Older Workers' Communication Satisfaction in the Lodging Industry

Abstract

Labor shortages and high turnover trouble the lodging industry. Older workers have been overlooked as a solution to these problems. Older workers have demonstrated qualities such as loyalty, a strong work ethic, good customer relations, and reliability of performance that the lodging industry desires. The lodging industry needs to strive to increase older workers' job satisfaction in order to attract and retain them. Previous research has already proven that communication satisfaction has a significant impact on job satisfaction. This study examines the important communication factors that influence older workers' job satisfaction. Suggestions regarding older workers' communication satisfaction are provided.     

The Impact of Self-Efficacy on Job Outcomes of Hotel Employees

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of self-efficacy on job performance, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment using data collected from employees in three-, four-, and five-star hotels in Northern Cyprus as its setting. The research hypotheses were tested using LISREL 8.30 through path analysis. The model test results demonstrated that self-efficacy is a significant determinant of job performance. This study, however, failed to find a significant positive association between self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Although not hypothesized, the results of the present study revealed that job performance mediates the impact of self-efficacy on job satisfaction. In addition, the results of the path analysis showed that self-efficacy is among the significant predictors of affective organizational commitment. The model test results provided empirical support for the rest of the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, the path-analytic findings indicated that job satisfaction exerts a significant positive influence on affective organizational commitment. The model test results also demonstrated that job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment are negatively associated with intention to leave. Discussion of the results, implications for hotel managers, and future research directions are presented in the study.     

How is leadership related to employee self-concept?

In the field of leadership research, the relationship between leadership styles and follower self-concept was of great interests to researchers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how leadership styles such as transformational leadership, passive leadership and leader-member exchange (LMX) relate to employee self-concept. A total of 585 valid responses were collected from hotel front line employees in mainland China. The results showed that the effect of transformational leadership on self-concept was mainly mediated by LMX. The strong direct effects of LMX on levels of self-concept were also identified in this study. Theoretical and practical implications were provided based on the results of this study.     

Factors Related to Physically Active Leisure among College Students

The purpose of this study was to provide additional information about the complex relation of social cognitive constructs, gender, and active leisure among university students. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to test the hypothesized relations in a sample of 874 undergraduate students. Peer and family support had a moderate direct effect on self-efficacy while self-efficacy had a large direct effect on active leisure. A moderation effect was demonstrated. Peer support was more influential on male respondents' beliefs that they could be active and males reported higher active leisure participation when compared to females. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of influence on active leisure among this university population.     

Economies of Scale Could Be Key to Profitability

Abstract

The growth of China's tourism hotel industry has been accompanied by declining profitability. Using cross-province tourism hotels data of 2000, this study attempts to empirically quantify the impact of operation scale on hotel performance. Controlling for the effect of overcapacity, this study found a significant and positive association between operation scale and profitability. The findings suggest that to improve performance, the Chinese tourism hotel industry needs not only to reduce the overcapacity but also reverse the property-downsizing trend and pursue economies of scale.     

Extra-Role Customer Service: The Roles of Leader–Member Exchange (LMX), Affective Commitment,and Psychological Empowerment

ABSTRACT

Based on the social exchange and job characteristic theories, this study advances a moderated-mediation model that tries to explain the social-psychological processes connecting the leader–member exchange (LMX) and extra-role customer service, and examined it by collecting data from employees and managers employed in tourist hotels operating in Uttarakhand, India. A hierarchical regression analysis determined that LMX was positively related to extra-role customer service where affective commitment mediated this relationship. Further, an analysis of a moderated-mediation path revealed that psychological empowerment strengthened the direct influences of LMX on affective commitment and its indirect influence on extra-role customer service. Based on these findings, important theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Stephen J. O'Connor,Vice President,University Relations and Property Staffing,Marriott International

ABSTRACT

Leader-member exchange (LMX) is a multidimensional construct seeking to identify the quality of the relationship between the leader and immediate subordinate. An instrument developed by Schrie-sheim, Neider, Scandura, and Tepper (1992) was utilized to determine the LMX score of 798 non-managerial employees in a casual restaurant chain. The dimensions of perceived contribution, affect, and loyalty were examined. Results demonstrate that LMX quality was high among the surveyed employees of a restaurant chain. The scores of LMX on age, gender and job tenure differed among employees while LMX scores on job status, education, and job type did not differ significantly.     

