Strategic Human Resource Management at Marriott Hotels: Unit 44 Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of strategic human resource management (HRM) practices at Marriott Hotels. It begins by exploring current trends influencing HR strategy, such as cultural diversity, technological integration, continuous improvement, and changing skill requirements. The report then examines the impact of both external (government regulations, economic conditions) and internal (workforce demographics, management structure) factors on HR strategy formulation. Key HRM theories and concepts, including contingency theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, and hard/soft models of HRM, are discussed in relation to their practical application within Marriott. The report further investigates change management models, specifically focusing on Kurt Lewin's change model (unfreezing, changing, refreezing), and justifies its selection. Finally, the report addresses the monitoring and measurement of HR outcomes, emphasizing sustainable performance through effective HRM techniques.

UNIT 44: STRATEGIC
HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
Current trends influencing HR strategy.......................................................................................3
Influence of external and internal factors....................................................................................4
Critical analysis...........................................................................................................................5
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................5
Relevant theories and concepts....................................................................................................5
Relation of human resource theory to practice............................................................................6
Comparison and contrast.............................................................................................................6
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
Change management models and its support...............................................................................6
Justification for selected models..................................................................................................7
Critical analysis...........................................................................................................................8
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................8
Monitoring and measurement of HR outcomes...........................................................................8
Sustainable performance through HR management....................................................................8
Suggested techniques...................................................................................................................9
Critical analysis...........................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Strategic Human Resource Management mainly signifies the different strategies and
practices that are adopted by the HR of any organisation in order to achieve their organisational
objectives (Bakker and Albrecht, 2018). Marriott Hotels is one of the most prominent
international hospitality chain that operates through a series of hotels. This report will evaluate
the different trends influencing the HR strategy formulation and the impact of external and
internal factors on HR strategy. The report will also identify the different HRM theories and the
change models that can be used to achieve and implement strategic HRM. Lastly, the different
monitoring methods for HRM will be evaluated along with the manner in which sustainability
can be achieved using these HRM practices.
MAIN BODY
LO 1
Current trends influencing HR strategy
With the increasing advent towards globalisation and advancement, the overall strategies
and practices that are implemented in the HR organisation have also changed. In the Marriott
Hotel, the international presence of the hotel has been affected by the changes in the HR strategy
as well and some of the major factors can be presented as follows:
 Cultural Diversity: Since Marriott is operating at a global level, it is detrimental that the HR
of such organisations develop strategy in such a manner that they are able to cater to the
needs of people and visitors belonging from different cultures (Boella and Goss-Turner,
2019). Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate the factor of cultural diversity as well in the
overall strategy formulation regarding training of employees.
 Technological Integration: The technological advancement has increased immensely along
with globalisation and this has automatically affected the overall strategies and decisions
that are taken by the strategic managers of the Marriott Hotel. The training and other process
and services have become more advanced and smart increasing flexibility and reducing the
time taken.
 Continuous Improvement: It is necessary that with changing trends and requirements of the
customers, the overall services that are given by the hospitality organisations also improve
collectively (Bratton and Gold, 2017). Therefore the HR at Marriott Hotel have to include
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regular and continuous growth and improvement programmes for the employees so that they
are well prepared.
 Changing Skills: The skills that are required by the employees in the hospitality industry is
no longer limited to expert servicing and communication but they have advanced to effective
technological handing and knowledge, AI integration, smart servicing etc. Therefore the HR
at Marriott hotel needs to develop strategies accordingly.
These are some of the factors that have affected the overall functioning of the HR strategy
formulation in present context.
Influence of external and internal factors
There are a multiple number of factors which collectively affect the overall implementation
of the HR practices and formulation of HR strategies. These factors can be segregated as internal
or external factors based on their area of operation and the impact that they have (Cummings,
Bridgman and Brown, 2016). The external factors that have a potential impact on the HR
strategy formulation can be identified as:
 Government Regulations: The rules and regulations that have been developed and
implemented by the government of any country have to be complied with by the
organizations. For instance, the government of UK has specifically developed the norms
related to the working hours and minimum pay for the employees that are working and
hence the HR managers at the Marriott hotel also have to comply with these specific
guidelines thus affecting their strategies.
