Beth G. Chung-Herrera

Grooming future hospitality leaders: a competencies model.

Abstract Competency models can be useful tools for identifying and grooming future leaders. Rather than base leadership assessment on personality traits or other unrelated characteristics, competency models specify the actions and behavior needed for successful leaders. While some hotel companies have begun to identify leadership compentencies, the hotel industry does not have an overall competency model. Starting with competency models from other industries and the assessments from a pilot study, the authors complied a list of 99 competencies or skills (grouped into eight overarching factors comprising 28 dimensions) that might contribute to leadership success in the hospitality industry. Those compentencies were rated on a five-point scale, ranging from not at all important to extremely important, in a survey of 137 industry leaders. The competency labeled “self management” was the top dimension (of the 28)—composed of ethics and integrity, time management, flexibility and adaptability, and self development. Second in importance was competency in strategic positioning, comprising awareness of customer needs, commitment to quality, managing stakeholders, and concern for the community. (However, concern for the community was rated least important compared to the other three dimensions in that category). Industry knowledge, leadership, and interpersonal skill were factors that, while important, were ranked lower by the respondents.

Customer and employee views of critical service incidents

This study examined perceptual similarities and differences between customers and employees in terms of critical service incidents. Specifically we explored the extent to which customers and employees were similar or different in summary perceptions of service failures and recovery, the attributions made by the two perspectives in terms of causes for failures and recovery efforts, and whether each perspective believed that age, gender or race contributed to service failures or recovery. The critical incidents technique was used to collect 1,512 customer‐reported incidents and 390 employee‐reported incidents. Results revealed that customers and employees had both similar and different views depending on the ultimate outcome of the encounter. Overall, customers and employees were fairly similar in their perceptions regarding failures that ultimately resulted in a good recovery effort. However, the two perspectives differed in their views of service failures that accompanied a poor recovery effort. Conclusions and implications for practice are also provided.

When demographic differences exist: an analysis of service failure and recovery among diverse participants

Purpose – This paper aims to explore whether demographic differences between diverse customers and service providers impact service failure and recovery perceptions.Design/methodology/approach – The critical incidents technique was used to gather data on service failures and recovery. Chi‐square test of independence and analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Results from the main study provide little support to the notion that different service failure types or service recovery efforts are being applied when demographic differences exist. However, a post‐hoc analysis focusing on respondents who felt that their demographic differences had impacted their encounter revealed that ethnic differences impacted service failure and recovery perceptions the most.Research limitations/implications – One limitation is the use of quota sampling that may limit the generalizability of the results. However, due to the exploratory nature of the study and the need for representative cases, this tech...

Customers' psychological needs in different service industries

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the basic psychological needs that customers have in four different service industries.Design/methodology/approach – Through the use of two focus groups, four customer needs emerged. These four psychological needs (security, self‐esteem, justice, and trust) in four industries (retail, airlines, hotels, and financial services) were then examined through the use of a survey.Findings – Results show that different needs are indeed more important in one type of service than another. Results also reveal that women have a higher level of overall needs than men. Last, customers in the finance industry seem to have an overall higher level of needs than other service industries.Research limitations/implications – Future research should validate the existence of the four needs in additional service industries using different samples. The results of this research can be used to train employees to tailor the customer service provided in different service industries.Originality/valu...

Can Test Preparation Help to Reduce the Black—White Test Performance Gap?

Using a field sample, the authors examined the extent to which race is related to test preparation and whether test preparation is related to test performance. They found that African Americans reported more self-initiated test preparation than Caucasians did and that tutorial attendance and self-initiated test preparation were related to test performance. Moreover, the authors found that only self-initiated test preparation mediated the race—performance relationship. Last, the hypothesis that the Matthew Effect (defined as the amplification of any initial advantage that leads to cumulative effects) would hold in an employment setting was not supported. The implications of test preparation are discussed.