International HRM: Managing Cultural Diversity and Staff Development in Post Covid Era

This report discusses the importance of International HRM in managing human resources in a global business context. It focuses on managing cultural diversity and staff development in the post Covid era, with a specific emphasis on the hospitality industry and Marriott International. The report covers topics such as managing international operations, training and development of staff, managing international assignees, managing virtual teams, health and safety considerations, and restarting and realigning business operations.

International HRM

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
Managing International Operations.............................................................................................3
Training and development of staff..............................................................................................4
Managing International Assignees..............................................................................................5
Managing Virtual Teams.............................................................................................................6
Health and Safety Considerations...............................................................................................7
Restart and Realigning Business Operations..............................................................................8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
RECOMMENDATION ................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
International HRM is defined as the process of hiring, allocating and utilising human
resources in the context of global business in order to attain business objectives in appropriate
manner. International HRM is associated with three dimensions such as HR activities, type of
employees and countries of operations. The major significance of international HRM is denoted
as managing overall human resource at global level so that business can be managed as in
international background (Caligiuri and et. al., 2020). For an business organisation this is
imperative that they develop some concern and interest for domestic and international employees
in order to execute appropriate managerial aspect within business. This report is consisting of
various aspects which are related with managing cultural diversity and staff development in post
Covid era along with consideration of health and safety measures. Under this report hospitality
organisation is taken as Covid has given higher negative impact to this industry. The report is
prepared on the background of Marriott international.
MAIN BODY
Managing International Operations
For a hospitality business this is imperative that various business strategies are adopted so
that complexities within business operations can be minimised. In current scenario due to
implication of Covid every organisation is changing their methods of management and
operational working in order to align business objectives with their efforts as well. In the market
scenario of rapid change this is significant that rapid change is accepted by organisation in full
proof manner. In the context of Marriott international for them managing international operations
is mandatory as they are having business operations in various countries. This is the major reason
that rapid changes are accepted by Marriott in early manner in order to mitigate risk of market
failure and to organise their functions in significant manner (Liu and et. al., 2019). In hospitality
there are various dimensions in which the business is required to inculcate several skills within
workplace and this is giving rise to workplace diversity. Hospitality business is working to
provide satisfaction to their customer and to provide them those desired services. In this industry
various career opportunities are provided to employees and these are helpful for the business to
manage business at international boundaries as well.

Cultural diversity: Cultural diversity within hospitality industry is significantly
influencing businesses as in this industry cultural diversity is highly existed. After post Covid
situation this is imperative that economic uncertainness are existed as industry of hospitality is a
customer related industry and in this for attaining growth opportunities. For Marriott being a
MNE this is significant for them that they inhale cultural diversity within business so that aims of
the business can be aligned with organisational efforts. For managing international workforce
Marriott is taking various steps so that employees can get greatest workplace to work and work
with higher efficiency. The leadership style adopted by the company is fully dedicated to their
employees. In this scenario 85% employee within Marriott have said that they are working with
one of the top most chain of hotels. In current situation of Covid crisis hospitality industry is the
one who is facing the most implications and in this case Marriott is undertaking surprised
movements so that they can manage needs of their clients and align business needs as well.
Besides this post Covid situation various uncertainties are faced by hospitality and for managing
their business and workforce as well (Renkema, Bos-Nehles and Meijerink, 2020). In this aspect
differentiated measures are undertaken by Marriott so that to sustain in the market and to
acknowledge efforts of their employees in order to gain market insights and prominence within
workforce as well.
Training and development of staff
Training and development of staff is defined as a program in which various skills within
an individual can be developed and which may implicate in increasing productivity and
performance in appropriate manner. Similarly this helps employees to increase their value within
an organisation so that overall development opportunities can be rendered. Training and
development is known as one of the significant movement within an organisation which may
lead the business to touch new business heights and attain possible aspects of success. In current
dynamic change environment this is imperative for an organisation that they provide prominent
trainings to their employees so that they can adapt market change in appropriate manner. In the
context of hospitality industry as the industry is working to provide satisfaction to their
customers and needs of customers are dynamic in nature so this is essential that businesses deal
their employees in that manner only (Liu and Meyer, 2020). For Marriott post Covid situation
has provided various implications in terms of minimised customer ratio and minimised guest
satisfaction. As after Covid customers is required to pay higher cost due to increase in desired

