Managerial attitudes towards environmental management among small and medium hotels in Kuala Lumpur

Empirical work on the acceptance of environmental impacts and responsibilities by hotels in developing countries is still relatively rare. There is also little work on understanding the relationship between business and environment among small and medium hotel companies. This research helps fill the knowledge gap by providing information on the responsiveness of small and medium hotels towards environmental management within the context of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, It explores the awareness and attitudes of small and medium hotel managers towards environmental management and their opinion on how things can be improved. Questionnaires containing Likert scale questions, supplemented by open-ended questions, were personally administered to willing participants. The findings indicate that respondents generally tend to provide positive response to the Likert scale questions, but refused or were unable to give clear answers to the open-ended questions which were designed to explore further the answers they provided. In practice, managers also did not go beyond the basic common sense of cutting their water and energy costs. These indicate a lack of clear and adequate knowledge about environmental management, and their tendency to be “politically correct” in relation to environmental issues. The paper ends with recommendations on how to improve the environmental management knowledge and know-how among managers of small and medium hotels.     

From innovation to sustainability: Sustainability innovations of eco-friendly hotels in Taiwan

Sustainable innovation is a critical attribute in modern hotel management, as is widely recognized by experts and hotel managers alike. This paper develops and tests a new integrated theoretical model of associations among innovation diffusion, environmental marketing strategy, sustainability innovations, and the organizational environment. This research also considers the mediating effect of environmental marketing strategy and the moderating role of the organizational environment. The results of a study that included 367 managers of eco-friendly hotels in Taiwan provide support for this model across various dimensions of hotels’ sustainable innovation. The present study found relationships among innovation diffusion, environmental marketing strategy and sustainability innovations, and a mediating effect of environmental marketing strategy. The results also confirmed that the organizational environment moderates the relationship between innovation diffusion and environmental marketing strategy. That is, a supportive organizational environment will enhance the effect of innovation diffusion on environmental marketing strategy.     

The effects of the minimum wage on the operating performance of hotels in the U.S.

The economic effects of the minimum wage have been the focus of ongoing contradictory debates among policymakers and researchers. This study finds a positive effect of the minimum wage on the operating profitability of hotels in the U.S. However, the pricing practices of full-service hotels are dissimilar to those of limited-service hotels. Although the burden of the minimum wage is substantial, full-service hotels can spread the weight onto other departments, while limited-service hotels mainly rely on rooms revenue. Thus, the effects of the minimum wage on room price (average daily rate; ADR) are more substantial at limited-service hotels than at full-service hotels even though operating profitability (gross operating profit per available room; GOPPAR) is not substantially different between them. Eventually, increased minimum wage can play a beneficial role not only for the hotel industry but also for local society, since minimum wage employees take home a larger salary.     

Solid waste management in small hotels: a comparison of green and non-green small hotels in Wales

Solid waste generation and disposal is one of the most negative impacts of small hotels on the environment. Small hotels often pay little attention to their environmental responsibilities. This research builds upon an earlier work by the same authors considering solid waste management (SWM) issues in small Welsh hotels. It considers the Welsh Assembly Government's Green Dragon Environmental Standard (GDES) as an environmental management system developed specifically to target small and medium-sized enterprises and help them with aspects of environmental management, such as SWM. It explores SWM practices in green (i.e. GDES-accredited) and non-green small hotels and develops a best practice SWM model for them. Semi-structured interviews were used to investigate hoteliers’ attitudes and the barriers to implement sustainable SWM practices. The findings revealed that most non-GDES small hotels were highly reliant on landfill for the disposal of solid waste and felt negatively about the implementation of more sustainable SWM alternatives. In contrast, GDES small hotels used landfill as a last resort and targeted other waste hierarchy options in preference. The study develops a best practice model for policymakers (local authorities and UK central government) to influence and encourage better SWM practices in small hotels.     

The effects of environmental and luxury beliefs on intention to patronize green hotels: the moderating effect of destination image

Recent research has demonstrated a disconnect between environmental beliefs and behavior when it comes to the consumption of hospitality products. Unfortunately, while many consumers believe that hotels should engage in green practices, there is mounting evidence that such beliefs do not necessarily translate into actual purchases of sustainable products. The purpose of this research is to examine this issue by developing an integrated framework establishing the relationships among the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors associated with the consumption of the green hotel product. In particular, we are concerned with the effects of consumers' beliefs regarding the luxury-based trade-offs associated with staying in green hotels. Additionally, we seek to establish the role of destination image as a determinant of the relationships specified in the proposed nomology. The results support our overall hypothesis that the established disconnect between environmental values and sustainable hospitality consumption behavior is at least partially attributable to the cognitive evaluation of the attributes of the hotel's destination. Specifically, our results show that, while the belief that green hotels are less luxurious translates to unfavorable attitudes toward green hotels in urban tourism destinations, this relationship does not occur in nature-based tourism destinations.     

