Carbon dioxide emissions generated by energy consumption of hotels and homestay facilities in Taiwan

In the field of the tourism, hotels and homestay facilities account for considerable amounts of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. This study presents an investigation conducted on the CO₂ emissions from four types of hotel in Taiwan. According to the results, the average CO₂ emissions of international tourist hotels, standard tourist hotels, general hotels, and homestay facilities are 28.9, 19.2, 12.5, and 6.3 kg-CO₂/person-night, respectively. Hotels with higher service levels produce higher average CO₂ emissions per person-night. Analytical results indicate that increasing stays at hotels with low CO₂ emissions (such as homestay facilities and general hotels), accommodating more guests together per room, and enhancing energy usage efficiency, can effectively reduce hotel CO₂ emissions without reducing the total number of guests. The results of this study may be applied to CO₂ reduction programmes for tourists, hotel enterprises, and contribute toward the formulation of government policy in Taiwan.     

Sustainability awareness,management practices and organisational culture in hotels: Evidence from developing countries

The subject of sustainability and it its management in the hotel context is somewhat volatile with varied evidence in support of different viewpoints. This study, adopting Situated Cognition (SC), explores the role of organisational culture in sustainability practice and awareness among hotel practitioners. The findings from this study reveal that management practice of sustainability has strong relationship with both organisational culture and employees’ sustainability awareness. However, organisational culture only mediates the relationship between sustainability awareness and management on country to country basis. The study recommends that owner-managers need to realise the importance of building up a robust organisational culture particularly in support of their sustainability management and empowerment of their staff.     

Sustainable development and stakeholder relations management: Exploring sustainability reporting in the hospitality industry from a SD-SRM approach

This paper explores the sustainability reporting of 170 hospitality companies from a SD-SRM approach. The purpose of the study is to ascertain the information that companies disclose in accordance with the sustainable development (SD) and the stakeholder relations management (SRM) theories and to identify the areas for improvement in the management and reporting practices of sustainability in the hospitality industry. The authors use the content analysis method to identify and describe the sustainability reporting of hotel chains and independently managed hotels in Spain. The findings show that the sustainability information reported by hospitality companies currently meets the basic principles of a SD-SRM approach. Nonetheless, the authors also identify areas for improvement, such as the orientation of the reporting to suppliers or the more equilibrated distribution of information among all corporate stakeholders. Based on these findings, the authors consider that the integration of information following the SD-SRM approach described in this paper could facilitate a better compliance of hospitality companies with the principles of the SD and SRM theories.     

Energy conservation in large-sized hotels: Insights from a developing country

Tourism can drive positive, transformative changes in modern societies, but also becomes a source of significant environmental externalities. This is often the case for developing economies where the problem is exacerbated by immature national sustainability agendas. Targeted research, accounting for the local context, is necessary to enable transition of developing countries towards more sustainable patterns of tourism development. This study targets the hotel sector in Iran, one of the most energy inefficient hotel sectors around the world, to explore its pathway towards environmental sustainability. The dominance of domestic ownership and control and the prevalence of international economic sanctions are the distinctive features of the Iranian hotel sector. The study pinpoints reconfigurations in technology, knowledge, legislation and behavioural norms as the determinants of the sector’s environmental sustainability quest. Domestic hospitality companies should champion transformative pro-environmental changes in the Iranian hotel sector until international economic sanctions are lifted.     

Celebrity chef adoption and implementation of social media,particularly pinterest: A diffusion of innovations approach

Pinterest research is beginning to emerge, in part due to the importance of visually stimulating photos within hospitality and tourism. Photos are popular with many chefs for marketing, with some actively using Pinterest and other social media. Some of the world’s top celebrity chefs are a growing phenomenon as influential leaders of their personal brand as well as other goods, services, and causes. This research reports on a pilot study of how celebrity chefs have adopted and implemented social media, especially Pinterest, using the Diffusion of Innovations as a theoretical framework. The study found that of the top 48 chefs, all adopted Facebook, closely followed by 47 adopting Twitter; just 17 adopted Pinterest. The chefs’ social media and Pinterest implementation varied widely. This study sheds insights about social media, particularly Pinterest, extends innovation diffusion research, and serves as a base for future research of both celebrity chefs and social media.     

