The creation and use of scorecards in tourism planning: A Spanish example

This paper proposes a preliminary model of a balanced scorecard for tourism destinations, with a specific emphasis on sustainable development. We begin with a review of the perspectives and critical performance variables for the traditional balanced scorecard. We then present empirical work based upon quantitative analysis techniques. A survey was completed by 1531 Spanish municipalities that are oriented towards tourism and have demonstrated interest in management issues. Based on the constructs emerging from this analysis, we then show how the balanced scorecard can be modified to support the strategic planning of tourism destinations. We conclude by discussing the advantages for long-term strategic planning and sustainable tourism management.     

How does social capital influence the hospitality firm's financial performance? The moderating role of entrepreneurial activities

Although previous studies have examined the relationship between social capital and firm performance under boundary conditions such as firm age, industry characteristics, and institutional conditions, the literature is silent on the types of firm activities linking social capital to financial performance. This study investigates the moderating role of firm-level entrepreneurial activities (service innovation, corporate venturing and strategic renewal) on the relationship between social capital and financial performance in a sample of Chinese hotels. The findings indicate that the interaction of external and internal social capital has a positive effect on financial performance. In addition, innovation and corporate venturing enhance the relationship between financial performance and social capital. To achieve a competitive advantage, hospitality firms should not only accumulate social capital but should also deliberately implement strategies that enhance entrepreneurial activities to fully unleash the potential of social capital.     

An empirical investigation of corporate entrepreneurship intensity in the casual dining sector

The purpose of this study was to identify the perception and relationships between corporate entrepreneurship (CE) practices and management performance. The use of Morris and Kuratko et al.'s [2002. Sustaining CE: a proposed model of perceived implementation/outcome comparisons at the organizations and individual levels. Paper presented at the 2002 Academy of Management Conference, Denver] Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI) was used as the survey instrument for this study. A sample size of 1200 unit managers, middle managers, and top management teams (TMTs) within nine casual dining restaurant organizations were surveyed with a response of 522 subjects at a rate of 44%. Responses of the CEAI results were studied using regression analysis and conclusions were drawn to support four out of the six hypothesis originally proposed in determining CE activity and management reinforcement. A post test analysis was also conducted in order to reinforce the previous results of the original study. This study concluded with the determination through an empirical analysis that forms of CE activity and enforcement are currently present within the casual dining restaurant segment.     

Management Style and Environmental Scanning in the Search for Business Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Managers that scan the environment in their boundary spanning roles need to be attentive to the opportunities and challenges that may arise due to changes occurring within the environment. As an industry environment changes, an entrepreneurial management orientation helps firms adapt to changing market conditions. The purpose of this study is to examine the link between management style and environmental scanning. Based on responses from 201 top-level hotel executives, the findings suggest that entrepreneurial managers are more frequent scanners of the environment.     

中国乡村度假开发与管理初探

本文第一次论述了开展乡村度假的现实意义、开发乡村度假的基本要求和管理重点,对把乡村旅游推向新的发展阶段,建设社会主义新农村有一定理论价值和现实意义。     

Measuring innovation in tourism from the Schumpeterian and the dynamic-capabilities perspectives

This paper offers a diagnosis of the “state of the issue” regarding the measurement of innovation in the tourism industry at the company level, and some recommendations for overcoming identified problems. The study addresses two central issues: how existing secondary databases of innovative activity define the boundaries of the tourism industry, and the degree to which these databases reflect the particular characteristics of this economic activity. It is concluded that these analyses present serious biases and anomalies hindering the understanding of the situation at the micro level and complicating the issue of international comparability, and the analyses do not capture the internal heterogeneity of innovative behavior of tourism companies from specific, intra-sectoral activities. The problems concern inappropriate indicators and the need for survey methods to complement the development of innovation scoreboards in secondary sources. The study concludes by detailing a set of proposals that should be considered in the context of a scoreboard to provide a comprehensive view of a tourism firm’s technological and organizational innovations, as well as its innovative capabilities, combining Schumpeterian theory and the dynamic-capabilities-based approach, and also making cross-national comparisons feasible.     

Market diversification and financial performance and stability: A study of hotel companies

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a diversification strategy by hotel companies on corporate financial performance and stability. Using 36 publicly traded hotel companies, this study analyzed the differences in financial performance and stability between market-diversified and undiversified hotel companies. Accounting measures, market measure, and risk-adjusted performance measure were employed to gauge financial performance. The results of this study indicated that diversification strategy does not provide profit growth, but diversification partly improves the stability of performance. This study supported the nature of the trade-off between financial performance and stability in the company diversification, and also implied that the market diversification strategy by hotel companies does not function as a means to improve financial performance.     

Diversification strategy and financial performance in the Taiwanese hotel industry

This study categorized 25 highly market-diversified international tourist hotels into two sub-groups, based on the highest proportion of hotel revenue generated either by (1) food and beverage (F&B) services; or by (2) room services. We investigated the differences in financial performance of these two sub-groups and concluded that hotels with a major proportion of the revenue from F&B services obtained higher growth but unstable profit margins, compared to another group of hotels with profit mainly from room service. Our study results can serve as a valuable reference for hospitality industries to evaluate the tradeoff between investing more resources in room or F& B service, especially at markets where F&B is highly valued.