Retention of Hourly Hotel Employees

Abstract

The major objective of this study was to explore the reasons behind hourly employee turnover in the hotel industry. Data was collected from 230 hourly employees in ten small and medium-size hotels located in the Southeast U.S. The results empirically confirmed that hourly employees' retention was predicted by self-fulfillment and working conditions rather than monetary rewards. More specifically, employees who were more likely to stay with their current employer: were not interested in finding another job, had a positive experience with their hotel's company policies, were satisfied with their current job, attributed a higher level of importance for paid vacation, had a positive experience with regard to their hotel's humane approach to employees, and did not attribute a high level of importance for having a fun and challenging job.     

UK Conference Delegates' Cognizance of the Importance of Venue Selection Attributes

Abstract

The UK meetings industry has grown dramatically over the last ten years. Interest in the industry and competition is increasing and the move towards using venues other than hotels for meetings is growing. The pattern of growth experienced by the industry brings with it the question whether the quality of provision is becoming increasingly important to customers when differentiating between venues.

The research forms part of a larger study, which proposes to establish whether gaps exist between conference organizers' and conference delegates' needs when selecting and assessing the quality of a conference venue. This paper presents the findings of a quantitative study of 547 conference delegates. Conference delegates' perceptions of service quality attributes were compared and contrasted by importance of attributes and attribute subsets. The results provide a unique perspective and will be extremely valuable to venue managers.     

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.     

Supplementary Services as a Differentiation Strategy

Abstract

Although some studies have been done on supplementary services in the service industry, very little has been explicitly done in the travel and tourism industry. This paper focuses on adding value to core services in the travel and tourism industry, which Lovelock (1996) referred to as “supplementary services.” Supplementary services can be used as differentiation points in a highly competitive industry such as tourism. Some researchers have developed models in an effort to demonstrate how supplementary services can enhance the core services. Shostack (1977) and Lovelock (1996) have developed models specifically designed for the service industry. This research is based on Lovelock's (1996) “Flower of Service” model, focussing on the “Hospitality: Taking Care of the Customer” cluster. This paper contends that supplementary services add value to core services, which gives firms competitive advantage over their competition. In the dynamic and challenging environment of the travel and tourism industry, operators need to differentiate themselves in order to be successful and continue to offer superior performance. One of the strategies to differentiate from the competition is to enhance the core services with supplementary services. A major Midwestern City was selected to test Lovelock's model. Two conventions held in mid-February were chosen for this study. Attendees of the first convention were provided specially trained greeters at selected key locations. The second convention that was held the following week did not have any greeters. Attendees of both the conventions were asked to complete a one page pre-tested questionnaire. They were to rate the host-city on several criteria including overall satisfaction, meeting their expectations, and satisfaction with the hospitality and non-hospitality services. Obtained findings suggest that attendees who were exposed to greeters rated the host-city more favorably in overall impression, and quality of hospitality services, and non-hospitality services, while the convention attendees that were not exposed rated the host-city less favorably. Based on the results from this study, firms in the travel and tourism industry, especially the convention centers, may want to consider providing their customers with supplementary services such as greeters as a differentiation strategy.     

Understanding Associations and Their Conference Decision-Making Processes

Abstract

A critical question for organizations and businesses involved in destination marketing and the provision of services for conferences and meetings is how associations decide where to hold their conferences and meetings. An understanding of these decision-making processes could provide valuable insights into how a destination can best promote themselves to this sector. The aims of the study presented in this paper were to identify the decision processes of association conference planners and to explore the attributes that they consider important when organizing a conference. The study used in-depth interviews with association conference organizers who had either planned an event in a regional Australian center during 2003 or who were currently in the process of planning for a future event to be held in that destination. The interviews revealed that while similar attributes were important to all planners, their importance differed between different types of associations. Major findings from the study included the importance of the bid process and the use of committees for the planning and organizing of tasks. Budget constraints were also a major component of the decision-process, as a majority of the associations studied were non-profit organizations. The venue was the most important attribute regarding the decision of host destination. The study concludes with an expanded model for convention planner decision processes based on Crouch and Ritchie's 1998 model.     

FROM THE EDITOR

Abstract

Thailand has some of the finest conference venues in Southeast Asia, and the convention/exhibition industry is important to the development of the nation's overall tourism industry. The convention/exhibition industry is good for the tourism industry, because it helps to enhance the quality of accommodations, hospitality, and services that are located in such an exotic location. Also, it stimulates the convention/exhibition industry investment in terms of associated facilities and services. An analysis of the performance of the convention and exhibition industry in 1996 and 1997 was conducted in this paper. The results solidly suggest that Thailand has a strong convention and exhibition industry which should produce substantial economic impact in the years ahead. Recommendations for future research are also provided.     

