Exploratory factor analysis of hotel employee competencies in Thailand: the evidence after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Employees’ competencies have been recognized for the success of the hotel business. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused rapid changes in the hotel workforce including human resource attributes and competency. The existing knowledge on hotel employees’ competencies in the post-COVID-19 era to reference for the hotel industry, particularly in Thailand is limited. Therefore, this study aims to explore the employee competency essential for hotel businesses in the post-pandemic era in Thailand. We started by reviewing the extant literature on employee competency in the hospitality industry and identified 10 domains of competency with 38 components. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to validate the employees’ competencies from 449 managerial and operational employees. The test of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) identified four sets of competencies with 33 components, including Adaptability and Sustainability (13 components), Self and Social Focus (10 components), Service and Communication (five components), and Ethical and Moral (five components). This paper reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic affects the global requirements of hotel employees’ competency, especially adaptability and sustainability competency. This paper provides useful information regarding preparation for the hotel and educational sector in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world.

Keywords:

• Competency
• exploratory factor analysis
• hotel
• employee
• post-COVID era

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Gordon Liu, The Open University, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

SUBJECT:

• The Hospitality Industry; Personnel Selection; Assessment
• and Human
• Resource Management
• Employment & Unemployment
• Labour Economics

Introduction

The concept of competency has become important in human resource management in many industries, particularly in labor-intensive industries such as the hotel industry, where individuals with proficiency levels and types of skills are highly required for a successful business (Kim et al., 2011). The competencies required within an organization may change over time (Chung, 2000). Employees’ competencies were essential for the success of the hotel business before the COVID-19 crisis (Moldoveanu & Narayandas, 2019), but their importance became even more evident after this pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unexpected and sudden changes in the global hospitality industry, including in the hotel workforce. Several Human Resource Management (HRM) researchers (Deloitte, 2020; Hamouche, 2023; Rooyen et al., 2021) have pointed out the change in hotel workforce features in terms of number and human capital attributes. As such, a labor crisis emerged. In the crisis stage of the pandemic, the hospitality industry workforce experienced significant job loss through furloughs and job elimination. Since the industry has a strong potential for recovery due to the loss of travel restrictions globally, it is now facing a labor shortage because of the massive transfer of its labor force to other industries. Hotel businesses have difficulty recruiting qualified applicants for available job openings (Magalhães et al., 2022; Popa et al., 2023). Moreover, the pandemic has created new service standards and led to higher expected values for consumers. Consequently, service excellence is no longer sufficient. Hotels must provide guests with safe, flexible, and enjoyable experiences to remain competitive. This means that the hotel industry requires staff with a specific set of competencies that led to a change in the need for employee competency and qualifications in the post-pandemic era (Magalhães et al., 2022; Popa et al., 2023). This creates a challenge for the global hotel industry to ensure they redesign and identify employee competency and qualifications concerning a rapidly changing world as well as the hotel workforce (Enback, 2020; Ferreira et al., 2022; Magalhães et al., 2022; Ratten, 2020).

Thailand is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. It ranked 3rd on the ‘Top Countries in the World’ list by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2022. Additionally, several hotels and resorts in Thailand are named in the list of the best resorts and hotels in the world as well as five Thai properties included on the list of the best hotels in Southeast Asia (TAT News, 2023). However, the hotel industry in Thailand is facing similar global hotel workforce issues. They are struggling to redesign and identify essential employee competencies to keep businesses competitive after the COVID-19 era (Monpanthong et al., 2023; Promnil, 2021; Promnil & Polnyotee, 2023). Although the existing literature (Alberton et al., 2022; Magalhães et al., 2022; Popa et al., 2023; Secchi et al., 2020) has highlighted several hotel employees’ competency after the COVID-19 pandemic, they were predominately conducted in Western countries and the literature undertaken in Asia, particularly in Thailand is limited (Monpanthong et al., 2023; Promnil, 2021; Sirinet et al., 2020; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022; Yiumtrakul, 2019).

According to Marneros et al. (2020), the competency requirements for employees can vary based on the location and social setting of the hotel. The implementation of knowledge derived from hotel competency studies in Western countries to Eastern countries, like Thailand may pose challenges due to cultural differences. Therefore, it would be important to explore what is happening in Thailand’s hotel industry regarding employees’ competencies and which competencies are perceived by employees at both managerial and operational levels as essential for hotel business competition in the post-pandemic era in Thailand.

To fill these gaps, this research aims to employ a quantitative method to explore employee competency essential for hotel businesses in the post-pandemic era in Thailand. By doing so, this study anticipates contributing new knowledge of the competency required for hotel employees outside the individualistic society typically epitomized by most Western countries. Additionally, knowledge of the changes and trends in hotel workforce competency in the new context has been introduced. The information and knowledge derived from this research may not only benefit the Thailand hotel sector to keep businesses competitive after the COVID-19 era but also the Thai educational sector in developing hospitality educational programs to meet the industry demands.

