Managers' perceptions of the impact of the immigrant workforce: The case of the hotel industry on Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze managers' perceptions of the positive and negative impacts that an immigrant labor force has on a hotel's outcomes. Specifically, the study explores the case of 19 hotels on the island of Lanzarote. Lanzarote is a clear example of a region that has undergone a change in its environment, especially in the composition of the population, over a very short period of time. The findings show the likelihood that certain nationalities will be employed in certain departments and that recruitment and selection managers are not aware of the importance of diversity for hotel outcomes. The lack of research on this topic in the tourism and human resource management related literature renders this study relevant for gaining a better understanding of the reality of such a social and economic phenomenon and for developing new lines of research.