Adolescent Summer Camp Volunteers' Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

This study explored the malleability of adolescent attitudes toward their peers with disabilities after volunteering in a summer day-camp. The Contact with Disabled Persons Scale (CDP) and the Multi-Dimensional Attitude Scale (MAS) were used to collect data in order to determine the association between volunteering in a recreation-based summer day camp and adolescent attitudes toward disability. After a covariate-adjusted regression analysis, contact with individuals with disabilities was found to significantly predict change in attitudes toward disability. Dyadic interviews were held after camp participation to provide additional sources of data with potential for deeper understanding of the camp experience for volunteers. The data suggested that participants perceived camp as a setting for the development of relationships with peers who have disabilities. These relationships further framed participants' understanding of the experience as fun, difficult, and resulting in perceived personal change. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Environmental Forecasting and Strategic Planning Practices in Country Clubs

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to determine the extent to which private country clubs utilize environmental forecasting in their strategic planning activities. Also identified were key environmental issues that affect the country clubs' ability to plan strategically within the constraints imposed by their boards and general memberships. General managers from four country clubs in North and South Carolina were queried using a combination of personal interviews and survey questionnaires. Three of the four clubs surveyed practiced strategic planning to some extent, utilizing a variety of influences and participants in the process. Human resource issues were a major concern faced by all of the clubs surveyed. Each club also rated economic, technological, and ecological issues as most important to their clubs' success.     

Sexual Harassment in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Prudent restaurant managers and owners should be aware of new trends in their industry. One of the most recent trends or challenges that the restaurant industry is facing is that of sexual harassment lawsuits. As the cost of litigation and dollar amount of settlements increase substantially, restaurant managers and owners should take a proactive view at sexual harassment in Hong Kong from the perspective of their employees. Hong Kong today is no different than any other major city in the world with attorneys (Solicitors and Barristers) advertising on television and in newspapers, therefore managers and owners in the restaurant industry must realize the significance of a work environment free of sexual harassment. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of restaurant employees in Hong Kong concerning sexual harassment.     

Conceptualization of Quality Indicators for U.S. Based Four-Year Undergraduate Hospitality Management Programs

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to (a) generate a composite list of hospitality management program quality indicators and (b) arrange the quality indicators in dimensional categories under conceptual themes. Three focus group interviews were conducted with twenty-eight hospitality educators and administrators. Sixty-nine quality indicators emerged based on the content analyses of the data under five conceptual themes: students/alumni, curriculum, faculty, industry support, and facilities. Categories under each theme varied in the unidimensional and multidimensional nature of their indicators. Implications for stakeholders and recommendations for future research to determine specific quality measures that would be useful to hospitality faculty and administrators in planning and assessing academic programs are provided.     

Service Quality,Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention Among Forest Visitors

Abstract

This study explores the interrelationships between service quality and satisfaction, and their influence on behavioral intention among forest visitors. On-site surveys were conducted in a forest through face-to-face interviews (n = 395). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that service quality is an antecedent of satisfaction and satisfaction plays a mediating role between service quality and behavioral intention. Further, service quality has a direct effect on behavioral loyalty, implying that the effect of service quality on behavioral intention is as important as that of satisfaction. The results of the study provide important theoretical implications to nature-based tourism managers.     

A Highlight of Tourism and Hospitality Education Issues in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

This paper was written to explore the opinions of the hospitality human resource managers in Taiwan about current tourism and hospitality education provisions. Major issues regarding tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were identified. Based on the research findings, a number of conclusions were drawn and specific suggestions for the future of the tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were proposed.     

Recruitment and Retention Practices in Independent and Chain Restaurants

Abstract

The management of employees in the restaurant industry is a major challenge that operators must address as companies work to find the best employees in a shrinking labor market. An exploratory study of twenty restaurants (ten independent and ten chain restaurants) investigated similarities and differences in employee recruitment and retention practices. Personal face-to-face interviews with managers disclosed a variety of interesting practices and ideas in the management areas of recruitment, interviewing and hiring, incentives, discipline, and retention. Environmental issues (relating to atmosphere and work environment) were most frequently cited by managers as reasons employees choose to work and remain in restaurants. Compensation and monetary awards were second in importance, followed by work schedule. This analysis provides an understanding from the manager's viewpoint of why employees work in restaurants and offers a perspective in current practices in employee recruitment and retention processes.     

