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- Knowledge management and staff turnover in the hospitality industryPublication . Silva, Susana; Silva, Cândida; Martins, DoraThe hospitality industry is a business area characterized by high rates of turnover related to the seasonality and precariousness of the activity. Therefore, practitioners and researchers in hospitality have focused on the development of practices preventing employees leaving a job. Recent literature had discussed the importance of implementing knowledge management practices in order to retain talent in hospitality and, also, to share employees’ knowledge inside an organisation characterized by significant intangible assets. The main objective of the study is to explore how knowledge management is implemented in the hospitality industry. More specifically, we aim to characterize the talent retention practices, to comprehend how knowledge management is used to decrease the staff turnover in hospitality, and to understand the main challenges to knowledge management in this kind of business. In order to answer to our objectives a qualitative study was conducted. 10 hotel managers, of both genders, with a mean age of 46 years (SD=7.98) participated in the study. All the participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview was conducted in order to answer the research question “how knowledge management is used to decrease staff turnover in the hospitality industry?”. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and data analysed according to thematic analysis procedures. The preliminary results showed that hotel managers value the knowledge retention inside the organisation. The implementation of practices of knowledge management is one of the main objectives in these organisations. Staff turnover is comprehended has one of the main problems in this business area and increases the loss of important knowledge acquired by employees. Thus, it can be concluded that knowledge management is a very important issue in the hospitality business; namely to increase employees’ knowledge retention. Additionally, it is crucial to implement more strategies in order to increase talent retention and decrease staff turnover rates. In this paper, we discuss the main practical and theoretical implications, and offer some suggestions for further studies.
- MICE Segment: Challenges and Opportunities to the Tourism SectorPublication . Martins, Dora; Silva, Susana; Jardim, Catarina; Silva, CândidaObjetives | Business and professional travel is one of the oldest forms of travel. Business tourism has grown exponentially in recent years and is seen as a huge opportunity for the sector. Specifically, MICE refer to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions that can be held to perform business tourism (Smagina, 2017). The Meetings refers to a number of events such as: daily meetings, annual meetings, or weekly meetings, which intended to add value through communication, celebrations or training activities, among others. Meetings can also vary in size. Meeting venues differ depending on participation and meeting style, ranging from formative meetings, lectures, seminars, workshops or panel discussions, presentations, or product launches (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2012). Meetings allow the ideals of organizations to be put into practice as well as communication processes between employees, customers, and other stakeholders (Davidson & Cope, 2003). Incentive trips are considered an important tool by organizations and have served as an introduction to human resource management theories, recognizing the work of employees, not in a monetary way, but in a tangible way (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2012). These trips have been used to motivate, recognize employees for their work and/or increase commitment between the organization and the employee (Pizam, 2005). Incentive trips, or corporate hospitality, have a more direct link with leisure tourism due to the strong recreational nature associated with them, in the sense of rewarding employees (Everard, 2010). The incentive market is made up of two sub-sectors: individual or group incentives. Group trips encourage team spirit and a sense of belonging with a large number of people, while individual trips focus essentially on the same objectives, but with a smaller number of people, usually up to 20 (Witt et al., 1992). These trips usually consist of an itinerary of accommodation, transportation, special events or other options that offer the participant a highly rewarding experience (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2012). As far as conferences are concerned, they comprise a wide range of professional events on a particular theme and organized with a formal structure. Conferences can be academic, commercial, or business or for another purpose, and can vary in terms of size and duration. The purpose of a conference is to address themes or issues which are then discussed, solutions identified, or advice given. A conference is an assembly that may involve discussion to establish facts and/or solve problems. Conferences have no connotation in terms of their periodicity and are usually held on a smaller scale than congresses (Sylla et al., 2015). This study aims to understand the future of MICE segment in Hospitality and to comprehend what are the main challenges and opportunities to the sector with these events. Methodology | To conduct this study a qualitative methodology was performed using a semi-structured interview to answer our research objectives. Our participants were 10 hotel directors in Portugal. The interviews were conducted online, taped, and verbatim transcript. