Investigating the Employee Perception on the Effectiveness of Training and Development in the Food and Beverage Department at the Grand Hyatt Macau - Research Proposal Example

Investigating the Employee Perception on the Effectiveness of Training and Development in the Food and Beverage Department at the Grand Hyatt Macau Contents Investigating the Employee Perception on the Effectiveness of Training and Development in the Food and Beverage Department at the Grand Hyatt Macau 1 Contents 1 Introduction 2 Literature review 4 Methodology 7 Ethics 12 Reference List 14 Introduction Research Aim To investigate the employee perception on the effectiveness of training and development in the Food and Beverage department at the Grand Hyatt Macau Research Objective 1. To critically review the literature of training and development with particular reference to the application of theory 2. To analyze the ways in which training and development program affect the F & B department of Grand Hyatt Macau 3. To assess the employees perceptions of this training and development program. Background information The growth of the hospitality industry is largely dependent on the type of customer service that is provided by hotels. There is a vast literature in hospitality management which suggests that, food and beverages, service and room service are the basic requirements in the industry (Chu and Choi, 2000). Based on this logic it can be argued that, formulating training and development programs in the food and beverages department forms the basic priority of the management as this can form a key to customer satisfaction. Grand Hyatt Macau is one of the most luxurious hotels of Macau that has about 790 rooms for accommodating guests offering magnificent view of Cotai. It provides recreational facilities like poolside cabanas and steam rooms; service facilities like currency exchange and laundry services; space for conventions and meetings. There are three restaurants and bars in the hotel namely Beijing Kitchen, Mezza9 Macau and Lobby Lounge (Grand Hyatt Macau, 2014). Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the type of ongoing training and development programs that are present in the food and beverages department of Grand Hyatt hotel of Macau. The idea is to explore the effectiveness of these programs and suggest ways in which these programs can be improved to enhance an overall effectiveness. Rationale It has long been accepted that, training and development programs are the key to the improvement of organizational efficiency in the hospitality industry. There are number of skills like computer literacy, technical skills, hygiene and sanitation and social skills that are required by the employees of the hospitality sector. Main concept of the study The food and beverages department of the hospitality industry is a labor-intensive sector as the primary objective of this sector is to provide quality service to the customers. All the staff that is selected for the purpose of the job may not have the full spectrum of skills that is required to provide quality service to the clients. Therefore, training and development of the staff plays an integral part in differentiating the service that is provided by an organization and helps to attain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Additionally it has also been observed that training and development programs are only considered to be successful if employees have a positive perception towards the training programs. Context of the study The study is chosen particularly in case of the food and beverages sector in the Grand Hyatt to unearth the ideas that the employees here have regarding the way in which they are trained. It has long been accepted that the hospitality industry in Macau is the engine of economic growth as taxation from the hotels account for about 80% of the public revenue (Macao Statistics and Census Service, 2013). Services obtained from the food and beverages department can ensure repeated visits to the hotels and thereby, increase the revenues of them contributing an increase in the taxable income of the government. The benefit of study The study will be particularly helpful for the management of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Macau as they can explore the existing weakness in the systems and devise strategies to remove these weaknesses. It will also help them to improve the perceptions that the employees have towards the existing management programs. Literature review Conceptual Framework Definition of training and development According to the definition provided by Armstrong and Taylor (2014), training can be described as a systematic development of attitude, skills and knowledge that is required to perform an assigned task in a proficient manner. Training and development programs can help an individual to improve his level of skills and achieve superior quality performance. Definition of perception of employees Perception of employees towards the human resource practices of the organization is grounded in the theory of perceived organizational support. Perceived organizational support can be linked to the aspect of belief or perception that employee’s have towards their organization. It implies that, if employees feel the organization is committed to their development then they are likely to be more loyal to the organization. According to the research of Klimoski and Donahue (2001), the theory of cognitive psychology describes perception as “the cognitive event by which a person gives meaning to each situation/stimulus accordingly to his/her values, beliefs and attitudes”. Relationship between employee perception and training and development There is a strong relationship between perception of employee and the effectiveness of the training and development programs. The works of researchers like Meyer and Smith (2000) had shown that, perceptions about training and development are closely related to the outcome that can be obtained from training program. Their research had suggested that intrinsic motivation of employees is highly affected during effective training and development programs. The