ABSTRACT
Adaptation and recovery are essential for businesses to survive crises and disasters. Drawing on the concepts of business resilience and hospitality service delivery practices, this study explored strategies employed by owners of Vietnamese homestay businesses for adapting to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with 17 purposefully selected homestay owners were conducted during the pandemic. The thematic analysis of the data revealed three major strategies: adapting operational protocols, modifying products and service offerings, and reinstating the authenticity of the homestay experience. A conceptual model illustrating the transformations in homestay businesses was developed from the findings. As the study particularly revealed that the selected Vietnamese homestay businesses showed a strong capacity for adaptation, we discuss several factors influencing the implementation of adaptation and recovery strategies. This study contributes to the understanding of how micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises can adapt to external shocks and new externalities, and provides practical implications for homestay owners and stakeholders in relation to their post-pandemic business recovery.
ABSTRACT
Employees are the most valuable asset of any service business because of its human-centric nature. However, in the crisis situations, the human side in crisis management strategy, particularly in the areas of human resource management is largely overlooked. The present study explores how human resource management (HRM) practices in the pre-crisis stage could build a good foundation of psychological capital (PsyCap) for tourism and hospitality staff to be mentally resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded on the conservation of resource (COR) theory, research hypotheses are developed and then empirically tested using a sample of 760 employees in various tourism and hospitality companies. Research outcomes demonstrate that wellbeing-oriented HRM policies (specifically employee development and employee empowerment policies) in the pre-crisis stage increases employee PsyCap during the pandemic, leading to the preservation of their wellbeing. More importantly, employees' family financial burden is found as a moderating factor, altering the influences of HRM policies on employee PsyCap and their in-crisis wellbeing. Therefore, wellbeing-oriented HRM could be part of crisis preparedness strategy for tourism and hospitality businesses as well as crucial element of the internal corporate social responsibility portfolio in tourism and hospitality businesses. In developing countries, where less financial support and fewer job security policies are available during crises than in the developed world, the application of wellbeing-oriented HRM becomes even more critical.
ABSTRACT
Adaptation and recovery are essential for businesses to survive crises and disasters. Drawing on the concepts of business resilience and hospitality service delivery practices, this study explored strategies employed by owners of Vietnamese homestay businesses for adapting to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with 17 purposefully selected homestay owners were conducted during the pandemic. The thematic analysis of the data revealed three major strategies: adapting operational protocols, modifying products and service offerings, and reinstating the authenticity of the homestay experience. A conceptual model illustrating the transformations in homestay businesses was developed from the findings. As the study particularly revealed that the selected Vietnamese homestay businesses showed a strong capacity for adaptation, we discuss several factors influencing the implementation of adaptation and recovery strategies. This study contributes to the understanding of how micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises can adapt to external shocks and new externalities, and provides practical implications for homestay owners and stakeholders in relation to their post-pandemic business recovery.