Showing papers in "International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management in 2020"

Effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management: a perspective article

Abstract: Purpose – This article discusses the effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management practices and outlines a three-pronged research agenda to stimulate knowledge development in the hotel sector Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on an overview of the relevant literature on hotel marketing and management as well as the hotel guest behavior The authors also investigated hospitality service trends to propose a research agenda Findings – This paper presents a research agenda from three dimensions – artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, hygiene and cleanliness, and health and healthcare First, different types of AI (mechanical, thinking, and feeling) might open up distinct research streams at the intersection of health crises and hotel management, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic Additionally, this paper recommends that researchers move beyond typical perspectives on the antecedents and outcomes of hotel hygiene and cleanliness to delve into guests’ perceptions of the cleanliness of specific hotel surfaces Furthermore, a more in-depth analysis is warranted about the evolving relationship between hotels and the healthcare sector Practical implications – The recommended research areas are intended to advance the knowledge base to help hotels recover from the COVID-19 pandemic The suggested research streams are expected to provide actionable insights to promote the development and sustainability of the hotel sector Originality/value – This article appears to be a frontier study, critically examining possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hotel marketing and management practices and how hoteliers may respond to such challenges to recover after this pandemic

Hospitality, tourism, human rights and the impact of COVID-19

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to undertake a “real-time” assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the right to participate in hospitality and tourism and to illustrate where such rights are under threat. Design/methodology/approach: This discussion is based on a review of current events, assessed through interpretation of a human rights lens. Findings: Rights to participate in hospitality and tourism, particularly in parts of Asia, Europe and North America, were affected on a scale unprecedented in peacetime. Research limitations/implications: The rights to participate in hospitality and tourism have been challenged as never before. The big questions that will need to be answered going forward are the extent to which such rights will be restored, post-COVID-19. Originality/value: This is a “real-time” assessment and will require re-visiting as events unfold over the coming months and years.

COVID-19's impact on the hospitality workforce - new crisis or amplification of the norm?

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality workforce in situ between mid-April and June 2020. Design/methodology/approach: This is a viewpoint paper that brings together a variety of sources and intelligence relating the impacts on hospitality work of the COVID-19 pandemic at three levels: macro (global, policy, government), meso (organisational) and micro (employee). It questions whether the situations faced by hospitality workers as a result of the pandemic are seed-change different from the precarious lives they normally lead or just a (loud) amplification of the “normal”. Findings: In light of the fluid environment relating to COVID-19, conclusions are tentative and question whether hospitality stakeholders, particularly consumers, governments and the industry itself, will emerge from the pandemic with changed attitudes to hospitality work and hospitality workers. Practical implications: This raises questions about hospitality work for key stakeholders to address in the future, some of which are systemic in terms of how precarious labour forces, critical to the global economy are to be considered by policy makers, organisations in a re-emerging competitive market for talent and for those who chose (or not) to work in hospitality. Social implications: This paper contributes to ongoing debates about precarious work and the extent to which such practices are institutionalised and adopts an “amplification model” that may have value in futures-orientated analysis about hospitality and tourism. Originality/value: This paper is wholly original and a reflection on the COVID-19 crisis. It provides a point of wider reference with regard to responses to crises and their impact on employment in hospitality, highlighting how ongoing change, fluidity and uncertainty serve to magnify and exacerbate the precarious nature of work in the industry.

Adoption of AI-based chatbots for hospitality and tourism.

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the customers’ behavioral intention and actual usage (AUE) of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots for hospitality and tourism in India by extending the technology adoption model (TAM) with context-specific variables.,To understand the customers’ behavioral intention and AUE of AI-powered chatbots for tourism, the mixed-method design was used whereby qualitative and quantitative techniques were combined. A total of 36 senior managers and executives from the travel agencies were interviewed and the analysis of interview data was done using NVivo 8.0 software. A total of 1,480 customers were surveyed and the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used for data analysis.,As per the results, the predictors of chatbot adoption intention (AIN) are perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived trust (PTR), perceived intelligence (PNT) and anthropomorphism (ANM). Technological anxiety (TXN) does not influence the chatbot AIN. Stickiness to traditional human travel agents negatively moderates the relation of AIN and AUE of chatbots in tourism and provides deeper insights into manager’s commitment to providing travel planning services using AI-based chatbots.,This research presents unique practical insights to the practitioners, managers and executives in the tourism industry, system designers and developers of AI-based chatbot technologies to understand the antecedents of chatbot adoption by travelers. TXN is a vital concern for the customers; so, designers and developers should ensure that chatbots are easily accessible, have a user-friendly interface, be more human-like and communicate in various native languages with the customers.,This study contributes theoretically by extending the TAM to provide better explanatory power with human–robot interaction context-specific constructs – PTR, PNT, ANM and TXN – to examine the customers’ chatbot AIN. This is the first step in the direction to empirically test and validate a theoretical model for chatbots’ adoption and usage, which is a disruptive technology in the hospitality and tourism sector in an emerging economy such as India.

