The failure of ‘control’ in the hospitality industry

This paper explores the relationship between the literature on the issue of control and the realities of the hospitality industry. Management control is related to the unsanctioned entrepreneurial activities of operatives (illustrated by the ‘taxi scam’), the failure of computer systems used to control operatives, and the failure of the hospitality industry to exploit the potential of the new technology. The paper suggests that management's (and a significant part of the literature in this area) failure within hospitality is linked to the perception of the role of the hospitality manager as one of policing the industry.     

Human resource management and performance in the Barbados hotel industry

This article measures the effect of human resource management (HRM) on performance in the hotel industry in Barbados. It used a quantitative survey covering 46 hotels out of a population of 75 hotels. The respondents were hotel's management, being either a general manager, human resource (HR) manager or line manager. Similar to Hoque's study of UK hotels, the impact of internal and external fit and the universal relevance of HRM were tested. The findings showed no major support for external fit, universal relevance and internal fit in the Barbados hotel industry. All the hotels perceived themselves as performing well, given the focus on quality and targeting high spending tourists. A quest for high service pushes the industry more towards best-practice ‘HRM’ rather than best fit.     

Negative affectivity and tipping: The moderating role of emotional labor strategies and leader-member exchange

Negative affectivity (NA) is a personality trait that is likely to impede hospitality employees’ ability to perform service due to their tendency to experience negative emotions that are inconsistent or even contrary to normative display rules.This study examined whether emotional labor strategies and the quality of the relationship with the manager (i.e., LMX) could help NA employees to perform service (expressed as financial gains measured in tip size).The sample was composed of 304 Israeli restaurant servers. The findings show that NA had a positive effect on tip size when engaging in high surface acting or deep acting; however, this effect was not significant for employees who were less engaged in emotional labor strategies. LMX moderated the relationship between NA and tips such that NA was positively related to tips for employees with a high quality LMX relationship but was negatively related to tips for employees with a low quality LMX relationship.     

The guided tour a sociological approach

In an exploratory study of guides and based on data derived from research combining observation and extended interviews, the relationship between guides, drivers, and their passengers is examined. The evidence suggests that the guiding role is not yet institutionalized, and remains open to interpretation by guides and passengers alike. The role of guiding involves a number of subsidiary and sometimes conflicting sub-roles, of which the information-giving function is emphasized by guides themselves, in their drive for professional status. Guides are found to develop manipulative and dramaturgical skills to satisfy their passengers' quest for a unique touristic experience. The mediation of the guide as “culture-broker” eases and may make more meaningful the contrived and artificial relationship between tourists and their hosts.     

Competing industries in islands a new tourism approach

Many islands host both tourism and offshore finance, but their coexistence has been little researched. This paper examines their relationship via a case study of the British Channel Island of Jersey. Both sectors require labor, land, and capital—all frequently scarce in small islands. The study considers the nature of the relationship and resource competition. In light of the unusual context of small polities and the political power of external actors, it also analyzes the dynamics of tourism, offshore finance, and the state in islands. The overall impact of the relationship between tourism and offshore finance is further examined, to suggest how this affects islands’ economic development.     

Relationship Management

Abstract

Total quality management (TQM) is an organizational culture that emphasizes internal integration at the same time that it demands innovation in the marketplace. TQM effectively integrates the internal and external activities of an organization. In business to business marketing, the role of relationship management is to bridge internal quality management with external quality management. In a hotel, the convention services manager must be sure that the promises made by external marketing activities can be fulfilled through interactive marketing activities. Internal marketing processes which enable employees to fulfill marketing promises are an equally important part of the service quality equation.     

Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour: inter-relationship

Numerous authors have pointed out the influence of tourism image on consumer behaviour. Tourism image will also exercise some influence on the quality perceived by tourists and on the satisfaction obtained from the holiday experience. This paper focuses on the relationship between the image of a destination as perceived by tourists and their behavioural intentions, and between that same image and the post-purchase evaluation of the stay. We will also examine the relationship between quality and satisfaction and between these variables and the tourist's behaviour variables. We place the accent on a joint analysis of these relationships, using a structural equation model. The results of the empirical study show that tourism image is a direct antecedent of perceived quality, satisfaction, intention to return and willingness to recommend the destination. The role of image as a key factor in destination marketing is thus confirmed. With reference to the other relationships, on the one hand, it is confirmed that quality has a positive influence on satisfaction and intention to return and that satisfaction determines the willingness to recommend the destination. However, the influence of quality on ‘willingness to recommend’ and the influence of satisfaction on ‘intention to return’ cannot be corroborated. In this sense, further research could be necessary.     