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis procedures. Main Results and Contributions | Our results suggested that, as expected, during the COVID-19 period, the drop in the number of events held in the MICE segment is, on average, 69%. MICE segment are an extremely important segment for Portuguese hotels since, as well as mitigating seasonality, they create dynamism and promote cross-selling, contributing to their economic security. The data also highlights several strategies for adapting the operation to this kind of event, based on making event conditions more flexible, following up on customers' needs, and campaigns on digital platforms and social networks. For the future, our participants consider that there are several opportunities for the development of the segment, based on exploring potential markets such as the United States, or Brazil, and in business areas that will recover more quickly, such as health, banking, publishing and sport. Moreover, the participants consider that the pandemic has accelerated the use of technology due to the need for online and hybrid events and this will be a trend for the future of the sector. Other trends point to significant changes in how far in advance events are booked, fewer participants and shorter durations. Limitations | Our main limitations are related to the use of a qualitative study with a few numbers of participants making difficult the results' generalization. Additionally, our participants were the hotel directors who could be more influenced by social desirability. In future studies, it would be interesting to have other participants such as intermediate leaders and the customers. Conclusions | In conclusion, MICE segment seem to be an important strategy for business tourism contributing to the decrease in seasonality. Although it is important to develop the specific skills required in this sector.
- Online recruitment for organizational knowledge management: a quantitative studyPublication . Silva, Susana; Silva, Cândida; Martins, DoraThe process of Recruitment and Selection of new employees has a growing influence on business results and, nowadays, the use of knowledge and information and communication technologies enables this process to be faster and more complete. The need to improve the existing resources in companies has conditioned the changes in the Recruitment and Selection process and, over time, we observe the transformation of this process. Thus, Recruitment and Selection became a strategic process in Human Resources Management improving the organization's competitiveness. The objective of the study is to understand the role of online recruitment for organizational knowledge management; and to characterize the most used social networks in Online Recruitment, identifying the main reasons to use online recruitment during the process of recruitment and selection. ln this quantitative study, 112 companies fulfilled a questionnaire that evaluated the online recruitment process. The main results suggested that national companies and companies with more than 250 employees use more online recruitment. The fact that some companies have job openings available on multiple websites simultaneously, making information available 24 hours a day, reducing the time and process costs and streamline communication between candidates and the organization are some of the most listed reasons to use the Online Recruitment. Otherwise, the use of traditional methods of recruitment and the fact that the access to social networks are not allowed in some organisations are some of the reasons cited for not using this method of recruitment. Thus, it can be concluded that the Information and Communication Technologies are present in the process of recruitment and selection and that this is a reality existing in organizations as a tool to support of knowledge management.
- Knowledge management through competencies: an exploratory study in the automotive industry sectorPublication . Martins, Dora; Oliveira, André; Silva, SusanaOrganisations and human resources managers (HRm) are currently facing a new set of obstacles and experiencing an urgent need to keep up with the expanding digitalization brought by the Digital Age. This has caused a great impact on business success and sustainabilíty and as well as concerns regarding much-needed refreshed competencies for effective performance. Despite the global influence caused by this scenario, the industry is one of the most affected sectors, particularly in the automotive area. This study focuses on understanding HRm's opinions and beliefs including competency shifts caused by the influences and obstacles of the digital era in the automotive industry sector. The investigation carried out, assumed a qualitative methodology by applying eleven semi-structured interviews that collected the participants' perspectives and their concerns regarding the influences and challenges brought by the digital age including its impact on the change of competencies sought by organisations. AII participants were active human resources (HR) professionals in different organisations in the automotive industry sector. The results showed that new topics such as competitiveness and continuous improvement gained substantial importance and that new challenges surfaced with the evolution of technology, such as employee's difficulty to adapt and the impact of technology on their socialization levels. In contrast, the shortening of physical distances through technology was seen as the major advantage. Additionally, this study points to digital competencies, technical capacity, Microsoft Office proficiency, proactivity, and cooperation as the current most valued competencies for automotive industry sector organisations. Further discussion was taken into consideration regarding the study results obtained confirming the impact of technology in the competencies profiles of automotive industry sector organisations. It can be concluded that the study's contributions and shortcomings are highlighted in addition to further suggestions made regarding future research on the theme.