Literature review

Several competencies were highlighted in the hospitality industry before the COVID-19 pandemic, namely communication, flexibility and adaptability, teamwork, self-competency, ethical competencies, and cross-cultures competency (Hai-Yan & Baum, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Williams, 2015; Windels et al., 2013). Nonetheless, the importance of those competencies increased with the pandemic, including teamwork, communication, interpersonal relationships, flexibility, and adaptability (Magalhães et al., 2022; Michel et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021), and green competency (Cabral & Dhar, 2021; Mirčetić et al., 2022). The most mentioned competencies are self-competency, teamwork, flexibility, and adaptability, followed by digital and technology, interpersonal, ethical, service improvisation, communication, culture and linguistics, and green competency as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Hotel employees’ competency before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employees’ competency	Jauhari (2006)	Wang (2013)	Elbaz et al. (2018)	Yiumtrakul (2019)	Otoo (2019)	Hamali and Pasunon (2020)	Enback (2020)	Promnil (2021)	Browne (2021)	Magalhães et al. (2022)	Sowanna and Lertputtarak (2022)	Frequency
1. Self-competency	√	√	√		√	√			√	√		7
2. Interpersonal relationship				√		√			√	√		4
3. Teamwork	√	√	√	√	√			√			√	7
4. Ethical	√	√	√	√	√						√	6
5. Service improvisation		√		√		√	√				√	5
6. Culture and linguistic						√		√		√	√	4
7. Communication	√	√			√	√			√			5
8. Flexibility and adaptability	√				√		√	√	√	√	√	7
9. Digital and technology				√		√		√	√	√	√	6
10. Green competency							√	√	√	√		4

Own source.

Self-competency

Self-competency has been mentioned as essential competency in the hotel industry before COVID-19 (Elbaz et al., 2018; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Wang, 2013) and it is still mentioned after the pandemic (Browne, 2021; Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Magalhães et al., 2022). Self-competence comprises the knowledge, skills, and abilities that employees have and use in practice to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, set and follow professional and personal goals, balance work and personal life, and learn new things and improve themselves (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011).

Interpersonal competency

Interpersonal competence and social competence are inseparable. It is the ability to interact with others and with the community. This includes the ability to build and maintain healthy, mutually beneficial relationships, and the capacity for independence and collaboration (Spitzberg & Cupach, 2011). Warier (2008) points out that interpersonal competency includes active listening, teamwork, responsibility, dependability, patience, flexibility, motivation, and empathy, which found to be more evident after COVID-19 (Browne, 2021; Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Magalhães et al., 2022). Furthermore, Interpersonal competencies, such as teamwork, empathy, and understanding self and others, rank as the second-highest level of desired attributes of graduates in hotels in Thailand (Sirinet et al., 2020; Yiumtrakul, 2019).

Teamwork competency

Team competence is the success or ability of employees to take positive measures to care for and value other employees’ opinions and be considerate of other employees’ feelings, willingness to take time to answer questions or provide help to others, seek help from other staff members, respond well to constructive criticism, are willing to change their minds when faced with new ideas, consistently contribute without leaving work to others, and help other staff members complete their work (Wang, 2013). According to Table 1, teamwork competency is more likely to be a concern in the hotel business before the COVID-19 crisis (Elbaz et al., 2018; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Wang, 2013; Yiumtrakul, 2019). Although it seems to be less focused after the pandemic, it is still mentioned in the literature conducted in Asia such as Thailand (Promnil, 2021; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022).

Ethical competency

Ethical competence is defined as the ability to implement values and principles that serve as reference points in determining what is right and what is wrong in the decision-making and behavioral preferences of individuals (Potnuru & Sahoo, 2016). Employee characteristics, such as compliance with rules in decision-making processes, honesty, respect, justice, and equality, are at the heart of the ethical competence phenomenon (Elbaz et al., 2018; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Wang, 2013). Furthermore, the studies (Sirinet et al., 2020; Sonwiang & Lueangnapha, 2020; Yiumtrakul, 2019) collectively underscore the significance of morality and ethics as the top-rated attributes for hospitality graduates in the hotel industry, with consistent findings across different regions in Thailand and various enterprises within the sector. Furthermore, Promnil (2021) highlights ethical competency found to be important after the COVID-19 pandemic for the hotel business in Northern Thailand.

