Impacts of quality certification on online reviews and pricing strategies in the hospitality industry

Certification of firm quality is an important strategic concern for industry practitioners, since it entails explicit and implicit investments in time, personnel training and finances. Since the impact of certification influences customers in various ways, the purpose of this study is to determine what impact quality certification has on both online reputation and price premiums. This study extends the scope of extant literature by including various types of accommodations beyond typical hotels. Two-stage least squares (2SLS) is applied revealing an increase in online ratings for accommodations after certification relative to before, supporting that quality certifications may improve online ratings. Using spatial two-stage least squares (S2SLS), this study demonstrates significantly higher valence in online ratings for certified relative to non-certified accommodations, as well as showing a price premium in certified over non-certified accommodations.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Employee Perception and Hotel Brand Equity

Brand management stresses the importance of satisfying the needs of external customers. Employee branding management shows an evolving trend as employees begin living the brand. It is, therefore, necessary that employees are convinced by the hotel brand prior to having confidence to “sell” the brand to customers. The present study aims to investigate employee perception toward hotel brand equity, particularly in the Hong Kong hotel industry. Factor analysis is used to identify four underlying factors—namely, employee commitment, employee engagement, employee identification, and service quality. The four constitute the perception of the employee on the evaluation of the brand. Correlation analysis is employed to examine relationship among the underlying factors and three dimensions of hotel brand equity—including brand image, brand awareness, and perceived quality. Moderate association is generally noted, and perceived quality has the most significant relationship with employee perception on brand equity. Managerial implications on employee branding management are introduced to hotel management. Topics for future research are also recommended.     

Effects of service quality and food quality: The moderating role of atmospherics in an ethnic restaurant segment

This study empirically examined not only the relationship between perceived quality and satisfaction/loyalty, but also the role of customer perceptions of atmospherics in an ethnic restaurant segment. Specifically, this study, using hierarchical regression analyses, investigated the direct effects of service quality and food quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as the moderating effect of the perception of atmospherics, in Korean restaurants. As expected, this study showed that service and food quality have positive and significant effects on customer satisfaction and loyalty. This suggested that, similar to other restaurant segments, employee service and food are of great importance for ethnic restaurants as well. Verifying the moderating role of atmospherics, however, this study found that good employee service can be more effective for increasing the satisfaction and loyalty of customers with a low perception of the atmospherics compared to those with a higher perception. Further, providing quality food is particularly critical for creating customer satisfaction in ethnic restaurants where atmospherics are not satisfactory. More detailed findings and implications are also discussed.     

Comparing Voluntary Policy Instruments for Sustainable Tourism: The Experience of the Spanish Hotel Sector

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the voluntary policy instruments most commonly applied by the hotel sector: codes of conduct, best environmental practices, ecolabels, environmental management systems (EMSs) and environmental performance indicators. Based on a qualitative study of Spanish hotel companies that have applied one or more of these voluntary tools, each instrument is reviewed and analysed with regard to incentives and obstacles experienced during its practical implementation. In the comparative assessment of all the tools studied, formal certification systems such as ecolabels and EMSs appear to be the most effective instruments. At a conceptual level, ecolabels and EMSs are the tools with the broadest scope and the only ones that guarantee an improvement of the company’s environmental (and sustainable) performance. At the practical level, the present research shows that, although both of these instruments involve higher costs and complexity than the other tools studied, they offer a wider range of tangible and intangible benefits.     

Online Shopping of Travel Products: A Study of Influence of Each Dimension of travelers' Attitudes and the Impact of travelers' Online Shopping Experiences on Their Purchase Intentions

This study examines the impact of three attributes (perception of convenience, perception of merchandise options, and perception of value) on travelers' attitudes toward different online agencies online shopping for travel products and the impact of online shopping experiences on their online purchase intentions. The collected data arises from an Internet survey of registered members of an online travel service company that caters to leisure travelers. The study finds that perceptions of convenience and value are two valid dimensions that measure travelers' attitudes. Findings also confirm that those two attitudes' attributes and travelers' online shopping experiences exert significant influence on their online purchase intentions. Travelers have a more positive attitude toward travel portal websites than toward companies' branded websites in terms of perception of convenience, perception of merchandise options, and perception of value.     

