Perceptions of restaurant employees in Asia Pacific on sexual harassment in the hospitality industry

A major issue facing all of the hospitality industry is that of sexual harassment and the explosion of the number of sexual harassment lawsuits being filed. According to the National Restaurant Industry (U.S.) in 1998, in certain states there are more sexual harassment lawsuits than slip and fall cases filed within the restaurant industry. With the cost of litigation and the dollar amount of settlements both increasing substantially, it is with a pro‐active view to look at the perspective of sexual harassment by restaurant employees. The purpose of this study was to measure the perceptions and attitudes of service personnel, specifically restaurant employees in Hawaii on sexual harassment.     

An Analysis of Sexual Harassment in Korean Hotels from the Perspective of Female Employees

Abstract

Female employees in Confucian and collective societies are particularly susceptible to sexual harassment. Occupational norms can also influence sexual harassment. First, this paper introduces the legal development of the sexual harassment law in Korea. Second, it examines the prevalence of sexual harassment in Korean luxury hotels. The results of the first survey in the Korean hotel industry detail female employees' experiences, the characteristics of harassers, the reaction to harassment, effects of harassment and effective methods of prevention. The results of this paper will aid hotel practitioners, especially in Asian countries where sexual harassment laws have not been well developed, to monitor activities in workplaces where sexual harassment might occur.     

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.     

Hourly Employee Retention Factors in the Quick Service Restaurant Industry

Abstract

Hourly employee retention in the quick service restaurant industry has long been a major area of concern for both operators and multi-unit restaurant decision makers. While numerous studies concentrated on managers' perceptions on why employees leave, few have explored the employees' perceptions on employment characteristics that kept them from changing jobs. The study employed a self-administered questionnaire and asked 233 quick service restaurant employees in the Midwestern region of the United States to rate the importance of and their experience with 20 employment characteristics of their job. The findings revealed that the most important employment characteristics were nice people to work with, humane approach to employees, and hourly wages. In addition, the study showed statistically significant differences between the level of importance and the level of experience attached to 18 out of 20 employment characteristics, which could explain the high turnover and low retention of employees in the industry. Implications for management are discussed.     

Exploring the Use of Activity Based Costing in the Restaurant Industry

Abstract

Traditional cost accounting systems have been replaced in recent years in the manufacturing sector by Activity Based Costing (ABC) systems. In spite of this trend in manufacturing, ABC systems have made few inroads in the services and hospitality sector, particularly in the restaurant industry. In this study, restaurant controllers in the United States were surveyed to identify their knowledge about, and use of, ABC systems. The results show that the use of ABC in the restaurant industry is almost non-existent for a variety of reasons. However, restaurants may be an ideal setting for the application of ABC tools due to the inherent characteristics of the industry.     

The Impact of Supplier Development on Financial Performance in the Restaurant Industry

ABSTRACT

Many firms have come to recognize the crucial role that cooperative relationships with suppliers play in determining high financial performance. Of main concern in many firms are supplier development activities and behaviors (SDABs) of buying firms, which are an attempt to meet current and future business needs such as high financial performance by improving supplier performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how buying firms' SDABs affect supplier performance (in delivery as well as product and service quality) and its impact on financial performance of the buying firms. The authors critically revisit extant knowledge on the subject, develop a conceptual framework integrating buyer and supplier relationship marketing/management practices, and test the framework in the independent restaurant industry context. Using structural equation modeling and data collected from 236 restaurant owners and/or presidents in the United States, the results of this research support the usefulness of the framework, showing that buying firms' SDABs directly affect supplier performance, which leads to high financial performance of the buying firms.     

Why Do People Leave? a Study Of Nonsupervisory Restaurant Employees’ Polychronic Time Use Preference and Turnover Intention

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to present a comprehensive view on the associations among polychronicity, job satisfaction, work engagement, and turnover intention within a restaurant context. Using a sample of 252 servers in full-service restaurants, structural equation modeling results found that polychronicity positively linked with job satisfaction, work engagement, and turnover intention. An indirect effect from polychronicity to job satisfaction to turnover intention was found. Results can assist restaurant managers in selecting candidates that best fit their organization. It will also assist employees in determining which career path best matches their personality traits.     

