A study of hotel employee behavioral intentions towards adoption of information technology

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of perceived IT beliefs, task-technology fit, attitude, self-efficacy, and subjective norm on behavioral intention of adopting information technology in hotels in Hangzhou, China. A number of 458 usable self-administered questionnaires were collected. Results show that attitude, self-efficacy, and subjective norm are positively related to behavioral intention. Perceived IT beliefs had influence on the intention through attitude formation. Task-technology fit appears to interact with perceived IT beliefs towards attitude formation. Suggestions were provide for hotel practitioners to enhance employees’ intention of adopting new information technologies.     

Overcoming the barriers to successful implementation of information technology in the U.K. hotel industry

This article examines the organisational barriers to successful implementation of information technology in the hotel industry. These are barriers of will, ability, and finance which block the routes to integration of internal systems.     

An exploratory analysis of turnover culture in the hotel industry in Australia

This study explores the concept of turnover culture in the hotel industry, drawing on the extensive literature on both organisational culture and turnover. A questionnaire was developed and administered to non-supervisory hotel employees. Using a cluster analytic approach, nine distinct clusters of variables were produced. One cluster containing pertinent turnover and organisational culture variables was isolated from other clusters as turnover culture. The implications for management practice in controlling a turnover culture are examined, as is the need for further research into this concept.     

The impact of technology on the hotel industry

This article discusses applications of technology to the hospitality environment. Front office information processing systems such as reservations, guest accounting and room management systems are discussed, as well as their impact on the efficiency of operations. Effects of developments in telecommunications and, more recently, teleconferencing on the lodging (hotel) industry are discussed. Technology benefits, such as energy management and the safety and security of guests and their property, are discussed. This article also clarifies the issues that must be considered in the application of new technology and examines future trends.     

Emotions in outsourcing. An empirical study in the hotel industry

This research aims to analyze the role of positive and negative emotions in decisions about supplier switching in the hotel industry. It shows how, in addition to switching costs and relational norms, positive emotions, such as happiness, empathy, gladness and satisfaction, also act as switching barriers and influence the likelihood of supplier switching. The findings also provide evidence that psychological factors moderate the influence of economic and relational factors. The empirical study was conducted in hotels and restaurants in two tourist areas of Asia and Europe: the Antalya Coast in Turkey and the French Riviera.     

Survival analysis of the Spanish hotel industry

The main objective of this study is an analysis of survival in the Spanish hotel industry. We used a sample of 1033 hotels opened from 1997 to 2009, examining financial and non-financial variables, including size; location; type of hotel; management, economic and financial structure and the year they opened, whether during an expansion or crisis period. The methodology included an econometric analysis of survival, using the non-parametric Kaplan–Meier estimator of constructed variables, in order to detect the particular influence of each variable. Semi-parametric regression was done with the Cox proportional hazards model, confirming which variables clearly influenced the survival of hotels and which signs existed for each analysed variables’ influence. The survival of hotels depends on their size, location, management and launch in a time of prosperity. However, survival rates were not significantly tied to particular types of hotels or configurations of their economic and financial structures.     

A technology adoption and implementation process in an independent hotel chain

Successful technological initiatives in the hospitality industry are a product of a well-planned and executed innovation adoption process. This qualitative study investigated the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled locking technology in an independent hospitality company as a mechanism for service innovation and improved internal process efficiency. Findings from the research generated themes significantly impacting the knowledge and persuasion stages of the diffusion of innovations (DOI) adoption process. Results produced theoretical implications which suggest the dual nature of adoption process in the service industries, as well as practical recommendations for the implementation of new technologies in the hospitality industry.     

An analysis of the relationship between market orientation and business performance in the hotel industry

The purpose of this study was to conduct an investigation into the link between market orientation and business performance in the hotel industry. Data were generated from 63 hotels in Hong Kong. The findings indicated that market orientation is positively and significantly associated with the marketing performance and financial performance of a hotel. The implications of the findings are discussed and the limitations of the study as well as future research directions are addressed.     

An exploratory study examining information technology adoption and implementation in full-service restaurant firms

The purpose of the paper is to explore and compare the current use of information technology-related advances in chain and independent full-service restaurants, the factors that motivate managers of these types of restaurants to decide whether or not to implement such technology, and how these managers perceive the impact of technology on the firm. A case study analysis involving four San Francisco Bay Area full-service restaurants was conducted to examine the framework of full-service restaurants to implement new technology. Propositions are developed that purport the information technology adoption and implementation characteristics of full-service restaurant firms while elucidating the distinctiveness between chain and independent firms.     

An analysis of customer room choice model and revenue management practices in the hotel industry

Considering the limitations of existing studies on the customer choice behaviour, this paper tries to use the variable precision rough set (VPRS) approach to establish a customer room choice model (CRCM) based on the logit model, which satisfies the required precision. This model could analyze the data set of customer room choice and directly identify real attributes, which affect customer room choice and the weights of these attributes without prior information; and then the probability of the customer room choice can be conducted by the CRCM. In terms of the results, hotels can predict customer demand of each rate class and improve their precision, in order to increase hotel revenue.     

