STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module will recognise the importance of human resources to the successful operation of hotels but will emphasise the strategic aspects of Human Resource Management (HRM) that will influence the development of international hospitality companies. Hospitality companies need to develop and implement effective human resource practices and policies to achieve competitive success, especially in the current economic climate. The module is intended to provide an opportunity to review models and concepts underpinning Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and current trends and issues in the strategic HRM for international hospitality industry. It therefore approaches the economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects of managing hospitality businesses world-wide from a critical perspective and asks students to consider how societal and organisational advantage can be achieved through strategic approaches to the management of HR. The module will provide a grounding in the knowledge and application of strategic HRM practices within the global hospitality industry such as Employee Resourcing, Employee Development, Pay, Appraisals and Performance as well as Employment Relations. The content of the module will review several case studies from the hospitality industry delivered by industry experts and lectures.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

XU Tracy (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

NONE

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Models and concepts underpinning Strategic HRM


• The societal and institutional context of HRM


• Strategic management of the employer - employee relationship


• Quality, culture and change


• Methods for employee resourcing, employee development, pay, appraisals and performance, employment relations


• Global / International issues in SHRM


• Employers’ branding

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to encourage students in the first instance to develop their individual ability to analyse in depth hospitality companies’ strategic HRM practices.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Individual report

Students will be asked to evaluate the strategic HRM approach (covering policies, process, and strategy) of one company in the global hospitality industry. Therefore, each student, through thorough research, will present a case for the establishment of competitive advantage through people. Appropriate theory, models and concepts should be used to underpin the discussion. Evaluation whether such competitive advantage has benefits for the sustainability of the business will be also needed. Students will submit a 2,500-word written report.

• Individual theoretical reflection 

Students will be required to critically reflect on the theoretical models and use examples to analyse the impact of the theoretical models across either hospitality, tourism or events. Students will submit a 1,500 word reflection report.

Formative assessment and feedback

• Students will attend group workshops, work on case-study group work, group presentations and reflective accounts during the online seminars, and students will get formative feedback from these online activities.


• Students will be offered topics covered by the group. The groups to research their topics and present to the class in the seminars as a formative assessment.


• During the first online activity, the assignments and the feedback process is explained.


• Feedback is also provided during and after online discussions/guided activities.


• As the online activities are built around topic-specific exercises in a group setting, students do not only benefit from lecturer feedback but also receive peer evaluations.

Once marking is completed, students are provided with feedback, which contains detailed generic feedback as well as a breakdown of marks. This enables students to assess their own performance compared to their peers.

Module aims

• This module aims to develop an awareness and understanding of the complexities associated to strategic HRM in hospitality companies. Students will be introduced to the models and concepts underpinning Strategic HRM and topics such as Employee Resourcing, Employee Development, Pay, Appraisals and Performance, Employment Relations. The aims of the module are to provide students with a range of perspectives for reviewing the strategic HR environment taken by hospitality companies at national and international levels.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to encourage students to think critically about the strategic HRM of companies in the international hospitality industry.

The student experience of learning is designed to be:

• a blend of class discussion-based learning through set online lectures and seminars,


• group workshops and case-study group work, focussed on group presentations and reflective accounts,


• where appropriate and available, guest presentations by invited industry professionals 


• guided study - students will be provided through SurreyLearn with a series of activities including inter alia reading and discussion fora to extend their understanding.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM506

Other information

N/A

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.