Introduction
Kusluvan (2003) defines stress as a condition where one experiences tension when the physical or psychological demands they are subjected to outweigh them.
Stress is a feeling which comes about when one reacts to a particular event. The body when subjected to stimuli tries to rise to the challenge and prepares to meet a situation that is tough for it with some focus, strength, and stamina. Its alertness is heightened. Those situations which incite stress for the body are stressors and they range from physical danger to psychological strain.
Response to stress is often critical when it is called for. In the workplace, for instance, it could involve delaying a return journey from an excursion in order to wait for a late tourist. Afterward, the body returns to its normal state but is ready to respond again to another stressful situation. Nevertheless, it is not all the time that stress happens when one is subjected to situations that are immediate. Divorce, for instance, is a long-term situation, and coping with it can take a long time, just like losing a leg. Situations that take long to deal with are often causes of stress that are of a low level but it is tough on those experiencing it. Though the body detects the situation immediately, it gets rid of the stress slowly and therefore takes a long time. The result could be exhaustion for the person experiencing stress and a weakening of the immune system. Consequently, other problems could arise which include depression and heart ailments (Stress).
Kusluvan goes on to say that some amount of stress is preferred in order for one to achieve success. He says that when stress is negative or in excess, employees and managers are not able to accomplish their tasks. He however suggests that we need some optimal level of stress in order to improve attention. Optimal stress provides stimulation and improves performance in the workplace (Kusluvan 2003).
Though some amount of stress is important for success, overwhelming stress is not good for anybody. Stress overload can be caused by pressures that last a long time or are very severe to handle. In the hospitality industry, causes of overwhelming stress include subjection to bullying, violence or physical injury, stress from a relationship with co-workers and clients, conflicts within the workplace, and pressure from a lot of work. One may find that they have no time to relax from the demands and the nature of work (Stress). When stress becomes too much to bear, then one might require seeking special attention in order to deal with it.
The hospitality and tourism industry
One of the biggest industries that are also growing rapidly in the world in the tourism industry. The hospitality industry is part of and the core element in this industry. The World Tourism Organization predicts that in the twenty-first century, this industry will grow even more and will be responsible for the employment of millions of people. As the tourism and hospitality industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds, the expectations and demands of clients also increase. In addition, the needs and desires of clients continue to vary and the industry is put under pressure to meet them and offer satisfactory services (Kusluvan 2003). There is also a great deal of competition among the local and international firms in the industry. Kusluvan (2003) argues that with this kind of business environment where consumers have their expectations and companies are competing for success, then the industry is under a lot of pressure to excel in terms of the quality of services they provide, satisfaction of clients, and the general performance. Employees are the most valuable assets in the industry since it is they that provide the services. For this reason, they are dependable for the provision of excellent services in order for the tourism and hospitality industry to meet the expectations of the customers, attain a competitive advantage and boast outstanding organizational performance. They serve a critical role in the industry. Their attitude and behavior require wise management so that both the tourism and hospitality industry and the employees are satisfied.
Case study
Consider the case of a housekeeper in one of the tourist resorts. There are guests in all the rooms who are supposed to vacate so that other guests check-in. Suppose the guests are supposed to vacate at say three o’clock in the evening. The housekeeper is under pressure to ensure that the old guests check out in time for cleaning and making the rooms ready for the new group. If the old occupants are not out in time for this, then it means that the housekeeper has failed the new group of customers. This could result in inconveniences and consequently loss of clients, not to mention the business.
A travel agent is required to book luxury hotel rooms for the weekend. The agent will be lucky if there are any luxury rooms left as there has been an overflow of tourists in the country in the recent past. If the agent does not find the required rooms, the clients will be angry. Worse still, they will look for an alternative. With a group of tourists whose needs and domineering vary and their level of intelligence differ, one might not know what to expect (Baut 2006). This could result in stress for the employees of this industry. To say the least, there will be no commission for this agent and that means no money. The pressure builds.