- Exploring Employee Experience: Millennial Human Resources Practitioners in the IT SectorPublication . Martins, Dora; Silva, Susana; Sousa, InêsThe labour market is going through a disruptive phase, characterised by changes in expectations about work. On the one hand, younger generations of employees value aspects such as purpose, personal development, and work-life balance, making these elements crucial to a positive experience at work. On the other hand, organisations recognise that employee satisfaction and well-being influence organisational success. Thus, the main objective of this study is to understand the employee experience of millennial human resources in the information technologies (IT) sector. As specific objectives, we intend to understand which (i) factors they consider influencing their personal and professional experience within organizations; (ii) organizational practices associated with the promotion of positive employee experience; (iii) organizational strategies adopted to promote a positive employee experience and, (iv) challenges linked with positive employee experience management. A qualitative research methodology was used to collect data, using a semi-structured interview with a group of 10 millennial human resources professionals joining the IT sector to answer the research question how is the experience of millennial human resources in the IT sector? The interviews were verbatim transcribed, and data were analysed according to thematic analysis procedures. Our findings show that human resources professionals belonging to the millennial generation express a greater interest in being part of organizations that offer a compensation and benefits system aligned with their performance, in addition to ensuring an effective work-life balance. Furthermore, they emphasize the influence of organizational behaviour on their job satisfaction, indicating that employee experience tends to be positive when the organization promotes a collaborative culture, fostering a work environment conducive to the development of strong interpersonal relationships, the creation of cohesive and dynamic teams, and a clear alignment between individual and organizational goals. Overall, the interviewees demonstrate satisfaction with their current employee experience, acknowledging that it meets their needs and interests comprehensively. Some conclusions for Human Resources Management are provided in the last part of the paper.
- Soft skills in expatriationPublication . Silva, Susana; Martins, Dora; Silva, CândidaContemporary competitiveness and globalisation drives organisations to explore new markets, and provide themselves with distinctive features and value added. Additionally, the literature underlines the importance of this global environment impact the processes of managing Human resources in organisations. Therefore, the adequacy of human resources is imperative in the strategy of organisations. This study aims to understand the importance of the international assignment, to understand the soft skills most valued by recruiters and how is their evaluation. To successfully address these aims we conducted a qualitative study. The data collection method used was semi-structured interview and were interviewed ten recruiters of expatriates. Data were analysed according to content analysis procedures The results suggest that soft skills are important features in the international assignment, since that act on factors that influence the success of the assignment. The most important skills are interpersonal relationships, teamwork, communication, adaptability and tolerance to ambiguity. We discuss the main practical and theoretical implications, and offer some suggestions for further studies.
- Recursos humanos: um modelo compreensivo do campoPublication . Meirinhos, Viviana; Rodrigues, Ana C.; Martins, Ana Luísa; Vieira, Diana; Martins, Dora; Lousã, Eva; Martins, Helena; Araújo, Manuel; Silva, Marlene; Ferreira, Pedro; Soares, Rui; Silva, Susana; Couto, Ana Isabel
- Knowledge management and labour retention: an empirical studyPublication . Martins, Dora; Silva, SusanaThis study focuses on exploring how knowledge management topic is linked with labour retention. Thus, the main objective of this research is to understand how knowledge management (KM) influence the retention decision of expatriates after an international assignment (i.e. repatriates) within the organisation. Although the knowledge management literature has started to emphasize the role of knowledge management on employees’ retention, remains unaddressed the relationship between the knowledge management and repatriates’ retention. This concern is increasingly present on the agenda of Portuguese organisations given their recent need of growing internationalisation. Related with this issue, it is important to pay attention to employees involved in international assignments, especially in the period after returning to their home organisation (i.e. repatriates). However, empirical evidence in literature of this relationship is scarce. Therefore, this study was conducted with nine organisations aiming to understand why repatriates remain within home organisation upon their international assignment, underlining what factors associated with knowledge management increase the willingness to stay. Data were gathered from organisations of different business sectors operating in Portugal, in a set of 42 repatriates and 18 human resource managers through semi-structured interviews. The results show that in general repatriates remain after returning to their home organisation. Although, (i) when organisations value the knowledge acquisition (i.e. experience, knowledge and skills acquired) upon the return, the repatriates remain satisfied. In contrast, (ii) when their home organisation does not value the knowledge acquired the repatriates also stay but dissatisfied. Furthermore, the results also suggest that the type of knowledge acquired or transferred plays a central role in promoting the willingness in remaining satisfied after repatriation. Thus, the repatriates’ retention will remain a problem and the satisfaction of repatriates will be the key challenge for organisations. Finally, this study suggests further research possibilities in this area and provides guidelines to managers in order to potentiate the retention of their repatriates within the organisation.
