Deploying Self-Service Technology in Luxury Hotel Brands: Perceptions of Business Travelers

Traditional brick-and-mortar companies are embracing the use of self-service technology (SST) to enhance the services they offer and to gain customer loyalty. The objectives of doing so are to stay at the forefront of today’s marketplace and improve service, efficiency, and profitability. However, SST directly eliminates the traditional service encounter from which luxury hotels benefit. With the rising popularity of SST and benefits it brings to both hoteliers and customers contradicting the importance of the personal service encounter to luxury hotel brands, it is critical for hoteliers to learn about the importance of SST and luxury brand identity in order to bring the greatest satisfaction to both parties. This article examines business travelers’ perceptions of SST adoption by luxury hotel brands in Hong Kong. The results emphasize the importance of both personal service and SST in satisfying customer needs and in increasing profitability.     

The nature of entrepreneurial experience,business failure and comparative optimism

Entrepreneurial (i.e. business ownership) experience may enable some entrepreneurs to temper their comparative optimism in subsequent ventures. The nature of entrepreneurial experience can shape how entrepreneurs adapt. Using data from a representative survey of 576 entrepreneurs in Great Britain, we find that experience with business failure was associated with entrepreneurs who are less likely to report comparative optimism. Portfolio entrepreneurs are less likely to report comparative optimism following failure; however, sequential (also known as serial) entrepreneurs who have experienced failure do not appear to adjust their comparative optimism. Conclusions and implications for entrepreneurs and stakeholders are discussed.     

How do restaurant customers make trade-offs among rate fences?

This study examines how restaurant customers make trade-offs among several restaurant rate fences using a sample of mainland Chinese travelers to Hong Kong. A total of six restaurant rate fences (i.e., lunch/dinner pricing, weekday/weekend pricing, table location pricing, restricted coupon pricing, meal period, and reservation and seating policy) and menu price were selected, and a conjoint analysis was performed. Findings reveal that price, restricted coupon pricing, and meal period are the most important attributes when restaurant customers select a restaurant. This study is the first attempt to examine the relative importance of different types of restaurant rate fences. The findings will help restaurant operators to better understand the decision-making process of Chinese travelers and design appropriate rate fences accordingly.     

Medical tourism development in Hong Kong: An assessment of the barriers

The aim of this study is to determine the factors influencing the development of medical tourism in Hong Kong. A qualitative research method was adopted to collect data from representatives of private and public hospitals, government bodies, and medical institutions. The results reveal that policies and regulations, government support, costs, capacity problems, and the healthcare needs of the local community are the main barriers to the development of such tourism. Several strategies for lifting these barriers are suggested, such as new promotional activity policies, government action to encourage investment in the medical tourism market, and cooperative efforts by the hospitality sector and medical institutions to develop medical tourism products.     

Urban Vigilantism: A Study of Anti‐Terror Law,Politics and Policing in Istanbul

Focusing on the case of young socialist vigilantes who were arrested and imprisoned as ‘terrorists’ in 2007, this article illustrates how vigilantism in working‐class neighbourhoods of Istanbul with a high Alevi population evolved from an unarmed, public and participatory form of vigilantism to an armed one, and discusses the role of the anti‐terror law in this transformation. The article illustrates the ways in which the anti‐terror law, by narrowing the space for civil politics, paved the way for youth engagement in violent forms of extra‐legal security practice in spaces occupied by the historically stigmatized working‐class Alevi population. The article also argues that, over the last decade, Turkey’s ruling elites have used the anti‐terror law to wage a war against the oppositional politics conducted by the country’s historically stigmatized populations (such as Kurds and Alevis). Not only has this war put politically active and respected local figures from these communities behind bars, it also ‘polices’ (à la Rancière) these communities. Accordingly, the article illustrates how the law that considers attempts at self‐governance as a threat to state sovereignty effectively intervenes in local politics and space, leading to the reconfiguration of political space at the local level.     

Dynamic Labor Scheduling in Japan: Underemployment Reduction and Karoshi Avoidance Through Optimal Tracking Control

This study uses an optimal tracking control framework to design a dynamic labor schedule that determines the optimal balance between labor, leisure, and consumption. The analysis generates proactive policy rules through deterministic, stochastic, robust, and compromise specifications of a Linear-Quadratic tracking model. Our model allows workers to optimally transition away from karoshi overwork and away from underemployment. Our study provides guidance for labor scheduling by quantitatively addressing the conflicts between health, work-life balance (WLB), and productivity. In Japan, this approach can be utilized by discussion bases and WLB initiatives, whereas the previous regulatory proposals for karoshi relief have created adversarial relationships that have not merged firm objectives with worker motives.     

Effects of Service Standards Communication and Servant Leadership on Strategic Competence and Customer Orientation

Service standards communication and servant leadership are both important mechanisms to improve an organization＇s service process. Therefore, they are likely to affect strategic competence and customer orientation skills of organizations. In this research, customer orientation and strategic competence are undertaken in relation with servant leadership and service standards communication, using a sample of 106 Turkish firms＇ executive assistants. The results prove that service standards communication and servant leadership have a strong positive relationship with both strategic competence and customer orientation.     

Wellness Tourism in China: Resources,Development and Marketing

China's natural and cultural resources are the foremost offerings of the country's wellness tourism sector. Although wellness tourism in China is in its infancy, it can offer new opportunities in, and strengthen the overall competitiveness of, China's tourism industry. To achieve this, the assessment and development of wellness tourism resources in China are required. This study examines the potential for wellness tourism development in terms of resources and promotion from the point of view of wellness tourism experts. It surveys professionals working in tourism, health and education in China. The results reveal that environmental assets, including fresh air, clean water and natural features, are considered the most important attributes for the development of wellness tourism in China and that the promotion of wellness tourism can best be achieved through advertising in mass media, governmental support and organizing new regional events. The study implications and future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Allocation model: a tool to develop effective media plans for Turkey

This paper deals with media planning, which is a challenging problem for both academicians and practitioners. An integer linear programming model on media planning is developed which incorporates qualitative and quantitative aspects suitable to the characteristics and needs of a media environment. The objective of the model is to allocate a given advertising budget among competing magazines by the use of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) so that opportunity-to-see (OTS) is maximised. The application of the model to two consumer products proved to increase OTS considerably. The development and application of the model is especially valuable for Turkey because the number of magazines is continuously increasing, readership is low, syndicated research services are limited and models are not widely used in media planning.