From entrepreneurial orientation to sustainability orientation: The role of cognitive proximity in companies in tourist destinations

This study straddles the entrepreneurship and sustainability literatures by analysing the existence of a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between a company's entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and sustainability orientation (SO) and the effect of cognitive proximity (CP) on this relationship in cultural tourist destinations (CTDs). The empirical analysis was carried out on a sample of 238 companies belonging to World Heritage Cities in Peru. The results show a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between EO and SO. Thus, only when companies in CTDs have consolidated their strategic commitment to economic interests do they tend to enhance their strategic commitment to social and environmental matters. Additionally, the curvilinear shape of the relationship is attenuated, approaching a linear relationship for elevated levels of CP. This is because CP can make it easier for tourism companies to detect and take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities to configure superior service experiences linked to sustainability. Companies located in CTDs in developing countries should strengthen their proactivity, innovativeness and risk-taking so as to bolster their SO. These companies should also develop networks with agents that share their values, goals and language to boost the connection between their strategic commitments to entrepreneurship and sustainability.     

Analysis of career competency of food and beverage managers in international tourist hotels in Taiwan

The purpose of this study is to establish indicators of career competencies of food and beverage managers in international tourist hotels in Taiwan. Panel discussions and the Delphi technique were adopted. Two panel discussions were conducted with a total of 11 industry experts and seven academic experts. The framework of career competencies was established based on these experts’ opinions. Delphi questionnaires were sent to 23 experts 13 in the hospitality industry and ten academic experts to collect data. By using such questionnaire twice, the 23 panelists reached a stable consensus. The results indicate career competencies include two categories: (1) career planning and development, and (2) core employability. The data demonstrated that the core employability competency was slightly more important for an individual's career development than the career development and planning competency.     

The causality examination between demand uncertainty and hotel failure: A case study of international tourist hotels in Taiwan

The hotel business is highly sensitive to economic cycles, as the industry faces high frequency and high fluctuation of uncertainty over the demand for lodging services. Without a thorough consideration on the issue, hotels may undergo a business crisis. This research therefore investigates the influence of demand uncertainty on hotel failure by using the operation data of international tourist hotels in Taiwan during 1995–2008. The analysis applies two stages of estimation. The first stage employs a first-order autoregressive model, AR(1), to model lodging demand uncertainty. The second stage estimates the likelihood of hotels’ failure by using a logit model. The results are supportive to determine that the demand uncertainty causes hotel failures.     

Key drivers of innovation capability in hotels: implications on performance

Innovation capability is critical for the modernization and competitiveness of the hotel industry. This work analyzes the role of hotels' innovative culture, market orientation, and internal marketing as forerunners of innovation capability in hotels, as well as the effect of innovation capability on hotels' performance. The proposed conceptual model is evaluated through structural equation modeling using a sample of 256 Spanish hotels. The results reveal that innovative culture by itself is not a key driver of the hotels' innovation capability. However, internal marketing and market orientation mediate the innovative culture-innovation capability relationship. Innovation capability proves to enhance hotels' market results directly and indirectly through customer equity. Our findings offer hotel managers useful guidance to understand how innovation capability is built within the firm by combining the right organizational culture and practices. Additionally, our study reinforces the financial and non-financial benefits of innovation capability in hotels.     

The importance of water management in hotels: a framework for sustainability through innovation

This paper highlights the global phenomenon of the crisis in the quality and quantity of water supplies and how tourism generally and hotels specifically may have contributed to the situation. The major internal and external barriers for Small Medium Enterprises adopting Environmental Management Systems, including water, are listed. The paper proposes a water management framework for hotels and other types of accommodation that leverages on the concept of innovation. Taking into account the various levels of knowledge and technological capabilities in water management, the framework is developed based on the commonly known 3R approach in environmental management, with the addition of another R (Reaching). It is proposed that hotels can innovate and enhance their water management approaches under these 4Rs: Innovative Reducing, Innovative Reusing, Innovative Reaching and Innovative Recycling. The framework offers examples and strategies about how hotels of different sizes, with differing financial, technical, knowledge and managerial capacities could address the challenge of implementing water management and obtain commercial benefit. A detailed case study is provided of a gray and black water recycling system in a Malaysian resort. Other examples of a range of water management methods are also discussed.     