The Determinant of the Hospitality Industry's Unsystematic Risk: A Comparison Between Hotel and Restaurant Firms

ABSTRACT

Unsystematic risk is accepted as an important factor in stock valuation. Despite the importance, little has been done to study the relationship of unsystematic risk to stock values in the hospitality industry. This study attempted to advance the understanding of financial variables that could be related to unsystematic risk of hospitality firms. Regression models were developed for hotel and restaurant firms, using unsystematic risk as the dependent variable and financial variables as independent variables. The major findings of this study indicate: 1) more profitable hospitality companies have less unsystematic risk, 2) reducing reliance on debt financing could reduce unsystematic risk, 3) the positive relationship between operating leverage and unsystematic risk, suggesting that decreasing operating leverage could mitigate the stock price volatility of hospitality firms, and 4) large hotel and restaurant firms have less unsystematic risk than small firms. This study should help management of hospitality firms incorporate effects of shareholder expectations into their operational decision making as an integral part of long-range financial planning.     

Relating the Zone of Tolerance to Service Failure in the Hospitality Industry

The purpose of this study was to explore the zone of tolerance concept in relation to perceptions of service encounters, specifically when service failures are likely to occur. A simulated restaurant experience consisting of a series of dining service encounters was conducted with a sample of academic staff and research students. Results showed that individuals have different perceptions with different variability in their zone of tolerance; individuals appear to have a larger zone of tolerance when dealing with negative encounters and a narrower zone of tolerance for positive encounters. In addition, an initial negative encounter predisposes customers to future negative encounters. Failure is seen as a difficult concept to judge as individuals have diverse perceptions of what constitutes a failure and when it starts. Further research directions are proposed.     

关于中国城市饭店产业评价的思考

中国饭店业的发展加深着人们对饭店业的认识。单体饭店在走向成熟的同时，也需要整个饭店行业的成熟。文章提出衡量一个区域或城市饭店业是否成熟，有这样几个标准：拥有一批好的饭店群体，城市(地区)饭店的结构合理，有自身特色，有标志性的饭店，与城市特点相协调，有健全的行业法规，成熟的投资动机，成熟的职业经理人队伍，有成熟的市场和成熟的消费者，有成熟的饭店衍生业以及成熟的行业自律组织。     

Working in Macau Casinos: The Perceptions of Hong Kong Tertiary Students Majoring in Hospitality

This study examines the perceptions of students at a Hong Kong tertiary institution majoring in hospitality as to the importance of various job selection criteria in considering whether to work in the Macau casino industry. A total of 259 valid survey questionnaires were returned and the results showed that the respondents perceived good wages as the most important job selection criterion. Significant differences between respondents in the perceived importance of individual criteria were also found. The implications of these are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.     

An Investigation of Professional Development Education for Tourism and Hospitality Employees Through University and Industry Cooperative Education Partnerships

ABSTRACT

Cooperative educational partnerships in Australia are innovative education partnerships where universities join with a business or industry association in a working relationship. The partners share resources to develop and provide undergraduate award-bearing professional development education courses for employees and association members. The aim of this research is to investigate the nature of outcomes that encourages tourism and hospitality organisations to encourage professional development education for their employees and members.

This research used a qualitative approach to understand and analyse five cooperative education partnerships operating in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia. The outcomes emerging for tourism and hospitality organisations include encouraging confidence and loyalty in employees and a strengthening industry commitment to further education. The university saw professional development education provided through cooperative education partnerships as becoming part of their core education activity. Communication difficulties between different organisation cultures appear to be a barrier to overcome.     