Study on the Degree of Importance of Convention Service Factors

ABSTRACT

As customers come to understand that service is one of the most important industry products, identifying customer needs and providing what they want will be essential to a successful approach in service-related industries. In consideration of the increased importance of service in the convention industry, this article identifies convention service factors and provides statistical analysis based on data from the actual industry. The results of this research will enhance an understanding of the factors used by customers to evaluate the quality of convention service and help planners improve their performance in the planning of conventions.     

Exploring the comparative importance of online hotel reviews’ heuristic attributes in review helpfulness: a conjoint analysis approach

Online travel reviews have become increasingly important as a result of the intangible and heterogeneous characteristics of the tourism industry as well as the recent diffusion of social media. This exploratory case study intends to examine the comparative importance of the six heuristic attributes (reviewer location, reviewer level, reviewer helpful vote, review rating, review length, and review photo) with respect to review helpfulness in the online hotel review context. Moreover, the salience of the individual levels within each review attribute and the importance of the attributes in positive and negative review-rating groups are compared. In total, 1,158 reviews of a hotel on TripAdvisor were collected and analyzed through conjoint analyses. This study found that the review rating and reviewer helpful vote attributes are the two most important factors. Finally, three major propositions are suggested based on findings of the study, and several theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Effect of Supervised Work Experience on Perception of Work in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

ABSTRACT

This study examines how supervised work experiences, among other factors, affect tourism and hospitality undergraduates' perception of work in the industry. Other factors include parents' influence, students' experience with the industry as customers, family connections with the industry, previous industry-related work experience and sources of information about the industry. Perceived importance of tourism to the destination was also included, in view of the specific changes taking place in the tourism environment of the destination under study. Results indicated that undergraduates in junior students were influenced more by their parents while senior students their SWEs. The study offers recommendations to alter or enhance students' perception about industry work.     

The integration of nutrition components into culinary programs: perspectives of experts and educators

ABSTRACT

Consumers are increasingly eager for healthier food selections, but not at the expense of taste. As the foodservice industry continues to respond to these trends, graduates from culinary and hospitality programs are expected to be trained to meet these changing needs. The aim of the study was to compare industry experts’ and educators’ perceived importance of nutritional competencies in culinary curriculum, as well as the perceived barriers to integrate nutritional competency in accredited culinary programs. The study analyzed data provided by two U.S.-based groups of participants: (1) culinary and industry experts, and (2) educators in culinary and hospitality management programs. Results indicate that experts view nutritional competency as important to a student’s program of study and that success depends on educators meeting these competencies. However, the analysis reveals that educators significantly undervalue the importance of nutritional competency placement in curriculum and overrate how well they are preparing culinary graduates.     

The Great Halls of China? Meeting Planners’ Perceptions of Beijing as an International Convention Destination

This research focused on meeting planners’ perceptions about selecting Beijing as an international convention destination. Twenty-three convention destination site selection criteria organized into five categories were identified. It was found that, with respect to Beijing, the importance of site selection criteria has changed since the late 1990s, with meeting planners now attaching more weight to the quality of convention services, quality of convention planning assistance, and city image. The meeting planners who had previously held international conventions in Beijing attached greater importance to research and development cooperation opportunities and choice of accommodations than those who had not. They rated Beijing's performance lower on the convenience of the application process (required by Chinese governments) and government support. It was concluded that Beijing needs to improve most on the quality of convention services and convention planning assistance, and by relaxing government policies related to the holding of international conventions.     

Convention and Exhibition Center Development in Korea

Abstract

As Korea comes increasingly into the spotlight with globally recognized events and its heightened importance as an international business destination, the demand for the modern and innovative convention and exhibition facilities has increased. This paper provides an overview of Korea's convention and exhibition industry, with a special focus on the development of convention and exhibition centers. Following the delineation of the boom of convention and exhibition center development, it concludes with some pertinent issues.     

The Competitiveness of International Meeting Destinations in Asia

Abstract

This study was designed to discuss marketing strategies for meeting destinations in Asia, especially for Seoul. To achieve this purpose, an e-mail survey was conducted with meeting planners and buying centers to investigate their perspectives on the site selection attributes and the performance of the five meeting cities in Asia-Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. As the result of this study, there was a little difference of perspectives on the site selection attributes and destinations' performance between meeting planners and buying centers. These results could be used to develop competitive marketing strategies for each destination.     

Introducing Environmental Management in the Hotel Industry

Summary

The hotel industry in Jamaica, like so many other tropical destinations, markets itself on the “3-Ss”-sea, sun, and sand. Hotels ring the north coast of the island in four main resort areas (i.e., Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio). Located in sensitive coastal ecosystems, most of Jamaica's hotels face the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of their operations while meeting the increasing demand of a growing tourism industry.

