Managing Human Resources Assignment Marriot Hotel

Introduction

Human resource management (HRM) of organization is performs many functions such as recruitment, training, monitor, selection, and design skill development programs. HR department of Marriot Hotel is implementing some flexible approaches to encourage work with them. The Managing Human Resources Assignment Marriot Hotel will discuss about Guests Model of HRM, comparison between HRM and personnel & IR practices on the basis of Storey’s definition, implication of line manager and employees to develop strategic approach for Marriot hotel. Further second task will explain about how Atkinson’s flexibility model is used by firm and impact of change in labour market due to flexible work environment. The present study will find a range of discrimination at work place; compare approaches to mange equal opportunity and diversity legislation defined by UK government. At the end, report will assess approaches that would manage health, employee welfare and maintain safety issues on HR practices.

                             Figure 1: Logo of Marriott Hotel, UK

Task-1 essay

Guest’s Model of HRM

The Guest Model of HRM is used to make differentiation between  human resource management  and personnel management. According to this model, personnel management is based on observance where as human resource management is based on commitment. HRM is not only focused on recruitment and training of staff but it also mange them strategically. The employees are assets for company, so it is required to gain commitment of their respected duties. The approach is useful to gain collective goals of organization (Guest, 2011). The Guest model is an approach to find individual needs in spite of collective workforce. At Marriot Hotel, their HRM department implements this model in order to set a strategy that would increase employee satisfaction and maintain trust. The HR manager of Marriott Hotel is responsible to recruit best talent for their firm.

It has been noticed that their HR department is concern about appropriate training of employees so that they are able to perform their roles and responsibilities. They are finding new learning approach to attract best talent at workplace. They also change their hierarchical structure by breaking it into many layers and assign more responsibilities, decision making task at the hands on employees. Therefore, management has built a work environment where employees are encouraged to take own decisions according to scenario (Guest, 2011). Apart from this, HR management of Marriott Hotel also share vision of organization in order to improve communication and flow of information by publishing internal employee magazines, conferences, meetings, quarterly employee forums and internet. It is clear that Guest Model is consistence approach that is used to manage valuable assets i.e. human resource of organization. It manages them individually and collectively so that organization is capable to achieve goals (Katou and Budhwar, 2010).

                                                 Figure 2: The Guests Model of HRM

Differences between Storey’s Definitions of HRM, personnel and IR practices

Storey explains distinct definition between HRM and personnel & IR practices. According to Storey HRM is logical and strategic approach to manage firm’s most valuable assets i.e. the employees. The employees are performing their duties and responsibility so that they achieve goals of organization.  Their individual and collective work is great means for Marriot Hotel. Further, Storey also differentiated between Hard and Soft HRM (Storey, 2014). The hard HRM is mainly focusing on manging the employees in such a way that they add and obtain value for company. This would give competitive advantage at market place. Hard HRM emphasize on performance management and control management by observing each asset individually. Storey defines soft HRM as it focuses on commitment and engagement of employees. It enhances interest of talented people to work in company environment.  Whereas according to Storey, personnel management mostly concern about recruitment and maintaining employees’ laws. It manages the staff by enforcing them to follow rules and regulation (Storey and Sisson, 2014).

Table 1: Difference between HRM and IR practices

Key Features	HRM	Personnel and IR practices
Contracts	The aim of HRM is to go beyond contract and engags the employee after completion of contract also.	It mainly concern about attempting written contract.
Recruitment of company assets	It recruits the people based on integrated selection.	The employee recruitment is based on separate selection.
Communication with employees	HR manger directly find individual needs and issues of employees.	It indirectly finds employees needs so there is lack of attempt of conversation.
Pay Scale	Employees are rewarded and paid according to individual performance and team based performance (Storey and Sisson, 2014).	There is fixed amount of salary which is given to employees.
Manager	HRM is under control by general manager and line manager.	It mainly includes only personnel/ IR management specialist.
Decision making	The firm is able to take rapid decision to achieve big goals and smaller decisions are taken by employees.	It only allows taking decision by higher authority at every step. Therefore, speed of decision making is slow.

