Tourism and hospitality industry job-attainment beliefs and work values among Australian schools leavers

Five hundred and ninety-four Australian high school students were surveyed so as to investigate basic work values and tourism and hospitality industry job-attainment criteria. The most highly ranked work values were self-development, creativity and management, whereas the most highly ranked tourism and hospitality industry job-attainment criteria were motivation, positive attitudes and personal appearance. Females were found to rank highly criteria such as motivation, positive attitudes and a liking for people, whereas males are found to rank highly the contacts of the applicant. Prospective tourism and hospitality industry employees generally associated the work value-self development with a range of tourism and hospitality job-attainment criteria, though not formal education and contacts. The work value regarding management was, however, associated with personal appearance, practical experience, good references and positive attitudes. Implications of these results for prospective tourism and hospitality industry employees, careers counsellors and the industry are examined.     

Service robots and perceived discrimination in tourism and hospitality

This study explores the influences of the incorporation of service robots in the service delivery systems of tourism and hospitality companies on the perceived discrimination of tourists and tourism employees. In doing so, a conceptual framework is proposed to explain the relationships between robots-based service delivery systems in tourism and hospitality (e.g., fully robotised and mixed service delivery systems) and discrimination. This paper demonstrates that although service robots may be advantageous in eliminating/mitigating perceived discrimination (from employees to tourists, tourists to tourists, tourists to employees, employer/employee to employee), using robots can also create or aggravate perceived discrimination. Though this study is the first attempt on the subject and presents beneficial knowledge for tourism and hospitality service providers and service robot designers, future empirical studies could shed more light on the relationship between robots-based service delivery systems and discrimination in the tourism and hospitality context.     

Justice and trust’s role in employees’ resilience and business’ continuity: Evidence from Egypt

Resilience is increasingly recognized as a means of reducing the effects of disasters on tourist destinations. However, there is limited understanding of the contextual factors that promote resilient attitudes and behaviors among employees of tourism and hospitality organizations, which in turn lead to business recovery and success. Using a capital-based approach, this study explores the impact of employees' resilience – as manifested by hardiness, resourcefulness and optimism– on two indicators of business continuity: perception of job insecurity and creative performance. The mediating effects of distributive justice and trust in the organization are also tested to establish how they affect this relationship. Data were gathered from 960 employees in tourism and hospitality organizations affected by terrorist attacks in Egypt. Using results obtained through structural equation modeling, we demonstrate a direct relationship between employees' resilience and business continuity, with distributive justice and trust partially functioning as mediators. The implications and limitations are discussed.     

A thematic analysis of crisis management in tourism: A theoretical perspective

The hospitality and tourism industry for a variety of reasons is vulnerable to crises of various origins and scope. Thereby, research regarding crises in this industry has received significant attention among scholars. This study presents the results of a qualitative thematic analysis (TA) of the literature concerning crisis management in hospitality and tourism. A total of 207 research publications from 1986 to 2019 were analyzed. The findings revealed eight major themes that emerged in the literature over time. We critically discuss these themes with suggestions and directions for future research in this area. The study also identifies a shortage of scholarly attempt to conceptualize crisis management and thus explores the sensemaking perspective to shed further light on explaining the themes that emerged in the analysis.     

Why is asset-light strategy necessary? An empirical analysis through the lens of cost stickiness

The widespread trend among firms in the tourism and hospitality industry to adopt an asset-light strategy has enabled the U.S. tourism industry to grow rapidly by shaving off fixed assets. Our paper explores why an asset-light strategy is necessary from the perspective of cost management. Because cost is very “sticky,” meaning it does not change proportionally with changes in revenue, and change in cost is usually lagged, higher cost stickiness leads to lower financial performance. We found that cost stickiness does exist in the tourism and hospitality industry, and an excess of assets is its main determinant. Moreover, we found that management adjusts the amount of assets to reduce the effects of cost stickiness, and these adjustments are much more significant in revenue-declining years. Contributions, limitations, and practical implications are also discussed.     

Motivations for entrepreneurship in the tourism and hospitality sector: A social cognitive theory perspective

A critical examination of the literature suggests that further work is needed to understand the relationship between small tourism and hospitality businesses and their external social-economic environments. In particular, the nature of personal and environmental factors influencing tourism entrepreneurship remains unknown. Focusing on one type of small business, guest houses, this study aims to examine entrepreneurs’ motivations from a dynamic perspective and explore the nature of personal and environmental factors affecting motivations for entrepreneurship. Taking a qualitative approach, four patterns of change in (or maintenance of) motivation are identified. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study finds that, among the relevant personal factors are cognitive beliefs, intrinsic needs, and demographic factors, while the environmental facilitators include changes in the tourism market, changes within the industry, and changes in setting/location. Finally, a model of small business operators’ motivations for engaging in entrepreneurship in the tourism and hospitality sector is proposed.     