Buying a Piece of Paradise- A Case Study

ABSTRACT

The vacation ownership (timeshare) industry is the fastest growing segment in the hospitality industry. With this growth is the need to attain qualified managers and hospitality programs must ascertain the skills that are necessary to meet the demands of this market. The purpose of this study was to discover if there were any significant differences between traditional lodging managers and timeshare managers based upon a manager's knowledge, ability, and attitude related to their job duties. The study did discover some areas that were deemed more important to timeshare managers. These results could be used to help potential employees in the lodging industry discover what type of environment would best match their skill set.     

Hospitality managers' importance perceptions of human resource practices related to employment of foreign workers in the United States

ABSTRACT

Cross-border labor mobility of hospitality employees has resulted in an increase in illegal immigrants in the workforce. The purpose of this study was to generate a list of top legal issues associated with the employment of foreign workers in the U.S. hospitality industry and to identify factors defined by the importance ratings of these issues. Snowball sampling was used to collect data from hospitality managers. Findings reveal that respondents perceive document verification to be important but may not perceive knowledge of various visa types and employment termination reporting procedures associated with employing foreign workers to be important. Managerial implications are discussed.     

Segmentation of Special Event Attendees Using Personal Values

ABSTRACT

This article presents the findings from research undertaken within a conceptual framework that included personal values, satisfaction and post-consumption behavioural intentions. The findings of a quantitative study (n = 354) conducted at a theatre-event indicate that attendees who were more inclined to place importance on their 'connectedness' with others were generally more satisfied with their attendance overall and with most of the attributes of the special event that were measured. Similar results were also found for attendees' post-con-sumption behavioural intentions; however, other personal value systems, such as that associated with hedonism, also emerged as important. These results can be used by managers and marketers of special events to enhance the special event experience and contribute to the industry's sustainability.     

Entrepreneurial Characteristics,Motives, and Business Challenges: Exploratory Study of Small- and Medium-Sized Hotel Businesses

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to gather information about the determinants and characteristics of the owners/managers of small- and medium-sized hotels (SMSHs) and identify various issues in starting up and operating businesses in the United Arab Emirates. The results of this study reveal that the majority of the owners/managers of SMSHs in the United Arab Emirates are male, young and middle age, and relatively new to the tourism industry. The motivations for the business ventures of the entrepreneurs include wanting to be financially independent, become one’s own boss, involvement in family business and the opportunities of the hotel business. Among the key business challenges highlighted by the owners/managers of SMSHs are stiff competition in the hotel industry, increased operating costs, reduced demand, and lack of skilled employees. Several key strategies have been employed to face these challenges. These include offering competitive pricing, improving the marketing and channels of promotion, enhancing the quality of service and providing superior customer service.     

Line Manager Challenges in Human Resource Development

ABSTRACT

There is a range of challenges inherent in and surrounding line managers' involvement in human resource development, according to theoretical perspectives. At a conceptual level, the challenges include organisational commitment to human resource development; senior managers' understanding of training and development issues; and trust between line managers and human resource specialists. At a practical level the willingness and ability of line managers to carry out human resource tasks; organisational support; time pressures and workload are all challenges.

The aim of this article is to explore levels and types of line manager challenges in human resource development in the context of a branded international case organisation, Hilton International hotels. The empirical work is derived from a survey of 760 of Hilton International's UK line managers on their perceptions of, and involvement in, human resource activities. With a survey yield of 328 questionnaires, the Hilton work affords an in-depth analysis of the perspectives of line managers on their interface with human resource development. In particular, the analysis reveals high levels of senior manager understanding of training and development issues, very high levels of trust in human resource specialists and high levels of personal commitment to the human resource development activities. However, also evident are issues of conceptual understanding and responsibility for the service quality strategy that shapes human resource development activities, together with the importance senior managers attach to human resource development, and workload pressures. The respondent line managers themselves make suggestions, notably in the provision of training, to improve their involvement in human resource development within Hilton International hotels.     