The COVID-19 crisis and sustainability in the hospitality industry

Abstract: Purpose: This paper offers some reflections on changes in the relationships between sustainability and the hospitality industry following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. [Covid-19 is officially a pandemic but the term ‘COVID-19 crisis’ is used throughout this paper because the authors feel that it captures the wider impacts of the crisis, rather than just focussing on the disease itself] Methodology/Approach: The paper describes the COVID-19 crisis, emphasises the role of hospitality in economic and social life, and reviews how the crisis has changed the relationships between sustainability and the hospitality industry. Findings: The paper reveals the dramatic effect the crisis has had on sustainability in the hospitality industry. That said, though the crisis has offered a vision of a more sustainable future, this vision may pose a major challenge for the industry and for many of its traditional customers. Limitations/Implications: The paper outlines some of the theoretical, operational, strategic and research implications of the crisis for the hospitality industry and for hospitality scholars. Originality/Value: This paper provides a reflective review of changes in the relationships between sustainability and the hospitality industry following the onset of COVID-19.

Comparing crisis management practices in the hotel industry between initial and pandemic stages of COVID-19

Abstract: Given the increasing number of travel restrictions, the COVID-19 outbreak has dealt a crippling blow to the hotel industry, and the crisis management practices supporting the industry needs are changing as the pandemic continues. This study aims to compare how the hotel industry has responded to this crisis at the initial stage and the pandemic stage.,Data were collected from hotel managers in Macau in two occasions, namely, early February and early April 2020. Importance-usage-performance analysis was conducted to classify six categories of practices (pricing, marketing, maintenance, human resources, government assistance and epidemic prevention) into four executable crisis management strategies (priority, maintain, low priority and possible overkill) for each stage. Follow-up in-person interviews were conducted to validate the results of the study.,In the initial stage, priority strategies should be applied in all epidemic prevention, pricing and maintenance practices and in two governmental assistance and human resources practices. In the pandemic stage, all epidemic prevention practices remain at the priority quadrant, but two pricing practices are downgraded. Hotels tended to force labour into unpaid vacations (furlough) and postpone office and system maintenance. Governmental assistance should be at a low priority.,This study contributes to the knowledge of contingency planning for crisis management across crisis periods. It also demonstrates the processes of importance-usage-performance analysis for researchers to undertake further studies in tourism crisis management. Timely recommendations for governments and hotel industry stakeholders are provided to cope with this crisis.

COVID-19 and restaurant demand: early effects of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders

Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the early effects of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and accompanying stay-at-home orders on restaurant demand in US counties Design/methodology/approach: The following two sets of daily restaurant demand data were collected for each US county: foot traffic data and card transaction data A two-way fixed-effects panel data model was used to estimate daily restaurant demand from February 1 to April 30, 2020 Findings: Results show that a 1% increase in daily new COVID-19 cases led to a 0 0556% decrease in daily restaurant demand, while stay-at-home orders were collectively associated with a 3 25% drop in demand The extent of these declines varied across counties;ethnicity, political ideology, eat-in habits and restaurant diversity were found to moderate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders Practical implications: These results characterize the regional restaurant industry’s resilience to COVID-19 and identify particularly vulnerable areas that may require pubic policies and managerial strategies for intervention Originality/value: This study represents a pioneering attempt to investigate the economic impact of COVID-19 on restaurant businesses © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Does servant leadership better explain work engagement, career satisfaction and adaptive performance than authentic leadership?

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to propose a research model in which work engagement (WENG) mediates the effects of servant leadership (SL) and authentic leadership (AL) simultaneously on career satisfaction and adaptive performance. It also aims to test whether SL better explains WENG and the aforesaid outcomes than AL.,This paper used time-lagged data collected from hotel employees and their direct supervisors in Turkey. Structural equation modeling was implemented to assess the aforesaid linkages.,Among others, the indirect impact of SL on career satisfaction and adaptive performance, through WENG, is stronger than the indirect effect of AL.,Management can use AL as a base to develop and boost SL. Appraising employees’ WENG on a periodical basis would enable management to understand whether SL really contributes to the enhancement of WENG. In addition, employees can take advantage of informal learning to foster their adaptive performance.,There are calls for research to ascertain whether SL better explains outcomes than other leadership styles such as AL. Evidence about the underlying mechanism linking SL and AL to outcomes is still sparse. The extant research on SL and AL has neglected adaptive performance in frontline service jobs so far. With this stated, this paper aims to fill in these voids.

