Organizational Learning and Hotel Performance: The Role of Capabilities’ Hierarchy

Building on the capabilities’ hierarchy concept, a model of the effect of organizational learning on hotel performance is proposed and tested in this study. Data was collected from 240 managers in the hotel industry of United Kingdom and Pakistan via survey. The results revealed strong direct inter-relation between different level of capabilities and an indirect relation between organizational learning and performance through these capabilities. This paper makes theoretical contributions to management as well as hospitality and tourism research by generating an integrative and unifying framework for an organizational learning performance relationship, clarifying capabilities inter-relationships and empirically revealing the exact way these capabilities enhance performance. Also, it has practical implications for hotel managers’ understanding on the development and use of capabilities as a hierarchy in enhancing their hotel performance.     

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.     

Does bureaucracy kill individual initiative? The impact of structure on organizational citizenship behavior in the hospitality industry

In their quest for improved service quality, hospitality organizations face a paradox. Standardization and centralization are generally perceived as essential to maintaining high service standards. These bureaucratic mechanisms, however, are suspected to have a negative impact on spontaneous “organizational citizenship” behaviors, which are equally essential for flawless service delivery. Empirical results from the Swiss hotel industry suggest that “helping” behavior is more widespread than “voice” behavior among hotel employees. The results also provide support for the hypothesis that “helping” and “voice” behaviors are negatively affected by a centralized organization structure. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

Evolution of hoteliers’ organizational crisis communication in the time of mega disruption

This research note explores the evolutionary process of corporate crisis communication to understand how international hotel enterprises respond to the present pandemic. Corpus linguistics was used as a computer-aided approach in assessing a large collection of naturally occurring texts. Press releases from hotel corporations listed in Fortune 500 within the period of January to April 2020 were curated and built into three corpora. Lexical patterns that evolved over the course of the first quarter of 2020 reveal that the lodging industry did not fully prepare for the crisis until March, while management was still dwelling on their past achievements even in February 2020. The overall tone, pre-crisis, reflected top management's demonstration of success and performance, attributed to the CEOs themselves; while it completely changed during the crisis. This study draws upon crisis management and organizational communication streams of work to advance prevailing theoretical accounts of organizational crisis communication.     

How is leadership related to employee self-concept?

In the field of leadership research, the relationship between leadership styles and follower self-concept was of great interests to researchers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how leadership styles such as transformational leadership, passive leadership and leader-member exchange (LMX) relate to employee self-concept. A total of 585 valid responses were collected from hotel front line employees in mainland China. The results showed that the effect of transformational leadership on self-concept was mainly mediated by LMX. The strong direct effects of LMX on levels of self-concept were also identified in this study. Theoretical and practical implications were provided based on the results of this study.     

饭店职业生涯管理测量维度开发及实证研究

文章旨在开发中国饭店职业生涯管理测量维度,同时验证职业生涯管理对职业满意度的影响作用。在研究方法方面,综合运用了定性和定量两种方法,并在全国范围内收集具有代表性的数据。探索性因子分析提取了饭店职业生涯管理的3个维度,即职业考评、职业培训及职业发展;检验性因子分析证实提取的维度具有有效的信度和效度;随后,基于新开发的测量维度,文章又运用结构方程验证了饭店职业生涯管理与职业满意度的关系。结果表明,有效的职业生涯管理能提高员工的职业满意度。在3个维度中,职业考评对职业满意度的贡献率最大,其次为职业发展及职业培训。最后,文章讨论了其学术和实践贡献,以期为理论研究和实践管理提供有益借鉴。     

Do regional factors matter? Determinants of hotel industry performance in China

The hotel industry is deeply embedded in local regional conditions, though the influence of regional factors is seldom investigated. Three key hotel industry metrics, Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), Average Room Rate (ARR), and rooms rented, were examined for their determinants using ordinary least squares and negative binomial regression models on key endogenous and exogenous (regional) factors, including Destination Attractiveness and Capacity, Business and Commercial Environment, Image and Openness, and Tourism Professional Specialization. Using China as a case study, and at different hotel star designations (2- to 5-star hotels), the results show that RevPAR is determined mainly by labor quality and Tourism Professional Specialization. Particularly, regional factors significantly affect ARR and rooms rented. The influence and sophistication of regional factors increases with higher star designations. This paper highlights links between the hospitality industry and regional economic development, which should be considered by both the hotel industry and tourism policy makers.     

Managing Quality in Hotel Excelsior

Abstract

There is no doubt that quality in the hotel industry is an important issue. Delivering quality in hospitality operations involves reliably providing accommodation, food, service and entertainment within an environment that meets the expectations of customers, simultaneously creating opportunities for adding value that will exceed expectations and result in delight and repeat purchases or recommendations. Managing quality in hospitality operations is difficult, complicated by the complex blend of production and service elements that need to be managed over the short cycle of operations. Hotel Excelsior initiated a benchmarking exercise in 5-star hotels and recognizing the contribution that quality might play in achieving company objectives in marketing and profitability, decided to gain ISO 9002 registration in July of 1999. ISO 9002 does not guarantee improvements in quality, but the management of Hotel Excelsior believes that the systems and controls have this effect. Hotel Excelsior has taken on that challenge. The paper analyzes how they established HRN EN ISO 9002 (Croatian Norm European Norm ISO 9002) and the advantages of an orientation towards quality.     

International franchising: Opportunities for China's state-owned hotels?

The hotel industry in China faces global competition. Most of the state-owned hotels have struggled during the period of transition from a planned economy to a market economy. Furthermore, international franchising hotel chains have entered China with their different operation modes. Could the franchising hotels bring opportunities for state-owned hotels? In an attempt to answer this question, the researchers carried out a study of state-owned independent hotels and state-owned franchised hotels to analyze their external and internal business factors, their intentions to join international franchise operations and the international hotel franchisors in China. The research technique used was qualitative. Two rounds of in-depth interviews were conducted. Content analysis was used in the data analysis. Results indicate that the majority of state-owned independent hotels have intentions to join an international franchise operation in the next 5 years. It also identified major factors affecting the franchising of state-owned hotels in China. However, franchising may not be attractive to those hotels that want to keep their management culture and characteristics. Implications of the study were discussed. Recommendations were provided to the state-owned hotels. Future research studies have been suggested to examine the relationships between franchisors and franchisees.     

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.     

刍议饭店业人才安全

"人才安全"是目前已得到广泛重视,但存在模糊认识和争议的问题。对于饭店行业,这一现象则更为突出。该文在文献研究的基础上,对饭店业人才安全的内涵进行了探索性的诠释,梳理出目前研究中的不足,并结合饭店业实际,指出我国饭店业人才安全方面存在的主要问题,从而为进一步研究奠定了理论和现实基础。     

Higher tourism specialization,better hotel industry efficiency?

This study examines the effects of both specialization in tourism and market competition on the efficiency of the hotel industry. For this purpose, stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) was employed to evaluate the efficiency of the hotel industry on a provincial level in China and to analyze how it is impacted by specialization in tourism and market competition. The results confirm that tourism specialization and market competition exert a synergistic effect on hotel industry efficiency in China. This study finds that tourism development as represented by a high level of tourism specialization by a destination does not guarantee high efficiency in hotels but does enhance the negative effect of market competition on hotel industry efficiency. Significant policy and managerial implications stem from these findings.     

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.