Implications for line managers and employees in order to develop a strategic approach for Marriott

There are various implications for line manger and employees of Marriott Hotel in order to develop a strategic approach. The Line mangers of the company are generally included with production activities, management of business policies; create leadership style, and improvement of organization culture.  Marriot Hotel wants to meet the increasing expectation of consumers. Hence, the work load is increasing at end of line manager.  He/she is responsible to handle rapidly changing demand in business. The key aspect of HRM is to change leadership style in senior management. Therefore, HRM of Marriot Hotel is focusing on job rotation among senior management (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). It would result in some implication like- line manger is able to avoid devising approaches that is affecting the image of brand and also ignore complicated business operations.

HR manger is concerned about their employees because they are considered as most important part of the company. Employees struggle to fulfil expectations and demands of customers. Their communication skills, hard work and talent are key points to achieve success. Therefore, HR manager of Marriot Hotel set range of implication in order to motivate to work with them. Some implications are- improvement of salary, bonus, and rewards to best performer and give surety about job security (Buller and McEvoy, 2012). The implication of the employees is based on their contribution of achieve target of company and their performance as individually and in team work. Another implication for HRM is to take strategic decision at occurrences of various situations.

Task 2:  topical issue

2.1 How a model of flexibility might be applied in Marriott Hotel

Flexibility is key point in 21^st century. Marriot hotel is also concerned about providing flexibility to their employees and employer. It changes its flexibility model so employees are able to meet both business and personnel needs. There is Atkinson’s flexibility model which is currently applied on  business environment  (Hallerbach.et.al.2010). The organization is offering full time and part time job, day and night shifts; choose flexible working hours especially for homely woman. The company is also allowing sharing of work like home based work, work from smart phones, and flexible environment for pregnant working women. Such flexible provisions are mostly proffered by employees that they are able to perform their task by sitting at remote locations. All such practices are allowed to do merchandise activity. It would be very beneficial to attain targets of company. The organization is able to reach at those people who are located far away from the company.

Marriott Hotel is also using flexibility model to offer variety of job opportunities. This would also beneficial for demand of human resource. The flexibility model is used to engage with company so it would also improve production activity of the business. Their mobile working model is improving flexibility by providing intranet and internet connection when the employees are going outside to deliver products. Intranet facility is useful to complete contract and delivery of food product in committed hours (Brambilla.et.al.2012). It would improve customer satisfaction. Such flexibility also increases life of customer engagement with Marriot Hotel.

2.2 Types of flexibility

There are two types of flexibility which is adopted by Marriott Hotel which are helpful to maintain HRM practices and perform operations at workplace. The company is developing a flexible strategy to engage employees and their commitment to work with organisation. The motive of the Marriot Hotel is to gain productivity that maintains quality of standards also. The types of flexibility is analysed based on company’s HRM, which is given in blow points:

• Functional: Functional flexibility belongs to match skills of staff with respect to objective tasks. It observes wok ability of the employee so that firm is able to assign their respective task. In this way most suitable jobs are assigned to gain productivity. It also enhances flexibility to employees (Scarbrough and Corbett, 2013). They feel more comfortable to do their jobs. The HR department of Marriott Hotel is also working on communication skills of staff so that they feel more comfortable to communicate and deal with suppliers and customers.
• Numerical: This type of flexibility enables the organisation to operate number of workers as input for short duration contract. This is achieved by flexible working hours. By this type of flexibility, the company can easily handle demand and supply activities. Their new training session is enhancing skills of employees so that labour input demand s fulfil by available human resource (Kossek and Michel, 2010).