Cultural and linguistic competency

Several scholars point out that Linguistic competencies, such as proficiency in English (Suebwongsuawan & Nomnian, 2020) considered hard skills in the hospitality industry. In 2017, the district’s health and human services NWD agency and several service organizations formalized a shared definition of cultural and linguistic competence that reflects values, beliefs, and attitudes in reaching cultural and linguistic competence, including the ability to deliver such services in honors the preferences and choices of people of all cultures and human identities, incorporate a person’s cultural values and beliefs, foster positive relationships with diverse cultural groups, communicate in the person’s language or mode of communication, recognize that a person’s preferred language reflects cultural values, traditions, and meanings, and is connected with a person’s worldview and community (NWD, 2017). This competency is indicated as essential for hotel business both outside Thailand (Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Magalhães et al., 2022) and in Thailand (Promnil, 2021; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022).

Communicational competency

Similar to other soft skills that are essential for the hotel industry, communicational competency is more recognized before the pandemic (Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Wang, 2013). However, this competency is still evident after COVID-19 (Browne, 2021). Warier (2008) identified communicational competencies as the ability to clearly express ideas to others; state personal opinions clearly and concisely with clear rationale, tact, and consideration; demonstrate openness and honesty; listen attentively to other employees; solicit feedback and opinions of co-workers; remember what other employees say; and hold the attention of others when communicating.

Service improvisation competency

Secchi et al. (2020) assert that service improvisation competency is a vital hard skill in the service industry before the pandemic and become more significant in this era. A service improvisation competence (Serv-IC) is the systemic ability of a service organization’s employees to deviate from established service delivery processes and routines to respond promptly to unforeseen events using available resources, this competency has been proposed as an effective way to accommodate customer variability while increasing the quality of the service experience (Secchi et al., 2020). Serv-IC includes creativity, spontaneity, and bricolage.

Flexibility and adaptability competencies

According to Warier (2008), flexibility and adaptability competencies include the knowledge, skill, and ability to be open to changes and actions based on environmental and technological changes, execute a wide variety of tasks, and adapt to changes as per demand, effectively managing transitions between tasks, and adapting to varying customer needs. Table 1 shows that Jauhari (2006) and Otoo (2019) assert that Flexibility and adaptability become vital competencies for hotel employees before COVID-19 and this competency found to be more mentioned after the pandemic (Browne, 2021; Enback, 2020; Magalhães et al., 2022; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022). For example, Promnil (2021) identified three groups of competencies and qualifications required for hotel employees after the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Her study pointed out new requirements that have emerged as critical competencies to the hotel business due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including digital technology, flexibility, and adaptability.

Digital competency

Digital competency refers to the knowledge, skill, and ability to analytically and ethically use digital technology to modify, set, manage, search, and access information technology; facilitate interaction with others; create or modify digital content in the form of words, images, or videos; and solve problems such as cyberbullying and interpersonal conflicts that may arise from social media (Ratano, 2018). The significance of digital competency has been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic (Browne, 2021; Ferreira et al., 2022; Magalhães et al., 2022; Promnil, 2021; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022; Yiumtrakul, 2019; Zancajo et al., 2022). The US National Skills Coalition (2020) emphasizes that success in this rapidly transforming environment requires the hospitality workforce to possess broad-based digital problem-solving skills, enabling them to grasp a variety of today’s technologies and adapt to ongoing changes. This aligns with Hamali and Pasunon (2020), who highlight the necessity of information mass media, and technology skills for thriving in the 21^st century environment of 4–5-star hotels in Bangkok, Thailand.

Green competency

Cabral and Dhar (2021) define green competency as a multidimensional construct comprised of green knowledge, green skills, green abilities, green attitudes, green behaviors, and green awareness. Promnil (2021) identifies hygiene and social responsibility competency as new requirements for hotel employees due to the pandemic in Thailand. Behavioral indicators of green competency include knowing the impact of human behavior on the environment; the ability associated with green jobs, such as the usage of energy and raw materials; alleviating greenhouse gas emissions; reducing pollution; conserving the ecosystem (Brown et al., 2015), and willingness for environmental conservation within their tasks and duties in the workplace. The willingness to environmental conservation beyond the limits of their organizational jobs or tasks (Cabral & Dhar, 2021).

Moreover, green competency has become a major concern in the hotel industry since the pandemic (Cabral & Dhar, 2021; Enback, 2020; Mirčetić et al., 2022). COVID-19 has caused a change in consumer behavior, such as hotel selection. Customers are more likely to be concerned about sustainability, hotel environment, and hygiene factors when selecting a hotel. More customers perceived the importance of green attributes than traditional choice factors. Therefore, the greening and sustainability of today’s customers will inevitably change the competency required and tasks involved in hotel employees (Yu & Ramanathan, 2013). Many studies (Garrido-Moreno et al., 2021; Promnil, 2021; Promnil & Polnyotee, 2023) highlight the crucial of training staff to rigorously adhere to standards of hygiene and cleaning safety.