Consumers' intentions to use online food delivery systems in the USA.

Abstract: The recent development of online food delivery systems (OFDS) consolidated the restaurant industry’s representation in the electronic distribution landscape. The purpose of this study is to examine consumers’ intentions to use OFDS.,A comprehensive structural model was developed based on UTAUT2 and extended the model with three additional constructs: impulse buying tendency, congruity with self-image and mindfulness. Data were collected from 605 US respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the model.,Performance expectancy was the strongest predictor of intentions to use OFDS, followed by congruity with self-image. Low-magnitude predictors included habit and mindfulness, while impulse buying tendency had a negative impact on intentions to use OFDS.,The study validates a comprehensive yet parsimonious conceptual model that explains consumers’ intentions to use OFDS. The model brings together constructs that capture the essence of the online food ordering tasks and the consumers’ cognitive processes that inform such tasks.,This study offers substantial practical implications for two types of practitioners: OFDS developers and restaurants and provides a mapping of the factors influencing consumers’ intentions to use OFDS.,This study provides a first theoretical perspective on consumers’ intentions to use OFDS, which have not been studied so far. Studying such intentions provides insight into consumers’ adoption behaviors, which are critical to the success of OFDS.

Customers’ intention to use robot-serviced restaurants in Korea: relationship of coolness and MCI factors

Abstract: This study aims to empirically test a theoretical model by defining customers’ intention to use services of restaurant robots, which are rapidly developing in Korea. The proposed model incorporates three stages: coolness, motivated consumer innovativeness (MCI) and the theory of planned behaviour.,A total of 420 questionnaires were issued. The results were analysed to verify the reliability and validity of the measured variables. Structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypotheses.,The results showed that hedonically motivated consumer innovativeness (hMCI) and socially motivated consumer innovativeness (sMCI) have positive effects on attitude and are enhanced by attractiveness, utility, subcultural appeal and originality. However, the relationship between MCI and attitude differed among age groups.,The results revealed that sensory elements of robot services improve customer attitudes towards the use of robots in restaurants. This is a key finding that restaurant marketers should consider, because non-face-to-face services are becoming increasingly important in the current COVID-19 context.,This study analysed the relationship between coolness, MCI and the theory of planned behaviour in the context of robot-serviced restaurants and how the relationship between MCIs and attitude differed among the young and older customers. Practical implications are suggested.

Guests' perceptions of robot concierge and their adoption intentions.

Abstract: The hotel industry has witnessed an increasing number of service automation through service robots such as robot concierges. However, few studies have documented how to identify how hotel guests perceive a robot concierge for their service encounter. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of robot concierges on hotel guests’ attitudes and adoption intentions of robot concierges.,This study investigated the effects of robot concierges’ morphology and their level of interactivity with guests at different levels of hotel service on guests’ attitudes and their intentions to adopt robot concierges. To achieve the study’s objectives, this study conducted a 3 × 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design experiment. Moreover, the survey asked questions about subjects’ preferences of their service encounters (e.g. human employees, robot concierges and/or no preference) and reasons for their selected preference.,The results demonstrated that the robot’s morphology significantly influenced guests’ attitudes toward robot concierges. In particular, the caricatured robot was the most preferred morphology of robot concierges. The findings showed that even if guests had favorable attitudes toward robot concierges, they preferred human employees to robot concierges because of humans’ sincere and genuine interactions.,This study contributes to the literature by investigating the causal impacts of the morphology of robot concierges, level of interactivity and level of hotel service on guests’ attitudes toward robot concierges. The thematic analysis of service encounter preference provides an overview of the factors that guests expect for their service encounters in a hotel setting.

Robot with humanoid hands cooks food better? Effect of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction

Abstract: Robotic chefs are starting to replace human chefs in restaurant industry. Whether customers have a good food quality prediction may have an important effect on their patronage decision. Based on the stereotype content model, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction through warmth and competence.,An empirical analysis was done to test the theoretical model by using the SmartPLS software. A nonhuman-like robotic chef and a robotic chef with humanoid hands were used as background materials in the questionnaire. The effective sample was 221.,Robotic chef anthropomorphism affects food quality prediction through the sequential mediators of warmth and competence. Age is a significant control variable.,Robotic chef anthropomorphism positively affects food quality prediction. The halo effect of warmth perception on competence perception should be considered in the context of robot anthropomorphism.,Restaurants which feature robotic chefs should use robotic chefs with anthropomorphic designs and promote the anthropomorphic elements of robotic chefs in advertisements.,The anthropomorphic design of robot chefs will facilitate the development of artificial intelligence in restaurants in the future.,To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to focus on how robotic chef anthropomorphism affects food quality prediction and reveals the roles of warmth and competence in the influence of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction.

