Judy A. Siguaw

Formative versus Reflective Indicators in Organizational Measure Development: A Comparison and Empirical Illustration

A comparison is undertaken between scale development and index construction procedures to trace the implications of adopting a reflective versus formative perspective when creating multi-item measures for organizational research. Focusing on export coordination as an illustrative construct of interest, the results show that the choice of measurement perspective impacts on the content, parsimony and criterion validity of the derived coordination measures. Implications for practising researchers seeking to develop multi-item measures of organizational constructs are considered.

The impact of suppliers' perceptions of reseller market orientation on key relationship constructs

A number of researchers have reported the positive benefits of creating and maintaining a market orientation. This study is one of the first to explicitly investigate the effects of market orientation within a channel context. It is proposed that a suppliers perceptions of a resellers market orientation will positively affect the suppliers perceptions of certain key relationship marketing constructs. Data collected from 380 suppliers were used to test the hypotheses. All hypotheses were supported.

Are Your Satisfied Customers Loyal

The firmly held doctrine that guest satisfaction means repeat business is called into question by the results of this study of 364 guests of two similar big-city hotels. Analysis showed only a weak connection between satisfaction and loyalty (which is a precursor to repeat purchases). Examining such factors as purpose of travel and demographics, the study revealed another finding that may give hoteliers pause—especially considering the industry’s huge expenditures on frequent-guest programs. Business travelers were among the least loyal of the guests responding to this survey. The chief factors that engaged guests’ loyalty were hotel design and amenities. Moreover, the factor that caused guests to be most involved in the purchase decision (and therefore more interested in the hotel) was its employees. The implication is that hoteliers might consider redirecting some of their frequent-guest expenditures toward strengthening human resources and toward improving the guests’ experience through design and amenities.

A re-examination of the generalizability of the Aaker brand personality measurement framework

Conceptual, logical, and empirical arguments suggest there are important boundary conditions for the successful application of Aakers brand personality measurement framework. Researchers are encouraged to utilize the framework in situations in which they are likely to have success (aggregating data across diverse product categories) and to proceed with extreme caution when using it in contexts in which they are likely to encounter difficulties (measuring the personality of individual brands or when aggregating data within a specific product category).

Adoption of Information Technology in U.S. Hotels: Strategically Driven Objectives

Using two unique, independent samples of U.S. hotels, this study examines the utilization of information technology (IT) in all hotel sectors, from deluxe to budget, to reveal strategic differences and similarities. Overall, the findings suggest that the U.S. lodging industry has focused on employing technologies that improve employee productivity and enhance revenue but has not given strategic priority to technologies designed to improve guest services. The hotel sector, lodging type, size/complexity of the property, and independent versus chain affiliation influenced the number and type of technologies adopted. Luxury and upscale hotels adopted more IT than economy and budget hotels. Similarly, IT development was greatest for certain lodging types such as convention hotels, conference centers, and casinos, and lowest for other types, such as motels and bed-and-breakfasts. Chain-affiliated properties typically adopted more technologies than independent hotels.

Student Evaluations of Teaching: An Exploratory Study of the Faculty Response

Student evaluation of teaching instruments are commonly administered by universities to presumably provide feedback to faculty for improvement of teaching effectiveness. Instead, these measures are routinely used as a basis for determining faculty merit, promotion, and tenure, making the instruments vitally important to faculty. As a result, some faculty members may engage in various activities designed specifically to affect student ratings on teaching evaluations rather than to improve instruction, although no known research exists about the extent of such influencing activities. The purpose of this research is to begin the exploration of marketing faculty perceptions about, and problems with, student evaluations of teaching and perceived efforts to influence the measure. Furthermore, this study seeks to define categories of faculty activities and behaviors that may be used to influence student evaluations of teaching ratings and to identify possible solutions.

The Evolution of Electronic Distribution: Effects on Hotels and Intermediaries

Abstract The rise of internet-based room reservation presents hoteliers with a strategic challenge of controlling their distribution, while also working with intermediaries that can hlp sell rooms.

Best Hotel Environmental Practices

As the four environmental champions here demonstrate, operating a “green” hotel is not only good practice but good business.

A Model of Value Creation: Supplier Behaviors and Their Impact on Reseller-Perceived Value

Abstract Academicians have long recognized that channel partners can create real value for one another, yet almost no research has been conducted to examine how value is created for a channel partner or what consequences accrue to the channel partners. The purpose of this research is to develop a conceptual framework of determinants and effects of value creation. The model begins by describing market-oriented behaviors that evoke supplier activities and behaviors designed to create value for the reseller. The framework concludes with likely consequences of reseller-perceived value and moderating effects.

Best practices in human resources.

A landmark study based at Cornell University found a substantial number of hotel companies engaged in innovative human-resources (HR) practices. Several firms developed a bundle of practices that include such elements as employee empowerment, interactive CD-based training, performance evaluations, and guest surveys. Illustrative of those efforts is Cendants five-prong diversity initiative, which has encouraged more than 50 minority entrepreneurs to become franchisees. Many of the best practices, however, focused on one of five types of HR practice: (1) leader development, (2) training and knowledge building, (3) employee empowerment, (4) employee recognition, and (5) cost management. For instance, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Hilton decided to grant front-desk employees the power to solve any problem or grant any guest request on their own authority. Leadership-development programs are chiefly intended to permit promotion from within, while training practices and empowerment practices are gauged to improve employee skills. Controlling costs or enhancing revenues are the goals of the cost-management-practice champions. The goal for many of the practices is to improve morale, reduce turnover, increase productivity, and boost guest satisfaction.