Thematic analysis of reviews on the air quality of tourist destinations from a sentiment analysis perspective

This thematic analysis examines whether reviews on transactional and social media websites can reflect the air quality of a tourist destination. We used linguistic and sentiment analysis methods to establish an analytical framework for assessing the credibility of the reviews with sufficiency and consistency analyses. We collected Ctrip and Sina Weibo reviews to analyze the sentiment values using deep learning and Baidu sentiment dictionary methods. We found that although the sentiment value of the Ctrip transactional comments on air quality was high, they hardly reflected reality. Conversely, the Sino Weibo social media comments were highly credible, despite their low sentiment values. Tourists' perception of air quality is mainly affected by intangible air factors (such as pollutants), then tangible air factors, hydrology factors and terrain factors. The study uses online reviews to analyze air quality and provides a reference for the environmental management of destinations and decision making among tourists.     

基于游客视角的生态旅游认证支付意愿实证分析

生态旅游认证产品能否取得商业上的成功取决于旅游消费者对它的接受程度,本文通过对浙江省4个景区的实地调查,分析了旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的认知和态度,并运用假设评价方法评估了旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的支付意愿.研究结果表明,旅游消费者对生态旅游认证产品的选择意愿受性别、教育程度、月收入、旅游频率、旅游方式、过去一年旅游花费、对生态旅游进行专门的认证并授予生态资格证书的赞同程度,以及未认证生态旅游产品的价格等因素的影响而差别显著;计算所得的支付意原表明,平均而言,旅游消费者愿意支付比未认证的生态旅游产品高35.1%的价格来购买通过认证的生态旅游产品.     

Extending and adapting the concept of quality management for museums and cultural heritage attractions: A comparative study of southern European cultural heritage managers' perceptions

Quality in cultural heritage attractions is mainly approached from the visitors' satisfaction perspective, and the literature does not contain a clear definition of quality in the management of cultural heritage sites open to the public. The present study aims to reframe this trend. By way of theoretical contribution, we propose a definition of quality in cultural heritage attractions management based on dimensions such as the capacity of preserving the cultural assets, the ability to communicate effectively their significance, the quality of commodification for visitor use, and the ability to boost intercultural competence and promote intercultural dialogue. Based on the above, an empirical, qualitative study was conducted on the cultural heritage managers' current perceptions of quality. The results suggest that a profound asymmetry exists among practitioners' opinions and practices, and four types of cultural heritage managers were defined with regard to their perception of quality: Reactionary, Reticent, Pragmatic, Enthusiastic.     

Do ISO 9001-certified hotels get a higher customer rating than non-certified ones?

This article analyzes whether customers of hotels that are certified for quality management are more satisfied than the customers of non-certified hotels of similar category and location. An empirical study was carried out with a total sample of 186,769 guest ratings of 828 Spanish and Italian hotels. The findings show that quality certified hotels do not receive a statistically significantly better evaluation or rating from their customers. Indeed, the statistical analysis carried out confirms that certified hotels have a statistically significantly lower rating in terms of value for money than non-certified hotels. The implications for managers, customers and other stakeholders are discussed. The article also discusses the potential dangers in inferring directly that quality certification in the hospitality industry leads to superior customer satisfaction as is frequently suggested in both the practitioner and the scholarly literature in the field.     

What’s so Mysterious about Mystery Shoppers? Understanding the Qualifications and Selection of Mystery Shoppers

Mystery shopping are a method of quality management that is utilized often in a variety of businesses. A holistic definition of a mystery shopper is, however, unclear. Literature relating to mystery shoppers was reviewed and analyzed through content analysis, to develop criteria which can be used to define a mystery shopper. The various traits identified were divided into personal traits, training elements, company considerations. The results of the paper provide a thorough analysis of the various traits that constitute a mystery shopper.     

Cost effective contract food service

There is a dramatic increase in the number of health-care facilities using a management company to operate dietary services. With time this practice will be made for quantitative rather than attitudinal reasons and the quality of service offered by management companies will improve as they gain experience.     

