Call for Book Chapters

 

Sustainable HRM for Tourism in Southeast Asia

 

Editors:

Siow May Ling PhD, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Tin Doan PhD, Northumbria University, UK

Tom Baum PhD DLitt, University of Strathclyde, UK

 

Publisher: Springer

Publication date: mid-2026

Date for submission of proposals/ chapter abstracts: 1st July 2025

Date for submission of chapters: 1st December 2026

Sustainable human resource management is an emerging theme in tourism as the industry as an employer of choice struggles to recover from COVID-19. As a result, a number of books and a growing number of journal articles address this theme from a diversity of perspectives. There is little in the literature that addresses sustainable human resource management in tourism in regional terms in a way that recognise the complex interplay of the micro (individual), meso (organizational) and macro (national/ regional) level (Baum, 2018). Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in terms of tourism development with most countries recording rapid growth in both supply and demand in the period up to 2020 and showing strong post-pandemic recovery and growth. It is also a region where human resource issues have challenged the tourism industry both prior to and post-pandemic, in terms of, among other considerations, attracting, recruiting and retaining a high-quality workforce; skills development; in- and out-migration; and equality, inclusion and opportunity (Crocco & Tkachenko, 2020). Southeast Asia provides a wealth of examples of the issues in action and measures taken in response by stakeholders at both policy and operational levels and, thus, provides learning for students, researchers and practitioners in the region and beyond.

Drawing on multidisciplinary and intersectional perspectives and case studies, this book will highlight strategies implemented by businesses, governments, and communities to foster a resilient and sustainable workforce in Southeast Asia. This book is expected to be an essential resource for academics, policymakers, industry professionals, and students seeking practical and research-based insights into sustainable workforce strategies for the tourism sector.

Possible Key Themes and Topics (appropriate other themes welcomed)

  1. Sustainable HRM in tourism in Southeast Asia: Challenges and opportunities
  • The complexity of managing tourism’s human resources sustainably in the cultural, political, economic and social context of Southeast Asia
  • The role of HRM in fostering responsible tourism practices
  • The evolving nature of labour markets in Southeast Asia’s tourism sector in national and regional contexts
  1. The socioeconomic context of HRM in Southeast Asia
  • The impact of political change (national, regional and global) on sustainable HRM in tourism
  • Balancing social-cultural-environmental-economic goals with employee well-being in tourism
  • Workforce dynamics in diverse economic and social settings across Southeast Asia
  • Cross-cultural HRM strategies for sustainable tourism development
  • The impact of globalization, migration, and modern slavery on tourism employment
  • Informal labour and fair employment practices in tourism
  • Implications of the changing demographic profile of the labour market in Southeast Asian countries
  • Diversity policies and practice (eg. gender, race/religion/ethnicity) and sustainable employment in tourism in Southeast Asia
  1. HRM at Micro, Meso, and Macro Levels in Southeast Asia
  • HRM strategies within organizations (micro-level)
  • Industry-wide HR policies and sectoral trends (meso-level) eg. the impact of ASEAN labour mobility and skills agreements
  • National and regional policy frameworks shaping tourism employment (macro-level)
  • Stakeholder collaboration for sustainable workforce management
  1. Crisis impact and HRM adaptation in tourism in Southeast Asia
  • HRM strategies for crisis and disaster preparedness and crisis response
  • The lasting impact of COVID-19 on HRM in tourism in Southeast Asia
  • The role of technology and digital transformation in workforce resilience
  • Mental health and well-being support for tourism employees in crisis contexts
  • Workforce Contingency Planning & Risk Management
  • Crisis Leadership & Decision-Making Frameworks
  1. Pathways to resilience in tourism HRM in Southeast Asia
  • HRM strategies for building long-term workforce resilience
  • The future of work in tourism in Southeast Asia: digitalisation, automation, and the gig economy
  • Education, training, and skill development for sustainable tourism employment
  • The role of EDI in fostering inclusive and sustainable workplaces in tourism

Chapters should be empirical and/ or conceptual, drawing specifically on the Southeast Asian context.

Chapter length guide: 5,000 – 6,000 words including all appendices, references and tables/ figures.

For style information, please refer to https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/book-authors-editors/your-publication-journey/manuscript-preparation

We invite authors to submit a 1,000-word abstract by July 1, 2025. Abstracts will be reviewed by the editors to determine their suitability before confirming the invitation to develop a full chapter. To ensure clarity and alignment with the book’s scope, authors are encouraged to include key elements such as the significance of the study, research question, guiding theory, and methodology. Abstract submission and any queries should be sent to Tom Baum – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

References

Baum, T. (2018). Sustainable human resource management as a driver in tourism policy and planning: a serious sin of omission? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(6), 873–889. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1423318

Crocco, O. S., & Tkachenko, O. (2020). Regional human resource development: the case of Southeast Asia and ASEAN. Human Resource Development International, 25(1), 40–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2020.1858261