专用性人力资本投资与饭店业基层员工低薪酬现象成因解释

我国饭店业正逐步演变为典型的低薪酬行业,主要表现为固定工资合约逐渐成为主导性薪酬契约,且固定工资基数水平不断下降。文章运用专用性人力资本理论,解释了在隐性知识管理机制缺失的条件下,饭店业主为什么会放弃对专用性人力资本投资收益的追求而选择固定工资合约,并进一步分析了固定工资合约的实际支付水平为什么会逐步下降,直至最终形成接近法定最低工资标准的全行业统一价格。     

酒店业竞争力提升的新途径:集群发展

本文通过对集群理论国内外发展研究的回顾,分析我国酒店企业集群形成的条件与基础、发展现状与分类,应用直接经济因素与非直接经济因素的企业集群竞争优势理论,对我国酒店企业集群优势与竞争力提升展开剖析.     

A Proposed Research Agenda for the Refinement of the High Performance Work System Construct in the U.S. Restaurant Industry

Abstract

The current research proposes a framework for the investigation and conceptualization of high performance work systems in the U.S. restaurant industry. The projected U.S. restaurant industry sales for 2006 are $511.1 billion according to the National Restaurant Association (National Restaurant Association, 2005). Because of its size and impact on the foodservice industry and the hospitality industry in general, improving the performance of the restaurant industry could help increase overall revenues and guest satisfaction in the foodservice and hospitality industry. By identifying a list of high performance work practices in the industry, a more in-depth exploration of these practices and then organizational policies can be aligned together to help improve overall performance in the U.S. restaurant industry. The current study provides theoretical background and support for the high performance work systems theory.     

东莞厚街镇会展业影响的社区感知研究

对会展业影响的社区感知研究有助于指导决策者和组织者规划、营销、管理和经营会展业.本文以展览业发达的东莞厚街镇为例,研究了厚街镇居民对会展业的影响感知,以及当地居民对会展业的态度.研究表明,社区对会展的影响感知体现在六个方面,既有正面感知,又有负面感知;社区居民对待会展的态度分为热爱者、中立者、理性者和漠视者四种类型.另外,研究结果还显示,与社区旅游和大型事件活动的影响感知相比,居民对待会展的态度表现为两个不同点,第一,漠视者取代了极端的憎恨者;第二,热爱者的比率非常高.     

饭店收入管理方法最新研究分析

收入管理是饭店业提高收益的重要方法。本文通过回顾国内外饭店收入管理研究状况,着重对饭店收入管理方法的六大研究内容：定价政策、客房存量控制、计算机收入管理系统研究、收入管理决策的最优化、细分市场收入贡献分析和收入管理绩效评估的研究进展、热点与不足及发展趋势进行了评述,并对我国饭店业收入管理应用提出了建议。     

Restaurant Advertising and Promotion Strategies of Two Gateway Cities: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

This study compares perceived frequency and benefit of selected advertising strategies as reported by 390 restaurateurs in Houston, Texas and Beijing, China. Data analysis consists of quantitative and qualitative measures based on type of service and ownership. While restaurateurs in both cities reported using a variety of advertising and promotion strategies, overall, Beijing restaurants were more likely to benefit from these varied activities. Beijing restaurateurs reported strong benefit in food sampling and coupon use as advertising and promotion tools. Perceived benefit of selected strategies by Houston restaurateurs on average did not directly correlate with its frequency of use.     

国外接待业人力资源管理研究评述

经过20世纪80年代以来20多年的学术研究和实践,国外接待业人力资源管理已成为一个较成熟的研究领域.本文分战略性人力资源、招聘和选拔、流动、培训和开发、薪酬管理、绩效评估、工作设计与参与和管理者开发等8个主要研究议题,对国外接待业人力资源研究进展进行了较系统的评述.目前综述国外接待业人力资源研究进展的文献尚不多见,国内接待业人力资源研究尚不全面和深入,本文综述将为国内相关研究提供有益借鉴.