 Economic Conditions: The economic condition of the country in which the organisation is
operating also acts a s a major external factor that affects the overall operation and decisions
of the HR. presently the unemployment rate is on the rise in UK and that has increased the
availability of the normal labour that is required in the maintenance of the hospitality
industry (Kabrtova, 2018). The declining business however has limited the HR managers of
the Marriott Hotel in giving appraisals and bonuses to their employees thus affecting their
strategies accordingly.
Apart from this, there are a variety of internal factors as well such as:
 Workforce Demographic: The cultural diversity amongst the employees and the different
skills and perception that they have are a major factor in affecting the overall strategy
formulation and implementation at any organisation. At Marriott hotel as well this affects
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the overall ambience of the hotel and the productivity of the employees thus affecting their
performance as well.
 Management Structure: The overall structure and system along with the communications
flow also affects the overall operation of the management (Hassan, 2016). The management
structure at Marriott hotel is a very simple one and hence it creates a positive and flexible
working environment for the employees affecting the Hr strategy formulation and
implementation as well.
Critical analysis
The overall impact of both the internal as well as the external factors have a significant
impact on the HR strategies as the positive outcome of these factors helps in implementing
comprehensive and productive strategies that support the growth of the organisation but if these
factors are not supportive then it can also lead to the decreased losses and productivity of the
organisation as a whole.
LO 2
Relevant theories and concepts
The human resource signifies the employees that are working fir the organisation and these
are the most important asset of the organisation (Mariappanadar, 2019). There are various
theoretical concepts and aspects that are associated with the overall growth and fostering of the
overall strategic HRM in the organisation. Some of the key HFM theories can be discussed as:
Contingency theory: The contingency theory of HRM states that there is no one fixed rule that
can be applied and the different strategies and practices need to be changed in accordance with
the situation in which they present themselves. For instance, if Marriott faces any situational
crisis where for instance employees are not satisfied then this situation will require a different
approach for handling them as opposed to the approach that they will adopt if the customers
became dissatisfied. The different parties affect the organisation differently and hence the
approach adopted by HR will also be different.
Vroom’s expectancy theory: The expectancy theory given by Vroom states that there are three
main aspects that are responsible for creation of the most favourable and productive environment
in the workplace which are Valence, Expectancy and Instrumentality (Skogland and Hansen,
2017). These factors affect the working productivity and motivation of employees and this in
turn automatically affects the HRM strategies. In Marriott hotel, the employee satisfaction is an
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important aspect where they ensure fulfilment of all the three aspects i.e. valence i.e. the rewards
that one expects, the expectancy i.e. the probability or chance that they might get that reward and
instrumentality i.e. the performance that will be required in order to achieve the intended
rewards. Collectively, this helps the HRM at Marriott in integrating their and the employees
efforts towards increased productivity and performance thus fulfilling the ultimate objective.
Hard Model of HRM: The hard model of HRM is implemented when HR considers strict and
fixed practices are the best way of getting things done. The HRM at Marriott hotel implements
this approach in the form of rules and regulations that employees are required to comply ih
especially in case of the cleanliness, health and sanitation so that maximum satisfaction can be
given to the servants themselves.
Soft Model of HRM: The soft model considers the human feelings, thinking etc. and taken it into
the purview of the job that is to be completed by the employees (Weiner, 2020). The HRM at
Marriott hotel uses this technique to identify the shortest, most effective, innovative and
satisfactory way of getting things done by their employees. This increase the employee
engagement as well thus benefitting them in multiple manner.
Relation of human resource theory to practice
The Human resource theory acts as a basis for all the decisions that are taken by the HR of
the Marriott Hotel where this theory indicates that what decisions should be taken, what
resources are required etc. for example, the need to regularly train and increase the cultural
diversity amongst the employees of Marriott hotel is an outcome of the implementation of the
human resource theory only.
