human resources case study

本案例研究涉及的大型油轮内的人力资源问题，该公司运营着一个大型游轮，停靠在布里斯班港调。该公司拥有150名员工，他们都住在船上。核心员工包括船长和那些掌握船舶管理的人。这45名员工在住在客舱并与乘客们打交道。

   

其余人员在雇用合同基础上，由前线客户服务人员（有一到五年合同的，主要负责零售、安全保障、客人活动等）与后台员工（一次工作四到十个月，负责内务管理、清洁和一般的劳动）组成。前线员工住的客舱几乎不会接触乘客,而后勤员工则每四个人睡一个客舱。

   
毋庸置疑，前线的员工和后台的员工都很不满。前线员工觉得这是一个负担很重的工作，更何况这是重复和枯燥的工作。后台人员则抱怨更大：他们负责全部脏活累活，还没有小费拿。

还有更多的问题是，船舶本身有点旧，并且不能与较新的船型展开竞争。

   
This case study concerns human resources issues with Big Wave Cruises, a company that operates a large cruise ship, with Brisbane Harbor its port of call. The company employs 150 staff, all of whom live on board. The core employee base includes the captain and those who handle the ship's management. These 45 employees reside in state rooms and socialize with the passengers.

 

The remaining staff is hired on a contractual basis and consists of the front-line customer service staff (with contracts for one-to-five years, with responsibility for retail, security and guest activities and the back-of-the-house staff (which works four to ten months at a time, are responsible for housekeeping, cleaning and general labor). The front-line staff share cabins and have little contact with passengers, while the back-house staff sleeps four to a cabin.

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the front-line and back-of-the house staff are disgruntled. Front-line staff feel it has an excessive work load, not to mention jobs that are repetitive and boring. Back-of-house staff has more to complain about - it is responsible for all the dirty work, yet must subside on mainly tips.

 

Adding more problems is that the ship itself is old, and can't compete with the newer models. Big Wave, however, is hoping to attract and retain high-quality staff to help improve the company's share through superior customer service. This is a tough job, given employee morale. But the new HR director has made things worse. Because of the HR manager's changes, morale on the staff has plummeted, with turnover at an all-time high. Even worse, the Australian Service Union has been brought in to challenge any disciplinary action taken under Bit Wave's new performance management system.

问题--Issues

 

New recruitment and selection process. The HR manager has opted to change the maximum length of each contract to 12 months, and to outsource recruitment to a global cruise ship employment agency. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. The employment agency can screen prospective employees. Plus there is a cost savings when it comes to recruitment and hiring. It also means that Big Wave isn't required to hang on to employees that may not be doing well.

 

Training program. The training program, however, is where things start to fall apart. The new training program isn't much training at all - rather, a two-week shadow-and-mentor program for off-duty staff. In other words, when the staff finishes 10-12-hour shifts from already grueling jobs, they have to devote another four hours a day to either mentor or work with others to learn new duties. Furthermore, back-of-house staff doesn't get an opportunity to learn other duties to perhaps qualify for front-house jobs. A mentoring program is fine in this regard. What is not fine is requiring workers, who already have jobs they don't much like, to have to put in more time to train for jobs that don't provide any advancement.

 

Pay-for-performance structure. The pay structure is in the hands of the customers. Customers are provided with a feedback form on which they are supposed to rate each department's service, attitude, quality and so on. The results are analyzed and published at the end of each cruise, with the $5 per day gratuity divided among departments, based on survey results. Members with a positive rating qualify for a bonus. Those given a negative rating are warned, and required to attend additional training. A department falling below standards will be audited, with each staff member recommended for training and/or termination.

 

There is no wonder employee morale has plummeted. In the interest of improved customer service, the HR manager is ensuring that the "lesser employees" are the ones who must pay. While rewarding positive behavior is good motivation, warning negative behavior, with no guidance how to improve it, is sure to cause resentment. Additionally, the fact that tips are divided among departments, whether or not they did most of the work, is probably causing a great deal of resentment as well.

 

文献综述--Literature Review

 

There is work in any hospitality organization that is so-called "scut work," which includes the housekeeping and maintenance jobs. But any job can be considered a "scut" job if the employees aren't recognized for contributions. Even management can be disgruntled if it doesn't feel the big boss is happy with the contributions.

 

Much of the literature focuses on employee participation when it comes to any kind of change, or even maintenance of the status quo. Companies that keep their employees recognize that the best ideas and suggestions can come from the field (Lang 42).#p#分页标题#e#

 

Another huge issue in lowering employee resentment is communication. Not just top-down communication, but bottom-up communication as well.

Above all, training is crucial. Not the "shadow-and-mentor" training that the Big Wave Cruise HR manager is trying t implement, either - but training for opportunities, such as promotions and a better job (Lang 42). Hansen and Deimler go one step further, suggesting a B2E program consisting of online business processes, people management and services to the workplace community to help boost morale.