Environmental certification schemes: Hotel managers’ views and perceptions

This paper contributes to research into environmental certification schemes in the hospitality industry, by discussing three objectives of such schemes: (1) promote the implementation of sustainability practices in the hospitality industry; (2) increase profitability; and (3) provide more accurate information to guests. This paper provides a first insight into the perception of managers towards certification schemes. Interviews with 21 London managers from a range of star-rated hotels, and an analysis of 196 websites of London hotels, indicates that these objectives are not all achieved. It is discussed how certification schemes provide knowledge to hoteliers and helps against claims of ‘greenwash’. The effect of certifications on profitability, however, is questioned, and due to limited communication of certifications by hotels, certifications are failing to provide guests with more accurate information. Implications, recommendations and limitations of the research are discussed.     

Hospitality service climate,employee service orientation,career aspiration and performance: A moderated mediation model

This study tested a moderated mediation model involving hospitality employees’ service climate perception, service orientation, career aspiration and service performance. Using a sample of 500 frontline service employees in ten restaurants of a hospitality chain company in China, the study found that employees’ service orientation partially mediated the relationship between service climate and self-reported/supervisor-reported service performance. Furthermore, career aspiration moderated the mediation effect of service orientation between service climate and self-reported service performance. However, such a moderating effect was not confirmed when service performance was measured by supervisors’ ratings. The study highlights the importance of employees’ service orientation and career aspiration in hospitality human resource management practices.     

Identifying value conflicts between stakeholders in corporate travel management by applying the soft value management model: A survey in South Africa

Four stakeholders are involved in corporate travel: management, travellers, travel suppliers and travel management companies. A successful corporate travel management process is dependent on cohesion of values between these stakeholders and pursuit of common goals. Value conflicts can influence the effective management of the process. The purpose of the study was to propose a model which recognises value conflicts, the interdependence of stakeholders and incorporates common goals. The so-called ‘Soft Value Management Model’ was selected and conceptualised in the context of corporate travel management. This study defined and surveyed each stakeholder group in terms of their values and objectives on travel management information; travel policy and compliance; travel management company partnerships; and travel expenditure processing. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used. The results show that value conflicts exist between stakeholders. The model provides a theoretical foundation against which an effective travel management process can potentially be measured.     

The Natural State

ABSTRACT

Australian nature-based tourism and ecotourism have become popular forms of recreational activity. Tasmania attracts twice the Australian national average number of nature-based tourists and ecotourists (thirty per cent). The growth of this tourism sector has prompted measures to ensure that experiences are of high quality, and that environmental impacts are adequately managed. ISO 14000 is an environmental management and certification system often utilised as an environmental management system standard within various industries, but has not been widely applied to the Australian tourism industry. The Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program (NEAP) represents the most significant accreditation measure within Australia at present. This paper assesses the relevance of NEAP in the Tasmanian nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry through in-depth interviews with a key informant group and a comparative analysis of interview data. The paper introduces nature-based tourism and ecotourism definitions and discusses the growing relevance of ecotourism accreditation. The paper argues that NEAP is relevant to the Tasmanian nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry, where the quality of the natural environment forms the central focus for such experiences. Furthermore, the paper argues that NEAP can assist in supporting the State's nature-based tourism and ecotourism industry through means such as branding and promotion. However, problems exist in relation to financial issues between NEAP and operators, and the perceived overlap of NEAP with the widely implemented Tourism Council Tasmania Accreditation Program. Thus, financial issues need to be addressed by the Ecotourism Association of Australia in association with Australian Commonwealth Government subsidisation. The degree of overlap between the two programs can be effectively addressed through industry cooperation. The paper also suggests that stronger branding and promotion of NEAP can be achieved through increased industry involvement by Tourism Tasmania.     

Effect of corporate social responsibility,customer attribution and prior expectation on post-recovery satisfaction

A conceptual model is proposed to account for how customers’ attributions of the cause of a service failure, their perceptions of a firm's social responsibility and their prior expectations can influence post-recovery satisfaction through the mediating effect of customer–company (C–C) identification. It was tested in the context of hospitality services. Findings from a survey of 281 restaurant patrons show that after a service failure, favorable corporate social responsibility (CSR) perception can help mitigate the negative effects of internal cause attribution on customer identification and ultimately contribute to post-recovery satisfaction. Besides, the interaction effect of CSR perception and attribution on C–C identification is particularly salient for customers with higher prior expectation. Findings also highlight that the dynamic interaction effect among attribution, CSR perception and prior expectation on customer post-recovery satisfaction is mediated by C–C identification.     

