Evaluating the effectiveness of training on local employees in Asian Research Paper

Evaluating the effectiveness of training on local employees in Asian hospitality industries as a European human resources manager - Research Paper Example The Asian hospitality industry is in a constant state of evolution in a variety of ways.Primarily,changing social,economic and cultural values as a product of globalization and industrial development have improved accessibility of tourism-related locations to foreign customers and have also changed the methodology by which local employees interact with a broad demographic base of customers. As Asian countries become more developed and sustain competitive hospitality industries, the need to understand the diverse and complex lifestyles and attitudes of foreign (and sometimes domestic) visitors becomes a paramount need in order to satisfy clients and create a positive brand reputation for the specific hospitality business. Visitors maintain unique preferences and demands when it comes to their tourism experience and since front line employees are the first point of contact for these customers, it is imperative that the staff understands these needs and are offered appropriate training to make customer experiences rewarding and ensure long-term loyalty to the hospitality brand. In Asian hospitality industries that are led by expatriate European human resources managers, it becomes more difficult to streamline training and understand what drives local employee values, cultures and general beliefs related to lifestyle and the workplace environment. There are significant cultural differences between European leadership and Asian culture, thus making the job of providing adequate training even more difficult. This proposed research study evaluates the effectiveness of training on local employees in the Asian hospitality industry when considering the influence of European human resource management principles and ideals. 2. Literature review This section undertakes a review and analysis of existing literature on the Asian hospitality industry, cultural principles, and European values when or if they are extended into Asian businesses. 2.1 Cultural frameworks One primary understanding that needs to be explored in this proposed research study is the difference between European leadership and Asian employees at the cultural level. European human resources managers generally hail from cultures that are globalized and have a long-standing industrialized and commercial history. Much of this influence has come from Western countries, such as the United States, that acted as the framework for much of the modern human resources principles being used in a variety of industries today. European leaders are from individualistic societies, under Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Framework, whereby managers and employees value self-expression and independence in the workplace and tend to value personal goal attainment over that of group goal-setting and group-oriented rewards (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008). In this type of organisation or culture, individualists seek more decision-making authority and job role autonomy in order to remain loyal and satisfied so that they can become performance-oriented and seek to meet strategic goals. This individualistic attitude drives the majority of their human resources policies as it relates to employee training and learning. In Asian cultures, however, there is a strong, historical trend toward collectivism. This type of culture values group norms and group affiliation over individualized expression where â€Å"they view themselves as a member of an extended family, place group interests ahead of individual needs, and value reciprocation of favours and respect for tradition† (Blodgett et al, p.339). Employees that have strong collectivist values often seek opinion and networking from peers and operate well in very structured, centralized management hierarchies. Collectivists