Diversification strategies and failure rates in the Texas lodging industry: Franchised versus company-operated hotels

This research examines the relationship between geographic, brand, and segment diversification and hotel failure rates based on ownership structure, i.e. franchised and company-operated hotels, in the Texas lodging industry. Literature on diversification strategies is mainly based on financial measures of performance and offers mixed results; only few studies have assessed firm failure rates directly based on distinct diversification strategies at the establishment level. The performance outcomes are significantly heterogeneous not only based on the strategies, but also on the ownership structures, which are yet to be examined. Using data from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts from 2000 to 2018, a semi-parametric Cox proportional hazard model is estimated, and the findings reveal that failure rates are not significantly tied to particular types of diversification and ownership structures. This research provides insights on hotel diversification strategies and their relative dominance on hotel failure rates based on franchised and company-operated hotels.     

Managing solid waste in small hotels

Collectively, small hotels constitute a significant solid waste management (SWM) problem. Little research has focused on the SWM practices of small hotels. In the United Kingdom, much of the solid waste generated by small hotels goes to landfill. This study uses a constructionist approach to investigate SWM issues in small hotels in a local authority in Wales and examines the role of the public sector in helping small hotels manage their solid waste effectively. The results revealed that only a minority of small hotels were considering the adoption of sustainable SWM practices, either because hoteliers felt negatively about sustainable SWM alternatives or perceived challenges – an issue which necessitates government intervention. At the time of this study, the public sector provided only very modest services to enhance SWM practices. This study proposes a best practice model for the public sector to encourage small hotels to manage their solid waste effectively, in order to reduce or even eliminate waste for landfill. Local authorities' support is required to make waste management hierarchy options more accessible to small hotels and should incentivise better waste management through increasing the gap between the costs of landfill and recycling waste.     

Website and email adoption by Malaysian hotels

This research note addresses two limitations of Internet diffusion studies by highlighting the importance of multivariate statistical analysis and including the element of time. The results support findings on the positive relationship between two hotel characteristics – affiliation and category – with Internet adoption, but question findings on the relationship between hotel size and Internet adoption.     

Guest satisfaction in independent and affiliated to chain hotels

In the hotel sector, two basic organisational forms can be distinguished, independent and chain-affiliated, which reflects in the entities' management processes and in the dimensions of the hotel service. Guest satisfaction is the determinant of and the secret to success in the hotel industry, nevertheless the comparison of customer satisfaction of both operational models is scarce. The main goal of this work is to determine whether those differences exist, considering the geographical scope and size of the chain in linked hotels. Customer satisfaction was analysed in 404 four and five-star hotels, measured through the hotel ratings from online travel agent Booking.com, in two tourism destinations in Spain using the Rasch Measurement Theory. Results obtained indicate that the superiority in customer satisfaction of one of these management forms shows for specific dimensions of the service provided.     

Environmental management decision-making in certified hotels

This paper analyses environmental decision-making against two axes, motivations and decision-making processes, to understand the reasons for pro-environmental behaviour by the managements of Spanish Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)-certified hotels. Mixed methods were used to study perceptions of EMAS and reasons for being certified, with current and lapsed EMAS-certified firms triangulated against expert interviews and documentary evidence. Four groups of hotels were differentiated: Strategic hotels (22%) (with high levels of integrated environmental management), Followers (48%), Greenwashers (11%) and Laggers (19%) (with low levels of integrated environmental management). Most hotels were found to be internally driven in their purpose and ad hoc in their decision-making, with limited understanding of externally driven benefits and motivation for more systematic management systems. This questions the success of EMAS as both a continuous improvement management and as a market-based regulation tool for hotels. Few hotels overall related high environmental standards to the possibilities of gaining market advantage: most wished to avoid legal challenges. The paper also illustrates the ways in which hotels opportunistically switch certification systems to get what they see as a better deal.     

Quality clusters: Dimensions of email responses by luxury hotels

A growing body of research investigates hospitality Internet use, but usually focuses on websites rather than the most popular Internet application, email. This study uses cluster analysis and the SERVQUAL-P service quality (SQ) model to help address gaps in both academic and applied research of email use in the hospitality industry. The cluster analysis of email responses to a mystery guest survey by luxury hotels identified four hotel clusters. The clusters showed significant differences across all 24 email response variables and support four dimensions of email SQ corresponding to SERVQUAL-P's four dimensions.     