In sum, the existing literature on hotel employees’ competency introduces 10 essential competencies before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 1). Furthermore, there is limited information and knowledge on hotel employee competency after the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The most relevant study on hotel employee competency after the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted by Promnil (2021). Her study advances our knowledge and understanding of changes in hotel employees’ competencies and qualifications in Thailand. It had limitations due to the qualitative methodology and was conducted only in one famous tourist destination in northern Thailand; thus, it was difficult to generalize the results to represent the hotel industry in Thailand as a whole. Notably, it becomes important to employ a quantitative method to identify which competencies are perceived by both managerial and operational employees as essential for hotel business competition in the post-pandemic era and it could be conducted across Thailand.

Figure 1. The theoretical framework.

Research methodology

Questionnaire development

This study aims to explore employee competency essentials for hotel businesses in the post-pandemic era in Thailand. Therefore, this study employs the EFA to identify the core competencies of hotel employees in the post-pandemic era. The data were collected using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed based on a literature review of employee competencies conducted from 2006 to 2023. The literature review identifies ten domains of competency with 38 components that are necessary for most positions in the hotel business (Table 2). Then, interviews with three hotel employees, one general manager, one human resource manager, and one front-line employee, were conducted to obtain useful information about these employees’ perspectives and their concerns about specific issues. Managers are concerned about customer knowledge and information-sharing skills, which are grouped in the communication competency domain. Additionally, managers emphasized the need for employee competency for the next normal, such as changes in customer behavior, technology skills, and multi-tasking skills. Based on this valuable information and suggestions from the interviews, we refined, enriched, and validated the questionnaire, which was organized into two sectors:

Table 2. The 10 domains with 38 competencies of hotel employees.

Employees’ competency	Components	Authors
Self-competency	Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses	Elbaz et al., 2018; Hai-Yan & Baum, 2006; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019
	Setting and following professional and personal goals
	Balancing work and personal life
	Learning new things and improving themselves
Interpersonal competency	Interacting with others and with the community.	Magalhães et al., 2022; Michel et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021; Rao, 2012; Sirinet et al., 2020; Spitzberg & Cupach, 2011; Warier, 2008; Yiumtrakul, 2019
	Building and maintaining healthy relationships
	Being empathetic, and understanding of self and others
	Exhibiting good appearance and personality
Teamwork competency	Caring and valuing other people’s opinions and feelings	Elbaz et al., 2018; Magalhães et al., 2022; Michel et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021; Wang, 2013
	Willing to help and seek help from other staff members
	Providing constructive feedback
	Consistently contributing without leaving work to others
Ethical competency	Determining what is right and what is wrong	Elbaz et al., 2018; Hai-Yan & Baum, 2006; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019; Potnuru & Sahoo, 2016
	Compliance with rules
	Being honest and respect
	Being justice and equality
Cultural and linguistic competency	Recognizing and valuing diversity	NWD, 2017; Suebwongsuawan & Nomnian, 2020
	Delivering services in honor of the people’s preferences of all cultures and human identities
	Communicating in the person’s language or mode of communication
Communicational competency	Clearly expressing ideas and stating personal opinions to others	Magalhães et al., 2022; Michel et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021; Warier, 2008, and interview
	Demonstrating openness and honesty
	Listening attentively to others
	Communicating and sharing customer knowledge and information
Service improvisation competency	Creatively accommodating and responding to specific customers’ requests	Secchi et al., 2020; Sowanna & Lertputtarak, 2022
	Immediately responding to unexpected problems either guests’ or staff problems
	Making use of diverse resources to satisfy guests such as information from different sources, and workers’ expertise
Flexibility and adaptability competency	Opening to changes and action based on environmental and technological changes	Browne, 2021; Magalhães et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021; Promnil, 2021; Warier, 2008
	Executing a wide variety of tasks and adapting to changes as per demand
	Managing transitions between tasks effectively
	Adapting to varying customer needs.
Digital competency	Using, understanding, and navigating digital technologies and information effectively	Browne, 2021; Ferreira et al., 2022; Enback, 2020; Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Ratano, 2018; Zancajo et al., 2022
	Ethically using digital technology to modify, search, and access information technology
	Using technology and information to support work
	Using technology and information to solve problems
Green competency	Awareness of the impact of human behavior on the environment	Brown et al., 2015; Cabral & Dhar, 2021; Mirčetić et al., 2022; Promnil, 2021
	Exhibiting environmental conservation within/ beyond your tasks and duties in the workplace.
	Providing safety and hygiene services
	Participating in social responsibility activities

Own source.

• Section 1: Respondents’ demographic profiles and working experiences include six questions of multiple choice.

• Section 2: Respondents’ opinions, ideas, and experiences regarding the competency essential for Thailand’s hotel industry after the COVID-19 pandemic (after 2022) include 10 domains of competency with 38 components which were adapted from several scholars (Table 2). All the components were measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely unimportant) to 5 (very important). The variables used in this study were confirmed using multiple components from previous studies in the extensive literature.