From internal brand management to organizational citizenship behaviours: Evidence from frontline employees in the hotel industry

This paper examines the links between internal brand management, organizational identification, work engagement, and organizational citizenship behaviours in the hospitality industry. A model is proposed and tested using a sample of 323 frontline employees from the main hotel chains operating in Spain. This model includes different dimensions of internal brand management and different manifestations of citizenship behaviours. Data are analysed through the use of partial least squares. The findings confirm that transformational leadership leverages organizational identification and work engagement. However, brand training and brand communications do not directly raise positive emotions in the workplace. The results also suggest that work engagement is a better predictor of citizenship behaviours than organizational identification. Identification influences citizenship behaviours towards the organization. However, this variable does not explain extra-role supportive behaviours towards customers and other employees. These results extend previous research by empirically analysing the effects of internal brand management from the employees' perspective.     

Applying Interpretive Structural Modeling to the Planning of a Sequence of Marketing Strategies: A Case Study of the Architectural Tourism in Taiwan

Architectural tourism, the popular activity of visiting traditional buildings primarily for seeing and enjoying their architecture, offers opportunities for tourism industry. This study is focused on developing marketing strategies for architectural tourism in Taiwanese context. As a result of rapid development in Taiwan with the increasing population and higher residential density, most of the old houses in Taiwan have been replaced by the modern buildings. Despite this irreversible development, the remaining old styles can generate fresh business opportunities in the new age through adequate planning. Therefore, this study will use literature reviews and Interpretive Structural Modeling in order to determine an effective and scientific decision-making process to help develop marketing strategies for this sector. It will also be used as a reference for future researchers and as a benchmarking object for the other countries facing similar challenges.     

Modelling attitudes to nature,tourism and sustainable development in national parks: A survey of visitors in China and the UK

This research undertook a visitor survey in two protected areas in different cultural contexts, namely China and the UK, to explore whether the value a person attaches to the environment influences their attitude towards sustainable tourism development in national parks. Structural equation models were developed with data from 597 and 368 questionnaires collected in Jiuzhaigou National Scenic Area, China and the New Forest National Park, UK respectively. The results suggested that anthropocentric or ecocentric values significantly influence people's attitudes to tourism and sustainable development. The same structured causal relationship was found in both samples, between people's attitudes towards the natural environment, conservation and tourism in a national park context.     

Reducing perceived health risk to attract hotel customers in the COVID-19 pandemic era: Focused on technology innovation for social distancing and cleanliness

As an essential risk-reduction strategy, technology innovation is likely to play a key role in the hotel industry’s recovery from the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. However, its impact on customer decision-making behavior is unknown. Focusing on technology innovation for reducing guest interaction with employees and enhancing cleanliness, the purpose of this research was to examine the impact of expected interaction and expected cleanliness on perceived health risk and hotel booking intention. Three experimental studies were conducted using online consumer samples. The studies found that low levels of expected interaction through technology-mediated systems lead to low levels of perceived health risk. Perceived health risk mediates the relationship between expected interaction and hotel booking intention. In addition, high levels of expected cleanliness through advanced cleaning technologies moderate the impacts of expected interaction on perceived health risk. Importantly, the proposed perceived risk mechanism was effective in post-pandemic scenarios. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Work and leisure in Taiwan: examining the antecedents and consequences of work-leisure conflicts

This research examines the antecedents and consequences of work-leisure conflicts in Taiwan. Derived from a sample of 440 Taiwanese respondents, it was found that a heavy workload is a critical source that may induce work-leisure conflicts; moreover, the conflicts between work and leisure may potentially lower the life satisfaction of full-time workers. However, the establishment of work-life segmentation can alleviate work-leisure conflicts. Furthermore, this study suggests that an active behavioural leisure attitude is potentially beneficial to increase life satisfaction, even for employees who experience high levels of work-leisure conflicts. This study concludes with recommendations for the success of managing the work-leisure conflicts of full-time workers as well as the enhancement of their life satisfaction.     

Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Green Hotel Attributes in Tourist Choice Behavior: The Case of Taiwan

Although many companies in the hotel industry aim to pursue more sustainable and socially responsible practices, the present literature shows mixed results with regard to tourist reactions to such moves, especially for the service quality perception impacted by implemented green practices and the willingness to pay more for such actions. Unlike previous research examining tourists’ preferences for separate green hotel attributes, this study identifies the determinants of tourists’ choice of green hotel attributes. Additionally, the study measures the willingness to pay (WTP) for such services, in the context of the Taiwanese market, using the stated preference of combined green hotel attribute scenarios. A multinomial logit (MNL) model is employed to estimate the relative influence of behavioral and facility attributes on choice behavior. Furthermore, the study examines determinants influencing respondents’ choice of green hotel attributes. A latent variable class model (LVCM) approach is applied in the estimation of the unobserved heterogeneity, and a total of 390 valid respondents were used in the analysis. The empirical MNL results indicate that while tourists prefer luxury rooms and the provision of personal toiletries, they are also willing to accept reduced service quality. Additionally, sex, income, and age have significant influences on tourist choice behavior. The results of the LVCM model demonstrate that respondents with high levels of the green consumption trait are more likely to choose hotels that have a greater number of environmentally friendly attributes. The implicit amount that tourists are willing to pay for room quality is around US$13, for the provision of personal toiletries is about US$22, and for service quality is US$12, but they also require a discount of approximately US$11 in order to accept the common practices of green hotels. This study is useful in providing the hotel industry and government with quantitative information that can be used to develop and implement better green hotel policies.     

From Guanxi to customer relationship marketing: How the constructs of Guanxi can strengthen CRM in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Business today has recognized the cost advantages of customer retention. In reaction to decades of industrialization and mass production, the pendulum has slowly swung back toward more one‐to‐one customer relations and mass customization. One‐to‐one personal attention and relationship building is widely perceived as a desirable method for increasing customer loyalty. Such concepts, however, are not new. Over thousands of years, the Chinese have been practicing “Guanxi,” which Davies (1995) defines as the social interaction within a networked group where repeated favor exchanges ensure a measure of trust among the participants of this network. The constructs of Guanxi, namely bonding, trust, empathy, and reciprocity, can be combined with customer relationship marketing (CRM) and strengthen what a business can offer its customer. This paper, therefore, discusses the history and development of Guanxi in China and its similarities to customer relationship marketing that is practiced today in the Western world. It also presents how the constructs of Guanxi can be combined with CRM. Tips for good Guanxi and CRM to ensure success are also highlighted.     

Social capital as a heuristic device to explore sociocultural sustainability: a case study of mountain resort tourism in the community of Steamboat Springs,Colorado, USA

This study investigates the feasibility of combining environmental protection and an agricultural revitalisation strategy which includes food tourism in two Danish national parks, Mols Bjerge and Skjern Aadal. Both the parks include significant agricultural holdings and, to a great extent, a “natural” landscape of farmed grassland and arable land. The international research literature documents that park administrations have tended to neglect the role of food and food-based experiences in parks, despite park visitors preferring more attractive eating facilities, purchasing opportunities and food-related interpretation. A survey of food producers and providers in Denmark revealed that traditional, productivity-oriented farmers tended to oppose the establishment of parks, holding the view that “sharing” the land with others diminished their competitiveness. While this view might hamper rapid progress in food tourism, the survey also discovered an emerging trend of small-scale food entrepreneurship, albeit on a fragmented and uncoordinated level. Tourism-oriented food entrepreneurs wanted to see joint marketing and labelling of food products along the lines of OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) “new rural paradigm”. The study identified governance opportunities that could accommodate the wellbeing of both tourists and food producers, but which requires a proactive role from the national park authorities, especially in marketing and the development of events.     

如何从共毁走向共生?——定制化旅游价值共毁和价值恢复对口碑传播的影响

价值共创的研究话题已受到学术界广泛关注,但越来越多的企业发现价值共创并非总是成功的。基于价值共创的负面视角--价值共毁,探讨价值的协同破坏机制及其影响的实证研究有待深入。文章以资源保存理论为基础,探讨价值共毁对负面口碑传播的影响,检验顾客失望的中介作用以及价值恢复类型的调节作用。文章以定制化旅游服务为实验情境,实验结果发现:(1)价值共毁类型在负面口碑传播上存在显著差异,相对于顾客引发的价值共毁,企业引发的价值共毁对负面口碑传播的影响关系更强;(2)顾客失望在价值共毁类型与负面口碑之间起完全中介作用;(3)价值恢复措施的不同类型调节了顾客失望的中介关系强度,当企业单独恢复价值时,企业引发价值共毁(相比于顾客引发价值共毁)会产生更少的顾客失望进而降低负面口碑。当企业与顾客共同恢复价值时,顾客引发价值共毁(相比于企业引发价值共毁)会产生更少失望进而降低负面口碑。最后对研究结论进行讨论并提出了管理启示。