Performance Assessment in the International Hotel Sector of Yangon, Myanmar

Performance assessment has been a controversial subject in human resource management since its introduction; while managers can see the benefits of conducting such assessments (and how they can benefit both employers and employees), they rarely want to be the ones to conduct them because of the damage that ill-applied measurements can have on the motivation and morale of some employees. However, the practice is of particular importance in the hospitality and hotel sector, since success is so very dependent on the ability and willingness of members of staff at every level to satisfy customer demand. Consequently, performance assessment has been introduced into the hotel sector of Yangon, previously the capital and largest city of Myanmar (Burma). In doing so, it has been the intention to help employees to determine and map their own future career trajectories and to set boundaries for what might be achieved. Yet workers in Myanmar are unaccustomed to being asked their opinions and, given the longstanding societal and political conditions in the country, a number of employees are reluctant to provide full and frank answers to questions from superiors in the workplace. Drawing on a sample of 303 respondents from the hotel sector in Yangon, this paper reports on issues surrounding performance assessment and its impact in that sector.