This article presents a case study of the introduction of environmental management practices and systems in the hotel industry in Jamaica over the past 3 years to provide an answer to the environmentally sustainable tourism challenge. It describes the programmatic approach, the results at both the property and industry level, and the lessons learned in replicating the approach to other tropical tourism destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America.     

“Just Trying to Keep the Customer Satisfied”

SUMMARY

The paper compares the predictive validity of six models used in the measurement of satisfaction; it is concerned with their application at destination level, with particular reference to Orlando, Florida. Using factor analysis and multiple regression, the ‘performance only’ model was clearly identified as the best predictor of satisfaction. The incorporation of ‘importance’ and ‘performance’ ratings did not improve the predictive power of the ‘performance only’ solution. From tourists' ‘performance’ ratings, five ‘dimensions’ of Orlando's tourism offering were identified: ‘primary,’ ‘secondary’ and ‘tertiary’ attractions, ‘facilitators’ and ‘transport plus.’ Notwithstanding Orlando's reputation as the world's theme park capital, Orlando's ‘secondary’ attractions (such as shopping and dining opportunities) and ‘facilitators’ (such as accommodation and customer service) were identified as having the most influence on overall tourist satisfaction with Orlando.     

Past,Present, and Future of Tourism Education

SUMMARY

Tourism education in Korea, mandated by the Higher Education Act, has evolved rapidly in response to the tourism industry's growth and labor demands for the last four decades. As tourism education has matured and become increasingly recognized as a legitimate academic field of study, the Korean tourism education has attempted to generate future quality workforce and to establish the status of tourism as a prominent research oriented discipline. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the Korean tourism industry and tourism education over the past four decades and to suggest future directions for Korean education in the 21st century. By improving current curricula according to today's fast changing tourism business environment and cooperating with the tourism industry with the aid of the government on policies and regulations, Korean tourism education will continue to contribute to the Korean tourism industry as a legitimate partner.     

Industry professionals’ perceptions of sustainability in meeting and event education

ABSTRACT

The size of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) industry, and its popularity as a career choice are growing, along with the number of MICE college programs. Although the industry has begun to recognize its impact on sustainability, and is increasing efforts to improve sustainability-related practices, there is a lack of research on MICE education about sustainability. This study examines MICE professionals’ perceptions about sustainability in meeting and event education in order to help MICE educators equip students with the knowledge that is pertinent to their future. In-depth interviews with 10 MICE professionals show that they think students should learn about sustainability not only as a general concept but also as a business case for meeting and events. Measuring and tracking impacts were also important. The interviewees had mixed views about the industry’s current sustainability practices. Several practical recommendations for MICE educators, and future research topics are discussed.     

The Senior Travel Market

Abstract

Demographically, the senior market segment is the fastest growing travel segment in the United States. While existing as one of the most influential groups of leisure travelers, they are often forgotten in the world of hotel marketing, advertising, and overall design of the hotel itself. This study examined the “Do's & Don'ts” of the senior market, as well as the importance seniors hold on service attributes, hotel layout, and building design. Findings are derived from literature reviews and observations. In addition, personal interviews were conducted to compare what hotel employees thought was an important need to the seniors in contrast to what the senior travelers thought was. Recommendations were made to assist hotel companies in attracting the senior market ranging from lifestyle advertising to building guestrooms with particular amenities.     

Association Meeting Planners' Perceptions of Five Major Convention Cities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to report the pre-test results of a questionnaire designed to examine association meeting planners' site selection criteria and performance of five major convention cities. Pre-testing is necessary to ensure face (content) validity of the instrument by assessing the meaning of questions (ambiguity and bias), continuity and flow, question sequence, scale variability, and length and timing. The findings from the pre-test provided significant feedback for content validity of selection criteria used in the study, measurement and scaling, and flow of the questionnaire. The implications were discussed.     

The role of relationship quality in raising organizational change acceptance: The case of the Greek hotel industry

This study examines whether the quality of an employee's relationships, within the context of the hotel industry, has an influence on their behavioral intention towards organizational change. The researchers suggest that the quality of relationships is an important element of an individual's social capital and can be evaluated using five key dimensions: the extent to which relationships are tangible, responsive and reliable, as well as the extent to which they offer empathy and assurance. Furthermore, this research examines whether organizational commitment and job satisfaction have an effect on the association between relationship quality and an individual's behavioral intention towards organizational change. The data collected from a sample of 100 hotel employees in Thessaloniki, Greece, show that relationship quality has a positive association with an individual's behavioral intention towards change. Additional results highlight the roles of job satisfaction and organizational commitment as mediating variables. Managerial implications relevant to the findings and pathways for further research are also discussed.