The pay in the tourism and hospitality industry is not so attractive. One can not have prospects of getting rich from working in the industry. This slot is only left to those at the very top of the industry. Only they can be said to be living comfortably from the gains in the industry. However, the low-ranking employees only have peanuts while their colleagues in such fields as medicine and law are making a fortune and are therefore able to invest. This is despite the stress that comes with the work (Hospitality and tourism).
Discussion
Within the European countries and among the EFTA nations, the hospitality and tourism industry has been linked to the highest risk of physical violence. In these nations, the staff is subjected to a very stressful environment. They constantly have to deal with harsh drunk clients. The condition is taken for granted as it is believed to be part of the job to be exposed to violence and regular sexual harassment. Since it is up to the employees to offer the best services to customers and ensure their varying needs are met, such behavior has to be contended with as drinking is one of the entertainment forms clients demand (Baut 1995). In Norway for instance, it is recorded that around half of all the occurrences of violence occur inside the hospitality industry (Workplace violence and stress). These cases of violence are often the result of drug and substance abuse.
While violence involves the customers for whom workers are employed, there are other factors that employees face without any alternative. Such include the unusual working hours. More often than not, employees in the hospitality industry have to work at night in order to meet the demands of this sector. Besides, you will find people working alone under conditions that are not favorable. The young and transient employees are also exploited and are generally the vulnerable workforce. While those who have worked in the industry tend to enjoy some sense of permanence, the former is believed to be temporary and waiting for other opportunities outside the industry. In addition, the employees with little experience or training are also taken advantage of (Workplace stress and violence). Their stress comes in the form of work overloads from those who know the ropes while they are actually the ones who get the least pay. It is a case of the more the work, the less they pay. It is not surprising to find that this lot actually has even more financial responsibilities which they hardly meet from their meager earnings.
It is also significantly obvious that the minority groups in the hospitality industry face more stressful situations than their majority counterparts. Most females are intimidated, and so are the migrant workers, especially those who belong to the ethnic minority groups (Workplace stress and violence).
Stress factors
While we mention the stress that employees face in the tourism and hospitality industry, we cannot leave out the factors that result in stress. Some of the factors include an intensive interface with the industry’s clients. The clients also have a demand for highly varying and made-to-order services with a stiff requirement that the services be delivered on time. Another stress factor is the lack f defined roles for the employee in an environment that is customer-dominated. The supervisors lack proper training and the result is little control of employees. From all the stress they face, it has been found that employees in the hospitality industry have poorer health status than that of an average population (on stress and the hospitality industry).
Conclusion
There is a need for more research in order for us to recognize strategies that could help in reducing stress in the tourism and hospitality industry which has been shown to be inherent. The research reviews work stress in the industry and the effect it has on employees’ performance. Alistair argues that productivity is the most important objective for most commercial ventures. This implies that businesses pursue high productivity all the time. Productivity is a measurement for the relationship between the amount of output and quality of inputs involved for a system to have output (Goldsmith, Nickson, Wood and Sloan 1997). Job stress is likely to cause strains on the individual such as insomnia, headaches, and depression. Ultimately, it leads to decreased employee turnover and absenteeism. In addition, there are workplace accidents. The industry suffers decreased productivity and reduced job satisfaction.
References
Baum, T., 2006, ‘Managing People in International Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure.’ London: Thomson Publishing house.
Baum, T., 1995, ‘Managing Human Resources in the European Tourism and Hospitality Industry: A Strategic Approach.’ London: Chapman and Hall Publishers.
Goldsmith, A L, Nickson, D P, Wood, R.C. & Sloan, D., 1997, ‘Human Resource Management for hospitality services.’ Cengage Learning EMEA.
Kusluvan, Salih, 2003, ‘Managing Employee attitudes and behaviors in the Tourism and hospitality industry.’ Nova publishers.
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