Ethics, trust and expectations regarding the treatment of disabled staff within a tourism/hospitality industry context

Whilst it has long been recognized that disabled employees can be the recipients of discrimination in the workplace, occasioned by many factors including physical appearance, relatively little is known regarding the ethical conceptualizations, trust responses and also problem-solving architecture that potential employees bring to such contexts, particularly in service industries such as tourism/hospitality. This study has examined discrimination shown to a disabled hospitality industry employee within an ethical framework, investigating personal ethical beliefs, individual ethical influences upon behaviour and also perceived management problem-solving response influences in the face of disability discrimination. The study has been conducted among a sample of university management students in a major Australian tourism destination, many of whom on graduation would seek employment within the tourism/hospitality industry.Three personal ethical belief types were identified: equity or procedural justice, competence and integrity, with both competence and integrity ethics being regarded as of higher value than equity. Major individual ethical influences included one's own values and also those of the ambient society; the most highly rated perceived management response involved the protection of company image whereas the least expected involved a management perspective focusing on justice of all people involved in the ethical dilemma.The competence ethical belief was found to predict the individual who would be influenced by a legal perspective; the justice for all management perspective was employed as a measure of respondent trust in management, with analyses revealing that the competence ethical belief, the career and societal influences and also gender being found associated with lower levels of trust in management's willingness to respond to disability discrimination in a just manner. The protection of company image as a management response, employed as a measure of mistrust, was associated with integrity personal ethical values, and also with career, societal and own ethical influences upon responses to an incident of disability discrimination. Implications for future research in this domain together with implications for the tourism/hospitality industry are examined.     

Authenticity perceptions,brand equity and brand choice intention: The case of ethnic restaurants

This study examines the relationships between consumers’ authenticity perception and four brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty), as well as how these four dimensions are interrelated with one another. This study also examines the impact of brand equity on consumers’ brand choice intention for ethnic restaurants. Findings clearly indicate that consumers’ authenticity perception is a critical determinant of brand equity and brand equity has a significant impact on consumers’ brand choice intention. Findings of the present study would provide managers with a better understanding of the important role authenticity plays in ethnic restaurants’ brand equity. Managerial implications for better brand equity management are provided.     

A review and evaluation of China's quality assurance system for tour guiding

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of China's tour guiding quality assurance system as an instrument for sustainable tourism. It notes the importance of China's 131,000 tour guides for inbound, outbound and domestic tourism. China's tour guiding quality assurance and regulatory mechanisms are then reviewed, including qualification examination, licensing, professional certification, training, awards for excellence, professional associations and codes of conduct. Structurally, China's comprehensive and comparatively regulated system may be recommendable to other countries, particularly its certification and licensing systems. However, the findings suggest that tour guide quality assurance in China may be constrained by an over-reliance on government and the absence of industry-driven mechanisms for some elements such as monitoring, enforcement and rewarding excellence. Most importantly, the focus of China's quality assurance system is on a limited number of tour guiding roles and tends to overlook those most critical to harnessing the guide as a vehicle for sustainable tourism. Key future development areas could extend recognition and reward for the guide's performance as a role model, advocate, mentor, interpreter, cultural broker and environmental monitor.     

Tourism companies' risk exposures on text disclosure

Tourism is a risk-prone industry. But most studies focus on tourist risk perception while ignoring company risk exposure. As service providers, the companies play an important role in tourism activities, and systematically identifying the risks they face is vital to the development of the tourism industry. This paper attempts to identify tourism companies' risk exposures based on textual risk disclosure of financial statements. Using 51,008 risk headings of 255 public companies, we adopt Sentence-Latent Dirichlet Allocation (Sent-LDA) method to discover 30 risk exposures of the tourism industry. Further, we discuss the universality and industry representativeness of these risk exposures, as well as risk differences between different sub-industries and years. Findings can help stakeholders develop reasonable and timely risk management strategies.