Workplace Deviant Behavior and Its Demographic Relationship Among Taiwan's Flight Attendants

ABSTRACT

Employees' workplace deviant behaviors prevail in organizations, yet relevant studies are insufficient. The purpose of the study is to identify the pattern and extent of workplace deviant behavior among flight attendants and examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and this behavior. Survey data collected from 303 flight attendants in Taiwan shows that workplace deviant behavior can be categorized into three dimensions: organizational deviance toward organization, organizational deviance toward work and interpersonal deviance. In particular, gender and airlines make a significant difference in organizational deviance toward organizations. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

Profiling for the High-Performance Workplace

Abstract

This research examined the complexity of the hospitality workplace and the need for managers to become successful in developing their roles as manager/leaders as they progress through the organization. The use of profiling at the onset and throughout a manager's career as a means of selecting qualified managers into appropriate positions is explored. A case study of one such company that provides profiling to organizations is presented as an example of the philosophy of profiling and how it is utilized.     

Workplace deviance and human resource management relations: A case study of Turkish hotel employees

The main purpose of this study is to examine the negative associations between employees' perception of the effectiveness of performance appraisal practices and deviant workplace behavior. This study also tests the mediating effect of the forms of organizational justice in the relationship between performance appraisal practices and deviant workplace behavior. Moreover, it also investigates how line managers' performance appraisal politics may influence the relationship between perceptions of performance appraisal practices and employee deviant workplace behavior. In order to facilitate this study, the research team employed a survey design. A total of 193 service employees from different service establishments attended the forum where the study was conducted in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. The results of this study strongly support the premise that effective performance appraisal practices influence employee deviance behavior, and especially that interactional justice is an important predictor of employee violative behavior. Moreover, the findings indicate that there is no evidence regarding the moderating effect of employees' perception of managers' appraisal politics in the negative relationship between performance appraisal effectiveness and employee deviance.     

The Relationship Between Corporate Culture and Performance in Bahrain Hotels

Abstract

Research has found that the workplace culture a company establishes is significantly related to its overall performance. In turn, the nature of this relationship provides useful guidance to the design of systems and processes to enhance organizational performance.

However, the past findings from a review of the existing literature are almost exclusively based on companies from Western countries, thus leaving open the question of whether they also would apply to a non-Western context. In addition, prior studies have not specifically examined the existence and nature of the corporate culture-performance relationship in the hospitality sector. The current exploratory study contributes insights into both aspects of the phenomenon by collecting data from hotels in Bahrain. The findings indicate that on the whole, the instrument used by a leading international consulting firm and others to measure corporate culture in Western settings also can distinguish between higher and lower performing Bahrain hotels. However, several relationships that had been found to be significant in Western settings are not significant in this study. Implications of these findings for management are discussed.     

The impact of exploitative leadership on frontline hospitality employees’ service performance: A social exchange perspective

Based on social exchange theory, we investigate the impact of perceived exploitative leadership on frontline hospitality employees’ service performance. A three-phase analysis of 207 supervisor–subordinate dyads from three hotels in China demonstrates that exploitative leadership has a negative effect on frontline hospitality employees’ service performance. Furthermore, leader−member exchange (LMX) plays a mediating role in the relationship between exploitative leadership and employee service performance. Moderated path analyses indicate that traditionality weakens the direct influence of exploitative leadership on LMX and an indirect influence of exploitative leadership on employee service performance through reduced LMX. We also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Research in Hospitality

ABSTRACT

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are discretionary workplace behaviors not recognized directly by a formal reward system; yet they promote effective functioning in the organization. Exhibition of OCBs has been linked to improved organizational performance and employee performance evaluation scores. Although approximately 200 articles have been published since the term OCB was first coined in 1983, fewer than a dozen articles have appeared in the area of hospitality. This article discusses various theories underlying OCB research, summarizes OCB research in hospitality, and suggests future research directions for OCB research in the hospitality industry.     

Recruiting the Best

Abstract

This study investigates which workplace opportunities or offerings most influence hospitality studentss' likelihood of choosing and recommending a particular hospitality company. Data collected from hospitality management indicates that, consistent with previous research, Career Development and a Positive Work Environment continue to be important factors in influencing studentss' choice of employment. New for this study is the Quality of Life issue, a significant factor for this generation of hospitality management students. The study findings provide further recommendations for hospitality recruiters to attract and retain entry-level managers.     

