Determinants of using operating lease in the hotel industry

This study investigated the determinants of using operating lease in the hotel industry. The hotel industry has utilized operating lease not only for operating equipment but also as a financing instrument through ‘sales and lease back.’ This study found that hotel firms with less internal funds and/or with higher debt ratios are more likely to use operating lease. Contrary to the studies of other industries, hotel firms with less financially distressed are more likely to use operating lease. This study indicated that operating lease decrease as firm size increases, but only up to a certain level, after that level operating lease increase as firm size increases. Contrary to our expectations, the growth opportunity of hotel firms appeared to have no relationship to use of operating lease. These findings contribute to further understandings of hotel industry-specific information regarding what drives hotel firms to use operating lease.     

Levels of quality and environmental management in the hotel industry: Their joint influence on firm performance

Many studies have examined quality management and environmental management separately. This paper analysed the commitment to quality and environmental management at the same time, and their separate and joint effects on hotel performance. The empirical data were collected from a sample of 301 3-to-5-star Spanish hotels. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify the levels of commitment to quality and the environment. Then, ANOVA and regression analysis tested the quality and environmental commitment levels-performance link. Three levels of quality and environmental commitment have been identified. The findings showed that the commitment to quality and environmental practices influences hotel performance.     

The moderating roles of job control and work-life balance practices on employee stress in the hotel and catering industry

This study investigated the relationships among job stressors, coping resources, and job stress. Data were collected from food service employees (n = 255) in the hotel and catering industry. Hierarchical regression showed main significant effects of job demands and job control and three-way (job demands × job control × work-life balance practices) interactions on job stress. The results further demonstrated that high job demands coupled with low job control and the availability of work-life balance practices resulted in a higher level of stress. Implications for Karasek's job demand–control model, managerial practice and future research are provided.     

An exploration of HR policies and practices affecting the integration of persons with disabilities in the hotel industry in major Canadian tourism destinations

This study explores how and in which areas current HR practices affect the employment of persons with disabilities in hotel organisations in key tourist destinations across Canada. Despite few HR initiatives in some of the participating hotels, overall, no best HR practices in this area as described in other industry sectors could be found. The complexity of defining disabilities, the limited legal pressure and control of providing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, and the limited awareness, understanding, and communication between employees with and without a disability seem to limit the attraction and integration of persons with disabilities. Further, managers’ preferences for aesthetic and self-presentation skills and a number of traditional hotel industry specific characteristics might hinder the recruitment of persons with disabilities. Employee selection criteria focusing on physical attractiveness and aesthetic skills need to be reviewed and realigned with ethical and non-discriminatory principles and guidelines. The development of a proactive strategy based on a sound business case, changes in areas such as communication and education, and closer cooperation with employment agencies could help hotels to demolish artificial barriers, stereotypes and perceptions of the employment of persons with disabilities.     

Developing energy conservation and carbon reduction indicators for the hotel industry in Taiwan

This study develops and weights energy conservation and carbon reduction (ECCR) indicators for the hotel industry in Taiwan to create an instrument to help address climate change. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior hotel managers, environmental specialists, and government officials to identify the preliminary ECCR framework. An expert panel then was invited to review the structure of ECCR criteria and the compiled criteria in a structure for item modification. An analytic network process questionnaire survey was employed to determine the relative weights of the criteria. The data analysis reveals seven categories in the ECCR framework: communication and participation, top management commitment, energy, water, waste, building, and purchasing. A total of 32 indicators were identified and prioritized in terms of their relative importance to ECCR contributions. The results of this study suggest that the success of ECCR implementation depends primarily on management support and staff engagement. Hotel operators can improve their environmental management by initiating ECCR practices based on the proposed ECCR indicators.     

Partial analysis of the environmental costs generated by hotels in Hong Kong

This paper investigates the environmental costs attributable to the various activities involved in operating a hotel such as energy usage, water consumption, and solid waste disposal. A control cost approach and a pro-rated model were used in environmental costing. A holistic analysis of the environmental costs was then made. It was found that, in the early 1990s, the environmental costs incurred in controlling air pollution was higher than for other types of pollution. However, the situation changed during the late 1990s as the government invested more in building large-scale sewage treatment systems and landfills. At present, the environmental costs attributable to water protection and solid waste management have been larger than the environmental costs of air pollution. This implies that hotel operators should place a greater focus on mitigating the pressure on the environment from the consumption of water and disposal of solid waste. Also based on the methodologies, recommendations on environmental accounting on three levels are made.     

