Guidelines for human resource management in Bangkok hotel businesses during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic

Abstract

This research is a mixed-method research which is comprised of a quantitative research and a qualitative research. The Objectives of this research are all in the hotel business and are (1) to study the human resource management, (2) to study the human resource management environment, (3) to be a guideline for human resource management. This research project had a sample group of 100 personnel working in the hotel business in Bangkok along with interviews with 10 human resources department chiefs. The results of the research project: 1. Most of the respondents were female with a Bachelor's degree, single status, Food & Beverage position and employment duration of working 1 - 5 years. Human resource management of hotel business in Bangkok was overall at a high level in areas of performance appraisal, recruiting and selection, training and development respectively. Guidelines for human resource management of hotel business in Bangkok was overall at a high level in areas of performance appraisal, recruiting and selection, compensation and welfare respectively. The personal data of the respondents having different levels of education affected the guidelines of human resource management of the hotel business in Bangkok. There were statistically significant differences at the 0.05 level in 2 aspects that are training/development and performance appraisal. 2. With regards to the human resource management environment of the hotel business, the strength was that there was support for employees to promote career advancement. There were good human resource management strategies as well as profitable welfare strategies. The weaknesses were ineffective communication, lack of good English language skills and third language skills as well as a high staff turnover rates. During the 2019 corona virus epidemic, every hotel had to adjust its strategies for increasing revenues to be able to take care of personnel in its organization. The obstacle was that during the 2019 corona virus epidemic, the country was shut down to control the spread of infection transmitted from tourists. As a result, the hotel's revenue had declined. Then there was a need to reduce the wage rate and to reduce employment for the hotel to survive.