Dual-branded hotels: Resource-based entry strategies in agglomerated markets

Despite the growing importance of dual-branded hotels, research on this trend is lacking. This study investigates the effect of resource-based entry strategies for dual-branded hotels vis-à-vis incumbent market competition on performance. Using a hierarchical linear model, we found that best performance is achieved by dual-branded hotels that pursue a diversification strategy by entering the market with one brand above and one brand below the mode class of the market. Dual-branded hotels can thus achieve competitive advantage by exploiting superior financial resources and tourism destinations are able to gain monetary advantage from resources employed by dual-branded hotels. This study extends current research on dual-branded hotels by investigating entry strategies and contributes to the resource-based view literature by investigating dual-brands’ resource exploitation and resource spillovers in agglomerated markets.     

Comparing local and foreign perceptions of service quality of five-star hotels in Sri Lanka

Using the SERVQUAL model, this study analyses the survey data from 400 local and foreign guests of five-star hotels in Sri Lanka. The study discovered local visitors were less satisfied with the assurance aspect of hotel service, while foreign visitors were less satisfied with the empathy aspect. Overall, foreign visitors had higher expectations and perceptions of hotel service compared to locals. The study demonstrates variations between local and foreign visitors’ perception and satisfaction of hotel service quality. This sheds light on differing treatments expected by foreign visitors than their domestic counterparts which is useful in strategic decision-making and service improvement.     

Organizational antecedents and competitive consequences of environmental proactivity in the hotel industry

This research simultaneously examines the influence of organizational design variables (specialization, decentralization, formalization, link mechanisms, and informal social relations) on environmental proactivity, and the impact of this environmental proactivity on the competitiveness of hotels. The joint analysis of causes and consequences of environmental proactivity, and the relationship between organizational design and environmental management are topics that have rarely been explored in the literature. Using structural equation modeling methodology, a model is empirically tested using a survey instrument that was distributed to hotels in Spain. The findings indicate that specialization, formalization, link mechanisms, and informal social relations are effective coordination mechanisms to foster environmental proactivity. Moreover, the most effective way of encouraging the implementation of environmental practices is formalization. The findings also show that environmental proactivity contributes to improving competitive advantage in terms of both cost and differentiation.     

Employee perceptions of well-being and organizational wellness offerings: A study of line-level employees in select-service hotels

ABSTRACT

This research assessed line-level employee perceptions of their own well-being and their awareness of wellness benefits offered by their organizations. Completed questionnaires were collected from 187 employees of select-service hotels in the Midwest. Employees had above average levels of well-being with full-time employees having significantly higher levels of well-being than part-time employees. Employees who are aware of available wellness programs had higher levels of well-being than those who are not aware of these programs. The findings suggest the need for organizations and managers to implement and communicate wellness program offerings to all employees.     

Analysing reviews in the Web 2.0: Small and medium hotels in Portugal

This study presents a characterisation of online reviews for small and medium hotels (SMH) in Portugal. We collected and analysed 1500 online reviews from 50 SMH. The findings show that room, staff and location were the concepts most frequently appeared in the reviews, with cleanliness, friendliness, helpfulness, and centrality of position the terms most frequently used to qualify the concepts. This study points out the main features which SMH managers should prioritize.     

Market segmentation in hotels: a move up-market with the ‘club’ concept

The market for hotel services is segmented into identifiable and quantifiable groups. Some parts of the hotel and catering industry are beginning to cater for different market segments within single establishments by means of the introduction of different classes of accommodation. This trend raises questions about the level of segmentation which is possible, and profitable.     

Human resource management practices and organizational commitment in four- and five-star hotels in Egypt

Previous studies have shown that human resource management practices affect hotel performance by influencing employees' commitment to their organization. Organizational commitment, in turn, influences workforce turnover, organizational citizenship behavior, and job performance. This study analyzed the relationship between human resource management practices and organizational commitment in 257 employees in nine four- and five-star hotels in Cairo and Alexandria, using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test models predicting organizational commitment. Hiring, training and development, performance appraisals, remuneration, and communication were all positively and significantly related to affective commitment, but only communication affected continuance commitment.     

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 future of the State-owned hotels in China: Stay or go?

Hotel sector was the first one to employ joint venture in China after its ‘Open Door Policy’ in 1978. In transition from production unit to business unit, the operating system of China's State-owned hotels (SOHs) has changed greatly. Though its hotel industry has become more open, many of the tourist hotels are still State-owned enterprises (SOEs) today, and they account for over half of the loss of all hotels in the country. This study aims to find out: first, critical issues causing those problems facing the SOHs; second, factors affecting the development of SOHs, and third, their future. Government ownership and its related problems, such as complicated ownership, bureaucratic structure and control, add difficulty to restructure SOHs. The future of the SOHs in China regarding whether to stay or to go very much depends on government policy and commitment on restructuring the industry which is vital to success and sustainability of SOHs in the socialist market economy environment.