An investigation of the relationships between compensation practices and firm performance in the US hotel industry

Drawing on a sample of 1223 US hotels, this paper examines the relationships between compensation (direct and indirect) practices in hotel organizations and their performance. The results show that in the case of management employees, direct compensation fully mediated the relationship between indirect compensation and hotel performance. In the case of non-management employees, however, such relationship was only partially mediated by direct compensation. It is therefore important for hotel industry HR executives to pay greater attention to the nature and level of benefits being offered to non-management employees. For management employees, on the other hand, it is more important to attend to the level of direct compensation in order to ensure higher levels of organizational performance.     

Not quite paradise: Inadequacies of environmental impact assessment in the Maldives

The Maldives, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), has seen a rapid development of its tourism industry over the last 35 years with visitor numbers rising from 1062 visitors per year in 1972 through to over 600,000 today. Both in popular conception and reality the Maldives relies on its marine life and beaches to sustain a tourism industry that contributes over 30% of total GDP.     

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.     

An investigation of multiple devices and information sources used in the hotel booking process

With the growing ownership of multiple technology devices, and the contribution of mobile travel bookings to the overall travel market, it is critical to investigate the hotel searching and booking process for different device users. This research investigates four categories of device users via a survey with 383 respondents, in the context of search behaviour and information sources used. The results reveal that search engines and family and friends are the most frequently used information sources while the personal computer (PC) is the most used device for both searching and booking. However, there is a significant difference in how these device users engage with information sources, specifically online travel agents (OTAs) and search engines. Furthermore, device users favour one device and are unlikely to switch devices during the search process.     

Management of the change process in hotel companies: An investigation at unit level

The management of change has become an organisational necessity in the 1990s and will continue to be a major factor in the management of hotel companies in the future. This article investigates and evaluates management of the change process at unit level in hotel firms. The data was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten hotel managers in the UK. Lewin's three-stage model was found to be of limited use in practice. A five-stage model of the change process emerges from the research findings. This model reflects a more practical view of the management of change as an on-going, continuous process. Finally, the limitations of the research are discussed and further research areas identified.     

Total quality management, market orientation and hotel performance: The moderating effects of external environmental factors

With the market competition of hotel industry being heated, it is critical that hotels have a breadth of resource and more flexible forms to meet the needs of a changing marketplace. In the past, the relation of total quality management (TQM), market orientation, and performance are equivocal. These mixed results may be due to some factors or not to include the environmental factors. This study adopts the Input-Processing-Output (IPO) concept model to construct all variables research model. The research surveyed samples of 588 and used Structural Equation Model and discriminate analysis for analysis and testing. The results show that TQM positively affects hotel performance. Market orientation positively affects hotel performance. Market orientation has the mediating effect between TQM and hotel performance. External environment factors truly play a moderator between TQM, market orientation and hotel performance, especially when external environment factors greater changes are going to help to build relationship with customer, to enhance hotel performance and further to gain chance of hotel's survival.     

Sustainable water demand management in the hotel sector: a policy network analysis of Singapore

Abstract

Water use in the tourism industry is a vital sustainability issue in destination development. Achieving sustainable water demand management (WDM) is challenging and requires destination stakeholder collaboration for effective participatory policymaking. Taking the WDM of Singapore’s hotel sector as a case, this article applies a policy network analysis to prevailing stakeholder collaboration based on public policy documents published between 2001 and 2015. Thirty-three interconnected organisational stakeholders and 76 policy domains were identified. Longitudinal analyses revealed structural changes in stakeholder collaboration during WDM policy development. The findings also indicate that the policy stakeholders of WDM are becoming increasingly diverse, and with this expansion in stakeholder participation, the collaboration network has evolved from being simple to remarkably complex. This article also discusses the relationship between policy stakeholders and policy domains, revealing that the responsibility, available resources, and interests of stakeholders are the main factors influencing their policy preferences in this discourse. The results enrich our understanding of inter-stakeholder relationships and the dynamic relational structure of interdisciplinary policy system.     