An Examination of Job Satisfaction of General Managers Based on Hotel Size and Service Type

ABSTRACT

Because of the flatter organizational structure and decentralized hierarchical configuration of limited-service and extended-stay hotels, managerial job responsibilities may differ between these types of hotels and their full-service counterparts. As job responsibilities vary, so too might approaches to ensuring job satisfaction. This study examined how hotel size and service type affect the job satisfaction of general managers. After hypotheses testing and an analysis of the item correlations, it was concluded that neither hotel size nor service type significantly impacted general manager job satisfaction and gender, age, educational level, and longevity in the hospitality industry or as a hotel manager all had minimal impact on job satisfaction.     

Organizational trust in times of COVID-19: Hospitality employees’ affective responses to managers’ communication

During a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, what managers communicate to their employees can greatly impact important organizational attitudes, such as organizational trust. There is, however, very little research focusing on the mechanisms explaining how managers’ messages during a crisis can influence employees’ organizational trust. To address this gap, the current study examined the role that emotions play in developing organizational trust using a 2 (following CDC norms vs. ignoring CDC norms) by 2 (employee focus vs. bottom-line focus) between-subjects factorial experiment, with COVID-19 as the context. The results showed that a manager’s communication that followed the CDC social norms made employees feel grateful, whereas communication that ignored CDC social norms enhanced fear and anger toward the organization. The feelings of gratefulness and fear influenced organizational trust. These results provide important theoretical and practical implications for understanding organizational trust during a crisis.     

Convention Services Management in Sydney Four to Five Star Hotels

Abstract

Little empirical research has been conducted in the field of Convention Services Management within the hotel sector. The purpose of this paper is to report on a study that sought to investigate the role and function of the convention services department and the convention services manager in four and five star hotels in Sydney.

It identifies the role of convention services and convention services management within this sector of the hotel industry. From a convenience sample of four and five star hotels within Sydney City District, data was obtained through face-to-face taped interviews supported by the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis of the data reveals a trend towards increasingly shorter lead times for conference bookings, an eclectic mix of personnel assuming the responsibility of the convention service department. The study confirmed, from those interviewed, that convention services management within these organisations remains firmly entrenched in the traditional structures; hierarchical with clearly segregated divisions by occupational specialisation.     

Profiling for the High-Performance Workplace

Abstract

This research examined the complexity of the hospitality workplace and the need for managers to become successful in developing their roles as manager/leaders as they progress through the organization. The use of profiling at the onset and throughout a manager's career as a means of selecting qualified managers into appropriate positions is explored. A case study of one such company that provides profiling to organizations is presented as an example of the philosophy of profiling and how it is utilized.     

The impact of CSR on relationship quality and relationship outcomes: A perspective of service employees

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained increasing attention over the past decade. While many studies examined an impact of CSR on consumers, only dearth of research is found that attempts to understand the impact of CSR on employees from the relationship marketing perspective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of CSR in predicting relationship quality and relationship outcomes. The four dimensions of CSR used in the study include economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic aspects. Data were collected via survey from employees of franchised foodservice enterprises located in South Korea. The findings of the study show that not all dimensions of CSR have the same effect on relationship quality. While economic and philanthropic dimensions have a significant influence on organizational trust, only ethical dimension has a positive effect on job satisfaction. As expected, relationship quality has a significant impact on relationship outcomes.     

Cultural heritage authenticity: A producer view

The role of the producer (i.e., heritage manager) in shaping the meaning of authenticity is conceptually underdeveloped. We adopt the position that tourists' perceptions of cultural heritage authenticity are greatly influenced by the core attributes of the cultural heritage object and how it is produced. Building on existing research and our analysis, we contend that the Cultural Heritage Object contains three core and overlapping attributes: physical form (Form), links to what is culturally and historically significant (Links), and vitality to actively transmit meaning (Vitality). Using this tripartite conceptualization, we approach Heritage Production Authenticity in terms of the object's Indexical and Iconic cues. In doing so we provide a powerful basis to develop our understanding of heritage production authenticity.     