Responding to a major global crisis: The effects of hotel safety leadership on employee safety behavior during COVID-19

Abstract: Purpose: The main purpose of this research was to examine the effect of hotel safety leadership on employee safety behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mediation role of belief restoration and the moderation role of perceived risk between safety leadership and behavior were also investigated. Design/methodology/approach: The COVID-19 outbreak served as the background for a questionnaire survey of 23 hotels in China with 1,594 valid responses being received. The statistical analysis techniques used were exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and hierarchical regression. Findings: The results showed that: (1) hotel safety leadership positively affected employee safety behavior (compliance, participation and adaptation); (2) belief restoration partially mediated the influence of safety leadership on safety behavior; and (3) perceived risk negatively moderated the direct effect as well as the mediation effect of “safety leadership - belief restoration - safety behavior”. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation was that the questionnaires were collected with the same measurement system within a certain period of time (cross-sectional design). And future research should test and expand this conceptual model in different crises, business fields, theoretical orientation, and cultural backgrounds. Practical implications: Hotels should develop management strategies based on safety leadership and motivate and promote employee safety behavior from the four aspects of safety coaching, care, motivation, and control. Originality/value: This investigation expanded the research on the effectiveness of safety leadership and especially with respect to safety in the hospitality industry during a major global crisis. Also, the research conceptual model and variables contained therein are original contributions to the hospitality research literature.

Tourists' perceptions regarding the use of anthropomorphic robots in tourism and hospitality

Abstract: Purpose Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, service organizations rushed to deploy robots to serve people in quarantine, again igniting the ongoing dispute regarding robots in tourism. This study aims to investigate tourists’ perceptions regarding the use of robots and, more specifically, anthropomorphic robots in the tourism domain. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative inquiry was used to delve deep into the issue of tourists’ perceptions regarding the usage of anthropomorphic robots in tourism, with a total number of 78 interviews with tourists being retained in the study. Findings The findings reveal that tourists favor the use of anthropomorphic robots over any other type of robot. The use of anthropomorphic robots in tourism may result in an overall enhanced experiential value. Even so, informants also expressed frustration, sadness and disappointment vis-a-vis the use of robots in a human-driven industry. Research limitations/implications A conceptual continuum of tourists’ perceptions and concerns over the use of robots is presented that can guide future studies. Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization. Practical implications Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization. Originality/value Tourism organizations that make use of robots run the risk of being perceived as nonanthropocentric. This leads to the conclusion that anthropomorphism could be used but should not replace the sector’s anthropocentrism. The study conveys tourists’ concerns over technological (robot) determinism.

Does climate for creativity mediate the impact of servant leadership on management innovation and innovative behavior in the hotel industry

Abstract: Drawing from theory of organizational creativity, servant leadership (SEL), social exchange and social learning theories, this paper aims to propose a research model where climate for creativity mediates the influence of SEL on management innovation and innovative behavior. The model also investigates the linkage between innovative behavior and management innovation.,Data collected from Arab hotel employees in Palestine were used to gauge the aforesaid linkages through structural equation modeling. Common method variance was checked through an unmeasured latent method factor.,The results reveal that climate for creativity mediates the impact of SEL on management innovation and innovative behavior. Successful SEL practices enable the organization to have climate for creativity, which, in turn, leads to management innovation and innovative behavior. Furthermore, hotel employees’ innovative behavior fosters management innovation.,Top management should have a high level of commitment to the SEL philosophy, which boosts climate for creativity and innovative behavior. It should also capitalize on climate for creativity to activate management innovation. In such an environment, management has to ensure that the supervisors are servant leaders and non-managerial employees are the potential servant leaders. Once employees are trained, empowered and rewarded in an environment which highlights effective SEL practices, they will be more eager to contribute to the company by exhibiting innovative behavior at elevated levels.,Despite a number of studies in the current literature, evidence concerning the effect of SEL on management innovation and innovative behavior simultaneously is scarce. There is still a dearth of evidence pertaining to the underlying mechanism through which SEL fosters management innovation and innovative behavior. In addition, evidence appertaining to the impact of innovative behavior on management innovation is scarce. The study fills in these voids.