Efforts,resources and costs required for long term environmental management of a resort development: the case of Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club,The Bahamas

The natural resources upon which the tourism industry relies upon are subjected to intense pressure during and post development. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are the general method used to evaluate the potential impacts of a development. However, EIAs rarely incorporate an EIA-auditing mechanism, or set environmental standards, for evaluating the long term impacts of a proposed development project. The Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club (BBC) serves as a coastal tourism development case study, where an Environmental Management Program (EMP) and prescribed environmental goals were incorporated into the EIA. The goal of this paper is to document the efforts, resources and costs required to implement the EMP in an effort to meet the project goals. Lessons learned include the need to mitigate damaged environments, include measurable ecological goals, and establish an open communications system. Substantial time, costs and resources were necessary to implement the EMP and this information should be incorporated into development planning to establish a process to follow through on EIA recommendations.     

Human resource systems as antecedents of hotel industry market orientation: An empirical study in the Canary Islands, Spain

This paper studies how the different dimensions determining the human resource management system (recruiting, training, evaluation and compensation) influence the market orientation of hotels. There is also an exploratory analysis of the differences in the human resource management systems according to the following hotel classification data: star rating, size, ownership, time-share offer, type of location, customer satisfaction and profitability.     

Promoting service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors in hotels: The role of high-performance human resource practices and organizational social climates

Integrating social exchange and information processing theories, this study examines the influence of high-performance human resource (HR) practices on service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through two climates—justice climate and service climate. This field study of 1133 customer contact employees and 119 human resource managers from 119 hotels in Taiwan has shown that social climates of justice and service mediate the influence of high-performance HR practices on service-oriented OCB. The study demonstrates that high-performance HR practices affect employees’ cognition on how they are treated by hotels and what service behaviors are expected, which in turn can positively influence collective service-oriented OCB.     

The relationship between CRM, RM, and business performance: A study of the hotel industry in Taiwan

This study aims to investigate the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) and its effect on relationship marketing (RM) and business performance, through an analysis of the hotel industry in Taiwan. A survey on hotels, including general and tourist hotels, and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) was conducted, and a total of 560 questionnaires were returned. The results showed that implementing CRM has a significant and positive influence on the RM effect, positively affecting business performance for both hotels and B&Bs. However, a comparison of the influential paths of relationship models between hotels and B&Bs showed that, for hotels, the Internet service and customer support functions of the CRM strategy are the main sources of influence on the RM effect and business performance, whereas for B&Bs, the marketing support function of the CRM strategy alone influences the RM effect and business performance. To achieve higher performance, the different types of hotel enterprises should understand their main advantage before implementing key CRM strategies.     

Management of the change process in hotel companies: An investigation at unit level

The management of change has become an organisational necessity in the 1990s and will continue to be a major factor in the management of hotel companies in the future. This article investigates and evaluates management of the change process at unit level in hotel firms. The data was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten hotel managers in the UK. Lewin’s three-stage model was found to be of limited use in practice. A five-stage model of the change process emerges from the research findings. This model reflects a more practical view of the management of change as an on-going, continuous process. Finally, the limitations of the research are discussed and further research areas identified.     

Domestic migrant workers in China's hotel industry: An exploratory study of their life satisfaction and job burnout

This study investigated job burnout and life satisfaction among domestic migrant workers in economy hotels in China. The results revealed that two dimensions of job burnout, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, have significant influence on domestic migrant workers’ life satisfaction. Life satisfaction between domestic migrant workers and local workers was different. Theoretical discussion and practical implications were presented.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of demand for hotel accomodation: Time series analysis in Yorkshire and Humberside,UK

This article is concerned with the identification and interpretation of spatial-temporal patterns of demand for hotel accomodation. Time-series factor analysis is applied to a set of monthly hotel-occupancy series recorded by the Yorkshire and Humberside Tourist Board (YHTB) for 101 hotels in Yorkshire and Humberside, UK, from April 1982 to March 1983. Three major temporal components of expressed demand for hotel accomodation (reference curves) are identified, reflecting differences in occupancy level, the intensity of seasonal fluctuations, and the length of season. The hotels are differentiated, and then grouped, on the basis of their individual parameters on the three reference curves. The spatial-temporal patterns identified form the basis of continuing research which aims to aid the formulation of appropriate marketing and development policies for the hotel industry.