The relationship between convention hosts and professional conference organizers

It is common for host organizations that operate conventions to employ professional conference organizers (PCOs) to perform a variety of professional services relating to the organization, management and operation of the event. As such, a productive relationship between the host and PCO is essential to the successful operation of the event. Yet, the relationship is often strained as the host organization may feel uncertain about the selection of the PCO or may have reservations about its performance. Such an arrangement represents a classic principle–agent relationship that can be examined through agency theory. This study examines this relationship from the perspective of the host organization. It found that hosts do express concerns about adverse selection and moral hazard, but that these concerns can be mitigated by a series of pre- and post-contract awarding control measures.     

Practicing effective knowledge sharing in international hotel joint ventures

Knowledge sharing can be described as the process by which individuals mutually exchange their knowledge and collaboratively generate new knowledge. Since international hotel joint venture partners typically possess skills in competing areas, this process of knowledge sharing is critical to the success of these alliances. Therefore, this article presents a framework that can be used to foster effective knowledge sharing at the individual joint venture manager level, at the relationship level between individuals, and across the entire organization.     

Error management at different organizational levels - Frontline, manager, and company

The influence of service recovery efforts in the form of apology (error management) at three organizational levels - frontline, manager, and company - on consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions was examined with a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental study. Results support the main effects of all three apology levels on consumer satisfaction with the service exchange (recovery) process. The results also indicate that frontline apology has greater influence on consumers’ satisfaction when a manager's apology is also present. Moreover, the study identifies perceived control and fairness as mediators of the relationships between apology levels and consumer satisfaction indicating potential theoretical and managerial implications.     

Corporate social responsibility and sustainability balanced scorecard: The case study of family-owned hotels

This research aims to find empirical support for the benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to family-owned hotels by identifying paths through which CSR influences business. The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) concept is used to assess the perceived importance of relationships between CSR and business performances to support the goals of the case hotels. SBSC breaks the business down into five dimensions namely; Financial, Customer, Internal Business, Learning & Growth and Non-Market Perspective, which is CSR in this study. The results of partial least squares (PLS) regression using the sample consisting of three stakeholders (i.e., two hundred customers, seventy employees and thirty managers) of family-owned hotels delivered several findings: (i) both the employee and manager group shows that CSR has a significant influence on BSC dimensions with variance (ii) all of the stakeholder groups support the significant relationship between CSR and goals and (iii) all of the stakeholder groups confirm the causal relationship among BSC dimensions with variance. Lastly, we conclude the paper by discussing implications for family-owned hotels as well as addressing limitations.     

The ugly side of job rotation

This study would examine the effect of job rotation on two common forms of hindrance stressors witnessed among tourism and hospitality employees namely role ambiguity and role conflict of employees on employees in hotel. Besides, this study will examine the impact of the mentioned hindrance stressors on several negative outcomes such as job-related anxiety, anger and sabotage behavior. Moreover, this inquiry further examined the mediation effect of hindrances stressor the relationship between job rotation and anger, job-related anxiety and sabotage behaviors. By applying judgmental sampling technique, data were collected from 193 frontline employees working in 17 five and four-star hotels in Tehran. The relationship between study constructs were tested through structural equation modeling. The findings of the study revealed that hindrance stressors mediate the relationship between job rotation, anger, anxiety and service sabotage.     

A New Paradigm in Guiding: The Madrich as a Role Model

The “role model” guides encountered in the counselors of Israel Experience youth study tours, contrast traditional concepts of pathfinder and mentor. This model type is proposed as more appropriate for tours providing informal education and quest for identity. Not drawing authority from official recognition but from a personal guide–tourist relationship, madrichs rated characteristics essential to guides leading these trips. A multi-dimensional analysis uncovered the structure of these characteristics to create a structure of an “excellent” Israel Experience madrich. This structural analysis confirms an earlier typology and helps to uncover another kind of approach towards youth guiding.     

Job standardization and service quality: The mediating role of prosocial service behaviors

Service quality has been recognized as a major topic in the tourism and hospitality industry. Although previous literature has examined the relationship between job standardization and service quality, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains a black box. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between job standardization and service quality, and to clarify the role of prosocial service behaviors. Survey data from 336 customer-contact employees and 404 customers in Taiwan indicate that job standardization positively affects role-prescribed service behavior and extra-role service behavior of customer-contact employees, in addition to the service-quality perception of their customers. Extra-role service behavior also positively affects service quality. By contrast, the effect of role-prescribed service behavior on service quality is not significant. In addition, prosocial service behaviors mediate the relationship between job standardization and service quality. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed in this study.