Using ethical leadership to reduce job stress and improve performance quality in the hospitality industry

Given an increased call for examining ethics in the hospitality industry, this research examines how ethical leadership influences the job stress and performance quality of customer-contact employees in the hospitality industry. Results indicate that customer-contact employees’ views of their supervisor’s use of ethical leadership behaviors is related to lower levels of ethical ambiguity and job stress. Ethical ambiguity is positively associated with job stress, which is negatively associated with customer-contact employees’ performance quality. Perceived ethical leadership behaviors positively influence performance quality. Based on the findings, implications are provided for both theory and management, and directions for future research are offered.     

All people are created equal? Racial discrimination and its impact on hospitality career satisfaction

Drawing on self-determination theory, this paper investigated the level of racial discrimination in the hospitality industry and examined its effects on hospitality career satisfaction. Based on a sample of 179 hospitality students who were working in the industry, the study showed that racial discrimination is prevalent in the hospitality industry such that people of color suffer from a higher level of discrimination than Whites people. However, there is no difference in racial discrimination among racial/ethnic minority groups. Structural equation modeling results also showed that a high level of racial discrimination results in a lower level of hospitality career satisfaction. Overall, the results suggested that people of color have a lower level of career satisfaction via the mediating roles of racial discrimination and basic needs satisfaction. Results have theoretical and practical implications related to racial discrimination, as well as diversity management and education.     

Exploring determinants of meeting planners’ commitment to the business relationships with destination management companies

Although there is a demand for research on a business-to-business relationship between meeting planners and destination management companies, the current hospitality and tourism literature is insufficient in its attempt to understand the dynamics of this unique relationship. Recently, in the meeting industry, destination management companies have been recognized to experience a more challenging business environment due to the abundance of online vendor information which activates meeting planners’ disintermediation of destination management company services. To provide more practical implications for these key meeting players, this study urges that the key factor that encourages meeting planners to continue using destination management companies is trust. Therefore, this study examines determinants of the trust–commitment relationship as a means for meeting planners to achieve a more sustainable relationship with destination management companies. Applying and extending social exchange theory, this study also explores the determinants of the future relationship (commitment or termination). Findings of this research will provide the industry with suggestions for their relationship development.     

Sustainable hospitality: a meaningful notion?

This paper explores the concept of sustainable hospitality. The relevance and status of this area of enquiry are assessed by discussing the current status of the concepts involved. These discussions are then linked to progress made in sustainable hospitality both in research and practical applications in the hospitality industry. At least six principal schools of thought within hospitality are noted: hospitality science, hospitality management, hospitality studies, the “three domain school”, the systems thinking school and the pragmatic tradition. This complexity and lack of clear definition are problems. The differences between sustainability and sustainable development, and between weak and strong sustainability add further complexities. This paper shows that progress in both sustainable hospitality and tourism has been limited by these problems. A series of technical, ethical and commercial problems are discussed. However, while sustainable hospitality as a research area is still in its infancy, it is concluded that it is very relevant within the wider context of sustainable tourism research, based on its impact and its specific position within the social–ecological–economic systems under investigation. Key areas of future work are suggested, notably to better understand the impacts of hospitality on the triple bottom line, and to explore systems approaches towards implementation.     

内部营销视角下饭店员工忠诚度研究

目前随着饭店行业竞争的不断加剧,人才保留和员工忠诚受到了管理实践者的极大重视.本研究从内部营销视角出发,以中国饭店业为研究对象,分析员工信任、满意和组织承诺对饭店员工态度和行为忠诚的递推影响作用.实证研究发现,员工信任和满意通过组织承诺影响员工态度忠诚,最终影响员工行为忠诚.因此,饭店行业的管理者在强调通过物质利益树立员工忠诚度的同时一定不能忽视员工心理状态对于忠诚度的影响作用,更要充分利用组织承诺的效能来降低员工流动率.     

Let your algorithm shine: The impact of algorithmic cues on consumer perceptions of price discrimination

How can hospitality and tourism firms reduce consumers’ perceptions of unfairness regarding their price discrimination practices? We propose that pricing algorithms, as advanced revenue management tools, can play a role. We demonstrated the effects of an algorithmic cue through a tweet analysis and four experiments. We found that informing consumers that the offered price is determined by algorithms mitigated their negative responses in the disadvantaged price discrimination context. Also, such algorithmic cue effects only occur when the algorithm is less anthropomorphic (vs. highly anthropomorphic or human). The positive impact of an algorithmic cue was identified not only when customers directly experienced disadvantaged price discrimination but also when they obtained the information from different channels. The results suggest hospitality and tourism firms that have implemented pricing algorithms in their revenue management can benefit from disclosing an algorithmic cue to customers.     

Balanced scorecard in the hospitality and tourism industry: Past,present and future

After its introduction in 1992, the balanced scorecard (BSC) has attracted considerable interest from both scholars and practitioners. This is evidenced by the increasing number of publications addressing BSC and the large number of professional events devoted to it. However, there is little research on BSC in the hospitality and tourism industry. This study aims to contribute towards filling this significant gap through studying 106 top-ranked journal articles on BSC, of which 37 belong to the hospitality and tourism industry. In so doing, the study highlights the research focus that has been placed so far on BSC and examines its trends and the relationships amongst its perspectives. It also provides valuable input to identify gaps currently impeding BSC development in the hospitality and tourism industry, recommends future research opportunities intended to improve understanding and practice of BSC along with building up on emerging research topics like sustainable tourism and new tourism management.     

