Readiness for Senior Workers in the Phuket Hotel Industry, Thailand: Perspective of Human Resource Professionals
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the advantages and disadvantages of employment for senior workers, to investigate their job opportunities and constraints, and to assess the readiness for senior employment in hotel industry, from a human resources professional’s perspective. Using a qualitative approach with semi-structured interview, ten human resources professionals from different hotels in Phuket were recruited in this study based on a purposive sampling technique. Findings indicate limited employment prospects for senior workers due to decreased physical energy, flexibility, and increased costs. Notably, hotels with a longer history showed a greater inclination to hire seniors. The study recommends government interventions and the creation of specialized roles leveraging the experience of senior workers to enhance job prospects. The paper also addresses implications, study limitations, and avenues for future research.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Statements and opinions expressed in articles herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editors or publisher.
Article, information, text, image, etc. which are published in Journal of International Studies, belong to Journal of International Studies. If anybody or any organization would like to use part or whole of them, they must receive written permission from Journal of International Studies before usage.
References
Andersen, L. L., & Sundstrup, E. (2019). Study protocol for Senior Working Life - push and stay mechanisms for labour market participation among older workers. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019- 6461-6
Ann, S., & Blum, S. C. (2020). Motivating senior employees in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(1), 324-346. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-08-2018-0685
Becker, G. S. (2009). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. University of Chicago Press.
Beehr, T. A., & Bennett, M. M. (2014). Working after retirement: Features of bridge employment and research directions. Work, Aging and Retirement, 1(1), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/wau007
Bowman, D., McGann, M., Kimberley, H., & Biggs, S. (2016). ‘Rusty, invisible and threatening’: Ageing, capital and
employability. Work, Employment and Society, 31(3), 465-482. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017016645732
Boyce, C., & Neale, P. (2006). Conducting in-depth interview: a guide for designing and conducting in-depth interviews for evaluation input. Pathfinder.
Canning, R. (2011). Older workers in the hospitality industry: valuing experience and informal learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30(5), 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2011.611904
Cheung,S., Y., & Woo, L. (2021). Age stereotypes and the job suitability of older workers from hotel managers’ perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102932
Department of Older Persons. (December 31, 2020). Number of senior citizens in Thailand as of December 2020, by gender (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 02, 2021, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu.hk/statistics/1059605/thailand-number-of-senior-citizens-by-gender/
De Wind, A., Geuskens, G. A., Reeuwijk, K. G., Westerman, M. J., Ybema, J. F., Burdorf, A., Bongers, P. M., & van der Beek, A. J. (2013). Pathways through which health influences early retirement: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-292
Dingemans, E., Henkens, K., & Solinge, H. V. (2016). Working beyond retirement in Europe: An investigation of individual and societal determinants using share. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2796625
Dobbins, T., Plows, A., & Lloyd-Williams, H. (2013). 'Make do and mend' after redundancy at Anglesey aluminium: Critiquing human capital approaches to unemployment. Work, Employment and Society, 28(4), 515-532.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017013491454
Euromonitor International. (2020). Thailand in 2040: the future demographic. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from
https://www.euromonitor.com/our-expertise/passport
Fasbender, U., Wöhrmann, A. M., Wang, M., & Klehe, U. (2019). Is the future still open? The mediating role of occupational future time perspective in the effects of career adaptability and aging experience on late-career planning. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 111, 24-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.10.006
Gellert, F. J., & Schalk, R. (2012). Age‐related attitudes: The influence on relationships and performance at work. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 26(1), 98-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777261211211115
Hannon, K. E. (2017). Great jobs for everyone 50 +: Finding work that keeps you happy and Healthy...and pays the bills. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Jenkins, A., & Poulston, J. (2014). Managers’ perceptions of older workers in British hotels. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion an International Journal, 33(1), 54–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-10-2012-0096