services and minimised customer retention. Similarly there are number of trainings which are
required to be provided to hospitality staff in order to deal with market situation and situational
complexities in prominent manner. This is observed that pandemic Covid has given negative
impact over various market sectors and specifically hospitality industry. Besides this employees
within hospitality industry are facing the major issue of diminished pay gap and stoppage of
salaries. For Marriott they have huge number of remote workers and the Covid has created huge
redundancies in developing skills of performing multi task at once (Napathorn, 2018). After
implication of Covid various uncertainties have faced by Marriott as in terms of minimised
customer footfall and minimised revenue so being a 5star hotel chain this situation is near to
impossible for the organisation to forecast, but due to Covid this is the major negative situation
which was faced by Marriott. For dealing with this situation specific training to staffs are given
and some of them are enlightened as below:
 Wearing of mask: For preventing infection of Covid, wearing of mask is mandatory as
per the guidelines issued by WHO and all the government is giving specific attention in
regulating these guidelines in their habitants in effective manner. For employee of
Marriott this is significant that they check mask of guest entry and restrict entry of people
those are not wearing masks. This is the training given to employees so that situation of
complexities can be tackled by them in polite manner so that their guest do not feel
retarded.
 Proper sanitisation: This is another training which is given by Marriott to their
employees. Under this trainings are given to employees for undertaking various
measurements of sanitisation so that appropriate satisfaction can be given to guests. This
aspect is helpful in providing post Covid assistance to customer in which they can feel
free to deal with customer preferences and needs significantly.
Managing International Assignees
International assignment is defined as such aspects in which performance of employees
can be monitored in global manner so that when they are working in multiple locations employee
data can be maintained. In the context of hospitality industry as business operations are executed
at various levels such as globally and at local manner so this is imperative for the organisation
that they manage international assignees in appropriate manner (Stankevičiūtė and
Savanevičienė, 2018). In the context of Marriott as the organisation is dealing in international

manner so they may have faced various impacts due to economic conditions such as Brexit
implication. During the time of Brexit UK and EU decided to get separated in which UK decided
to leave EU so in this scenario political and social conditions get changed. Brexit has impacted
reputation and success of hospitality industry due to which various risks are being faced by
hospitality businesses. Besides this due to Brexit Marriott faced difficulties in managing and
retaining employees. In this manner Marriott has lost their skilled talent and faced difficulties in
execution of business functions. After the decision of Brexit period of Covid started and this is
the major reason that huge complexities was propounded within business functions of Marriott.
For mitigating the challenge of managing business functions appropriate training and
development sessions to their employees. Besides this after implication of Brexit Marriott started
loosing up their business efficiency and to manage business flexibility staff requirements are
undertaken so that in less time employees demands can be understood so that they can meet
customers requirements in appropriate manner.
Marriott is one of the greatest hospitality service provider in world so they have huge
portfolio of diversified workforce and for managing them as well various policies are launched
by management of the organisation. These practices are giving strong impact over creativity and
productivity of the organisation due to which various technical issues can be mitigated by
Marriott. The basic function of HRM is to recruit and select people and in this context for
dealing with organisational productivity the aim of human resource management is regarded as
obtaining high contribution of employees within organisation so that they can perform increased
role in enhancing productivity and performance as well (Malik, Pereira and Tarba, 2019)).
For managing international assignee the major role of HRM is to provide such business
aspects that ease can be created for employees to manage business in such a way that normal
operations do not face any difficulties. Brexit is one of the greatest movement which is impacting
all the business existed in UK or EU (Botelho, 2020). Significantly Brexit has given serious
impact to Marriott as in terms of minimised revenue and minimised customer footfall. In this
aspect international HRM is associated with providing such talent and obligations within
business so that ultimate objective within business can be attained.
Managing Virtual Teams
A virtual team is defined as group of individual which are working together but existed in
different geographic locations. These teams are connected through emails or video conferencing.

In the context of hospitality industry due to implication of Covid, rules of social distancing will
have to be followed. In this manner communication within team is to be executed but at the same
time they cannot meet at same point due to rigid rules of social distancing. For Marriott meetings
over video conferencing was performed in order to manage teams and team performance in
effective manner (Gope, Elia and Passiante, 2018). By defining working system and using
multiple communication tools management of Marriott can communicate with their employees
and guide them to work in such way that detailed deliverables can be executed. On the other
hand for executing appropriate working strategies this is requisite that all the team members are
conveyed with such aspects which are essential for managing working direction in the time of
Covid crisis. On the other hand when employees of Marriott are interconnected they can acquire
higher success and appropriate market edge as well.
In this current changing environment Marriott is dealing with differentiated problems of
their customers and this is the major reason that change management is adopted by the
organisation so that they can acquire such market efficacy and sustainability as well. By virtual
teams regular communication can be executed so that rules of responsiveness can be executed. In
this manner overall results can be obtained so that clear expectations can be set by the business
and market prominence can be accomplished. For virtual team this is imperative that appropriate
tools of communication are to be established so that any situation for complexities can be dealt.
In the time of Covid the major issue is related with examining need of customers and satisfying
the same by performing low contact aspect.
Health and Safety Considerations
For hospitality industry health and safety aspects are one of the major consideration
which is required in order to give appropriate satisfaction to customers. Post Covid situation this
is imperative that there are numerous more safety and health considerations which are required to
be followed as in current time people are more focused over acquiring higher safety needs. In the
context of Marriott being a 5 star hotel this is necessary for them that they undertake appropriate
safety measures so that no harm can be given to their visitors and customers. There are various
approaches which are required to be followed by hospitality business so that housekeepers within
Marriott can execute such functions in appropriate manner so that needs of customers can be met
effectively (Sivapragasam and Raya, 2018). Within Marriott the management is obliged to
perform such aspects in significant manner so that they can acquire such market so that to market