research of Deci and Ryan (2000) had recommended that, motivation can be treated both as a moderator and a mediator of learning and has a significant outcome on the willingness of the employees to learn. Willingness to learn new skills and improve the individual effectiveness is largely related to the motivation that employees have towards learning in training and development programs. Previous Study Though there has been extensive research works related to the training and development in the hospitality industry the highlight on the food and beverages sector has been relatively scarce. According to the research conducted by Lashley and Watson (1999 cited in Erwin, 2001) it has been found that there were close to 40 articles published regarding the training and development of employees in the hospitality industry. Out of these works only six articles were devoted to the aspect of catering but none of them directly made any references to the food service industry in particular. The research conducted by Yang (2010) had focused specifically on the training and development programs that have been adopted by the food and beverages department of the hospitality industry. Training of the front-line employees in the food and beverages industry has been directly associated with the improvement in the quality of service that is provided to the customers. The model developed by Yang (2010) had four main interrelated aspects namely assessment of the training needs, strategic planning of the way in which the training program needs to be conducted, evaluation of the training program and the execution of the program. The research conducted by Roehl and Swerdlow (1997) have shown that, effective training and development programs in the hospitality industry have a capability to improve the responses of the employees allowing in faster execution of the tasks that is to be performed. According to the research conducted by Emmenheiser, Clay and Palakurthi (1998 cited in Barron, et al. 2009) it has been observed that, managers operating in the food and the beverages department of hotels has to possess both strategic and operational skills. It has also been argued that, these skills are integral to the development of the food and beverages department in general. Training and development programs developed in the foods and beverages departments must focus to improve the technical skills which are helpful in performing routine jobs, interpersonal skills helping employees to improve interaction with one another and self-management skills of employees. The literature on the perceptions of employees regarding training and development programs are relatively abundant. The research conducted by Pfeffer and Veiga (1999) had shown that, training and development programs helps in the formation of both skills and behavioral attributes in the job activities. Researchers have also suggested that training and development programs have both “affective” and “emotional” aspects that makes an employee feel valued in the organization (Maurer, Pierce and Shore, 2002). This in turn, helps to improve the organizational performance. The research conducted by Benson, Finegold and Mohrman (2004) has shown that, if the employees feel that their employers are investing sufficient time and energy for their overall improvement through devising effective training and development programs, then they tend to reciprocate the effort by remaining loyal to the organization. The research conducted by Iverson (2001) had shown that, preconceived ideas about the training and development programs directly impact the process of learning of the individuals. Factors like communication during the training and development programs, resistance to the change, pace of work, application of the facts learned during the process of training and support received from the supervisors affects the perceptions that individuals have towards the training and development programs. These factors have been found to be common in the works of many researchers and have been found to be directly linked to increasing the effectiveness of the training and development programs. Employee perception is rooted in the social exchange theory which states that if employees feel high level of organizational support, then they will repay the organization with positive attitude. Theoretical Framework The existing literature points out that there are different models of evaluating training in organizations. This paper selects only the Kirkpatrick’s model and the best practices evaluation in training. Kirkpatrick’s model has four dimensions namely reaction, behavior, learning and results (Alliger and Janak, 1989). The best practices training model has been developed by Rae (2002 cited in Ahammad, 2013) and uses a number of measures to ensure the effectiveness of the training. The steps involved in the best practices model involve the recognition of needs of learning, developing a plan that helps in formulating the stages of planning and finally measuring the outcomes of the programs. This research however, wants to use only the Kirkpatrick’s method of evaluating the training programs. This is because, it will be easier to measure the outcomes based on the four discrete dimensions. The reaction dimension will help in the measurement of satisfaction that employees are facing from the current training model of Grand Hyatt, Macau. The dimension of learning evaluation will help in measuring the before and after aspects of the training programs. Behavior learning evaluation will help in estimating the application of job training in the practical scenario and results evaluation helps in the measurement of the overall level of effectiveness of the results. The aspect of reaction and learning evaluation will help the researcher to obtain an understanding about the perception that the employees have towards the existing training programs. This is the rationale for which the Kirkpatrick’s model is chosen for the purpose of conducting the research. Synthesis The training and the development needs of the operative staff and front-line employees in the food and beverages sector has not received