What It Takes to Be a Manager

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2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MANAGER: THE CASE OF MALAYSIAN FIVESTAR RESORT HOTELS
Rozila Ahmad ([e-mail])
Noor Azimin Zainol ([e-mail])
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Sintok, 06010 Kedah
ABSTRACT
This article investigates the requirement for managerial posts in five-star resort hotels in Malaysia. Despite the growth of hotel industry in Malaysia, academic literature especially qualitative empirical study focusing on the human capital needs of the industry in the country is scarce. Different from other industries, in the hotel industry a Bachelor’s Degree hardly guarantees the attainment of management position. Based on interviews with 42 hotel employees including 19 managers from six hotels, this article suggests that work experience and leadership skill is crucial for hotel managers to perform their job. Other requirements are knowledge, education and English proficiency. This suggestion is supported by the employees’ profile. The implications are discussed, emphasizing the need to consider increasing hotel students’ work experience in the industry and enhancing their leadership skill.
Keywords: human resource management, hotel industry, career, leadership, education, communication

INTRODUCTION
There is a shortage of skilled workers in Malaysia due to its rapidly growing economy (Business Monitor
International Ltd., 2010). Tourism is among the main contributor for the economic growth and its alignment with hotel industry has created many job opportunities to the local population. Based on the statistics by
Malaysian Association of Hotels (2011a) from 2007 to 2010 the number of tourist arrival has increased from
20.9 million to 23.6 million and this was followed by the increment in the number of hotels and motels from
1567 to 2005. This has led to the continuous growth of public and private institutions offering hotel
management

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