Project Abstract

<p> The topic of the study is Human Resource Management in Hotel and Catering<br>industry (A case study of Royal Palace Hotel Enugu). The researcher used both the<br>primary and secondary data in the course of the study. The primary data was collected<br>through the instrument of questionnaires and observation. The secondary data was<br>sources through textbooks, journals, magazines and Libraries.<br>The research design for the study was the survey research. The population of the<br>study was 82 employees of the establishment. The sample size of the study was 63<br>employees derived using the Yaro Yamani formula for the determination of sample size.<br>A total number of 63 questionnaires were distributed and returned thereby having a<br>hundred percent return rate. The researcher used sample percentage and chi-square as<br>statistical tool for the analysis.<br>The study revealed that the majority of the workers in this establishment are<br>ignorant on pay determination method which shows that management does not involve<br>workers in the machinery or the mechanics of payment determination. The workers role<br>is reduced to that of a rigid adherence to rules and regulations.<br>The researcher recommended among others that broad personnel policy study be<br>embraced by employers in the hotel industry.<br>11 <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY<br>Since the beginning of recorded time, people have travelled, and during their travels,<br>have needed shelter. This consequently encouraged the springing up of some<br>accommodation in form of inns and small hotels and subsequent larger hospitality suites,<br>to meet such needs. This thus hospitality is said to be the worlds‟ second oldest<br>profession.<br>Just after the civil war in 1970, there was a virtual absence of hotels and especially, the<br>well known names in the international hotel industry in Nigeria. Not until the late 70‟s,<br>during the oil boom era, did Nigeria start experiencing some growth in her hotel<br>industry. 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 presidents<br>with their entourage, has led to the building of several more hotels in Nigeria, especially<br>in the major cities.<br>This growth is not restricted to Nigeria alone, example, the American food service<br>industry in 1979 had 110 billion dollars of busing for meals away from home and was<br>infact the third largest industry in the country in terms of gross retail sales, it employs<br>12<br>about 6 million people and had average of 125. 42 employees in 1995 and yet still needs<br>many additional employees every year.<br>Nigeria has since seen many important developments and changes in the relative<br>improvement in the standard of living of a vast majority of working people. These<br>improvements have come about as a result of many different factors including greater<br>national productivity, stronger growth of economy, having more enlightened<br>management and pressures from trade unions.<br>The contributions made by the hotel and catering industry to this general rise in standard<br>of living are considerable, providing essential and leisure services, employment and<br>wealth creation.<br>Hotel development in any country is a detailed process, requiring a high level of preplanning<br>prior to, during and after construction. There is still evidence in many places in<br>Nigeria that this pre-planning has not adequately been carried out, resulting in some<br>hotels that are unable to meet today‟s and tomorrows ever-changing and increasing<br>customer needs, including the fact that demand far outstrips supply, with major cities<br>like Lagos having now shortages. Nevertheless, Tourism, of which the hotel and catering<br>industry is a principal element is said to be a potential growth sector in Nigeria.<br>The conditions of employment of a large number of the industry‟s staff have not kept<br>peace with those enjoyed by working people elsewhere, in spite of the technical<br>13<br>improvements within the catering industry itself. The reasons for the slow rate of<br>improvement in the industry‟s condition of employment are considerable including an<br>understandable reluctance on the part of many proprietors and managers to adjust labor<br>earnings according to improvements in the industry. Another reason could be that trade<br>union movements exert little influence in most sectors of the industry, since moreover<br>most people that make up the industry‟s workforce are people who are not prepared to<br>make a career out of the job.<br>The working conditions of the industry‟s staff are for most cases unattractive. There are<br>intrinsic problems which are unavoidable such as having to work long evenings and<br>weekends. Other problems however can certainly be removed or reduced by determined<br>management action. Such problems are staff reliance on tips, ignorance of workers on<br>methods of calculating pay and the distribution of service charges, and management‟s<br>reluctance to involve staff in matters that affect their working lives. Management should<br>therefore evolve a way of bringing out the best in these groups of ignored members of<br>our workforce.<br>In Nigeria, there are many organizations that provide catering services and which by<br>their nature can be termed hotels. It is estimated that there exists about 550 hotels, inns<br>and commercial guest houses in Nigeria by the year 2008 that employs between 10 and<br>250 people in line with their sizes. It is said that about 418 – 900 people were employed<br>in 2003 worldwide.<br>14<br>1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM<br>In an industry in Africa where there seems to have been a continued growth over the<br>years, expertise is therefore expected to be limited and this constitutes a problem.<br>There and other problems are what the study wishes to consider and make<br>recommendation where necessary. The problem reduction in experienced hands in this<br>industry in the third world, seem to be the case due to managers reluctance to train its<br>workers and employ able hands.<br>Another problem lies in the fact that most workers in the industry have no clear cut<br>channels to register their protests and grievances since management usually stifles<br>unionization agitation.<br>The third problem concerns the issue of how the basic payment and benefits of workers<br>is commensurate with their dedication to work and efforts. As employers are less<br>responsive to changes in the economy with respect to adjustments of pay and benefit<br>packages in line with economic growth as being experienced in most developing<br>countries today, including Nigeria, they are left with employees whose dedication to<br>work decreases; with huge reduction in their morals and motivation to work.<br>We are also confronted with an environment where employees are usually kept in the<br>dark without being enlightened on things they have the right to know. Example, payment<br>15<br>determination method, criteria for promotion (etc), but rather such issues are based on<br>the whims of management. This constitutes a problem.<br>The last problem is the general belief by most people that jobs in the industry is one of<br>last resort which they can take up when they do not find a “better” job to do. This thus<br>discourages young people who may wish to have a career in the hotel and catering<br>industry.<br>Having identified some of the problems, this study intends to find possible solutions to<br>some of them.<br>1.3 THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY<br>To this end, this study aims at assessing the reasonability of all the entitlements due<br>or payable to that part of the labor force that works fully or partly in the hotel and<br>catering industry. The objectives of this study are thus.<br> To examine the reasonability of other entitlements and benefits that is not part of the<br>basic payment.<br> To assess the degree to which payment is commensurate with the efforts of<br>employees in this industry.<br> To evaluate the extent to which payment and benefits in this industry are similar to<br>those of like-industries.<br>16<br> To examine the industrial relations existing in the hotel under study and its impact on<br>worker‟s welfare.<br> To identify the impact of inappropriate payment and employee benefit schemes or<br>their absence altogether, on employee performance. <br></p>