The impact of workplace ostracism in service organizations

This study examines the effects of personal and situational determinants on work engagement and service performance. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, we hypothesize that workplace ostracism will reduce work engagement and service performance and that highly neurotic individuals are more susceptible to ostracism. To test the model, we collect longitudinal data from 304 supervisor–subordinate dyads in 19 Chinese hotels. As predicated, we find that: (1) workplace ostracism is negatively related to service performance; (2) workplace ostracism negatively impacts employee service performance via work engagement; and (3) neuroticism strengthens workplace ostracism's direct effect on work engagement and indirect effect on service performance. The implications of these findings, the strengths and limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Marketing Culture and Business Performance in the Airline Industry

Abstract

In recent years the airline industry has witnessed increased emphasis on the cultivation of a culture which fosters the effective implementation of marketing programmes. This growing attention stems from the belief that sound marketing practices provide an important source of competitive advantage in the service sector which is characterised by high levels of interaction between firms and their customers. Moreover, marketing academics and managers proclaim that a strong marketing culture leads to customer retention, which in turn, yields higher profitability. In this study an attempt is made to investigate empirically the relationship between UK airline firms' marketing culture and business performance. Our results indicate a strong relationship between marketing culture and business performance. To conclude, implications of the findings for airline managers and avenues for future research are discussed.     

Management Accounting in the Hotel Business

Abstract

This article reports on a study investigating Management Accounting (MA) applications and practices in Greek hotels. Relevant bibliography indicates the way in which MA supports management decision-making: Costing systems aim to analyze revenue centers, and are structured according to marginal costing principals. MA makes extensive use of budget and performance measurement techniques to support operational and strategic decisions. In the present study, a sample survey was carried out by means of a structured questionnaire. The findings indicate that Greek hotels make use of MA techniques in all of the above ways, but also reveal a number of differences, such as the application of full costing methods. This in turn has implications for the criteria used to evaluate managers' performance, as well as for the information used in making pricing decisions. Moreover, budget design is more flexible than that used in other fields, while benchmarking is not so popular. The study's findings reveal that hotel size and sales mix structure affect some MA practices, while the use of specific MA methods and techniques determines the emphasis placed on the application of others.     

A Study of Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology Education and Industrial Applications

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the subject relevance of Information Technology [IT] in Hospitality and Tourism Management programs with the skills deployed at workplace. This study aimed at investigating the graduates' transition from education to employment, and to determine how well they appear to be equipped to meet the needs of the hospitality and tourism industry. One hundred and seventeen graduates responded to a mail survey. These graduates rated the importance of IT skills at workplace, the level of IT teaching in hotel and tourism management programs, and the self-competence level in IT. This study concluded that a gap exists between the IT skills required at work and the IT skills acquired from the university.     

Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) and Frontline Employees’ Service-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Foodservice Context: Exploring the Moderating Role of Work Status

This study identified the direct and indirect effect of leader–member exchange (LMX) on frontline employees’ service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (SOCB) targeting customers and co-workers in the foodservice context. Service-role ambiguity was proposed as a partial mediator in the conceptual model. The moderating effect of work status was also explored in this study. Data were collected from 452 frontline employees, working in 31 different foodservice establishments. All five proposed hypotheses were supported, highlighting the effect of LMX on service role clarity (or ambiguity) and the SOCB. A multiple-group structural equation modeling analysis showed that the effect of LMX on SOCB was higher among part-time employees, compared to full-time employees. One implication of the study findings is that part-time employees should also be treated as a valuable asset to the foodservice organization.     

Human factors affecting university hospitality and tourism students' intention to use e-learning: A comparative study between Egypt and the UK

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study is to apply the technology acceptance model in examining two human factors (i.e., engagement with e-learning, self-efficacy) influencing university hospitality and tourism students' intention to use e-learning in two different higher education contexts: Egypt, as an example of a developing country, and the United Kingdom (UK), as an example of a developed country. A total of 600 online questionnaires were sent to a convenience sample of university hospitality and tourism students. Among the questionnaires returned, 442 were usable ones, representing a response rate of 73.7%. The results from structural equation modeling show that student engagement with e-learning and e-learning self-efficacy had significant effects on both the Egyptian and UK students' intention to use e-learning platforms through the mediating variables of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Additionally, gender and background were significant factors affecting students' intention.