Comparison and contrast
Due to the implementation of the Human resources theory in Marriott, they are able to
develop a loyal and competent workforce. However such might not be the case for Hilton hotels
where the lack of a proper strategic approach and increased complexity amongst the different
roles has made it difficult for employees to work satisfactorily. This is the reason why there is
increased labour turnover in Hilton Hotels.
LO 3
Change management models and its support
Change is a constant process in any organisation and it can be evidently said that the HRM
practices and trends at global level are changing constantly (Ahteela and Vanhala, 2018). There
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are a variety of models that can be used to evaluate the support that they give to change
implementation in the HR strategy such as Kotter’s change implementation model, Kurt Lewin
change model, McKinsey 7 S Model etc. However in the present context of Marriott hotel, the
Lewin’s change management model can be used adequately in following manner:
Lewin’s change model can be implemented through three broad categories by the HRM in
Marriott Hotel. These are:
 Unfreezing: In this stage the changes that have become imminent with the changing trends
and preferences are identified by the management of the company. In Marriott Hotel, the
management regularly scans the need to train and develop employees in relation to different
skills or technological requirements that might have emerged in the hospitality industry
(Chams and García-Blandón, 2019). They then prepare their employees as well regarding
the impending change that they are bound to implement.
 Changing: In the second stage, the changes that have been identified are actually
implemented in the organisation. The leaders and managers at Marriott Hotel perform this
very sensitively as this is the most crucial stage where the employees should understand and
accept the need behind the change rather than resisting it. This is the key behind the success
of the change.
 Refreezing: This is the last stage where after the changes have been implemented and
monitored thoroughly, the organisation again reaches the position of status quo (Likhitkar
and Verma, 2017). In Marriott hotel as well, the HRM ensures that each employee is now
flexible with the change that has been brought upon and can implement it adequately.
Therefore, in this manner the change management models and theories affect the HRM
strategy implementation in the organisation.
Justification for selected models
The reason that the Kurt Lewin’s model was selected for change management out of all the
models is that it is comprehensive model and helps in understanding the importance of each
stage where the mindset of employees before the change is implemented, during the change
implementation and after the process is completed is evaluated. This helps in comprehensively
addressing all the aspects associated.
Critical analysis
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The implementation of the change models can provide a systematic structure and process to
the change implementation but it can also create confusion and problems amongst the employees
if not executed properly. Additionally the resources required for implementation of change
models is also comparatively higher.
LO 4
Monitoring and measurement of HR outcomes
The HR outcomes are mainly in context of the performance of the employees, their
satisfaction and motivation and their retention level in the organisation. There are a variety of
techniques through which this can be monitored in the context of HRM of Marriott Hotel:
 Benchmarking Technique: This technique helps in measuring the productivity of the
employees by comparing the actual output with the standards that were set up by the
managers (Triatmanto, Wahyuni and Respati, 2019). This helps in ascertain what the reasons
behind the deviations in the productivity are and hence the manager at Marriott hotel is able
to evaluate their employees as well.
 360 Degree Feedback Technique: This technique helps in the evaluation of the performance
and the motivation as well the satisfaction aspect of employees. The feedback of employees
in invited regarding their overall work experience and the feedback in turn is also given to
the employees on the basis of their performance. This collectively monitors the performance
and practices of HR at Marriott Hotel.
 Employee Turnover Rate: The turnover rate is the most startling and implicit measure
which depicts the dissatisfaction level of the employees at Marriott Hotel (Way and et.al.,
2018). This rate indicates the percentage of employees that have left an organisation in a
given period of time say six months or a year and the higher it is, poorer is the performance
and practices of HR.
Sustainable performance through HR management
The HR practices and strategies being adopted is the key that can foster sustainable
development and growth in an organisation especially in the hospitality industry. The HRM at
Marriott hotel can contribute in following manner:
 Fulfil social objectives of the company: The management at Marriott can develop social
objectives such as encouraging sustainable living practices in hotel, promoting nature
over profits, using eco- friendly services, increasing local employment etc. (Bamber,
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Bartram and Stanton, 2017). Fulfilment of these objectives will contribute majorly in the
achievement of the social objectives.
