Elisa S. Moncarz

An exploratory study of US lodging properties' organizational practices on employee turnover and retention

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate US lodging properties’ organizational employee‐retention initiatives and practices, and to examine the impact of those initiatives on employee turnover and retention.Design/methodology/approach – Using the Directory of Hotel & Lodging Companies, a convenient sample group of 24 management companies are selected. A self‐administered mail survey instrument is developed to measure and test organizational initiatives and practices on employee turnover and retention. Using SPSS 16.0, two statistical tests are employed to test study hypotheses. Correlation analysis is used to identify the relationships between predictor and response variables. Likewise, regression analysis is used to examine the relationships between predictor and response variables hypothesizing that the effectiveness of practicing the human resource management organizational initiatives on management and non‐management retention and turnover will differ.Findings – The findings reveal that C...

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Lodging Management

This study examines the effect of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) on managers’ lodging success: human resources management, marketing, financial management, and information technology. The investigation determined that knowledge perceived as important for management success differs from actual KSAs that distinguish senior-level executives from their subordinate middle-level counter-parts. The findings revealed that managers placed highest importance on and were most skilled in human resources management competencies. However, knowledge in financial management appeared to be a stronger indicator of top-level success. Underscoring the importance of financial knowledge was the finding that of all the KSAs being studied, only financial management had a significant, positive relationship with increased compensation. Moreover, financial management appeared to be a key to promotion to top-level positions. The implication of these findings is that educators, trainers, and would-be top executives should pay attention to financial management by ensuring that educational institutions and training programs provide proper coverage of financial techniques and analyses.

Formal education effectiveness and relevance: lodging manager perceptions

In order to study the influence of formal education on lodging management success, opinions of 246 senior and middle-level executives from 28 states across the US were obtained. Success is measured in terms of competency development, and four highly relevant areas of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) are investigated: financial management, leadership and management, marketing and customer-centeredness. Consistent with the limited prior research in this area, the findings of the current research demonstrate that todays industry professionals perceive formal education as having only a moderate impact on lodging management success. Study findings have implications for educators, professionals and industry by providing opportunity for enhanced delivery of education and achieving lodging management success.

Operational analysis: a case study of two hotels in financial distress.

Abstract The U.S. hospitality industry has recently experienced the highest rate of business failures since the ‘Great Depression’. Hundreds of businesses have declared bank-ruptcy. Even more have gotten into financial distress such as earnings slumps, cash flow deficiencies and mismanagement of resources that could lead to bankruptcy. These problems will not go away. They must be managed away. This article examines the major contributing factors to the declining performance of lodging firms in the recent past, explores the current economic environment in the industry and addresses the challenges that it will most likely continue to face in the future. The focus of the article will be on the importance of operational analysis as a management tool to identify problem areas that need corrective action thereby leading to a business turnaround. Using a case study of two hotels in financial distress, the authors demonstrate the use of operational analysis.

A Teaching Excellence Assessment Process Model

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide an instructional quality assurance process model for academic administrators and educators. A background of established methodologies for measuring teaching effectiveness is initially presented which is followed by a study-developed Teaching Excellence Quality Assurance (TE-QA) process model. A discussion of the various stages of the development and implementation phases outlined in the TE-QA Process Model is also provided. Examples of several TE-QA criteria and measures developed by a panel of academic administrators, educators and industry professionals are presented as well as the rationale for the panel-designed criteria and measures. Implications for educators and hospitality professionals are also addressed.

Operational analysis in hotels

The hotel industry has changed dramatically in the early 1990s. Affected by overbuilding, global competition, natural disasters, the impact of the Gulf War, under performance, lack of financing, a global recession and many other factors hindering economic growth, the hotel business (especially in the USA) has evolved from an industry often driven by ego and operated on tax breaks to one that has fully recognized that a hotel needs to concentrate on business strategies for survival and success. During the recent past, the US hotel industry has experienced some very positive and significant changes, emerging out of its prolonged decline in operating performance. During 1993, the increase in demand for accommodations exceeded the growth in supply and average room rates were nearly two percentage points higher than in 1992. This resulted in the reporting of the first positive results in over a decade. Based on data compiled by Smith Travel Research for the mid-year Hotel Report (1993), Randy Smith estimates total revenue in 1993 (for hotels with more than 20 rooms) at

9/11 And Its Effects on the Rates of Return and Risk in the Hospitality Industry: An Event Study Approach

61.3 billion and pre-tax income between US

Market Model: Estimation Problems and Its Uses With Special Reference to the Hospitality Industry

3.0 billion and US

Lodging management success: Personal antecedents, achievements, KSAs and situational influencers

3.5 billion (Warmick, 1993). These were major accomplishments for an industry that suffered substantial losses in 1991 and was not expected to recover before 1995.

Systematic Analysis of Change in Restaurant Operations

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the rates of return on equity and risk within the hospitality sector. The Brown and Warner (1985) event study approach is used in the analysis. As such, the behavior of equity returns and risk of hospitality firms in the face of terrorism-related events are better understood.