Kadijk, E. A., Van den Heuvel, S., Ybema, J. F., & Leijten, F. R. (2019). The influence of multi-morbidity on the workability of ageing employees and the role of coping style. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 29(3), 503- 513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-018-9811-9
Kallio, H., Pietilä, A.-M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semistructured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954-2965. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
Kira, M., & Klehe, U. (2016). Self-definition threats and potential for growth among mature-aged job-loss victims. Human Resource Management Review, 26(3), 242-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.03.001
Kitamura, T., Adachi, Y., & Uemura, T. (2020). Effect of caregiving on employment for senior workers in Japan. Ageing
International, 46(2), 142-169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-020-09377-8
Koh, T. Y., Rowlinson, S., & Pollock, S. (2020). Issues with senior workers in Hong Kong construction industry: Preliminary observations and intervention opportunities. Periodica Polytechnica Architecture, 51(1), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.3311/ppar.15582
Kooij, D., de Lange, A., Jansen, P., & Dikkers, J. (2008). Older workers' motivation to continue to work: Five meanings of age. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(4), 364-394. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940810869015
Kornadt, A.E., & Rothermund, K. (2011). Contexts of Aging: Assessing Evaluative Age Stereotypes in Different Life Domains. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 66(5), 547–556.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr036
Lahti, J., Lahelma, E., & Rahkonen, O. (2017). Changes in leisure-time physical activity and subsequent common mental disorders among ageing employees. European Journal of Public Health, 27(4), 765-767. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckx020
Lawrence, B. S. (1988). New wrinkles in the theory of age: Demography, norms, and performance ratings. Academy of
Management Journal, 31(2), 309-337. https://doi.org/10.5465/256550
le Blanc, P. M., Peeters, M. C., van der Heijden, B. I., & van Zyl, L. E. (2019). To leave or not to leave? A multi-sample study on individual, job-related, and organisational antecedents of employability and retirement intentions. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02057
Leopold, R. (2016). How to help your senior employees thrive in the workplace. Strategic HR Review, 15(6), 275-277.
https://doi.org/10.1108/shr-08-2016-0079
Loretto, W., & White, P. (2006). Population ageing and older workers: employers' perceptions, attitudes and policies. Population, Space and Place, 12(5), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.421
Mastercard. (2019). Global destination cities index 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2024, from
https://www.mastercard.com/news/insights/2019/global-destination-cities-index-2019/
Mauno, S., Ruokolainen, M., & Kinnunen, U. (2013). Does aging make employees more resilient to job stress? Age as a moderator in the job stressor–well-being relationship in three Finnish occupational samples. Aging & Mental Health, 17(4), 411-422. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2012.747077
McGregor, J. (2007). Employment of older workers: Retirement commissioner’s 2007 review of retirement income policy.
Retirement Commission.
Mincer, J. (1974). Schooling, experience, and earnings. New York: Columbia University Press.
Napathorn, C. (2021). HR practices for managing aging employees in organisations: The case of Thailand. International Journal of Emerging Markets, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoem-01-2020-0043
Ng, T. W. H. & Feldman, D. C. (2008). The Relationship of Age to Ten Dimensions of Job Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 392–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.2.392
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis. International Journal of Qualitative
Methods, 16(1), 160940691773384. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Pond, R., Stephens, C., & Alpass, F. (2009). How health affects retirement decisions: Three pathways taken by middle-older aged New Zealanders. Ageing and Society, 30(3), 527-545. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x09990523
Prasomthong, N. (2019). Labor Shortage and Demand for Migrant Workers Employment of Hotel Business in Phuket Province. Journal of International and Thai Tourism, 15(2), 121-137.
Rahn, G., Martiny, S. E., & Nikitin, J. (2021). Feeling out of place: Internalised age stereotypes are associated with older employees' sense of belonging and social motivation. Work, Aging and Retirement, 7(1), 61-77.
https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waaa005
Reynolds, F., Farrow, A., & Blank, A. (2012). "Otherwise it would be nothing but cruises": Exploring the subjective benefits of working beyond 65. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 7(1), 79-106. https://doi.org/10.3384/ijal.1652-8670.127179
Schultz, T.W. (1981). Investment in human capital: The role of education and research. New York: The Free Press.