Competency analysis of top managers in the Taiwanese hotel industry

The purpose of this study was to identify top managers’ competencies in hotel unit leaders perceived to be most critical for career development, and using the Fuzzy Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process methods to determine perceptions of the importance of various competencies in different dimensions. This study uses snowball sampling methods to collect data from 25 hotel top managers and uses qualitative and quantitative surveys, including interviews, questionnaire review and a questionnaire survey. A two-stage research design is adopted to understand the differences in perceived competency requirements better. The analytical results demonstrate the required competencies of top managers in the hotel industry, and divide them into generic and technical dimensions, 18 competency domains, and 107 competency indices. The top three most important competency domains are “leadership,” “crisis management,” and “problem-solving.” The proposed management competency framework provides an important implication for educators, practitioners, and researchers.     

Pricing determinants in the hotel industry: Quantile regression analysis

Due to the skewed distribution of hotel prices, quantile regression provides a more flexible and complete characterization of the determinants of the hotel prices at the higher and lower tail of the distribution. This study applies quantile regression approach to investigate the major determinants of hotel room pricing strategies. The ordinary least square regression is also used for comparative purposes. The data are drawn from 58 international tourist hotels in Taiwan and average room rate (ARR) is used as the proxy of hotel room price. The results of OLS and quantile regression share common characteristics but also have differences in some aspects. The OLS results reveal that number of rooms, hotel age, market conditions and number of housekeeping staff per room are the main attributes of hotel room rate. The quantile regression results further demonstrate that room number and the number of housekeeping staff per guest room do not significantly influence hotel price at the low price quantile. Hotel age and market conditions are only significant determinants in high-price category. Additionally, for the high-priced quantile hotels, the proportion of foreign individual travellers positively and significantly influences room price. The empirical results can help hoteliers in shaping investment and pricing strategies.     

Research on information technology in the hospitality industry

This paper reviews recent research on information technology in the hospitality industry. The analysis revealed three broad research areas: the Internet's effects on distribution; on pricing; and on consumer interactions. Similar to aftermath of the dot com boom, the hospitality industry is realising that the information technology has unintended effects and prognosticators are often wrong. While the reviewed articles provide sound advice for hospitality operators and a rich stream of future research for academics, poor rigor and a lack of relevance throughout the reviewed journals underscore a worrying trend in hospitality research.     

Investigating cross-national heterogeneity in the adoption of online hotel reviews

Increasing reliance of potential guests on online hotel reviews has given rise to trepidation among some hospitality managers recently, thus necessitating a better understanding of its adoption. Literature on multicultural studies have suggested that behavioral models do not universally hold across cultures. In view of the limited generalizability and applicability of extant cross-cultural studies to this context, this study generates cross-national insights into the antecedents of travelers’ intention to use online hotel reviews to better understand the use of consumer-generated reviews across cultures. Generally, the predictive power of the model derived from the Motivation Theory and TAM holds true for both the United States and Singapore. Nonetheless, tests for structural invariance reveals some noteworthy differences between the two countries. The results highlight the complex cognitive mechanisms determining the acceptance of online hotel reviews in each country as moderated by national culture orientations. Findings hold implications for practitioners and researchers as they navigate through social media in different cultural contexts.     

Modeling a green supply chain in the hotel industry: An evolutionary game theory approach

Despite extensive discussion of environmental management for hotels, little research has been done on the hotel industry’s green supply chain management. This study uses the evolutionary game approach to examine the generation of green behaviors and a green supply chain by hotels. Results show that most hotels do have an incentive mechanism for green growth; hotels with green behaviors are more profitable than those that are not. Furthermore, governments and hotel customers are critical in the “greening” of traditional hotel supply chains. The findings can assist governments in formulating effective environmental policies, provide a theoretical avenue in governing green practice, and guide stakeholders to understand the formation and evolution of green development in the hotel industry.     

The other side of technology adoption: Examining the relationships between e-commerce expenses and hotel performance

As information technology (IT) increasingly permeates all aspects of the contemporary society, hotels have spent millions of dollars to deploy electronic commerce (e-commerce) tools and develop appropriate strategies to attract and retain guests. Yet, while the literature reflects the drivers of adopting certain e-commerce tools, it does not provide a conclusive answer regarding the effectiveness of e-commerce expenditures. Specifically, it is unclear whether such expenditures affect performance in terms of revenue and gross operating profit, or whether such effects are consistent over time and across different chain scales. Based on financial data reported by a sample of 275 hotels from 2007 through 2012, this study found that e-commerce expenses significantly and positively impacted rooms revenue for all sample years, except in 2007. When subgroup analyses were performed by chain scale, it was found that e-commerce expenses significantly contributed to the gross operating profit for midscale and upscale hotels but not for the luxury, upper upscale, and the upper midscale categories.     

Adopting e-Procurement technology in a chain hotel: An exploratory case study

As the lodging sector evolves into a more technology-oriented industry, the need to understand e-Procurement practices becomes more important. The main purpose of this study was to understand the challenges faced by decision makers at a chain hotel company in its adoption and implementation of e-Procurement. Results indicated that the company suffered from a lack of purchasing standardization across properties. Furthermore, this study suggests that not all vendors of e-Procurement solutions may be ready to partner with hotel companies. e-Procurement offers considerable potential for the industry but uncertainties such as those exhibited in this case must be addressed before significant resource commitments are made to e-Procurement.