Policy Changes and Its Enforcement Toward Foreign Workers in Hotel Industry

Ahmad, Rozila; Abdul-Rahman, Rohana; Mustaffa, Che Su; Shariff, Nurhazani Mohd; Zainol, Noor Azimin; Radha, Jasmine Zea Raziah Radha Rashid

doi:10.35631/jthem.518001

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Foreign labours are not allowed to work in the front line (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2020). Many hotels employ foreign labour through agents, and when the agents are not registered with the Ministry, monitoring is difficult and there is a risk of the agents breaching the law, for example, by being involved in human trafficking (Ahmad et al , 2020). Foreign labourers in Malaysia have been described as cheap, vulnerable and easily exploitable as employers can instruct their foreign workers to work more than 8 h per day or 48 h per week (Hector, 2013).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits and challenges for Malaysian hotels when employing foreign workers and interns

Ahmad

Scott

2021

IJCTHR

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Purpose In Malaysia, globalization has increased the number of multinational hotel chains and independent five-star hotels employing foreign professionals, interns and labourers. This study aims to explore the benefits and challenges for hotels of the many foreigners working in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Malaysian hotel managers concerning employment of foreign workers. Findings The results indicate that the employment of foreign workers benefits customers, enlarges the hotel’s network of industry contacts and enhances the knowledge, professionalism and service culture of the hotel workforce. This study identified challenges for the foreign workers such as culture shocks and problems with learning the Malay language. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory qualitative study conducted prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. The unemployment issue is worsened as COVID-19 spreads globally. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first study to examine the positive and negative impacts of foreign workers employment in hotels in Malaysia. Practical implications The employment of foreign workers reduces the availability of jobs for locals. Recommendations are provided for locals to improve their employability and for hotels to better host international interns. Social implications This study highlights the need for balance between the benefits of foreign workers employment, and its challenges such as local unemployment. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first in the international human resources management literature to provide a first-hand perspective of employment of expatriate managers, foreign labourers and interns in hotels in a Southeast Asian developing country.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%