The questionnaire was reviewed by three academics and two hotel managers to satisfy the content validity requirements and to determine each question’s index of item-objective congruence (IOC). The result for all components was >0.80. According to Turner and Carlson (2003), five experts are used to assess validity, and the IOC value should be ∼0.80, which is considered statistically significant.

Sample and data collection

The research was carried out at an individual level; therefore, the population is employees in the hotel industry at both managerial and operational levels who have been working in the hotel industry since the COVID-19 crisis because they would deeply understand the characteristics of the hotel business and its customers during and after the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Bank of Thailand, 2949 and 620 Thai people are working in hotels and restaurants (BOT, 2023). Therefore, to have a confidence level of 95%, a sample size of 385 is identified (Krejcie & Morgan, 1970).

For sample selection, nonprobability sampling using convenience sampling was performed. The researchers have contact with 20 hotels across Thailand (10 local hotels and 10 international hotels) that have been working in collaboration with the University of Phayao. The hotel managers were asked whether they wished to participate in the research and were reassured that their anonymity would be maintained. The online questionnaire was accompanied by a cover letter explaining the purpose of the research and was delivered to the general manager for distribution to the employees.

Data was collected from July to October 2023. The ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of Phayao (HREC-UP-HSS2.2/094/66) for human studies. Informed consent was collected in a separate written form before consenting respondents could proceed with the questionnaire. Therefore, respondents are voluntary to be part of the research project. Each respondent completed the questionnaire only once when he/she was available. In total, 449 questionnaires were returned.

Data analysis

Consistent with the literature review (Table 2), one competency comprises several components, therefore, this study employed an EFA to explore sets of hotel employees and identify the underlying components that summarize the relationships among a set of competencies essential for the hotel business after the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The selection of the variables was found to be appropriate (Table 3). It was based on the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value (0.970), which is close to 1, indicating a strong relationship among all data and variables. Additionally, the significance of Bartlett’s test (p < .001) indicates that all 38 variables have a sufficient relationship to be subjected to identifying the matrix (Hair et al., 2010).

Table 3. KMO and Bartlett’s test.

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy		0.970
Bartlett’s test of sphericity	Approx. chi-square	14,288.155
	df	703
	Sig.	.000

Own source.

Principal component analysis was applied for factor extraction, and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization was used for factor rotation. Then SEM was used to examine the relationships among a set of variables and to explore the latent constructs of each competency domain. Several common indices were used to test the model fit: chi-square (χ²), degrees of freedom, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA).

Results

The profile characteristics of the samples

The profile characteristics of the samples are presented in Table 4. Most respondents were females (59.25%). The profile shows a relatively even distribution of age, with age 18–25 years old (38.32%) and 26–35 years old (31.85%). Regarding working experience in the hotel industry, working experience of <5 years takes a dominant percentage (55.25%). Most were operational staff (71.93%) working in international hotels (61.25%), which mostly are 4–5-star hotels (61.25%).

Table 4. Characteristics of respondents (N = 449).

Characteristics of respondents	n	Percentage (%)
Genders
Females	266	59.25
Males	144	32.07
LGBTQ+	39	8.68
Ranges of age
18–25	172	38.32
26–35	143	31.85
36–45	95	21.15
46–55	39	8.68
Working experiences in the hotel industry
<5 years	248	55.25
5–10 years	117	26.05
11–15 years	50	11.15
More than 15 years	34	7.55
Positions
Operational staff	323	71.93
Supervisors	57	12.70
Heads of department	55	12.25
Top managements	14	3.12
Hotel brands
Local hotel	174	38.75
International hotel	275	61.25
Hotel stars
1–3-star hotel	174	38.75
4–5-star hotel	275	61.25

Own source.

Domains of hotel employee competency

The result of factor rotation was successfully reached a stable solution after eight iterations. The preliminary finding of the factor loading produced four domains of competency. Note that the variables in each domain are not confirmed at this point. Then SEM was used to examine the relationships among a set of variables and to explore the latent constructs of each competency domain.

The SEM of domain 1: Adaptability and sustainability competency

The preliminary finding of factor loading showed 14 components in domain 1. The factor loading for the 14 components was in the range of 0.51–0.72. Although the factor loadings of 14 components were >0.50, which is statistically significant (Hair et al., 2010), the results of relationships among a set of variables show a poor fit. Therefore, the lowest factor loading was removed. Table 5 shows that the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for Domain 1 was 0.952, which indicates the very high reliability of the factor; values >0.7 are considered acceptable for reliability for all constructs. The average variance extracted (AVE) was 0.579, which was accepted at >0.50, indicating convergent measurement validity. The level of internal consistency was assessed using composite reliability (CR). The CR value among a set of variables was 0.904 (CR > 0.70 is regarded as statistically significant (Hair et al., 2010).