Is TripAdvisor still relevant? The influence of review credibility, review usefulness, and ease of use on consumers’ continuance intention

Abstract: Recent figures show that users are discontinuing their usage of TripAdvisor, the leading user-generated content (UGC) platform in the tourism sector. Hence, it is relevant to study the factors that influence travelers’ continued use of TripAdvisor.,The authors have integrated constructs from the technology acceptance model, information systems (IS) continuance model and electronic word of mouth literature. They used PLS-SEM (smartPLS V.3.2.8) to test the hypotheses using data from 297 users of TripAdvisor recruited through Prolific.,Findings reveal that perceived ease of use, online consumer review (OCR) credibility and OCR usefulness have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, which ultimately leads to continuance intention of UGC platforms. Customer satisfaction mediates the effect of the independent variables on continuance intention.,Managers of UGC platforms (i.e. TripAdvisor) can benefit from the findings of this study. Specifically, they should improve the ease of use of their platforms by facilitating travelers’ information searches. Moreover, they should use signals to make credible and helpful content stand out from the crowd of reviews.,This is the first study that adopts the IS continuance model in the travel and tourism literature to research the factors influencing consumers’ continued use of travel-based UGC platforms. Moreover, the authors have extended this model by including new constructs that are particularly relevant to UGC platforms, such as performance heuristics and OCR credibility.

Ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB): A study of three star hotels in Taiwan

Abstract: This paper aims to propose and test a moderated mediation model examining the relationships among ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).,Numerous regression analyses were performed using PROCESS (version 2.13), a macro for SPSS developed by Hayes (2017) to test this moderated mediation model.,The analytical results showed that organizational identification mediates the positive relationship between an ethical work climate and OCB. The analytical results also showed that LMX moderates the direct effect of ethical work climate on organizational identification and that LMX also moderates the indirect effect of ethical work climate on OCB via organizational identification.,This study provides numerous valuable implications for hotels to develop effective strategies to promote employees’ OCB and improve their organizational identification.,This study was the first attempt to propose and test a moderated mediation model that explores the relationships among ethical work climate, organizational identification, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and OCB.

Servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: The mediating effect of empathy and service climate

Abstract: This paper aims to process underlying the relationship between supervisor servant leadership and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in hotels. Specifically, it analyzes the mediating role of empathy – individual level – and service climate – group level – in the relationship between supervisor servant leadership and employee OCB.,The empirical analysis uses original data on hotels located in historic cities in Spain. A survey provided a sample of 343 work-group-level (supervisors) and 835 individual-level (employee) from a sample of 171 hotels.,The most interesting finding is the indirect effect of supervisor servant leadership on employee OCB through the mediating role of both employee empathy – individual level – and group service climate – group level.,The findings suggest that hotel supervisors should adopt servant leadership to enhance OCB in their workgroups. This paper also provides insights into other ways to increase employee OCB, namely, through human resources initiatives that enhance employee empathy and shape a service climate within groups.,This paper is one of the few that analyzes the relationships between supervisor servant leadership, employee empathy, group service climate and employee OCB in a unifying cross-level model. It is also the first to analyze employee empathy as a positive outcome of supervisor servant leadership, as well as a mechanism to explain the relationship between servant leadership and employee OCB. Finally, it is one of the few studies that analyzes all these relationships in conjunction within the hospitality industry.

How Will Service Robots Redefine Leadership in Hotel Management? A Delphi Approach

Abstract: Purpose – Using the Delphi technique, this paper aims to investigate how human resource experts perceive service robots will impact leadership and human resource management in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach – A three-stage Delphi study with hotel industry human resource experts was conducted to identify the key trends and major challenges that will emerge in the next ten years and how leaders should deal with the challenges brought about by service robot technologies. Findings – Results show that while service robots are anticipated to increase efficiency and productivity of hotel activities, they may also pose challenges such as high costs, skill deficits, and significant changes to the organizational structure and culture of hotels. Therefore, the anticipated applications and integration of robotic technology will require leaders of the future to carefully consider the balance between the roles of service robots and human employees in the guest experience, and to nurture a work environment that embraces open-mindedness and change. Originality/value – This is the first type of study to examine hospitality leadership and human resource management in the context of robotized hotels. This study has taken an important step to understand the leadership role in robotized hotels from a human resource perspective, and brings clarity as to how robotic technology can influence leadership in the future workplace.