2.3 Use of flexibility working practices for employees and employer

The various types of flexibility model improve HR practices. This would enhance commitment of employees and work quality. Flexibility concept is considered most important as it makes healthy relationship between employer and employees. Hence, the employees would develop the business. For example- HR manager of the company is finding latest technical tools and flexible working approaches that support to gain organisation goals. Apart from this management is also focused on clients’ satisfaction. Therefore, company is developing good communication skills among staff member in order to treat politely and give satisfactory response. They are taking innovative ideas and suggestion to improve production, packaging and delivery. The flexible working time also reduce home sickness of employees and improve productivity at working hour of employees (Atkinson and Hall, 2011). The company is also offering high flexibility especially to women. They are able to choose flexible working hours, part time jobs and work at their homes specially those women who leave their family, homely mothers, pregnant women etc.

The flexibility of job also enhances understanding of new skills and latest approaches that can be applied in work. Hence, the employees get many chances to get higher position at work place. The Marriott Hotel is promoting such flexibility and controls them by defined policies. The flexibility schedules are also followed in terms and conditions of the company. The organisation also consider factors that affect time schedule like- traffic, events, strike and environment (Kossek and Michel, 2010).

2.4 Impact of changes in the labour market on flexible working

The labour market changes are quickly adopted by flexible working hours. The company is developing such strategy to recruit graduate, post graduate and under graduate people. This would handle various requirement of the company so the company can easily handle migration of labour. Migration and demographic factor also change labour market. According to present scenario of UK, labour market is changed due to economic growth of countries and self employment has also increased. The company now hires employees belonging from different nations. The organisation is finding about when and where personnel work is flexible for employees as well as company (Bratton and Gold, 2012). People who belong to different regions and cultures are joining the company due to flexibility work timimg at workplace.

Apart from this, some factors are also a reason for changes in labour market such as globalization, industrialization and deindustrialization. Due to such reasons the company also prefer to hire women as labour to work in flexible time. The firm adopt new technical tools and internet so that employees are more convenient to reach with end users and directly communicate with them. Now, the employee are solving query of customer rapidly (Atkinson and Hall, 2011).

Task-3

3.1 Explain the forms of discrimination that can take place in the workplace using examples of recent discrimination cases which has made the news.

Discrimination means to treat unequally. Unfairness in an organization based on group, class or category of the employees are considered under the act Equality Act-2010.  Job vacancies in a company only for males is the pattern of direct biasing whereas unfairness with an employee related to experience is taken as indirect discrimination (Roberts.et.al.2014). Inequity can take the various forms in a workplace:

• Age Discrimination: Every employee has right to get equal opportunity in an organization and should not be biased based on the age, as stated in Equality Act. Discrimination based on age at the time of recruitment, employment and at the end of service is possible.
• Race discrimination: Discrimination at workplace related to colour of skin, moral values and nationality and origin places is considered as the major reason of race discrimination. It occurs when the beneficial and the victim belongs to same race (Simpson, and Yinger, 2013).
• Disability Discrimination: Disability or any previous history of disability related to employee is protected to provide right opportunities in recruitment, employment, assigning a job or in firing cases unless there are specific working situations. Equality law helps to acquire accommodation from employers to employees with disabilities.
• Sex Discrimination: Employees should be treated well regardless of their sex orientation. Harassment of employees based on their gender identity is protected by laws and helps them to get equal chances within the organization.
• Religious Discrimination: The religious and relational faiths of employees should not be considered in a workplace. Separation from others in assignment and job location based on religion also reflect the discrimination. Harassment on religious facts and faiths are taken in count in unfair by the governmental laws (Robbins.et.al.2013). Equality Act helps to protect religious rights.