Table 5. CR and convergent validity of competency domain 1.

Code	Variable	Factor loading	AVE	CR	Cronbach alpha
DMC1	Managing transitions between tasks effectively	.723	0.579	0.904	0.952
DMC2	Ethically using digital technology	.711
DMC3	Participating in social responsibility activities	.696
DMC4	Executing a wide variety of tasks and adapts to changes	.684
DMC5	Aware of the impact of human behavior on the environment	.684
DMC6	Adapting to varying customer needs	.674
DMC7	Exhibiting environmental conservation	.649
DMC8	Using digital technologies and information effectively	.646
DMC9	Providing safety and hygiene services	.616
DMC10	Using technology and information to solve problems	.613
DMC11	Immediately responding to unexpected problems	.582
DMC12	Interacting with others	.580
DMC13	Making use of diverse resources to satisfy guests	.551

Own source.

The results of the model fit test (Table 7) indicated a good fit for each construct. As a result, 13 components (Table 6) were included in the SEM model of Domain 1 (Figure 2). We labelled the generated domain ‘Adaptability and Sustainability competency’.

Figure 2. Structural equations model of adaptability and sustainability competency.

Table 6. The results of the analysis on the consistency of the structural equations.

Index	χ^2	χ^2/df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Standard criteria		≤5.0	≥0.8	≥0.8	≤0.08
Analysis result	158.943	2.943	0.976	0.966	0.063

Own source.

Table 7. CR and convergent validity of competency domain 2.

Code	Variable	Factor loading	AVE	CR	Cronbach alpha
FA1	Learning new things and improving themselves	.743	0.630	0.853	0.919
FA2	Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses	.686
FA3	Communicating in the person’s language and culture	.664
FA4	Building and maintaining healthy relationships	.611
FA5	Balancing work and personal life	.611
FA6	Opening to changes	.559
FA7	Providing constructive feedback	.558
FA8	Consistently contributing without leaving work	.550
FA9	Being empathetic, and understanding of self and others	.532
FA10	Compliance with rules	.526

Own source.

The SEM of domain 2: Self and social focus competency

The results of the factor loading groups of 10 components in Domain 2. The factor loading for the 10 components was in the range of 0.526–0.743, which is higher than 0.50, and statistically significant (Hair et al., 2010). The overall results of AVE, CR, and Cronbach’s alpha (Table 7) were considered acceptable for convergent measurement validity and reliability for all constructs (Hair et al., 2010).

The results of the model fit test (see Table 8) illustrate a good fit for each construct. As a result, 10 components were included in the SEM model of Domain 2 (Figure 3). The generated domain 2 was named a ‘Self and Social focus competency’.

Figure 3. Structural equations model of self and social focus competency.

Table 8. The results of the analysis on the consistency of the structural equations.

Index	χ^2	χ^2/df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Standard criteria		≤5.0	≥0.8	≥0.8	≤0.08
Analysis result	65.367	2.334	0.986	0.977	0.051

Own source.

The SEM of domain 3: Service and communication competency

The finding of factor loading shows that there are seven components in Domain 3. Although the factor loadings of the seven components were more than 0.50, which is statistically significant (Hair et al., 2010), the results of the relationships among a set of variables show a poor fit. Consequently, we removed two competencies that valued the lowest factor loading. Table 9 shows the overall AVE, CR, and Cronbach’s alpha results, which are considered acceptable for convergent measurement validity and reliability for all constructs.

Table 9. CR and convergent validity of competency domain 3.

Code	Variable	Factor loading	AVE	CR	Cronbach alpha
SC1	Clearly expressing ideas and stating personal opinions to others	.747	0.500	0.822	0.909
SC2	Communicating and sharing customer knowledge and information	.708
SC3	Demonstrating openness and honesty	.688
SC4	Delivering services in honor of the people’s preferences	.670
SC5	Listen attentively to others	.652

Own source.

The results of the model fit testing (Table 10) indicated a good fit for each construct. As a result, five competencies were included in the SEM model of Domain 3 (Figure 4). We labelled the generated Domain 3 as ‘Service and Communication competency’.

Figure 4. Structural equations model of service and communication competency.

Table 10. The results of the analysis on the consistency of the structural equations.

Index	χ^2	χ^2/df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Standard criteria		≤5.0	≥0.8	≥0.8	≤0.08
Analysis result	7.852	1.963	0.997	0.993	0.046

Own source.

The SEM of domain 4: Ethical and moral competency

Factor loading revealed seven components in domain 4. However, factor loadings of seven components were >0.50, which is statistically significant (Hair et al., 2010), and the results of relationships among a set of variables show a poor fit. Consequently, we removed two competencies that valued the lowest factor loading. Thus, the overall results of AVE, CR, and Cronbach’s alpha (Table 11) were considered acceptable for convergent measurement validity and reliability for all constructs.

