Sexual harassment in the hospitality industry

Recent media coverage of sexual-harassment cases and new federal legislation have made this area of law even more dangerous for employers who are not monitoring their work environment     

Customers acting badly: Evidence from the hospitality industry

The activities of misbehaving customers represent a significant problem for organizations across diverse sectors and industries. Customer misbehavior signifies behavior within the exchange setting that deliberately violates the generally accepted norms of conduct in such situations. The core aim of this study is to advance understanding of the antecedents to past customer misbehavior and examine the relationship between past misbehavior and future misbehavior intentions. Although prior studies offer insights into individual events or types of customer misbehavior, to date, empirical evidence of the antecedents to past misbehaviors and future behavioral intentions is lacking. Synthesizing literature from varied theoretical backgrounds, this study puts forth five personality-based variables (consumer alienation, Machiavellianism, sensation seeking, aggressiveness, and self-esteem) and four demographic variables (gender, income, age, and education) as antecedents to past customer misbehavior. In turn, this study reveals an association between past customer misbehavior and future misbehavior intent. Structural equation modeling procedures using a sample of 380 respondents reveals support for eight of the nine specified hypotheses. The article concludes with a discussion of the study's implications for theory and practice.     

Employee training and service quality in the hospitality industry

ABSTRACT

This study examines the relationship between employee training and service quality in the hospitality industry. The study tested the impacts of perceived access to training, perceived benefits of training and perceived support for training on service quality in the hospitality sector. Survey technique was used for the data collection. The research participants were frontline employees and their customers. The frontline employees responded to the training dimensions, while the customers’ completed the questions on service quality. One hundred and twenty useable surveys were included in this study. This study reveals a significant relationship between the employees’ perception of the benefits of training, support for training and service quality. This study offers some important management and theoretical implications.     

Price-sensitivity measurement: A tool for the hospitality industry

Instead of using such pricing methods as gut feel or trial and error to determine the “right” price for products or services, a hotel or restaurant operator can use a relatively simple survey tool to measure customers' price sensitivity in advance.     

Corporate social responsibility: Findings from the Chinese hospitality industry

The study investigates the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral responses, factors closely related to a firm's social and economic performance, using data from 451 customers of three hotels. We also test the universality of such impact across various consumer groups. Results show that CSR positively affects perceived corporate reputation and customer satisfaction, which in turn, significantly affect customer commitment and behavioral responses (i.e., loyalty intentions and word-of-mouth). Perhaps more importantly, the role of CSR is not universal across consumer groups. Particularly, consumer income seems to moderate the relationship between CSR and perceived reputation. Specifically, the positive effect of CSR on perceived corporate reputation is more salient among people with a higher income. Managerial implications are discussed.     

Healthcare and hospitality: intangible dynamics for evaluating industry sectors

In order to assess potentially profitable exchanges across the healthcare and hospitality industries, this paper reviews intangibles theory, ranging from big data through knowledge assets (explicit and tacit) to intelligence, establishing the potential value from each and best practices for managing. Metrics are offered for the assessment of firms and industries according to these intangibles. Based on the metrics, intangible practices can be identified in all the industry sectors across healthcare as well as from hospitality sectors. Similarities are identified between hospitality and specific healthcare sectors (retail pharmacies have most in common with hospitality firms, both possessing strong data and explicit knowledge capabilities). Implications for strategy, competition, and intangibles management systems can also be drawn (chiefly process and customer relationship data and knowledge leading to operational and marketing excellence).     

Over-the-top (OTT) retailing in the post pandemic world. Unveiling consumer drivers and barriers using a qualitative study

Consumers are increasingly moving from traditional television to Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms. Although OTT platforms are widely used, people's interactions with them vary; some people use them eagerly, while others are hesitant. There is a need for thorough knowledge of the underlying elements that affect people's decisions to adopt OTT platforms. OTT platforms must understand the consumers' perceptions to engage effectively in customer retention and acquisition. Using the Gioia method, the study adopted the qualitative research approach to investigate the themes that emerged from the participant's responses and to frame our research into the context of users' actual experiences by utilizing the grounded-theory methodology. The extracted themes drawn from the opinion of 50 participants were found to align with the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) and Uses & Gratification Theory 2.0 (UGT 2.0). Aligning with the IRT theory, the barriers were classified under five sub-themes: usage, value, risk, tradition, and image. The drivers were mapped with the UGT 2.0 framework comprising of four sub-themes: modality, agency, interactivity, and navigability. Our study contributes a theoretical aspect by classifying OTT platform usage behavior in the post-pandemic period.     