much attention from the academic and management scholars. The aspect of employee perception regarding the training and development programs has been vividly described in the works of previous researchers. There is however, not much research regarding the perception of training in the food and beverages department. Therefore, it can be argued that this paper can make significant contribution to the existing literature by integrating the aspect of perception of training and development programs in the food and beverages department of the hospitality industry. Conclusion There is no denying the fact that the importance of training and development programs in the hospitality industry is profound. However, the training and development programs will turn ineffective if the employees have negative perceptions towards them. Therefore, it is important to improve the perceptions that employees have towards these programs in order to improve their effectiveness. There is a dearth in the existing literature regarding the perceptions that employees have in the training and development programs in the food and beverages industry. Methodology Research Design There are three type of research design that can be used by researchers in conducting a research namely explanatory, exploratory and descriptive. This research has used an explanatory research design because, in this type of a research design the researcher attempts to connect the causes with the effect. Initially it was argued that the explanatory research design is consistent only with quantitative research however researchers have argued that it is also consistent with qualitative research (Gratton and Jones, 2010). The cause and effect relationship between the variables has made researchers relate the concept of hypothesis testing with the use of explanatory variables. Philosophy Describing a research philosophy forms the groundwork of conducting the research. It has been observed that there are three different types of research philosophy that can be adopted by researchers to provide a theoretical groundwork for the research namely realism, positivism and interpretivism (Gratton and Jones, 2010). Positivism and interpretivism are two opposite sides of the spectrum, while realism is a stance that aims to bridge the gap between the two. This research has adopted the philosophy of realism because it is a combination of both positivism and interpretivism. The research philosophy of realism is consistent with interpretivism because, the researcher understands that social and natural sciences are different but it is possible to pre-interpret the social reality (McBurney and White, 2009). Also realism is rooted in the theory of positivism because it accepts that science must be backed up with some robust empirical evidence and that social science can also be supported by empirical evidence. Research Approach A researcher can use either inductive or deductive research approach. A third approach is to use a mixed approach that makes use of both the inductive and deductive approach. If the researcher undertakes an inductive research the researcher has to formulate a theory by making observation of the empirical data that is collected in the due course of the research. In other words in an inductive research the researcher develops a new theory after completing the research. However, in case of a deductive research one has to first study the existing theoretical background and collect data to validate the theories. This type of a research approach can also be closely related to the idea of hypothesis testing by using econometric and statistical models (McDaniel and Gates, 1998). This research can be treated as a deductive one because; the researcher has already accepted the stance that, training and development programs indeed improve the performance of employees. The research is deductive because observations made during the research may help in formulation of new ideas. Research Method Qualitative method and Quantitative method are the two types of research method that is used by researchers. Some researchers have also used the concept of mixed research method which uses both quantitative and qualitative research as it improves the research triangulation. In case of a qualitative research the researcher explores the mindset of respondents and makes interpretation out of the experiences faced by the respondents. However, in case of a quantitative research one has to use mathematical and statistical models to quantify the observations made and deduce the results (Proctor, 2005). Previous researchers have shown that adopting a qualitative research is more suitable for an inductive stance and a quantitative research philosophy is consistent with the research philosophy of positivism. As this research has used the research philosophy of realism, so using the mixed research method is a rationale decision taken on the part of the researcher. Research Strategy There are five different type of research strategies that can be used by researchers namely experimentation, survey, archival analysis, historical study and case study. This research plans to use the concept of case study to answer the research question. The rationale for choosing a case study approach is that, it allows the researcher to follow the guidelines of an explanatory research design. Researchers who have used case study in their works have shown that it allows separation of certain social factors in a real-life scenario. A case study approach allows the researcher to support or refute the existing explanation by testing the empirical validity of the data. Social science research has extensively used the concept of case study in the past (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2012). In this particular research, the researcher has to collect data from a number of respondents and the observations are to be compared and contrasted with the works of the previous researchers. Therefore, adopting a case study approach in the explanatory research paradigm seems to be a rationale approach. Research Tools This research uses two main research tools namely semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. This is because; the researcher has adopted a mixed methodology of research that uses both qualitative and quantitative research. The use of questionnaire survey with close ended questions is one of the most common tools to collect data for quantitative research. The reason for using questionnaire is that, it is one of the ways to collect maximum data in a small span of time (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2012). On the other hand , use of semi-structured interviews is a common method of collection of data for the purpose of qualitative data. A semi-structured interview is used because it helps in exploring the mind of the respondents through detailed explanations that cannot be obtained from a questionnaire survey. Research Techniques Adopting a mixed approach for the research implies that, there is both qualitative and quantitative data that is to be used. In order to interpret the quantitative data, correlation analysis and linear regression models can be applied to find the components of training and development programs that are highly beneficial for the employees. The ideas obtained from the interviews, which represent the qualitative data, can be represented by using pie charts and other descriptive statistics to provide a visual presentation of the data. Population and Sampling This research uses convenience sampling, as it is a non-probability based sampling method. In case of choosing the sample for survey, the researcher uses the concept of convenience sampling. This is because; in this sampling the respondents are chosen on the basis of their physical closeness to the researcher. Ten members are chosen on the basis of snowball sampling to conduct the interviews. This is also a non-probability based sampling method where the sample is chosen on the basis of referral. The chosen organization for conducting the research is the Grand Hyatt Macau. The respondents for the survey will be the employees working in the food and beverages department of the hotel. The researcher wishes to select 100 respondents for the purpose. All the employees working in the hotel above the age of 21 years are eligible to take part in the research. The researcher will also ensure that the sample is diverse enough to include employees of different cultural and ethical backgrounds. Ten respondents chosen for the purpose of the interview and in this case the researcher will also use no exclusion criteria. Any valid reference provided by the existing sample will be considered eligible. Reliability and Validity The internal validity of the data is to be tested by using the Cronbach’s alpha. Checking the internal validity ensures that the fluctuations of the dependent variables are caused only by changes in the independent variables. The reliability of the data is guaranteed by the fact that SPSS software is used for analyzing the data. This implies that repeated tests with the data will produce consistent results. Instrumentation There will be two types of instruments that will be used for the collection of data. The first one is a questionnaire that will contain close-ended questions and the second one is a semi-structured interview with the respondents. These two instruments will allow collecting data in a rapid manner. Limitations The main limitations of this research are: The small sample size of the study may not capture the characteristic of the entire population. The respondents may not be entirely honest in answering the questions which may result in biasness of the answers. Generalization of the results may be difficult as the study is focused on one particular organization. Time Management Ethics Consent: The research began with the process of obtaining consent from every respondent included in the study. If the respondents were not comfortable with the idea they were excluded. Deception: The purpose and expected outcomes of the research was first explained to the respondents. There were no hidden agendas in the research and none of the respondents were kept in the dark regarding any aspect. Debriefing: The respondents were debriefed orally and they had to sign a written consent only if they decided to take part in the research. Withdrawal from the investigation: There was no application of force in this research and if respondents found they were unwilling to answer the questions, then they had full liberty to withdraw. Confidentiality: The clause of confidentiality is paramount in this study and the information is not to be traded with any third party. Furthermore, the data that is collected is only to be used to answer the research questions. Protection of participants: The socially acceptable levels of physical, emotional and psychological stress will not be enhanced in this research. This research is however beneficial in terms of improving the effectiveness of the training programs to the employees without causing any harm to them. Observation Research: Not applicable. Research undertaken in public places: As Grand Hyatt Macau has employees of different cultural and ethnic background so the researcher has to ensure that he has to be sensitive regarding the behavior that is exhibited towards the people. Data Protection: Before undertaking the research formally a carefully crafted data protection sheet was circulated among the respondents which contained information regarding the duration of data storage, nature of research, research purpose and the measures undertaken to protect the data. Animal Rights: Not applicable Environmental protection: Not applicable Reference List Ahammad, S., 2013. Importance of training in hotel industry.[pdf] Sodertorn University. Available at: [Accessed 19 October 2014]. Alliger, G. M. and Janak, E. A., 1989. Kirkpatrick's levels of training criteria: Thirty years later. Personnel psychology, 42(2), pp. 331-342. Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Barron, P., Buultjens, J., Cairncross, G. and Davidson, M., 2009. Training needs for the hospitality industry. CRC for Sustainable Tourism. Benson, G. S., Finegold, D. and Mohrman, S. A., 2004. 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