Despite ample of opportunity industry
which is overrated at all times comes to us in pathetic shape never like
before. There were times when this industry used to boast its blissful status with
less than half the tourists compared to now visited Nepal. At present
earthquake that divested the industry and an Indian blockade that took the whole
lots of hope in despair does not indicate any relevance to the management
practice that we have been following at present.
What have we done? It is indeed
always very easy to pin point at somebody else, politics, leadership, disaster,
violence, unionism, whatever may be our answer that we may declare appropriate
never solve challenges that we are facing at present. As a business, does this
sector even have sufficient grooming to be called an Industry? What in the
world will anyone do without diligent and competent human resource than to
linger? When will we realize the fact? Of course employee turnover is high but
is that the problem without solution? Yes the society has upgraded itself to 21st
century but have we ourselves seen problem from those prospective of new
generation? How can we claim that the system established during sixties and
seventies should still function?
Veterans of this country found it
important to establish this sector as an industry much before many nations in
the region and around the globe were not even close to the idea, however
achievement that we have made all these years is nothing more than “a bubbles of reputation” nothing stable
nor countable.
Lack of transformation in
employee dose not only mean increase in salary, working environment and hours,
holidays and facilities, job satisfaction, performance and appraisals these are
only few components that has distracted newcomers in the industry.
Operational issues just provides a
gloomy picture.
Human Resource: Nepalese people are famous all around the globe
leading this industry except in their own country. Looking into details it’s
not surprising to find many doing good as mid-line managers and even general
managers of star hotels around the world. Sadly there are only countable
managers that are capable of holding the post of general managers in Nepalese
star hotels. Situation in this industry is beyond managerial analysis and is
funny most of the time.
“Students who go to Five
Star Hotel for their research gets the very humble answer almost every
time: We would love to help you but
these issues are something we can’t address this time or there are no one to
come into your contact so we can’t help you”.
Why these reactions are funny is primarily those who reply
are most of the middle line managers and don’t exactly know what research mean to
their organization and are afraid that their mere errors will be spotted or
even the managers with higher education don’t have the confidence to understand
what suggestions and feedback they might come across or most importantly what they
are afraid is that the researcher might come across those loopholes and their
deceitful activities which they have maintained with local government
authorities. While doing so what this industry really is missing, is the
billion dollar idea and suggestions that every new and young researcher brings
to this industry and revive the worst case scenario to their own rescue and
advantage. If competitive corporate culture was in existence these industry
would have hired researcher to improve their weakness and improve themselves
and now even when students on their own purpose come across them to find their
rooms to improve and support the industry people on these sector not only show
ignorance but also find it useless activity and are avoided most of the time.
Contemporary situation indicates best manpower are being
consumed by banks and are screening significant progress in the region, however
hospitality industry is facing massive brain drain and are unable to compete
with those regions in the middle east which either don’t have much attractive
pay scale. Looking at the reason beyond the cause reflects massive
mismanagement within the industry. Hotels in Nepal does not have any trend nor
culture to overcome employee turnover and the industrialists are happy thinking
that they are able to exploit maximum from their employees unable to understand
the fact that the overworked employee are counterproductive for the
organization.
Hotel industry unable to upgrade its working culture and
environment is facing massive ignorance from the prospective candidates
produced from academic institution in the recent years. Traditional and
classical working environment and culture in Nepal has compelled many diligent
manpower to look for better alternatives in the global market and Nepalese
hotels never come to their priority list. Solution is not only the payment,
primarily hotel as an organization is unable to present the glamour that this
industry needs, working hrs are terribly mismanaged, behavior are below
standards as many employee are found to be overworking and management is busy
fishing in the blurry atmosphere.
No matter how bleak this article must have been, if taken
positively there are ample of Bright-side that can lead us to prosperity. If we
are at worst condition due to various reasons there is no better opportunity
than this to upgrade our systems and working environment to entire new level.