Rise of the machines: towards a conceptual service-robot research framework for the hospitality and tourism industry

Abstract: This study aims to introduce a conceptual framework for service robot (SR) acceptance by customers, employees and policymakers – a framework to help determine corporate decision-making on SR workplace integration.,This study reviews SR adoption literature within the tourism and hospitality industry. These SRs may have some level of artificial intelligence capability and possibly anthropomorphic (e.g. humanoid) or zoomorphic (e.g. animal-like) features, contingent on task and design choices. The study then identifies factors that potentially influence employee and consumer acceptance and experiences of SR, as well as policy and compliance factors and all elements of the corporate decision-making process concerning SR adoption in the hospitality setting.,This paper reviews the obstacles and benefits of SR adoption in the hospitality industry based on employee, consumer and public policy considerations.,SRs are increasingly deployed within hospitality and tourism settings. Future studies should further explore the value-adding functions of SRs implemented in existing hospitality operations.,Hospitality and tourism industry practitioners should integrate the dimensions in the conceptual framework to make fully informed decisions on SR adoption.,To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to provide a holistic SR adoption framework offering theoretical and practical implications for ongoing SR research and implementation.

Factors influencing willingness of customers of environmentally friendly hotels to pay a price premium.

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of customers’ environmental concerns, customers’ perceptions of a hotel’s environmental practices and of the hotels’ environmentally friendly images, on their willingness to pay a price premium to stay at environmentally friendly hotels. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical framework comprises both the Social Identity Theory and the Value-Belief-Norm Theory. The data was collected from a survey conducted to 454 customers staying at eco-friendly hotels in Spain. The research model is tested by using a structural equation modelling approach. Findings The findings illustrate that customers’ environmental concerns have a greater explanatory value on their willingness to pay a price premium than do their perceptions of the hotel’s environmental practices. Furthermore, these causal relationships are similar in magnitude when considering the mediating effects of the hotel’s environmentally eco-friendly image and the environmental practices. Practical Implications The empirical findings provide managers with a better understanding of how customers’ environmental concerns, and their senses of identification with environmentally friendly hotels, influence their behavioural intentions towards willingness to pay a premium. The findings help hoteliers to understand how to market their products in such a way that their environmentally friendly practices are not perceived as being achieved at the expense of any other set of benefits; few customers will appreciate a trade-off in benefits, particularly to oneself. Originality/Value The paper contributes to the literature by highlighting those cognitive processes that influence the customers’ willingness to pay a price premium to stay at environmentally friendly hotels. Hence, the study provides valuable information to hotel managers.

The impact of online reputation on hotel profitability.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of online customer reputation on financial profitability.,Online reputation is captured by extracting the most recurring textual themes associated with customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, expressed within positive vs negative online guest reviews on Booking.com. Latent semantic analysis is used for textual analysis. Proxies of overall financial performance are manually constructed for the sample hotels, using financial data from the Financial Analysis Made Easy (FAME) database. Ordinary least squares is used to gauge the effect of online customer reputation on financial profitability.,Empirical findings indicate that recurring textual themes from positive online reviews (in contrast to negative reviews) exhibit a higher degree of homogeneity and consensus. The themes repeated in positive, but not in negative reviews, are found to significantly associate with hotel financial performance. Results contribute to the discussion about the measurable effect of online reputation on financial performance.,Contemporary quantitative methods are used to extract online reputation for a sample of UK hotels and associate this reputation with bottom-line financial profitability. The relationship between online reputation, as manifested within hotel guest reviews, and the financial performance of hotels is examined. Financial profitability is the result of revenues, reduced by the costs incurred in order to be able to offer a given level of service. Previous studies have mainly focused on basic measures of performance, i.e. revenue generation, rather than bottom-line profitability. By combining online guest reviews from travel websites (Booking.com) with financial measures of enterprise performance (FAME), this study makes a meaningful contribution to the strategic management of hotel businesses.

A systematic review of the servant leadership literature in management and hospitality

Abstract: The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it systematically reviews and synthesizes research on servant leadership in management and hospitality management literature. Second, by reviewing and comparing the characteristics of the hospitality industry and servant leadership attributes, this study provides insights concerning the conceptualizations and theorization of servant leadership in hospitality management and discusses future research directions.,The current study reviewed 106 articles published during the period of 1970 to 2018 in hospitality management and broader management literature.,The characteristics of the hospitality industry and servant leadership attributes were found to be mutually inclusive, both consisting qualities such as trust, integrity, honesty, care, servant behavior, listening and community focus.,Scholars should concentrate on exploring what makes servant leaders unique in the hospitality industry.,The study reviews the hospitality characteristics, and servant leadership attributes offer new research avenues.

