage workers to unionize</p><p>HA: &nbsp; &nbsp; Management<br>encourages their workers to unionize</p><p>HO: &nbsp; &nbsp; Workers<br>morale and motivation to work is negatively influenced by payment and benefits<br>they receive.</p><p>HA: &nbsp; &nbsp; Workers<br>morale and motivation to works is not negatively influenced by the payment and<br>benefits they receive.</p><p><b>1.6 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>THE<br>SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The study is significant for the<br>following reasons:</p><p>v To change the belief by some hotel management in the country that the<br>formation of unions by employees may mean more trouble for them.</p><p>v To bring to the fore, the importance of having pay being commensurate<br>with efforts and productivity since the bulk of workers in this industry are after<br>psychological</p><p>needs but work in environments supposedly the exclusive reserve of self<br>actualized members of the society.</p><p>v Ability to help reinstate the industry belle to its supposed place as a<br>major part of the economy and as a potential growth sector.</p></b></div><b><div><p>18</p><p><b>1.7 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>SCOPE AND<br>LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>An attempt of evaluating the management of the<br>human resource in the hotel and catering industry will be too vast and all<br>encompassing. It is therefore the opinion of the researcher that the scope of<br>this study be restricted to the administration of employee benefits and welfare<br>schemes, that is all other entitlements due to employee other than payment,<br>which by their nature may act as motivation for the staff of the organizations<br>in the industry.</p><p>The study is confined to the entire staff of Royal<br>Palace Hotel, Enugu. However, the findings of this study will apply to the<br>hotel and catering industry in Nigeria. Major limitation to this study, is the<br>limited worse by previous researchers on this subject, as well as management‟s<br>hostility to questions and enquires.</p><p><b>1.8 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>DEFINITION<br>OF SPECIAL TERMS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Hotel- &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; An<br>establishment held out by the proprietor to offer food and drinks,</p><p>and if so<br>required sleeping accommodation to anybody who is in a fit</p><p>state to receive the services.</p></b></b></div></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>