New York's smoker-free regulations: Effects on employment and sales in the hospitality industry

Contrary to claims that smoke-free regulations cause decreases in hospitality-industry sales, this study determined that neither sales nor employment is hurt when smoke-free regulations are put in place. That conclusion is based on an examination of changes in restaurant's and hotel's business levels in five populous New York State jurisdictions that have implemented smoke-free regulations (namely, Erie, Monroe, Suffolk, and Westchester counties, and five boroughs of New York City). Using states sales data and employment data for eating and drinking establishment and for hotels, the study compared those statistics for the year before the regulation was implemented with the same statistics for the first year following implementation. The regulations in the counties being studied require a 100-percent smoke-free dining area unless such an area is separately enclosed and separately ventilated. The study examined trends in per-capita levels of sales and employment, as well as the fraction of restaurant sales to total sales. Additionally, a combined model considered data from all counties in the state to compare sales and employment outcomes. Instead of damaging hospitality sales and employment, the onset of smoke-free regulations was associated with increases in per-capita taxable sales for eating and drinking establishments and hotels (controlling for other economic factors). Employment rose in hotels, while no measurable change was observed for employment in restaurants operating under smoke-free regulations. The study concludes that smoke-free regulations have not been bad for business in New York State restaurants or hotels.     

Antecedents and consequences of external risk perception in franchising: evidence from the hospitality industry

In this article, we contribute to the understanding of the role that external risk perceptions play in decisions regarding the combination of company-owned and franchised units in the hospitality industry, and to knowledge of the impact of specific CEO characteristics on perceptions of environmental uncertainty. We examine the effects of tenure, an entrepreneurial nature and the innovative attitude of the CEO on the perception of external risk, and address the direct and indirect consequences of such perceptions of external risk on the configuration of the network of outlets. Our results show a significant relationship between the characteristics of the CEO and the perception of risk but, contrary to expectations, risk perception is associated with a lower degree of franchised outlets within the ownership mix.     

世界船用柴油主机产业发展有关情况分析

2003年～2008年,随着世界造船完工量逐年大幅增长,船用柴油主机的装机功率快速增长。据英国劳氏船级社统计,2001年～2004年,世界船用主机年均装船总功率在17GW（2310万马力）左右;2005年～2007年,分别提升至22GW（2990万马力）、27GW（3670万马力）和29GW（3940万马力）。劳氏船级社2008年10月出版的《造船市场预测》还预计,2009年～2011年年交付的主机功率是1970年～2000年平均年交付主机功率的5倍。     

The barriers and drivers of seafood consumption in Australia: A narrative literature review

Although seafood is considered to be an important part of a healthy and balanced diet, many Australians still do not consume the recommended amounts for good health. Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega‐3 fatty acids and other nutrients, and studies have shown that seafood‐rich diets can have a lower impact on the environment than diets high in other animal proteins. Concerns about health and sustainability have led to an increased interest in understanding consumers' attitudes toward seafood. This review aims to assess the current knowledge on drivers and barriers to seafood consumption in the Australian context. Systematic search strategies were used to identify relevant peer‐reviewed journal articles from three electronic databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science and Science Direct) and grey literature reports from targeted government and industry websites. Accepted studies investigated drivers and/or barriers to seafood consumption in Australia through qualitative, quantitative, or mixed method designs. Initial searches identified 504 publications from which fourteen met the criteria for the review process. The reviewed studies revealed that influences on seafood consumption in Australia are similar to those identified in other developed countries. The leading drivers of seafood consumption are health, taste, and convenience, while the main barriers are price, availability, concerns about quality, and a lack of confidence in selecting and preparing seafood. Some possible intervention strategies targeted toward these factors are explored in the discussion. Future research should focus on designing and implementing specific interventions so that their effectiveness in increasing seafood consumption in Australia can be assessed.