prominence can be dealt. There are several safety and health consideration which are required to
maximise organisational coverings. Some of the safety considerations are listed below:
Less contact services: In the light of Covid-19 the major implication over Marriott is associated
as using low contact service methods in which the organisation is requisite to use such methods
in which they get contacted with customer in minimal manner (Iqbal, Ahmad and Allen, 2019).
This way HR is associated with providing such trainings to individual so that employees can deal
with such aspects of understanding market needs.
Sanitisation: This is a preliminary aspect undertaken by Marriott in which appropriate
sanitisation is required to be carried out so that all the guests can be satisfied with hygiene
aspect. On the other hand sanitisation is one of the significant movement and this is helpful in
dealing with such safety needs of customer so that any infection criteria can be eliminated.
Restart and Realigning Business Operations
Marriott as being the well known hotel and has enormous customers was also being
affected by the COVID, as the pandemic has affected there image and there was a freeze of
customers being coming over there. This effected there revenues and also there brand image in
all the market. The main issues that were raise in Marriott was that they were without any
revenue will have to give the salary to the employees (Al-Kahtani, 2018). And no tourist and
customers came, that make them to utter loss as due to pandemic situation.
But Marriott has taken certain measures through which they came out again with an
emergent growth by again increasing the revenue. Various measures are as follows:
 Marriott has given the advance mitigation plans through which all the areas and the
methods can be framed that helps to lessen the impact of COVID and maintain the safe
environment for the customers.
 They have maintained a large cash reserve that helped them out in attaining the wide
customer range and also to maintain the salary of the employees and to allocate the
resources in a better way.
 The Marriott have a large customer trust and there brand power is extremely high they
had used that method and through that tries to maintain all the major quality band the
approaches through which they tried to come out with varies plans and ideas that helps
out in implementing the forms and the areas.

 As for there loyal customers they had provided the facility to make there customers to
reach and travel safely with there own means. So this helps out to maintain the growth in
the customer and also to gain customer trust.
 They have used various technological advancement tools that helps out to maintain the
work and also to gain and attract the customers through which they maintain the gain and
the productivity in all the areas.
All these facilities and the tactics helped out Marriott to enhance there customers in all
the sector and to gain the trust of customers ans they has maintained there quality and there
working in all the areas within that they trained there employees in order to frame all the
requirements and also to clear out to frame the maintenance (Guerci, and et. al., 2019). This
implies that all the methods through which the company and the organisation can frame the areas
and the records and analyse the utter responsibility through which the company can there by
maintain all there working in the sector. Marriott as having the brand image and all the saving of
the financial asset helps out to emerge again and attract more visitors and gained there trust. This
is the implication and the financial stability that helped them out to gain the trust of the
customers. Thus, all these helped out Marriott to gain customers and attain growth and revenue
even after Pandemic.
CONCLUSION
From the above report this can be summarised that international human resource
management is one of the significant movement which is helpful for a business to grow and
sustain in appropriate manner. On the other hand this is acquired by businesses in order to
manage worldwide task force in such a way that organisational task can be attained with high
efficiency. With the increasing of globalisation, international human resource management
(IHRM) plays an important role in achieving the organisation's goals. After implication of Covid
requirement of international HRM has increased as It strives to meet organizational objectives
and achieve competitive advantage over competitors at national and international level. For a
business this is imperative that they acquire such proficiency so that business operations can be
aligned with attaining global market needs.

RECOMMENDATION
For Marriott this is necessary that they deal with market needs and demands in such a
manner that no loop holes can be left out. For managing situation of Covid Marriott is required to
undertake various measures in which appropriate safety measures can be provided to the
business and appropriate hygiene can be maintained as well. On the other hand ion changing
market scenario Marriott is required to inhale all the market trends so that to acquire higher
market edge and appropriate manner.

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