- Erasmus students expectations: a qualitative study in portuguese contextPublication . Silva, Susana; Silva, Cândida; Martins, DoraThe European Commission presents the Erasmus+ Programme as a tool to achieving economic growth and creating highly-skilled jobs in Europe, in order to strengthen its position as a knowledgebased economy. This programme aims to improve the quality and relevance of higher education, strengthening quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation, making the knowledge triangle work: linking higher education, research and business to achieve excellence and bring about regional development, and therefore improving governance and funding. The aim of this work is to analyse and understand the Erasmus+ student’s expectations that choose a Portuguese higher education institution to perform their Erasmus+ experience. 54 Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Erasmus+ students. The main results showed that the motivations to have an Erasmus+ experience were the need to learn another language and add cultural background to their personal experience. It is also understood as a good way to develop their knowledge in academic and personal learning, and to promote their employability. Erasmus+ students believe that their curriculum vitae is valued, gaining more flexibility and more competence to work in the international environment. Their expectations are to improve the domain of a foreign language, to increase personal and professional independence, to ameliorate academic and communication skills, and to have more responsibility and comprehension about professional environments. The return to the home country is also referred as a relevant moment in this experience. Students expect to be more confident in that occasion, to have more personal and professional skills that facilitate their employability. The reached results allowed obtaining the following evidences: (1) the main motivations of students in an Erasmus+ programme to choose an institution were the good weather conditions, similar culture, language facilities, good networks between the home and host institutions, and personal development.; (2) the personal development includes academic and learning aspects of development of the individual curriculum vitae as well as being a facilitator to their professional integration in the market labour since that companies value international mobility experiences, which shows personal flexibility and a more natural ability to work internationally; (3) in the mobility process is important to have good processual organization of the host institution, the teachers availability to help foreign students and the fact that all the staff in the host institution can speak English; and (4) the soft skills development of students, namely communication, independency, responsibility and confidence, as well as academic skill, which may potentiate students employability at home countries.
- Human resource management in Hotel Units: the portuguese casePublication . Silva, Susana; Martins, DoraThis paper presents the main Human Resources Management (hrm) distinctives for Portuguese hotel units.We attempt to understand the role of various hrm practices promoted on organizational performance and their effect on the behaviour of coworkers and quality service in hotel units; some reflections on the future trends in this field are offered. This phenomenon has a particular relevance in the Portuguese context, because this country is known to have had a growing tourism industry in recent years. However, little is known about hrm departments’ contributions to their Human capital management and development. This paper is one of the first to focus specifically on Portuguese hotel units and it also seeks to present findings that stem from the Human Resources Managers’ perspective. This paper is based on qualitative case studies; the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 human resource managers from 12 hotel units located in Portugal. The results show that although there is not effective hrm, current hrm practices are sufficient to encourage pro-environmental behaviour in their staff, and they have a direct effect on customer satisfaction and competitiveness of the sector. However, managers recognize there is a need introduce some change in the short-term to promote the better performance of staff with effects on customer satisfaction and competitiveness of the sector in Portugal. According to these results, the paper discusses the major theoretical and practical implications for future research in the hrm field.