On being warm and friendly: the effect of socially responsible human resource management on employee fears of the threats of COVID-19

Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the influence of socially- responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on employee fears of external threats during the COVID-19 outbreak, based on social support and event system theories COVID-19 caused sharp profit declines and bankruptcies of hotels, restaurants and travel agencies In addition, employees faced threats to their health and job security How to overcome employee anxieties and fears about the negative impacts of this crisis and promote psychological recovery is worthy of attention from researchers and practitioners This research investigated the impacts of SRHRM on employee fears through organizational trust, with the COVID-19 pandemic playing a moderating role between SRHRM and employee fears Design/methodology/approach: The hypotheses were tested through multiple linear regression analysis based on a survey of 408 employees in hospitality and tourism firms in China Qualitative data were also gathered through interviews with selected managers Findings: The results showed that SRHRM had a negative influence on employee fears of external threats by enhancing trust in their organizations In addition, the strength of the COVID-19 pandemic positively moderated the effect of SRHRM on employee fears When the pandemic strength was more robust, the negative effects of SRHRM on employee fears were more significant Research limitations/implications: This research illustrated the contribution of SRHRM in overcoming employee fears of external threats in the context of COVID-19 It shed light on the organizational contribution of SRHRM to hospitality and tourism employee psychological recovery during the crisis Originality/value: This research explored strategic HRM by examining the effects of SRHRM on employee fears in the midst of a severe crisis, specifically COVID-19 The moderation effect of event strength and mediation effect of organizational trust were tested It is of great value for hospitality and tourism firms to foster employee psychological recovery during a crisis such as COVID-19 © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

A systematic review of research on abusive supervision in hospitality and tourism

Abstract: This paper aims to provide researchers and practitioners with an understanding of abusive supervision in the context of hospitality. It seeks to conduct a comprehensive review of the area and offer recommendations for future research by exploring the antecedents, consequences, mechanisms and designs of research on abusive supervision.,Content analysis was conducted to review and analyze studies on abusive supervision in the context of hospitality. Previous studies were searched in the EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases.,In total, 36 referred articles related to abusive supervision in hospitality were reviewed across four key areas, namely, antecedents, consequences, mechanisms and research design. After reviewing the research on abusive supervision in the context of hospitality, this paper offers future research directions with respect to research focus and research design.,This paper only included English articles from peer-reviewed journals on abusive supervision. The number of reviewed articles was relatively small. This limitation may have arisen because abusive supervision is a new research field and is still a sensitive topic.,The results of this study may encourage managers to minimize or even halt abusive supervision. From an organizational perspective, formal policies may be developed to regularize supervisors’ behavior. In turn, employees could use this paper to learn further about abusive behavior and how to handle it effectively.,The review highlighted the negative consequences of abusive supervision. Managers should urgently realize the seriousness of abusive supervision and develop effective policies to minimize its negative effect.,This paper contributes to the emerging literature on abusive supervision in the context of hospitality by identifying key research trends and framing the outlines of empirical studies. It identifies research gaps, and as the first review of abusive supervision in hospitality, it may encourage researchers to explore the topic on the basis of the characteristics of the sector and offer suggestions for future research.

Hospitality career retention: the role of contextual factors and thriving at work.

Abstract: This study aims to understand employee career retention in the hospitality industry. Building on the socially embedded model of thriving, signaling theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the study examines a structural model of psychological contract fulfillment (PCF), perceived organizational support (POS), thriving, career satisfaction and career turnover intention.,The proposed research model was tested using structural equation modeling with responses from 300 US hospitality employees. Data were collected using an online survey available through a panel service at Qualtrics.,Empirical results supported all proposed hypotheses and confirmed the critical mediation role of thriving for workplace contextual factors and employee career retention. As predicted, both PCF and POS positively influenced employee thriving, which positively influenced career satisfaction and negatively influenced career turnover intention.,Findings of this study yielded several recommendations for hospitality managers, including using the concept of thriving as an indicator and a remedy for employee career development and retention.,Given the increased need for qualified talent and reduced career satisfaction, this study sheds light on the further understanding of sustainable employment in the hospitality industry. Using signaling theory and SCCT as an overarching framework, this study extends the socially embedded model of thriving as well as SCCT and supports combining psychological contract theory and organizational support theory to better understand hospitality career retention.