Relevance and Quality in Australian Tourism Higher Education

Abstract

Partnerships between educators and industry professionals can facilitate students' tourism career opportunities. Considering this, a mail-out questionnaire was undertaken to assess the attitudes and perceptions of tourism educators (n = 56) and tourism professionals (n = 100) on tourism education issues. Results indicated that one-quarter of professionals believe university tourism majors provide graduates with a competitive advantage and both groups consider tourism/hospitality, marketing and management as important business majors. Competencies in logical thinking, social interaction, tourism knowledge and concepts, and generic skills are also considered important by both groups with specific workplace competencies and professional experience considered relatively less important by educators (p < .05). In conclusion, communication networks jointly facilitatedby academicsand industry are recommended.     

Research Possibilities in Private Club Management

Abstract

This research project proposes a process that studies the service quality trade-offs that restaurant managers worldwide are willing to make in order to maximize their customers' satisfaction level. The project uses traditional conjoint techniques to determine which service attributes managers are willing to trade so that customer satisfaction is maximized.     

Understanding and Sharing Knowledge of New Tourism Markets

SUMMARY

This paper examines issues involved in the definition, creation, and use of knowledge about the Chinese outbound market. It provides an initial view of the type of knowledge required by tourism managers in Australia, some suggestions about where this knowledge is available, or how it may be produced, and identifies issues in sharing that knowledge between tourism industry members and between academics and the industry.     

Training Issues

Abstract

This paper reviews issues relating to the vision-impaired (V-I) foodservice management program and subsequent training supported by the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the Randolph-Sheppard foodservice program (henceforth referred to as RS) of 1936. The act gives vision-impaired foodservice managers preference for the award and operation of vending operations in all types of federal and government buildings as well as road-side rest areas. As a pilot study, this paper investigates the perception of V-I respondents pertaining to training and other issues covered under the RS program. The results spur suggestions for potential improvement to the RS program in the State of Florida, as well as a need for improved training and inspection of V-I sites nationwide. Tips for those who might train the vision-impaired foodservice manager are also included.     

Tradeshow Managers

ABSTRACT

Technology adoption in the tourism industry has been widely reported. Tradeshows, which play a vital part in the tourism economy, have not been investigated to the same extent. This study focuses on tradeshow managers' use of technology, particularly the Internet. Using Rogers' Innovation-Diffusion Theory model, the present research queried the managers of the Tradeshow 200 (the 200 largest tradeshows in the United States) to assess their feelings about technology innovations. Tradeshow managers were also asked about Time Poverty Issues as identified by Forsythe and Bailey. Technology usage has become infused into the jobs of show managers. At the same time, correlations between technology adoption and feelings of time poverty were discovered.     

Managing Airline Passenger Satisfaction During a Delay: A Case Study Applying Consumerist Gap Concepts

Abstract

Delays occur quite commonly in airtransportation, due to the effects of weather, congestion, or technical problems. Lengthy delays often give rise to passenger complaints and demands for compensation. This paper firstly presents a general consumerist gap model of passenger satisfaction management, then applies its concepts to a batch of passenger correspondence which resulted from a very long delay. Passengers' letters to the airline were reviewed and analysed using con-sumerist gap approaches, following which discussions were held with senior airline managers to identify ways of improving responses to passengers during incidents such as the one presented in this case study.     

Heritage Management and Control

ABSTRACT

Tourism is one of the most important economic activities. Historical heritage has been identified by both administrators and the private sectors as major touristic assets. It has been a myth that the more heritages a country own, the better it would be. Some recent reports, however, revealed that heritages, in fact, could be a burden to the concerned government and the economy. This paper is to review the situation in Egypt in relation to the issues of discovering, preserving and commercializing of historical heritages. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the community, which has the gift of heritage, and heritage preservation of Egypt and to the improvement of our knowledge of the discipline of tourism.