Supervising Reservations Services – Challenges And Strategies

Challenges and Strategies of Supervising Reservations Services

1.The issues which affect manpower and training in Mandarin Oriental Singapore in local and global context are as follows:

Greying of the workforce- The fall in birth rate in Singapore has lead to reduction in population of younger workers in the country and higher percentages of older workers which is affecting the manpower and training in the hotel industry and therefore the government of Singapore has taken steps in order to encourage the workers to retire later than normal.

High turnover of labour- ‘hopping’ of the labourers and workforce from one job to other, has resulted in high turnover of labour in Singapore in context of the hotel industry and one of the main causes which are identified behind high turnover rate of labours in Singapore in context of hotel industry is low morale at work.

The trends which affect manpower and training in Mandarin Oriental Singapore in local and global context are as follows:

New Roles for staffs- With each passing day, more and more travellers are preferring technology over human services and hence Mandarin Oriental Singapore, should focus on training their staffs regarding providing more effective personalized services to the customers instead of basic services which will help in increasing the satisfaction level of the travellers and visitors of the hotel

Need for Seamless Technology- Various hotel groups all over the world are providing various types of hi-tech services to their guests such as mobile check-in services and digital concierge services as the target customers of the hotel industry are becoming more tech-savvy in nature and hence Mandarin Oriental Singapore, should focus on training of their staffs regarding the effective usage of high-tech services in order to assist the guests of the hotel in an effective manner.

2.The above mentioned external factors is bound to affect changes to work requirements and expectations of the workforce at Mandarin Oriental Singapore as the above mentioned external factors will help in determining the competitiveness of the hotel in the hospitality industry of Singapore. The external factors which are discussed above are bound to affect changes to work requirements and expectations in Mandarin Oriental Singapore as it will influence the Human resource policies of the hotel which plays a major role in affecting changes to work requirements and expectations. The external factors will also affect changes to work requirements and expectations in Mandarin Oriental Singapore, as it will facilitate re-designing of the job roles in the hotel and will affect the training and development program of the hotel.

3.The PESTEL analysis to evaluate the implications of global and local competitiveness at Mandarin Oriental Singapore and its employment are as follows:

Political- The political environment of Singapore is stable in nature and the government of Singapore also provides a social welfare service for the hotel industry of Singapore by forming a Singapore Hotel Association, so that its members can gain access to various types of products, equipment and information required by them and the Singapore Hotel Association also provides information regarding various trends to the hotels so that they can design their strategy accordingly and Mandarin Oriental Singapore, being one of its members receives adequate support from the Singapore Hotel Association.

Impact of External Factors on Work Requirements and Job Expectations of Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Economic- As opined by Barron, Leask & Fyall (2014) economic factors such as business cycle, exchange rate and disposable income concern the nature and direction of an economy in which the organization operates. The number of business travellers’ decreases during times of economic recession and the disposable income of the guests influences the occupancy of the hotel, such as leisure guests of five star hotels rises due to promotional discounts. In case of International Hotel chain, such as Mandarin Oriental Singapore, its profit may be influenced when converting from Singapore Dollar to the currency which is set by Hong Kong Headquarter.

Socio-cultural- The socio-cultural environment of Mandarin Oriental Singapore, comprises of various broad societal trends which affects the hotel. The most remarkable socio-cultural trend which is observed in terms of the hotel industry is the entry of women in the workforce of the hotel. As stated by Yamak & ?erife (2018) the other socio-cultural trend which has impacted Mandarin Oriental Singapore is the increase of women business travellers and women leisure travellers as a result of increase in employment and income in women, which has resulted in the rise of revenue of the hotels as a result of increase in products and services.

Technological- According to Grant (2016) the government of Singapore focuses on increasing technological efforts through the Tourism Technology Fund, which is a program developed by the Singapore Tourism board in order to accelerate rate of technological innovation and adoption in the hotel industry by providing the necessary technological support which will help in enhancing the experience of the visitors in order to improve business efficiency. Mandarin Oriental Singapore takes notes of technological changes in order to avoid technological obsolescence through technological investing and forecasting. Mandarin Oriental Singapore receives adequate support from Hotel Technology Next Generation organization, by being a corporate hospitality member of the organization.

Environmental- Mandarin Oriental Singapore participates in Waste Disposal Campaigns in order to conserve the environment, to save its operating costs and increase the profit margin and revenues of the hotel. The main environmental challenge for Mandarin Oriental Singapore is to reduce the energy cost of the hotel while meeting the diverse needs of the customers.

Legal- Mandarin Oriental Singapore focuses on implementing health and safety standards in order to protect their employees and guests from various types of dangers as it affects the reputation and image of the hotel. As stated by Luo, Marnburg & Law (2017) the Hotel Employment Law of Singapore covers various aspects such as Salary, Annual Leave, Public Holidays and Rest Days, Medical leaves, Medical Attention, Working Hours, Overtime, Transport, Duty Meals, bonus and uniform and laundry. The health and safety policy of the hotel covers bathroom safety, bedroom safety, Fire Centre and Health and Fitness Centre.

