Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of human resource (HR) actors in the design and implementation of HR practices. More specifically, the paper explores how interactions between various HR actors influence the design and implementation of HR practices in tourist resorts in the Maldives. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative, multiple case study approach was used. Data for this study were collected in seven tourist resorts in the Maldives through 49 semi-structured interviews conducted with managers with different functional roles, at various levels in the organisational hierarchy and with non-managerial employees. Field observations and a range of secondary sources supplemented the interview data. Findings – The findings show that all HR actors influence the design and implementation of human resource management (HRM) practices in these resorts to some degree, although the extent of their involvement varies from actor to actor. Execution of HR practices necessitates interaction among HR actors as they contest and reconcile their interests and roles. High levels of social capital enhance the roles of HR actors as they overcome constraints to the implementation of HRM practices. Research limitations/implications – This study is a qualitative and exploratory study. Data are clustered at the sub-unit level and limited to a single industry. This presents limitations in generalising the findings. A more extensive study covering other industries is necessary to explore different configurations of the negotiated relationships among HR actors. Practical implications – This study identifies various management strategies that could be used to enhance HR actors’ social capital. These strategies could be useful for managers in other organisational settings Originality/value – There is a dearth of literature on the interactions between managers at different levels in organisational hierarchies and with different functional roles, and how these interactions affect the design and implementation of HRM practices in organisations. Using social capital theory, this research explores the interaction between HR actors in the design and implementation of HRM in the context of self-contained resorts in the Maldives, thereby shedding light on a context that has attracted little research to date.
This paper analyses recent changes in the industrial relations (IR) system in the Maldives. Critical incidents were compiled from interview and document data and analysed using a quasi-grounded theory approach. The analysis shows that, precipitated by the political events of September 2003, profound democratic and IR changes took place, including the emergence of new IR actors and institutions. However, the outcomes of these profound changes were short-lived, reverting to old undemocratic practices and arrangements. The paper highlights the reasons why democratic change occurred as it did in the Maldives and why it reversed.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how resort managers respond to employment legislation (Law No. 02/2008). Design/methodology/approach The qualitative case study data from seven self-contained tourist resorts in the Maldives were used to investigate the managerial responses to employment legislation. Findings Resort managers’ responses ranged from passive compliance to active resistance, with decoupling through opportunism as the dominant strategy used to circumvent the legislation. Some human resource management (HRM) practices emerged from resort managers’ interactions with external stakeholders and employees. Strategic responses and HRM practices were driven by a search for legitimacy or efficiency and sometimes both. The findings show that there are differences between strategic responses and HRM practices by organisational subfield, local resorts and international hotel chains. The resorts’ market orientation also influenced resort managers’ responses and HRM practices. Research limitations/implications The findings of this paper have limitations because it was limited to a single industry/sector and to a particular piece of legislation. However, it demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between institutional context and HRM. Originality/value This paper shows that responding to employment legislation entails a high level of interplay between the institutional environment and HR actors, and between stakeholders (e.g. employees) and HR actors. It demonstrates the difficulty of reconciling institutional requirements with the preferences of different stakeholders and organisational interests. HR actors actively make sense of institutional requirements and modify HRM practices to accommodate stakeholders’ varying perspectives and preferences. This suggests that in countries such as the Maldives, uneven institutional coverage (e.g. incomplete employment legislation) allows room for organisations to innovate – for better or worse.
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