An empirical investigation into the influence of human resource management practices on work engagement: the case of customer-contact employees in Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of specific human resource management practices on employees’ work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered using surveys from a sample of 438 customer-contact employees attached to 34 upscale hotels throughout Malaysia and analyzed using partial least squares technique.

Findings

The findings showed that service training and performance appraisal have a positive and significant influence on work engagement. The proposed model was able to explain 16.2 per cent of the variance in work engagement.

Research limitations/implications

The findings indicate that hotel authorities can enhance work engagement of their customer-contact employees by improving service training and refining performance appraisal practices.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that focus on the specific effect of individual human resource management practices on work engagement, especially within the context of a developing country (i.e. Malaysia) using structural equation modelling.

Citation

Ling Suan, C. and Mohd Nasurdin, A. (2014), "An empirical investigation into the influence of human resource management practices on work engagement: the case of customer-contact employees in Malaysia", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-12-2013-0083