Tri Hita Karana and Tourism in Bali (9)
’Pawongan’

The Pawongan aspect of Tri Hita Karana (THK) includes many programs relating to social organization. It is also concerned with the spiritual trend of promoting traditional organization, a business program - a joint venture with peasants and communities in business areas, the development of local culture and management conflicts (internal and external). In essence, the pawongan aspect reflects people as social beings of cultural character.
This article presents a summary of an inspection and evaluation during a three-month period of executing the THK Awards & Accreditations for the aspect of pawongan, specifically focusing interest on the recruitment and distribution of manpower active in Balinese culture. Stress given to ‘Balinese culture’ in this context has a close relation to tourism development in this province, plotting the the principle of a ‘Hindu Religion-based culture’.
Additionally, we also present the results of research on implementation of the people-oriented Concept of Tourism in Bali Province (N. Parining, 2001). This is of importance as one of the ways of defining the development and management of the tourism industry on this island parallel with the symphony and principles of the Hindu Balinese culture itself.
Other important question is how much of the ‘cake’ of Bali’s tourism actually goes to the main supporting power of the culture which underlies tourism activities. What are the plus and minus points, and what are its challenges and answers for the future?
From the viewpoint of population, most workers engaged in hotels are bearers of Hindu Balinese culture. However, if we look at the strategic role played by them, their percentage remains at very low level, filling only 1.79 percent of positions of leadership compared with persons coming from outside Bali. The percentage level lags far behind expatriates who have 70% of strategic positions in Bali’s hotels. (vide: table 1).
The table shows that Balinese both of Hindu and non-Hindu religion play only a tiny part in the decision-making process in defining policies on Bali’s tourism development. The question is what would be the best way to solve the problem in dealing with the fact that locals play such a minor role because they are lower level workers in their home region.
The population and the percentage of locals engaged in defining company policy also applies to hotels of low classification - ‘melati’ and tourist cottages – as well as star hotels of upper level from star 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5-plus and boutique hotels. The percentage comparison is still smaller if is pertaining to workers coming from outside Bali against expatriates (vide: table 2). This condition shows the smaller the business scale the higher would be the number of locals posted in a strategic post.Reasons for employing non-local management personnel
· Considerance on capability
·Operational balance, mainly to fill a vacume when locals adhering to the Hindu religion are absent during ritual holidays
· Locals are less disciplined and lack concentration in business matters - a strong link with family affairs means weakness in managing business
· Use of foreign capital affects the use of expatriates
· Company branches affiliated to international enterprises have a central policy decision in defining managerial positions
· Leading personnel such as marketing managers are chosen outside Bali
· Highly limited stock of men of leadership in Bali
· Earlier birth of hotel business abroad leads hotel business development in certain departments by management coming from overseas such as F & B (food and beverage) manager
· Transfer of skill by overseas expert to locals contextual to local hotel business development should be solved properly by decision makers, mainly in upgrading human resources toward elevation of local community role to be more active in directing policy in hotel business. (By Team of THK Awards & Accreditations, K.G. Dharma Putra and Berata Ashrama, the editor).