The Impact of Strategic Human Resource Management on Competitiveness of Small and Medium-scale Enterprises in the Nigerian Hospitality Industry

Abstract

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) has become increasingly important to the competitiveness of firms. Despite the widespread practical and academic interests in SHRM and its impact on the competitiveness of firms, few empirical contributions on small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) could be found. Thus, this study aimed at providing empirical evidence on the impact of SHRM practices on the competitiveness of SMEs in the Nigerian hospitality industry, one of the attractive and fastest-growing industries in the country. This study conducted a survey on 120 small and medium-scale hospitality companies. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaire administered to the human resource managers of the companies. Data collected were analysed using frequency, percentage, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The findings showed that SHRM practices had a positive relationship with the firms’ market share and a significant effect on the profitability. However, the implementation of SHRM practices in the SMEs could be generally described as fair. The study concluded that SHRM had positive and significant impact on the competitiveness of SMEs in the Nigerian hospitality industry. Therefore, SMEs, irrespective of the industry, should pay more attention to SHRM practices with a view to improving their implementation.

Keywords: Strategic human resource management, SME, competitiveness, Nigeria