1.The types of skills and knowledge which are required for the workforce of Mandarin Oriental Singapore in order to stay competitive are tactical knowledge, explicit knowledge and cultural knowledge, effectiveness, productivity, decision making, strategic planning and collaboration.

2.A. According to Quintana, Park & Cabrera (2015) the suitable Training Needs Analysis assessment method which can be used in context of Mandarin Oriental Singapore is by conducting surveys on the workforces of the hotel. The training manager of the hotel can design questionnaire in context of the various operations of the hotel and accordingly survey in person with each employee or a group of employees of the hotel at their work location which will help in collecting data on the performance gaps and training needs of the employees.

PESTEL Analysis of Mandarin Oriental Singapore

3.The Training Need Analysis of the employees of Mandarin Oriental Singapore Hotel reflect that staffs of the hotel faces problems issues while communicating to people belonging to Western cultures as the Eastern and Western Culture differ a lot. Another problem which was identified during the Training Need Analysis was that the staffs of the hotel lack confidence while adapting to various types of changes which are implemented in the hotel and therefore they fail to adapt to the changes in an effective manner.

4.The advantages which are associated with the survey method of Training Need Analysis are as follows:

• This method of Training Need Analysis is easy to summarize and report.
• The survey method of TNA is in-expensive in nature.
• In case of anonymity, the responses are given by the respondents without fear and hesitation.

The dis-advantages which are associated with the survey method of Training Need Analysis are as follows:

• As opined by Salem (2015) it requires a considerable amount of time to develop an effective and detailed questionnaire which can help in bringing out the actual responses of the respondents.
• This method may not go deep in analysing the reasons behind the various identified issues.

5. The resources which are required to fulfil the training recommendation are training manuals which can be designed accordingly in order to address the training needs of the staffs of the hotel and e-learning materials such as tutorial videos and blog discussions.

6.The learning goal which is ideal for the staffs of Mandarin Oriental Singapore in order to address their training needs is that all the staffs of the hotel should be able to work effectively in all types of challenging situation. The learning objectives for the staffs of Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

• Should be able to interact effectively with individuals belonging to diverse culture.
• Should be able to communicate the offerings of the hotel and the USP of the hotel through engaging in communication with the visitors.
• Should be able to adapt to any type of organizational change.

7.The training strategies and methods which can be applied in order to acquire the required skills and knowledge are as follows:

Technology Based Training- The technology based training strategy is interactive in nature and it helps in involving the participants which helps in effective transfer of intended knowledge.

Coaching and Mentoring-As stated by Thompson (2016) the coaching and mentoring style of training provides mental support and assistance to the participants as they receive tips and information from experienced professionals.

Role Playing- The role playing strategy of training help the employees act out on the situation issues which could occur in workplace and helps in connecting theories with practices and helps in effective negotiation of an issue.

1.The learning theory which is considered as most suitable to apply in the current context is Experiential Learning Theory. As stated by Alqusayer (2016) according to the experiential learning theory, learning is perceived as the process where knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences. This learning theory is considered the most suitable in context of the current scenario as the staffs and employees of Mandarin Oriental Singapore can learn and develop knowledge through their experiences.

2.The motivational factors which will draw the employees of Mandarin Oriental Singapore to learning are as follows:

Incentives- The employees and staffs of Mandarin Oriental Singapore is likely to get motivated if they receive rewards or incentives for learning such as providing promotion to the employees on receiving additional training certificates.

Work Culture- The staffs and employees of Mandarin Oriental Singapore can be motivated towards learning through the work culture of the hotel as it inspires the employees to give their best effort while performing every task when they are surrounded by motivated people present in the work environment of the hotel.

The strategies to enhance employee’s receptiveness to training in Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

• By recognizing employees’ expertise as it helps in encouraging knowledge sharing culture as there are mostly latent among individuals for various subject matters and encouraging them to be shared with others within Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
• By identifying the strengths of the employees as creation of personalized learning pathway for every staff and employee of the hotel will help in keeping the motivation level up for every employee’ of the hotel.

3. The results of the survey indicate that the most appropriate learning style of the employees surveyed is visual learning style.

The facilitation methods which will be used to appeal to the learning style of the potential learners of Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

• Using colours to highlight important information.
• Including meaningful visual aids in order to support verbal instructions.
• According to Kužnin & Walker (2017) encouraging note taking.
• Seating the learners close to the front in order to get a proper view of the presentation.

4. The steps to establish TMS and facilitate transfer of learning in Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

Identifying the problems to be solved- The first step to effectively establish and facilitate transfer of learning through TMS is identifying the problems which are to be solved in Mandarin Oriental Singapore.

Taking a Free Trial- The next step in this process involves taking a free trial of the selected TMS software and checking its efficiencies on the stakeholders.

Arranging for a demo- The next step in this process involves arranging a demo from the TMS software provider in order to take an informed decision regarding implementing the software.

Getting it implemented- The further step in this process involves implementing the TMS software in the day to day operations of the hotel.

Getting the team up to speed- The final step in this process involves getting the team ready regarding the use of TMS software by providing training and tutorial for the usage of the software in the hotel.

