How to Enhance Smart Work Effectiveness as a Sustainable HRM Practice in the Tourism Industry

Hyunjung (Helen) Choi, Jin Young Lee, Youngjoon Choi, Yuxian Juan and Choong-Ki Lee
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Hyunjung (Helen) Choi: Hotel Management Major, Tourism Management Division, Baekseok University, Chungcheongnam-do, Cheonan-si 31065, Korea
Jin Young Lee: Hotel & Tourism Management Department, Woo Song University, Daejeon 34606, Korea
Youngjoon Choi: Department of International Office Administration, College of Science & Industry Convergence, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
Yuxian Juan: School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 519000, China
Choong-Ki Lee: College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: With the development of information technologies and increasing interest in sustainability, many companies have adopted smart work as a sustainable human resource practice. Moreover, the outbreak of COVID-19 has further promoted smart work in the workplace. However, the benefits and disadvantages of smart work are still under debate. In this regard, this study attempted to delve into how to enhance smart work implementation by exploring employees’ subjectivity. Hana Tour, which is considered a good model of smart work in South Korea, was selected as a sample company. Q-methodology was employed to listen to employees’ subjective opinions about smart work that they experienced. This study identified five types of smart work perceptions, namely, “self-development and energy saving,” “quality of personal life,” “job satisfaction,” “work engagement,” and “work–life balance”. Based on these five types, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the last chapter. Interestingly, the results showed that employees were not well aware of smart work effectiveness as one of the environmental protection practices in sustainability management paradigms. Another notable result was that employees were not concerned about the potential penalties of their engagement in smart work. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the study’s findings are beneficial to the improvement of smart work implementation as a sustainable HRM practice in business.

Keywords: smart work; subjectivity; sustainable HRM; Q-methodology; contactless work format (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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