Abstract
The modern era of competition and commercialization changed working patterns. Paradigm change of competitive global world has caused many challenges and conflicts arising as a result of an increased competition amongst industries. Business has become proactive, aggressive, and demanding in order to stand tall in this competition. Every industry requires workers to be actively involved and devote comprehensively, but specifically, tourism and hospitality requires an extra mile. Workload is different than other industries. Comprehensive view is given on the conditions of hospitality and tourism industry faces keeping up with the contemporary business environment of this sector and how this sector suffers due to the work-life balance conflicts. Furthermore, insights on work-life balance and conflicts that rises on the horizon for hospitality industry worker, difference of work-life balance in this industry, link of performance and balanced work-life, and most importantly, role of human resources policies are given.
TopWorking Conditions In Tourism Industry
Contemporary business environment employees are considered an integral asset, services organizations in particular because of benefits of performance ability (Evans, Campbell, & Stonehouse, 2003). Tourism and hospitality industry though encounters a critical shortage of skilled workforce, presently the workforce is incompetent, illiterate, demotivated, and futile (Huda, Haque, & Khan, 2014). Because, the tourism industry is one of the most problematic industries for employee benefits and working conditions, in particular during peak season. While workers in the hospitality sector are normally low waged and work in uncertain, long, tough working conditions, they have to comply with demanding and difficult customers also (Karatepe & Aleshinloye, 2009). Problems like demotivation and decreasing moral in the tourism industry workers are present as a result of extensive working hours, working conditions, working weekends which stresses them out (Özkan, Esitti, & Köleoğlu, 2015).
Vulnerable perceptions are built in work value, pays, job security, opportunities for vocational development, and balance between career and private life. Apparent challenge modern tourism company faces, is the insignificance two facets of working conditions, which are considered insignificant in market services and accumulative economy namely career advancement prospects and work-life balance working conditions demanding special attention (Bednarska, 2012).
The hotel industry is one of the most common service-based organizations. Work-life balance encompasses crucial role nurturing employees efficiency, since in services industries such as hotels, in order to deliver high-quality services to the customers, are eager in their human resources deployments as they are encouraged by globalization and a competitive business environment (Yahya & Yap, 2014). The problem of lack of manpower due to the periodic nature and high pressure of subject industry causes extensive workload on the employees, backwashing deterioration of personal and professional obligations (Jaggi & Bahl, 2016). Plentiful employers understand their best interest lies in helping employees harmonize their work/family lives (Karatepe & Aleshinloye, 2009).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Hospitality Industry: Hospitality industry includes any businesses where the sale of food and drink or accommodation is the main source of income. This industry consists of broad category of fields within the service industry that includes hotels, restaurants, bars, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and additional fields within the tourism industry.
Work-Life Balance: It is a concept that includes the suitable prioritization between work (career) and lifestyle (health, pleasure, leisure, family) and the division of one's time and focuses between working and family or leisure activities.
Work-Family Conflict: It has been defined as a form of inter-role conflict in which the role pressures from work and family domains are mutually imbalanced and it refers to a situation where the demands and responsibilities from work roles and family roles are mutually mismatched in some respect.
Employee Satisfaction: Employee satisfaction also known as job satisfaction, is the extent to which employees are happy or content with their jobs and working environment. In other words, employees are contented with their work and position and they are comfortable in their work environment - both with other employees and with the resources they have available to complete their jobs.
Job Stress: Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional impacts that happen when work demands and pressures do not match the capabilities, resources, abilities, knowledge or needs of the employees and which challenge their ability to cope.
Working Conditions: Working conditions refers to the working environment in which one works, as influenced by factors such as working hours, physical aspects, legal rights and responsibilities etc. Poor working conditions can damage employees’ health and put their safety at risk.
Job Performance: Job performance relates to how individuals perform in their job duties in terms of expected quantity and quality of their jobs and it has been defined as the overall expected value from employees’ behaviors carried out over the course of a set period of time.