3.2 Discuss the practical implications of equal opportunities legislation for an organization.

A business is mindful to its responsibility to supply an equal opportunity to all employees without including in any discrimination. Hotel Marriott’s plans and policies are made to convey the identity of business without any unfair thoughts. Policies at employer side help in legislating identical chances to all:

• Policies are chances to publicize equal opportunities provided by the firm. Management of hotel Marriott is responsible to make clear the discriminations in the policies. So that a good vision towards Marriott can be developed within employees (Scott and Davis, 2015).
• Marriott’s advertisements should be reflective with policies to adore the equal chances to all. Marriott mentions only the required abilities and qualifications in an advertisement of recruitment to make it equal for all candidates.
• In Marriott hotel, disabilities are not compared with abilities to make the environment open minded. Disabled employees are treated specially to transform them into most valuable resource but it does not take the form of discrimination with others (Townley, 2014).
• Issues related to pregnancy are taken as flexible in work places. Marriott arrangements are designed to make the working simple and smooth. Management decides new approaches to make them productive from homes.
• Reliability of Marriott is in its transparent behaviour. Organizations’ policy to process the payment and complaints are transparent to avoid unfair activities. Company uses the regular reviews to audit the procedures.
• A diverse and improved system can helps to attract the employees toward more benefits and reduces the risk of laws at work place. Hotel Marriott’s diversity is important to magnetism employees.
• Organization is aware of laws to make the policies and procedures clear at all levels of business. Thus, Marriott is full proof against the danger of laws (Karamessini and Rubery, 2013).

3.3 Comparison of equal opportunity and diversity approaches

Diversity approach used within an organization deal with practices and operations assigned to HRM whereas equal opportunity means to eliminate the decimations at workplace to deal with employees and governmental rules. The core difference between diversity and equal opportunity is the force for change. Internal forces tend to make diversity within structure where as external forces like governmental rules, human rights and ethics manages equality.  Both are interrelated to each other and affect the bottom line of business. Equality in opportunity is to mention social justice and to rectify the errors made in history to avoid chances of unfairness. Another side, diversity is to ensure uniqueness and proper assistance to individual in order to achieve success. In case, Hotel Marriott is managed in the way so that equal chance of growth can be provided to all employees (Kirton and Greene, 2015). Also management follows certain policies and procedure to overcome the effects of diversity. Equal opportunity is given to perform best individuality and no discrimination is made on sex and age. Hotel manages the equality among employees during changes in organizational structure.

Major differences in equal opportunity and diversity can be summarized as: 

Table 2: Comparison of diversity and equal opportunity

Diversity	Equal opportunity
Individual’s knowledge and skills are focused to achieve organizational goal.	Discriminations are removed to make them equal to perform.
Individual’s potential is mapped with company’s goal to decide actions and tasks.	This approach is used to build good and aggressive workplace.
This promotes the performance	Equal opportunity assists to encourage the profits for individual (Wajcman, 2013).

Task-4

4.1 Identification and comparison of performance management methods

Different approaches are used by an organization to overcome the weaknesses of workforce so that an effective training module can be developed to address and resolve them. Proper analysis helps to achieve the maximum throughput. HR department of hotel Marriott uses the following methods to analyze individual’s performance and to get the quality in work by filling the lacking areas:

• Complete feedback: Performance and efficiency of every employee is evaluated to analyze the overall efficiency of an organization. Complete feedback method used by hotel Marriott is based on gathering of feedback data on behaviour of employees, consistency within team, time management, interaction with human resource and consumption of assets. The analysis made on individuals helps to attain a the expected level of performance and effectiveness so that the new plans can be implemented to get better proficiency and capability using the knowledge obtained from feedbacks (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). Although, this is a time consuming approach to analyze the performance. Hotel Marriott spends a lot effort to gather feedbacks from various sources which helps them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their employees and plan accordingly
• Rating scale: HR managers consider many factors to measure the performance of individual in an organization. In this method, factors like approaches, initiatively, availability, outcome and reliability are considered to rate the performance. In Marriott hotel, feedback of customers is given preferences to evaluate the performance of an employee (Van Dooren.et.al.2015). The personal rating based on these factors helps to decide the annual incresements and promotion of employee.