 

Motivational training can also help boost employee morale (Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 34).

 

Sometimes employee feedback can take the form of feedback surveys. Statistics have shown that when employees complete a staff opinion survey, they feel more engaged and connected with their business (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). The statistics also show that employees believe their views will be listened to if they're actively sought out (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). Furthermore, if employees are rewarded for taking the time to complete the survey (such as with increased holiday time or birthdays off) can help boost morale as well (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3).

 

In addition, giving praise and recognition is vital for achievements (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). But if something goes wrong, slapping the wrist is not the way to go (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). Rather, effective companies initiate a performance management program when thins are awry (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). Such a program has specific steps in place to help the employee understand where the problem lies and what steps that person can take to provide a solution.

 

Furthermore, employees need to enjoy what they do; while feeling they are making a positive contribution to the business (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). If employees are treated with respect, they'll be less likely to leave (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 3). Connecting with staff is extremely important, as staff can help management understand what will help make the organization a better place to work Talley 6).

 

Other ways to keep people around for awhile and to keep them happy is to develop a specific mission statement that is acceptable (Talley 6). Mission statements, especially simple mission statements, are something employees can get behind (Talley 6). Such a thing unites employees and makes them feel good about the work they're doing.

 

Another thing the literature has in common when it comes to boosting employee morale is boosting communication between staff and management (Talley 6). Talley, for example, points out that "nothing leads to lowered productivity or morale than not knowing," she comments. "Even if you have to tell them there's nothing to update - update them" (Talley 6).#p#分页标题#e#

 

It's true that the hospitality industry tends to be reluctant to invest in employee training and other motivational techniques (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 34). However, not doing so can cause even more problems - the cost of replacing staff is huge (Caterer & Hotelkeeper 34). It's huge, not just because it takes more time to retrain, but it also impacts corporate goodwill. A company with a high turnover ration and a bad reputation as a terrible place to work is not going to get the quality employees it needs to help boost customer service.

 

对于人力资源经理的建议--Recommendations for the HR Manager

 

Keep the cruise employment service. As mentioned earlier, this is a good "screening device" to ensure that staff hired on a Big Wave cruise has at least a modicum of experience. Also, extending the contract positions to 12 months is a good way to go as well.

 

Move the competent employees to full-time positions. It's important, however, that if Big Wave finds the employees it likes through the above-mentioned cruise employment service, that these employees are offered full-time contract commitments. It might take a little extra money - but it's better to spend the extra money to keep a happy employee, rather than having to start from scratch on the re-training because an employee doesn't want to be referred to as "the temp" after spending a year on the ship.

 

Break down the barriers between core employees and contractual staff. This is huge - right now, there is a large barrier between the "haves" (the core staff) and the "have-nots" (the contractual employees). Breaking down those barriers through team management programs and other methods will help the staff become a solid entity, rather than an "us-against-them" mentality.

 

Offer training programs to help the contractual staff move up to being core staff. This is also huge. Right now, there is little reason for the front-house or back-of-house employees to work hard. Why should they? There is no room to move in Big Wave - and that huge wall of separation. However, if contractual staff is trained for more permanent positions on the core employee staff, that could create some motivation for employees to work harder. Scut work isn't quite so "scut," if the employee knows he/she won't be doing it forever.

 

Offer motivations for jobs well done. Big Wave does this already, but this can be expanded. Time off, a posting on the bulletin board, or a general announcement makes an employee feel good about him/herself.

 

Put in place a performance improvement program to help employees identify problem areas, and to help with their improvement. Again, huge. The problem with warning under-performing staff that they'd better shape up or else does nothing without a plan to get those employees to perform better. Have a plan in place that focuses on the problems, why they're happening, and specific steps toward solving them.#p#分页标题#e#

 

Eliminate the pay-for-performance system currently in place. This is an awful program that never should have been implemented. What's happening is that tips are gathered up and distributed to the "better" departments without recognizing that an individual in a poor performing department worked hard to gain those tips. Gratuities should stay with the people who earn them. However, the customer feedback form is a step in the right direction - and follow-up should include a way to improve department performance.

 

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Communication needs to occur from the top down, certainly. But management needs to also hear from the employees - to hear what's going on that's right or what might not be so right.

 

附录--Appendix

 

There are several key stakeholders in this particular case study. There is management, which has a vested interest in employee management, as the goal of management is to compete on customer service. Happy employees lead to happy customers.

The employees are also stakeholders - they're the ones that ensure the ship runs well and that customers are treated right.

Finally, customers have a stake in this, too. The sure way to poor customer service is through an unhappy employee. The disgruntled employees on Big Wave, not to mention the intervention of a union, are sure to create a problem with the organization's desire to boost its customer service plan.