Agnes DeFranco

Chinese cultural values: their implications for travel and tourism marketing.

Abstract The influence of cultural values on behavior has been well documented (Adler and Graham, 1989; Hofstede, 1980). However, very limited research has been reported on the linkages between cultural values of the Chinese people and their preferences and expectations as consumers. The China market, with one quarter of the world population, has been recognized as the market with the greatest buying potential for the 21st century. This paper aims to highlight and discuss the dominant Chinese cultural values and their implications for travel and tourism marketing. A conceptual framework of dominant Chinese cultural values is presented and it is followed by a discussion of the cultural attributes of the framework with possible marketing implications for each attribute for the hospitality and tourism industry. Based on the framework, hypotheses are presented to stimulate future research.

A comparison of relationship marketing and Guanxi: its implications for the hospitality industry

Purpose – This paper describes the variables researchers have found to be significantly associated with relationship marketing, those related to Guanxi, and the similarities and differences between them.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers reviewed 77 articles on the subjects of Guanxi and relationship marketing and identified seven constructs from the literature that apply to both Guanxi and Relationship Marketing.Findings – These six constructs were investigated (bonding, customer loyalty, empathy, reciprocity, and satisfaction, and trust). Four constructs were associated with Guanxi (bonding, empathy, reciprocity, and trust) and while two (satisfaction, and customer loyalty) and a category termed other were commonly used with relationship marketing.Practical implications – Guanxi concentrates on building the bond or relationship before the transaction in such a way that the company and customer become one cooperative unit. Relationship marketing deals with the transaction first and builds the ...

Rating the hospitality journals.

Abstract A survey of directors at four year hospitality programs, who were CHRIE members, rated the quality of 15 refereed and 31 nonrefereed journals. Most of the refereed journals were rated higher than nonrefereed journals. Thirty seven percent of the respondents reported that a hierarchical ranking of refereed journals existed at their institution and was used when evaluating the publications of faculty. The difference in ratings was examined between graduate and undergraduate only program directors.

A Cross-cultural comparison of customer complaint behavior in restaurants in hotels

This study documented consumer complaint behavior in hotel restaurants in two diverse cosmopolitan cities, Hong Kong, SAR and Houston, USA. It was found that in the area of food and beverage attributes, the Hong Kong group rated tastiness, temperature and freshness less important to make a complaint about the Houston group. As for service, service efficiency, greetings, attentiveness and helpfulness were rated differently, with the Hong Kong group rated “greetings” higher than the Houston counterparts. Regarding atmospherics, the two groups were most alike, though the Hong Kong group would be more likely to complain about the noise level while the Houston group, temperature and décor of hotel restaurants.

Developing, operating, and maintaining a travel agency website: attending to e-consumers and internet marketing issues.

SUMMARY Travel agencies have increasingly utilized agency Websites on the Internet to enhance their marketing efforts. This exploratory study aims to provide an analysis of the Internet use by travel agencies in the United States. A survey conducted with 102 travel agency professionals collected primary data to examine the perceived value and contribution of a Website to the agency business, purposes for developing and operating a Website, and benefits and challenges faced in operating a travel agency Website. The results of this study not only identified various issues in developing, operating, and maintaining a travel agency Website but also made various suggestions to address those issues. Implications are discussed as to how travel agencies could better understand e-consumer behavior and effectively market their product offerings online.

Collaborative partnerships in an urban environment: working together to benefit all

Purpose – This paper documents the effort of an urban university working collectively with a faith‐based organization, industry partners and the government to better the livelihood of individuals in a community.Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual paper that reviews current literature and applies it to a case study model.Findings – This conceptual writing offers strategies for group success through discussions of goal setting, benefit articulation, necessary infrastructure, curriculum development, and concludes with an outline of a true case study.Practical implications – Collaborative efforts of higher education, faith‐based organizations, government, and industry can work together to establish programs whose intent is to provide educational and training opportunities to at‐risk populations.Originality/value – The value of the paper is in the coordination of resources to provide a service deliverable that will benefit the larger community.

Modeling guests’ intentions to use mobile apps in hotels: The roles of personalization, privacy, and involvement

Purpose The unprecedented development of hotel-branded mobile applications (apps) has been instrumental in facilitating the rich guest–hotel interactions, thus contributing to a high personalization of services. For true personalization, guests need to provide personal information via apps. Yet, no study to date has addressed how guests develop intentions to use such apps given the current personalization and privacy challenges. Therefore, this study aims to investigate hotel guests’ intentions to use hotel apps to access personalized services. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from personalization-privacy theory, this study conceptualized perceived personalization and privacy concerns as distinct constructs while recognizing two different privacy concerns constructs: general and app-specific privacy concerns. To build a comprehensive structural model that is appropriate for explicating intentions to use hotel apps, this study incorporates consumer psychology and information systems theoretical streams that provide constructs that unequivocally capture the unique set of consumer–app interactions in highly experiential settings such as hotels (e.g. innovativeness and involvement). Using a nation-wide sample of hotel guests from the USA, the model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modeling. Findings The predictors explained 79 per cent of the variability in the intentions to use hotel apps to personalize hotel services. The strongest predictor of intentions was involvement, followed by app-related privacy concerns and perceived personalization. Research limitations/implications First, this study’s extended theoretical framework was well supported, as it captures relevant elements of the mobile commerce ecosystem (e.g. personalization and privacy), thus extending the classic paradigmatic approach to information systems adoption beyond system beliefs. Second, this study clarifies the distinct roles of personalization and privacy in the context of hotel apps, which has not been examined in the context of m-commerce in hospitality. Third, the study clarifies the role of involvement as the most critical factor that can influence guests’ intentions to use hotel apps when personalization options and privacy concerns exist. Practical implications This study offers hotel decision-makers a mapping of the factors, leading to use of hotel apps for purchasing personalized hotel services. Originality/value This study provides a first theoretical perspective on the hotel app utilization behaviors that have not been studied so far, but carry a strong strategic and financial significance for the hotel industry (direct distribution, brand consolidation and extensive contact with guests).

2009 Financial Performance in the Club Industry: Winners and Losers

ABSTRACT This article summarizes the financial performance of the U.S. club industry for 2009 based on a survey of those members of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals who were associated with clubs. Twenty-four financial ratios were calculated based on financial data received. The ratio results of the most profitable clubs were compared to the least profitable clubs, and major differences were noted for liquidity, solvency, and profitability ratios.

Frequency of Restaurant Advertising and Promotion Strategies

Abstract This project investigated the benefit and use of ten advertising and promotion strategies used by urban restaurants. A phone survey was conducted of randomly selected restaurant members of an urban restaurant association. Respondents were asked to evaluate each of the strategies based on frequency of use and derived benefit. The survey achieved a 39.7 percent response rate. Overall, respondents reported limited use and benefit from advertising and promotion activities. However, radio advertising, coupons, electronic/Internet media, and food samples appeared to be more frequently used and produce greater benefit when differences did exist. Franchisees, larger restaurants, and higher guest check establishments indicated greater use of and more benefit from these selected advertising and promotion strategies.

Budgeting and Forecasting

Hoteliers use budgeting and forecasting for strategic planning and financial control, and as a standard against which to measure actual operating results.