The hybrid employment in the Greek hospitality industry
Meletiou, Andreas (2024)
Meletiou, Andreas
2024
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202403295451
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202403295451
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines hybrid work, the flexible work model as it has been recently shaped, particularly because of the Covid-19 pandemic and focuses on its effects and applicability to the Greek hotel industry, particularly the 5* and 4* hotels. The focus on the hotels of these categories is due to the fact that they usually have organized H.R. functions and provide reliable data. In addition, they are the ones mostly influenced by the evolutions of the international labour trends.
Interviews with the industry’s key players and questionnaires, along with informal discussions, were used to take the pulse of the specific market and to elicit market leaders’ opinion as to the possible future outlook of the trend. In addition, discussions were held with other stakeholders of the industry, to take their views as well.
Background and theoretical info from the international literature and the labour market, along with the stated objectives of the thesis, help the reader grasp a reliable overview of the topic. In focus to the Greek hotel market, the thesis attempts to throw more light on the following questions: 1) Is this concept suitable for the hotel industry and to what extend it can be adopted? 2) What is the impact of hybrid work in the Greek hotel industry and what it affects? 3) What do the hotels need to change in case the hybrid or remote work affects them?
In conclusion, it appears that the hybrid work model is not being used by the Greek hotel market, due to the peculiarities of the business which is mostly based on a face-to-face contact and interaction. Exemptions for non-guest-contact positions (like admin, accounting, IT) take place but usually are of a short duration. Although the “conclusions” part of this thesis offers a current snapshot of the topic at the time of the report, it needs to be considered that hybrid employment is a relatively new trend and keeps evolving, maturing, and shaping along with time, as governmental interventions attempt to regulate it further to mitigate its disadvantages and to control possible abuses of it. In this respect and subject to the appropriate technological evolution, it may be gradually adopted in the future for certain hotel positions.
Interviews with the industry’s key players and questionnaires, along with informal discussions, were used to take the pulse of the specific market and to elicit market leaders’ opinion as to the possible future outlook of the trend. In addition, discussions were held with other stakeholders of the industry, to take their views as well.
Background and theoretical info from the international literature and the labour market, along with the stated objectives of the thesis, help the reader grasp a reliable overview of the topic. In focus to the Greek hotel market, the thesis attempts to throw more light on the following questions: 1) Is this concept suitable for the hotel industry and to what extend it can be adopted? 2) What is the impact of hybrid work in the Greek hotel industry and what it affects? 3) What do the hotels need to change in case the hybrid or remote work affects them?
In conclusion, it appears that the hybrid work model is not being used by the Greek hotel market, due to the peculiarities of the business which is mostly based on a face-to-face contact and interaction. Exemptions for non-guest-contact positions (like admin, accounting, IT) take place but usually are of a short duration. Although the “conclusions” part of this thesis offers a current snapshot of the topic at the time of the report, it needs to be considered that hybrid employment is a relatively new trend and keeps evolving, maturing, and shaping along with time, as governmental interventions attempt to regulate it further to mitigate its disadvantages and to control possible abuses of it. In this respect and subject to the appropriate technological evolution, it may be gradually adopted in the future for certain hotel positions.