4.2 Approaches for managing employee welfare

Employees’ welfare is necessary to keep the employees’ satisfied and motivated. Hotel Marriott follows various rules and regulations of government for employees’ welfare. Following welfare schemes are adopted by hotel Marriott to make the employees’ benefits and satisfaction.

• Intramural welfare: Welfare that provides the benefits and satisfaction within the organization is referred as the intramural welfare. At hotel Marriott, HR department is responsible to set proper facilities as required by employees. Hotel offers welfare to workers in the form of better food facility, first-aid medical, uniforms and healthy environment to work. HR managers are liable to audit the performance of employees with welfares schemes so that a better working environment can be developed to craft the improvements (Austin, 2013). Intramural welfare helps current employees to continue with satisfaction and attracts skilled candidates to join the team. Organization is also benefited to get better outcome.
• Extramural welfare: Welfare activities used to assist the establishment to employees outside the organization. Extramural welfare is related to benefits given toward the welfare of children and transport. Hotel Marriott, always take it serious to accommodate the employees in maternal world. It beneficiates candidates with the children education fund, transportation expenses, medical needs, maternity benefits, vacations and sports facility (Van Dooren.et.al.2015). These welfares have a great impact on the workers performance. Organization also worries about the health and safety of workers. Proper training and equipments are given by Marriott to ensure the health and safety of employees.

4.3 Implication of health and safety legislations on HRM practices

Health and safety  is major considered point for hospitality industries. UK, government has defined various legislations for health and safety of customer and staff. The management of organisation currently follows global standards of safety. It implements some approaches that influence HRM practices of Marriott Hotel. The foremost aim of health and safety legislation is to provide risk free environment to work. This would encourage individual performance and reduce any chances of mishap at the work place (Bratton and Gold, 2012).  Marriott Hotel  hasestablished safety measures to avoid disasters and risky situation. They are concern about hygienic environment at workplace. 

The company is highly concern about health and safety of their consumers. It has been analysed that lack of communication lead to critical occurrences at user’s end. Therefore, they improve communication skills and trained their staff so that they make them safe from risk and express safety measures to customers. The HR manager has right to terminate the staff who do not follow health and safety measures. The HR manager also takes feedback from employees related to safety measures in order to overcome security gaps (Aarons.et.al.2011). The company is also using latest technical tools to observe risky situation so that appropriate action would be taken before a disaster takes place.

4.4 Impact of other issues on the human resource practices

There are some issues that impact on human resource practices by affecting the operational procedures of company. The company has established HR department but there are some issues that affect their practises:

• Budget Issue: HRM practises are affected by low budget. Hotel industries are required to manage various events like wedding, business meetings, rewarding, and event management. All such management is expensive but short of budget affect HRM practices. The training and employee welfare activities are also affected due to budget issues (Cheney.et.al.2010).
• The hospitality industry requires technical tools for booking, monitoring and safety measure activities. The technology provides ease of working but their inappropriate knowledge and their use affects the workplace. Continuous change in technology also affects HRM practices because it needs training of staff to use technical tools safely.
• Cultural Factors: The organisation includes different cultural people as staff member as it is beneficial for the organisation to handle different regional customers. However, HR management requires more efforts to meet the needs and expectation of people belonging from various cultures (Robbins, 2011).           

Conclusion

The present study has defined detail information about Guests Model of HRM and differentiates HRM and personnel /IR practises along with soft and hard HRM. They are differentiated on the basis of factors like management, decision making, pay scale, recruitment of assets etc. The report has also concluded about use of Atkinson’s flexibility model in Marriott work environment to handle flexible work hours and work at remote station. The company is using Atkinson’s model to provide both functional and numerical flexibilities to employees in order to engage them with organisation. The study has concluded that discrimination on the basis of religion, sex, colour, and disability should not be followed. At the end, the report has explained about performance management method and health and safety legislation of Marriott Hotel.