The role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel: a literature review and research agenda

Abstract: This study aims to provide an assessment of the existing literature on the role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel (HTT) as well as an agenda for future research.,Covering a 15-year time span (2004–2019), this study is focused on journal papers archived in two academic databases in social sciences: Business Source Complete and Communication and Mass Media Complete. Each of the 192 papers collected was coded for 8 major variables: journal, year of publication, research topic, country studied, type of social media investigated, method, theoretical underpinning and key findings.,Three major topic areas are identified in this study: use of social media from consumer’s perspective, use of social media from organization’s perspective and effects of social media.,Although a few prior papers have provided a literature review of social media in tourism and hospitality, no review-based papers have ever examined social media as an advertising vehicle in the context of HTT. Most reviews to date have been limited to general social media studies, without much advancement of theory building in advertising research.,To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first theoretical review of academic research on social media advertising in HTT. The review concludes by suggesting a theoretical framework for studying social media advertising in HTT and offering an agenda for future research.

Eco-innovation in hospitality research (1998-2018): a systematic review

Abstract: Theoretical and empirical developments in academic literature have not been able to keep pace with the growing industry focus on eco-innovation and green hospitality practices. This paper aims to address this gap and provide an up-to-date review of research on eco-innovative practices in 13 leading hospitality journals over the past two decades, 1998-2018.,A systematic review that incorporates the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses flow diagram is used to guide the data selection for this paper. The paper analyzes 403 studies published in 13 established hospitality journals to identify homogeneous research themes.,A unified conceptual framework is proposed by identifying seven research domains under eco-innovative practices. Even though research attention on green practices has increased in recent years, the development of conceptual frameworks, appropriate measurement scales and theoretical support for eco-innovative practices is warranted.,Although the paper attempts to include as many environmentally related studies as possible, by being restricted to papers published only in 13 leading hospitality journals, it may not have drawn on all relevant eco-innovation studies in hospitality research.,To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first systematic analysis of hospitality research on eco-innovative practices that reviews such a large number (403) of studies spanning the past two decades (1998-2018). The most recent review by Kim et al. (2017) covered 146 green research studies published between 2000 and 2014; whereas, out of 403 studies reviewed in this study, 231 (57per cent) have been published between 2014 and 2018. This trend is indicative of the fast-evolving nature of sustainability research and the need for an up-to-date systematic review of recent literature in the field.

Experience design and the dimensions of transformative festival experiences

Abstract: In the emerging transformation economy, there is a shift from staging memorable experiences for many to eliciting life-transformative events for one. This study aims to understand how transformative experiences can be guided and what prerequisites are needed to elicit human transformation when designing experiences. This study borrows positive psychology as a theoretical lens to explore festivals as a prime context for liminal transformative experiences in the hospitality context.,A constructivist qualitative research design was used through 31 in-depth interviews. To ensure experience recollection, memory formation and integration of the experience into long-term transformative effects, all interviewees had attended an electronic dance music festival in the past 12 months.,Guided by the positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishments (PERMA) model, the thematic analysis revealed a series of psychological and contextual dimensions around PERMA and liminality that need to occur for transformative experiences, personal growth and self-transcendence to happen.,This study provides a guideline for event organisers and experiences designers to intentionally design and occasion positive human experiences in temporal and spatial liminal hospitality consumption contexts. Psychological and contextual dimensions are identified as critical factors in facilitating human transformation.,This paper bridges the emerging transformation economy, experience design and positive psychology. Grounded in PERMA, the study offers a novel theoretical model that serves as a framework for both transformative experience research and practical experience design.

A meta-analysis of transformational leadership in hospitality research

Abstract: Though the effect of transformational leadership (TFL) on followers has been largely examined in hospitality, the findings are rather inconsistent. This paper aims to provide a quantitative review for the relationship between TFL and follower outcomes in hospitality and a detailed analysis of the moderating variables (cultural differences, measurement instrument, rating sources and time lag).,To explore the effect sizes of TFL on followers, this study conducted a quantitative meta-analysis based on 62 primary studies, including 66 independent samples (N = 23,037). The outcomes of TFL were categorized into subordinates’ attitudinal outcomes, relational perceptions and behavioral outcomes.,The results indicate that TFL has the strongest impact on relational perceptions, followed by subordinates’ attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The results also show that cultural differences, rating sources and time lag partially moderate the relationships between TFL and follower outcomes.,TFL generally has a high level of validity for explaining attitudinal, behavioral and relational perception outcomes of followers in the field of hospitality. Given that, there have been a large number of studies investigating TFL with follower attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, it might not be necessary to continue applying identical frameworks to investigate the effect of TFL. Instead, future research on TFL is expected to explore the relationship between TFL and followers’ relational perceptions and consider cultural and methodological factors.,To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to clear theoretical links between TFL and its outcomes in the hospitality context. This study further investigates several moderators that can influence the effects of TFL and helps better understand the influence of TFL in the area of hospitality. The study also provides future research directions for leadership research in the hospitality context.