Anil Bilgihan

Information technology applications and competitive advantage in hotel companies

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that illustrates how information technology (IT) applications may lead to competitive advantage in hotel companies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is written based on a synthesis of previous literature in this area.Findings – Multiple areas need to be carefully evaluated in developing and implementing IT projects so that they can lead to competitive advantage in hotel companies. There are four closely related areas when analyzing IT decisions in hotels, which include coherence between the business strategy and IT decision, types of IT applications, intended benefits of IT decisions, and decision‐making style. Technology sophistication, management skills, and integration of resources are key issues when implementing IT decisions. Investments into IT applications in hotel companies can lead to superior IT competencies and IT capabilities, which can subsequently result in lower cost, agility, innovation, added value for customers, and better...

Corporate social responsibility: what are the top three Orlando theme parks reporting?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine what the top three Orlando theme parks report about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.Design/methodology/approach – Through content analysis, web sites, annual reports, and CSR reports of the top three theme park companies in Orlando, namely, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment were examined.Findings – The top three theme parks in Orlando mainly reported their CSR activities in relation to environment, community, and customers. Their diversity policies, employee welfare programs and employee volunteerism were also widely reported. Walt Disney World seemed to provide the most detailed CSR reporting in all areas.Research limitations/implications – In addition to content analysis of web sites and CSR reports, future studies may look at a single company and try to collect data via interviews and surveys. In addition, this paper only offers a view of the theme parks CSR reporting, since, each of the c...

A study of accepted pricing points for in-room entertainment technology amenities by guests.

Purpose – In‐room entertainment technology continues to evolve in the hotel industry. However, given the multitude of entertainment products available in the market place today, hoteliers have little clarity of guests willingness to pay for those in‐room entertainment technology amenities. In this highly competitive environment for travelers, lodging managers should better understand what in‐room entertainment technology amenities their guests will purchase. The purpose of this study is to explore accepted pricing levels for in‐room entertainment technology amenities by hotel guests.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 2,500 US travelers was drawn randomly from a national database by rent‐a‐list.com for this study. An online survey was distributed. The response rate was 16.32 percent with 408 respondents.Findings – Findings showed that guests want most of the in‐room entertainment technology amenities as complimentary. However, they are willing to pay for gaming consoles in their guest rooms.Origina...

The Adoption of Fingerprint Payment Technology Mechanisms at the Customer End

Biometric technologies such as fingerprint and facial recognition systems are becoming more commonplace; a phenomenon many think is largely driven by security concerns. However, the applicability of these technologies is now expanding beyond security domains to areas such as service augmentation and customization. The purpose of this study is to identify the key factors determining customer acceptance of fingerprint payment technologies. Findings indicate that perceived risk, personal innovativeness and convenience are key factors involved in the adoption of fingerprint payment technologies. Findings and implications are discussed.