 Integrating ownership for sustainability: The employees of Marriott can be integrated
and motivated along with the top most management of the company together to focus on
completion of job roles in a sustainable manner. There can be rewards as well like
sustainability champion etc. which can be used to motivate employees towards
achievement of sustainable practices.
 Reviewing workplace practices: The management at Marriott should closely review all
their workplace practices such as recruitment and training processes, the entire supply
chain networks etc and wherever possible the aspects of sustainability can be
incorporated (Obeidat, 2019).
In this manner therefore, the sustainability can be incorporated in Marriott hotel as well meeting
their organisational objectives as well.
Suggested techniques
The HR at Marriott can use techniques like promoting from within, using sustainable
practices for customers who are becoming increasingly aware in these aspects, remove the use of
paper completely in the overall recruitment training and even normal work practices etc. These
will collectively increase their sustainability score.
Critical analysis
The increased sustainability definitely creases the goodwill of the organisations and
increased acceptance and support from society as well which is profitable for any organisation
but it can be a costly affair as well. It is not easy to adopt sustainable practices and earnings
ultimately get affected but the overall benefits are higher than the potential losses.
CONCLUSION
The research conducted in the report above helps in concluding that the overall process of
formulating HR strategies and its implementation is a very comprehensive process. The key
rends of globalisation and technological development was identified initially followed by the
impact that external and internal factors such as economy and workforce diversity have on HRM.
The vroom’s expectancy theory etc. and the change management models such as Kurt Lewin
model were implemented to observe the impact that human resource strategies have on the
overall application and operation of Marriott Hotel. Lastly, the report concluded the importance
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of monitoring methods like benchmarking etc. and the manner in which sustainability can be
incorporated in the organisation were also evaluated.
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REFERENCES
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Ahteela, R. and Vanhala, M., 2018. HRM bundles and organizational trust. Knowledge and
Process Management.25.(1).pp.3-11.
Bakker, A.B. and Albrecht, S., 2018. Work engagement: current trends. Career Development
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Bamber, G. J., Bartram, T. and Stanton, P., 2017. HRM and workplace innovations: formulating
research questions. Personnel Review.
Boella, M.J. and Goss-Turner, S., 2019. Human resource management in the hospitality
industry: A guide to best practice. Routledge.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave
Chams, N. and García-Blandón, J., 2019. On the importance of sustainable human resource
management for the adoption of sustainable development goals. Resources,
Conservation and Recycling, 141.pp.109-122.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T. and Brown, K.G., 2016. Unfreezing change as three steps:
Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations. 69(1).
pp.33-60.
Hassan, S., 2016. Impact of HRM practices on employee’s performance. International Journal of
Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences..6.(1).pp.15-22.
Kabrtova, V., 2018. The Development of HR Management: Current Trends, Issues, and
Challenges (Doctoral dissertation, Empire State College).
Likhitkar, P. and Verma, P., 2017. Impact of green HRM practices on organization sustainability
and employee retention. International Journal for Innovative Research in
Multidisciplinary Field, .3.(5).pp.152-157.
Mariappanadar, S., 2019. Sustainable HRM theories: Simultaneous benefits for organisations and
stakeholders. Sustainable Human Resource Management: Strategies, Practices and
Challenges.p.104.
Obeidat, A. M., 2019. The Relationship Between Perceived Human Resource Management
Practices and Turnover-Intention: The Mediating Role of Organizational
Attractiveness. Modern Applied Science. 13(2).
Skogland, M.A.C. and Hansen, G.K., 2017. Change your space, change your culture: exploring
spatial change management strategies. Journal of Corporate Real Estate.
Triatmanto, B., Wahyuni, N. and Respati, H., 2019. Continual human resources empowerment
through human capital and commitment for the organizational performance in
hospitality industry. Quality Acses to Sucses. 20(173). pp.84-91.
Way, S.A. and et.al., 2018. HR flexibility: Precursors and the contingent impact on firm financial
performance. Human Resource Management, 57(2), pp.567-582.
Weiner, B.J., 2020. A theory of organizational readiness for change. In Handbook on
Implementation Science. Edward Elgar Publishing.
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