Sewdas, R., de Wind, A., van der Zwaan, L. G., van der Borg, W. E., Steenbeek, R., van der Beek, A. J., & Boot, C. R. (2017). Why older workers work beyond the retirement age: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 17(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4675-z
Shoowong, M. (2022, December 15). Phuket hotels lack workers. Bangkok Post. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2460735/phuket-hotels-lack-workers
Shore, L. M., & Goldberg, C. B. (2004). Age discrimination in the workplace. In R. L. Dipboye & A. Colella (Eds.), Discrimination at work (pp. 203-226). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Smith, J. (2018). Senior living employees’ perceptions of aging and employee engagement. Innovation in Aging, 2(1), 452-452. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igy023.1694
Solem, P. E. (2015). Ageism and age discrimination in working life. Nordic Psychology, 68(3), 160-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/19012276.2015.1095650
The World Bank. (2021). Aging and the Labor Market in Thailand: Labor Markets and Social Policy in a Rapidly Transforming and Aging Thailand. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/428491622713258312/pdf/Aging-and-the-Labor-Market-in-Thailand-Labor-Markets-and-Social-Policy-in-a-Rapidly-Transforming-and-Aging-Thailand.pdf
Thomassen, K., Sundstrup, E., Vinstrup, J., Seeberg, K. G., & Andersen, L. L. (2022). Barriers and facilitators of re
employment among senior workers: Prospective cohort study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18), 11536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811536
Truxillo, D. M. & Fraccaroli, F. (2013). Research themes on age and work: Introduction to the Special Issue. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(3), 249–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2013.786604
Tunney, O. C., & Oude Mulders, J. (2021). When and why do employers (Re)Hire employees beyond normal retirement age? Work, Aging and Retirement. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waab020
Turek, K., & Perek-Bialas, J. (2013). The role of employers opinions about skills and productivity of older workers: Example of Poland. Employee Relations, 35(6), 648-664. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-04-2013-0039
Ulrich, L. B., & Brott, P. E. (2005). Older workers and bridge employment: Redefining retirement. Journal of Employment
Counseling, 42(4), 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2005.tb01087.x
UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). (2019). Population and Development for a Sustainable Future in Thailand: 25 Years after the ICPD. Retrieved October 29, 2021 from https://thailand.unfpa.org/en/25-years-ICPD
United Nations. (2020) World Population Ageing 2020 Highlights: Living arrangements of older persons. United Nations Publication. Retrieved October 02, 2021, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.
development.desa.pd/files/undesa_pd-2020_world_population_ageing_highlights.pdf
United Nations. (January 13, 2020). Share of population older than 65 in the ASEAN region in 2035* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 02, 2021 from https://www-statistacom.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu.hk/statistics/713809/asean-forecast-aging-population/
United Nations. (January 27, 2021). Share of population older than 65 in Thailand from 2015 to 2020 with a forecast to 2100 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 02, 2021, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu.hk/statistics/713667/thailand-forecast-aging-population/
Vigil, T. C. (2018). The retirement age and the hiring of senior workers. Labour Economics, 51, 247-270.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2018.01.004
van Dam, K., van der Vorst, J. D., & van der Heijden, B. I. (2009). Employees' intentions to retire early: a case of planned behavior and anticipated work conditions. Journal of Career Development, 35(3), 265-289.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845308327274
Van Droogenbroeck, F., & Spruyt, B. (2016). I Ain't gonna make it. Comparing job demands-resources and attrition intention between senior teachers and senior employees of six other occupational categories in Flanders. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 83(2), 128-155. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415016647729
Vinstrup, J., Meng, A., Sundstrup, E., & Andersen, L. L. (2021). The Psychosocial Work Environment and Perceived Stress among Seniors with Physically Demanding Jobs: The Senior Working Life Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7437. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147437
Voronina, L., Kasyanova, T., & Radchenko, T. (2019). Human capital of senior employees: reality or myths. In The 13th
International Days of Statistics and Economics (pp. 1640-1649).
Wallace, A., Australian Human Rights Commission, Moore, A., Fase, D., & Briscese, W. (2013). Fact or fiction?: Stereotypes of older Australians.
Wikström, E., Eriksson, E., Karamehmedovic, L., & Liff, R. (2018). Knowledge retention and age management – senior
employees' experiences in a Swedish multinational company. Journal of Knowledge Management, 22(7), 1510- 1526. https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-09-2017-0442
World Bank. (June 30, 2021). Thailand: Birth rate from 2009 to 2019 (per 1,000 inhabitants) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 02, 2021 from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu.hk/statistics/977294/crude-birth-rate-in-thailand/
Zappalà, S., Depolo, M., Fraccaroli, F., Guglielmi, D., & Sarchielli, G. (2008). Postponing job retirement?: Psychosocial
influences on the preference for early or late retirement. Career Development International, 13(2), 150-167.