境外残障旅游与无障碍旅游研究进展与启示

文章围绕残障与旅游、残障旅游市场需求、残障旅游市场供给和无障碍旅游4大研究主题8个研究细类,梳理残障旅游境外研究状况。境外研究总体态势是以残障群体旅游需求为研究重点,围绕残障群体的旅游特点、动机、需求、偏好、决策、体验和出行障碍作诸多有益探索;同时基于残障群体的旅游需求特性,从旅行社、航空运输、住宿、景区4大旅游产业角度,针对性研究解决残障人群出行和旅游参与障碍、提供合理旅游产品和服务的思路和方法。文章最后评述了境外研究的思路、方法与不足,并从研究方法、研究团队构成和近期可以开展的研究领域对国内学者提出建议。     

Silk and steel: A gendered approach to career and life by upper echelon women executives in the hospitality and tourism industry in China

This qualitative study represents one of the early attempts to uncover the lived experience of thriving of top female leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry in China. Based on the narratives of 21 women executives in the hospitality and tourism industry in China, this study reveals that upper echelon (top management) females thrive by taking a gendered approach to life and career in a cultural environment with a strong Confucian tradition. This research systematically explored the unique gendered orientations and strategies these women executives used to achieve optimal functioning, as manifested in their thriving in both life and career. They acknowledge gender differences, embrace female qualities rather than deny them, and leverage these qualities to their advantage. The study findings offer significant theoretical and practical implications by illuminating a thriving perspective of the career advancement of women.     

The impact of workplace spirituality on lecturers' attitudes in tourism and hospitality higher education institutions

Despite the significance of workplace spirituality, a limited number of tourism studies have empirically examined its outcomes within tourism higher education institutions (HEIs). To address this gap, this study investigates the influence of workplace spirituality on lecturers' engagement, commitment, workforce agility, trust, and empowerment. A quantitative approach was adopted by gathering surveys from 218 tourism and hospitality lecturers in HEIs in Italy and Portugal. With the employment of PLS-SEM, the empirical findings reveal that workplace spirituality has a positive and significant impact on lecturers' engagement, commitment, workforce agility, trust, and empowerment. This research contributes to tourism knowledge about workplace spirituality within HEIs. It also provides empirical contributions related to management of lecturers' attitudes and behaviour in tourism HEIs.     

Still pounding on the glass ceiling: A study of female leaders in hospitality,travel, and tourism management

Today, U.S. females represent the majority in both the hospitality and tourism management classroom and the work environment. However, the proverbial “glass ceiling” continues to exist, and evidence of career advancement obstacles remain salient in the hospitality, travel, and tourism management workplace. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of successful female industry leaders in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry, as well as their perceptions as to how they were able to overcome gender barriers and disparities. Findings offer participant reported “top issues” facing female leaders in the workplace, as well as strategies for overcoming these issues.     

Building customer satisfaction with tour leaders: the roles of customer trust,justice perception,and cooperation in group package tours

This research developed a theoretical model to explain the relationship between customer trust, justice perception, cooperation, and satisfaction in the tourism context. Survey data were collected from 309 customers of outbound group package tours in Taiwan. Empirical results indicated that both customer trust and justice perception have direct and positive influences on customer satisfaction. Compared with justice perception, customer trust has a more crucial role in the tour leader–customer satisfaction relationship. Furthermore, customer cooperation partially mediates the effects of customer trust and justice perception on customer satisfaction. Therefore, cooperation is the mechanism that explains how customer trust and justice perception are associated with satisfaction. These results demonstrate the importance of customer cooperation and imply that travel managers should strengthen customer trust and justice perception to enhance customers’ cooperative behaviors and strengthen their satisfaction.     

Conceptual model for analysing management development in the hospitality industry: A UK perspective

This paper presents a conceptual, contingent model of hospitality management development (MD). Having explored the dimensions and relationships in the model, it is then applied to the UK hospitality industry through analysing the nature of the hospitality industry for potential influences on MD and evaluating research into its practice. The embryonic model is presented as a vehicle to enhance understanding of the complex influences and contexts of hospitality MD and to distinguish distinctive characteristics of MD in the hospitality industry.     

Consumer perception of knowledge-sharing in travel-related Online Social Networks

Consumers trust the Internet for advice. Online Social Networks (OSNs) are creating collective knowledge and becoming major information gathering sources among tourists when making travel decisions and purchasing travel-related products and services. The aim of the current study is to develop a theoretical model that tests the precursors of “intention to share knowledge” behaviors in the context of OSNs. Based on the previous literature, a theoretical model was developed and tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling with a sample of travel-related OSN users who had at least one year of online travel shopping experience. Study results show that both perceived ease of use and belief in integrity positively influence knowledge sharing behaviors. Utilitarian beliefs and subjective norms positively influence belief in integrity. This is one of the few research studies within this field and study results present clear theoretical and practical implications for the travel and tourism industry.