Table 11. CR and convergent validity of competency domain 4.

Code	Variable	Factor loading	AVE	CR	Cronbach alpha
ESC1	Being honest and respect	.820	0.506	0.814	0.871
ESC2	Being justice and equality	.786
ESC3	Recognizing and valuing diversity	.683
ESC4	Determining what is right and what is wrong	.557
ESC5	Caring and valuing other people’s opinions and feelings	.551

Own source.

The results of the model fit testing (Table 12) indicated a good fit for each construct. As a result, five components were included in the SEM model of domain 4 (Figure 5). We labelled the generated domain 3 ‘Ethical and Moral Competency’.

Figure 5. Structural equations model of ethical and moral competency.

Table 12. The results of the analysis on the consistency of the structural equations.

Index	χ^2	χ^2/df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Standard criteria		≤5.0	≥0.8	≥0.8	≤0.08
Analysis result	4.899	2.449	0.997	0.987	0.057

Own source.

The results of SEM indicated a total of four competency domains, and 33 components remained from the originally developed 38 competencies essential for the hotel business in the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. The model of hotel employees’ competency after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the hotel workforce including employee’s competency. This research employed a quantitative approach to explore employee competency essential for hotel businesses in the post-pandemic era in Thailand from the perspectives of employees from all levels. The results of EFA introduce new sets of hotel workforce competencies essential for the success of hotel business in Thailand, including Adaptability and Sustainability competency (13 components), Self and Social Focus competency (10 components), Service and Communication competency (five components), and Ethical and Moral competency (five components). These generated competency domains are related to personal and professional competencies, which play a crucial role in the success of a hotel business because the hospitality industry is inherently people-centric (Reilly, 2018; Wang, 2013). This finding is in line with the study by Marneros et al. (2020) that the hotel industry has a strong preference for soft people management skills and strong practical professional skills in Cyprus.

The result also reveals adaptability and sustainability competency are interconnected as a sustainable approach that has emerged as critical to the hotel business after the COVID-19 pandemic. The domain of ‘Adaptability and Sustainability’ comprises 13 components that involve the ability to adapt to changing environments, technology, situations, and customers, while considering the long-term impact on the environment and society. This finding firmly supports previous studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (Browne, 2021; Cabral & Dhar, 2021; Ferreira et al., 2022; Hamali & Pasunon, 2020; Mirčetić et al., 2022; Zancajo et al., 2022) that digital technology, flexibility, adaptability, and green competency (Garrido-Moreno et al., 2021; Promnil, 2021; Promnil & Polnyotee, 2023) have become more important in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition, self and social focus competency has been validated as a crucial skill for hotel employees, essential for delivering excellent service, both before and after the challenges posed by COVID-19. ‘Self and Social Focus’ consists of 10 components that involve a combination of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. This finding supports several studies undertaken during the COVID-19 (Magalhães et al., 2022; Michel et al., 2022; Pezer, 2021) and highlights the importance of several soft skills that increased with the pandemic, including self-management, teamwork, interpersonal relationships, conflict management, and empathy. Moreover, the result of this study reinforces the robustness and universality of service and communication competency as fundamental for success in the labour-intensive hotel industry over time (Marneros et al., 2020; Otoo, 2019; Secchi et al., 2020).

Lastly, the result of ‘Ethical and Moral’ competency is important for the hotel business in Thailand before and after COVID-19. This finding is partly in line with literature undertaken in Western countries (Elbaz et al., 2018; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019) that ethical and moral competency more likely to be a concern in the hotel business before the COVID-19 crisis and it seems to be less focused after the pandemic. However, this competency is significant and consistent with prior research conducted in Thailand (Sirinet et al., 2020; Sonwiang & Lueangnapha, 2020; Yiumtrakul, 2019). They emphasize the centrality of morality and ethics as top-rated attributes for hospitality graduates entering the hotel industry across diverse regions in Thailand and within various enterprises in the sector.

Theoretical and practical implications

This study makes contributions to and fills gaps in the literature on hotel management and human resource management. First, this study is among the first to employ EFA and SEM to validate sets of hotel employees’ competency domains essential for the hotel industry in the post-COVID-19 era in Thailand. By doing this, we introduce four sets of competencies required for hotel employees in a collectivist country like Thailand, including Adaptability and Sustainability, Self and Social Focus, Service and Communication competency, and Ethical and Moral competency.

