The Challenges of Providing Training in Small Sized Lodging Properties

ABSTRACT

Labor issues confront the lodging industry in good times and in bad. Employee training is viewed as a means to manage labor challenges and the hospitality industry is not well known for specializing in employee training. Small sized properties have unique challenges to implementing training practices and this study focused on understanding the training practices of small sized lodging properties. Two hundred eighteen lodging owners/general managers responded to a mailed questionnaire regarding training practices. Overall, less small properties provide training. Properties value training similarly, however, small properties provide less training, experience lower occupancy, are less often profitable, and experience some unique barriers to training. Considerations must be made for this lodging group and suggestions for addressing these issues are provided.     

Should I advertise on the interstate?

The highway logo signing program has existed for over 20 years. Since its inception, most motorists have become accustomed to relying on these blue signs to provide information on services available at each highway exit. However, there is little, if any, literature that examines the program as an advertising source, and no formal literature that addresses the signing program from the perspective of the independent business owner. This paper provides service business owners with information about the highway logo signing program, and is directed toward independent owners who are considering the signing program as an advertising source. A five step process is described that owners can follow to first determine if the venue is viable, and then if the investment is value-added for them.     

Market structure and demand-side substitutability of chained urban hotel segments

This study analyzes how the demand in hotel markets is divided amongst chained hotel segments. Hypotheses regarding consumers’ switching behavior due to changes in income levels and relative prices are tested using data from 25 major urban markets in the United States, encompassing segments ranging from luxury to economy over 43 quarters. The effects of differentiation and market concentration are also investigated in this context. The results suggest that leisure and individual consumers of the low-scale segments may be trading “up” to higher scales when their income increase, but that upscale segments’ corporate consumers are not necessarily trading “down” when Corporate Income fall. In addition, only low-scale segments appear to be substitutes to upscale segments, but the inverse seems not to be true. Also, properties in mid-range segments are found to be the only ones benefiting from a high market concentration, while low-scale properties turn out to be the ones gaining from differentiation through price.     

Web-based permission marketing: Segmentation for the lodging industry

Permission marketing is becoming an important tool in maintaining relationships with travelers via the Internet. Its growing importance can be seen in tourism marketing, specifically in the lodging industry. With an increase in industry use, the effectiveness of this technique needs assessment. This paper initiates this process by examining current methods used to collect contact information for the purpose of permission marketing. Three segments of the market are identified and compared based upon their willingness to supply contact information. Significant differences were found in socio-demographics, online habits, trip characteristics, and website design preferences. Implications for lodging marketers are presented and future research topics are discussed.     

STHRSCAPE: Developing and validating a collaborative economy based short-term hospitality rental servicescape scale

This study develops a culture-specific servicescape measurement scale for collaborative economy based short-term hospitality rentals (STHRs) from a Chinese customer perspective, as some of the servicescape measures developed from a Western consumer perspective may not be applicable to Chinese consumers due to cultural differences. Dimensions of the servicescape of collaborative economy based STHRs (STHRSCAPE) were identified after text analytics of a total of 31,584 reviews for 6313 SHTRs. These dimensions were tested on Chinese STHRs customers using three sets of data. The findings revealed that the STHRSCAPE scale has two main dimensions, namely, the physical servicescape and the social servicescape. The physical servicescape dimension has 12 subdimensions, while the social servicescape dimension has four subdimensions. The STHRSCAPE scale developed in this study is expected to help hosts and marketers on both international and local STHR platforms to better understand the key aspects of physical and social servicescape dimensions that are valued by Chinese consumers.     

COVID-19 impacts,coping strategies,and management reflection: A lodging industry case

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the global tourism and hospitality industry with drastic results. Hotels have been experiencing unprecedented challenges, leaving many to temporarily or permanently closed. Employing a case study approach supported by both quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study examined how two hotels in Oklahoma City had coped with challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, from day to day operations, health and safety measures to marketing, human resources and cost-saving strategies. The study contributes to the tourism crisis and disaster literature by providing micro-level coping strategies, a literature gap that needs to be addressed, particularly under the current pandemic.     

Assessments of Lodging Service Unit Performance for Repeat Business

Abstract

Generating repeat business has been one of the greatest challenges to lodging marketers. This study explores a new approach to predicting customers' repatronization intention from the performance of key service units in lodging organizations. Repeat and first-time customers are studied separately in order to draw effective strategic implications for lodging operators. The results of this study show that repeat and first-time customers have different reasons for their continuous patronization to a particular lodging company. Practical implications and future directions for this line of research are discussed.     

Asset-light business model: An examination of investment-cash flow sensitivities and return on invested capital

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the asset-light business model on investment-cash flow sensitivities and return on invested capital in the lodging industry. Little research has explored the link between investment and asset ownership structure. The current study provides an alternative approach to examining investment behavior and return on invested capital, focusing on the unique characteristics of asset ownership among lodging firms. The findings of this study provide important implications for lodging investors and shareholders regarding the strategic use of the asset-light business model for aiding lodging firms’ efficient investments and delivering high return on invested capital.     

Adopting e-Procurement technology in a chain hotel: An exploratory case study

As the lodging sector evolves into a more technology-oriented industry, the need to understand e-Procurement practices becomes more important. The main purpose of this study was to understand the challenges faced by decision makers at a chain hotel company in its adoption and implementation of e-Procurement. Results indicated that the company suffered from a lack of purchasing standardization across properties. Furthermore, this study suggests that not all vendors of e-Procurement solutions may be ready to partner with hotel companies. e-Procurement offers considerable potential for the industry but uncertainties such as those exhibited in this case must be addressed before significant resource commitments are made to e-Procurement.     

Forecasting h(m)otel guest nights in New Zealand

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some time series models which hotel and motel industry practitioners could use to forecast guest nights. Given their considerable practicality, the lodging industry can easily benefit from using these models as forecasts can be obtained at low cost for effective management and planning. Monthly observations are used for estimating the model from 1997(1) to 2006(12). The Holt–Winters and Box–Jenkins ARMA models are able to forecast guest night demand accurately as 99% of the variations in the guest night forecast are associated with variations in actual guest nights in 2007.