5.The evaluation system which can be adopted to assess training effectiveness in Mandarin Oriental Singapore is Kirkpatrick’s Training effectiveness model. Kirkpatrick’s Training effectiveness model has 4 domains of evaluation from Level 1 to Level 4. The four levels of Kirkpatrick’s Training effectiveness model in context of Mandarin Oriental Singapore is as follows:

Level 1- Reaction: The satisfaction of the trainees of the hotel regarding the training or Happy Score.

Level 2- Learning: The trainees’ acquisition of the Knowledge, Skills and abilities or about the relevance and benefits of the training.

Level 3- Behaviour: The improvement of the behaviour of the trainee on the job and regarding the learning transfer amongst the trainees in terms of newly acquired Knowledge, Skills and Abilities in the work environment.

Level 4- Results: The business results which are achieved by the trainees of the hotel.

1.As stated by Tso-Jen & Chi-Min (2017) the type of change through which Mandarin Oriental Singapore is presumably going through is Transformational change as Mandarin Oriental Singapore must be in tune with the environment in which it operates in terms of knowledge about socio-cultural trends, understanding of the socio-cultural climate and technological advances and the changes which are undertaken by the hotel in order to implement the changes which is termed as transformational changes.

2.As stated by Oyner & Korelina (2016) the type of change management model which is most suitable for Mandarin Oriental Singapore in order to manage change is Lewin’s Change Management Model as it is one of the most effective and popular model in order to understand and implement organizational and structured changes. There are three steps in the Lewin’s Change Management Model namely unfreeze, change and refreeze.

The steps to help Mandarin Oriental Singapore to manage the change are as follows:

Defining the change and aligning it with the goals of the hotel- It is very necessary to define the change by describing the reason behind the change and why the change is required and accordingly aligning the change with the goals of the business.

Determining the impacts of the changes and the ones affected- It is very necessary for Mandarin Oriental Singapore to identify and determine the impacts of the changes and also those areas and individuals who will be mostly affected by the change in the hotel.

Developing a communication strategy- It is of utmost importance for Mandarin Oriental Singapore to develop a communication strategy in order to communicate the change to all levels of the hotel and to manage the feedback received regarding the change.

Providing effective training- Mandarin Oriental Singapore should also focus on providing effective communication to their staffs so that they can effectively adapt to the change in the organization.

Implementing a support Structure- It is also important for Mandarin Oriental Singapore to provide a support structure which will be important to assist the staffs of the hotel emotionally and practically regarding adjusting to the change to help them build proficiency of behaviours and technical skills which are required to achieve the business results.

Measurement of the change process- Mandarin Oriental Singapore should also measure the change process of the hotel by implementing a structure in place which will help in measuring the business impact of the changes and will help in ensuring that continued reinforcements opportunities exist in order to help building the proficiency.

1.The key strategies regarding embracing of diversity in Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

Engaging Management commitment-Mandarin Oriental Singapore should focus on engaging management commitment by communicating the importance of inclusive and harmonious workplace at the hotel to set the tone of the hotel and by being a role model for the behaviour expected of the managers and employees of the organization.

Reinforcing employee competencies through recruitment, learning, development and performance management-Mandarin Oriental Singapore should focus on reinforcing employee competencies by equipping the employees with the relevant knowledge and skills and encouraging them to display attributes and behaviour which fosters inclusiveness. Mandarin Oriental Singapore should also focus on adopting recruitment policies which are consistent with the Tripartite Recruitment on Fair Employment Practices and recruiting staffs who are able to work with diverse teams. As stated by Bharwani & Talib (2017) the hotel should also focus on including a good orientation programme in order to help the new employees of the hotel get up to speed and vision for diversity management in addition to including values and behaviours expected from the new employees to be incorporated  in the orientation programme. The hotel should also put in place an effective performance management system with a variety of measures.

Facilitating Inclusiveness- It is very important from the point of view of Mandarin Oriental Singapore to create an inclusive work environment in order to facilitate healthy interactions and understanding among the staffs of the hotel belonging to diverse profile and level.

Communication- It is very important for the management of Mandarin Oriental Singapore to communicate effectively with the staffs of the hotel as it is important that the management is involved in delivering the key messages of their hotel to the staffs through the hotel intranet, e-newsletter of the hotel, annual meeting or dinner at the hotel and through the brochure of the hotel.

2.The strategies to manage diversity in Mandarin Oriental Singapore are as follows:

Communication- in order to facilitate communication in Mandarin Oriental Singapore for delivering the key messages to the staffs can be done through the intranet, e-newsletter of the hotel, annual meeting or through the brochure of the hotel.

Facilitating Inclusiveness- in order to facilitate inclusiveness in Mandarin Oriental Singapore various activities can be undertaken in the hotel such as workplace activities, buddy system, employee networks and managing employee grievances.

Engaging Management Commitment- The steps which are needed to be adopted by Mandarin Oriental Singapore in order to engage management commitment are communicating the importance of inclusiveness and harmonious workplace in the hotel to set the tone of the hotel and by becoming a role model to demonstrate the behaviour that is expected of the managers and employees.

References

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