Additionally, this study introduces knowledge of the changes and trends in hotel workforce competency in the post-COVID-19 era. We found that adaptability and sustainability competency were notably more focused globally due to the COVID-19 crisis. Self and social focus, and service and communication competency have been validated as fundamental competencies for delivering excellent service and success in the global hotel industry over time. Moreover, this study highlights that ethical and moral competency is the significant competencies for hotel business in Thailand before and after COVID-19. This competency seems to be less focused in the previous study undertaken in Western country (Elbaz et al., 2018; Jauhari, 2006; Otoo, 2019).

The information and knowledge derived from this research are meaningful regarding preparation for the hotel and educational sector in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world. Based on our findings, adaptability, and sustainability competency were notable new competencies that emerged during the COVID-19 crisis in the hotel industry in Thailand. The hotel practitioners should implement specialized training programs focused on problem-solving, communication, digital literacy, and cross-cultural understanding to enhance adaptability competency. For sustainability competency, workshops can focus on sustainable practices, resource management, and eco-friendly initiatives. Moreover, we suggest that hotel managers should create employee engagement initiatives. For example, employee engagement in sustainability initiatives and projects, such as community clean-up events or volunteering opportunities. This fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to sustainability goals while also promoting self and social-focus competencies for the employees.

Our findings not only benefit the hotel sector but also the educational sector in developing hospitality educational programs to meet the industry demands. Educational institutions can align their programs with identified competencies, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and attributes needed in the workforce. For instance, implementing skill-based education or cooperative work-integrated education (CWIE), designing assessment tools that align with the identified components, adapting their programs to technological changes, and incorporating relevant technologies into their teaching methods. In doing so, it supports a more holistic and practical approach to education that prepares students for success in their future careers either in the local or international hotels.

Conclusion

A new set of employees’ core competencies in the hotel business in Thailand was identified through both qualitative and quantitative procedures. Initially, an exhaustive review of the existing literature on employee competencies in the hospitality sector led to the identification of ten competency domains with 38 components deemed essential to the hotel industry. Subsequently, a quantitative method of EFA was employed to validate these competencies. The SEM test introduced four domains with 33 components of hotel workforce competencies: Adaptability and Sustainability competency (13 components), Self and Social Focus competency (10 components), Service and Communication competency (five components), and Ethical and Moral competency (five components).

Furthermore, this paper reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic affects the requirements of hotel employees’ competency in Thailand, especially adaptability and sustainability competency. Although COVID-19 has caused changes in the hotel workforce, self and social focus as well as service and communication competency still a fundamental competency for success in the global hotel industry over time. Nonetheless, ethical and moral competency seems to be more focused in Eastern countries, especially in Thailand than in the Western. Moreover, this paper provides some suggestions for the hotel sector in Thailand to keep businesses competitive in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world. Lastly, information for Thai educational sector in developing hospitality educational programs to meet the industry demands is provided.

Limitation and future study

This paper has identified hotel employees’ competencies from the perspective of employees both at managerial and operational levels. This is because they could deeply understand the characteristics of the hotel business and customers’ behaviours during and after the COVID-19 crisis. It is noted that the change in customer behaviours also caused the change in the need for employee competency in the post-pandemic era (Magalhães et al., 2022; Popa et al., 2023). Therefore, future study should be conducted on hotel customers’ perspectives as well as investigate the effects of these competency domains on customer satisfaction and business performance.

This study employed EFA to extract the factors (competency) based on theory and literature and initiate a model of employee competencies necessary for the hotel industry in Thailand (Figure 6). However, this study only explores data dimensionality, it is neither a restricted model nor a proven model yet. Therefore, we recommend using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to restrict a model and then SEM to confirm our proposed model in future studies.

Authors contributions

Niramol Promnil: conception and design, data collection, writing–original draft, and final approval. Kittisak Srepirote: analysis and interpretation of the data. Tanaporn Pooprueksachat: data collection and formatting.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study will be provided upon reasonable request by the corresponding author, Niramol Promnil.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received.

Notes on contributors

Niramol Promnil

Niramol Promnil PhD is a senior lecturer in Tourism and Hotel management and also a head of the Unit of Excellence in Tourism and Hotel Innovation at the University of Phayao, Thailand. She has extensive teaching experience and has published articles in various fields, including human resource management in hotels, tourist behavior, creative tourism, and community-based tourism.

Kittisak Srepirote

Kittisak Srepirote PhD is a senior lecturer in digital marketing in Business and Communication Arts School at the University of Phayao, Thailand. He has extensive teaching experience and has published articles in various fields, including agriculture business and marketing, international trade, and consumer behaviour.

Tanaporn Pooprueksachat

Tanaporn Pooprueksachat PhD is a research assistant in the Unit of Excellence in Tourism and Hotel Innovation, at the University of Phayao, Thailand. She is also assisting in teaching Hotel and tourism research subjects to master’s degree students and is conducting research in green hotels in Thailand and gastronomy tourism.