Kelly Virginia Phelan

To book or not to book: the role of hotel web site heuristics

Purpose – This study aims to examine web site heuristics and their influence on the likelihood to purchase.Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sample of 28 participants was assigned a list of 30 hotel web sites to evaluate according to predetermined criteria and open‐ended questions.Findings – Results indicated that booking decisions are positively related to a web sites aesthetic appeal. The study found the presence of photographs on a hotel web site was the most significant factor impacting site appeal and influencing the booking decision. Other features affecting purchase decisions included ease of use, color, link availability, lack of web site clutter, and sites unique in appearance.Research limitations/implications – Research limitations included the size and composition of the sample. Respondents were college students, thus they represented a younger demographic and one which may be more tech‐savvy than other age groups. Also, the hotel web sites which were evaluated were located in one po...

The Industry Experience Gap: Hospitality Faculty Perceptions of the Importance of Faculty Industry Experience

It is estimated almost half of the current hospitality educators in the United States will be retiring within the next 10 years. In their place, the junior faculty who remain, as well as new hires, will have substantially less industry experience than their predecessors. This research sought to determine the perceptions of both hospitality students and faculty regarding the importance of faculty industry experience. The findings of this study are valuable to administrators who wish to maintain rigor within their academic programs and thus may serve as a benchmark for future hiring purposes.

An Exploratory Study of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) Needed in Undergraduate Hospitality Curriculums in the Convention Industry

The convention industry continues to suffer from a lack of qualified professionals; a phenomenon which persists due to increasing demand for personnel as a result of more meeting facilities, a growing number of events held annually, and the aging of current employees. The high costs associated with hiring and training new employees makes convention firms hesitant to employ inexperienced individuals. Recent college graduates often fall into this category as they have limited work experience and field knowledge. This study was designed to articulate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for students to be successful in convention management positions. Results of the data analysis yielded five pillars of human resource needs in the convention industry; notably: planning skills, professionalism, work ethic, personality traits, and self management. Details of these pillars are presented, along with recommendations for future research.

Smooth Sailing?: Passengers' Assessment of Cruise Brand Equity

ABSTRACT This study proposes and tests the influence of the cruise ship brand equity model on behavioral intentions by utilizing the constructs of brand loyalty, image, awareness, message, and perceived quality. The study found overall that brand loyalty and perceived quality were most influential on the behavioral intentions of cruise passengers. Specifically, repeat purchase intentions, the likelihood of recommending the brand to others, and brand preference were found to be significant in the model. The finding is consistent with extant literature which credits brand loyalty with being the most influential variable on cruise passengers behavioral intentions. Brand image was the most highly correlated construct with behavioral intentions and was found to lack discriminant validity although theory distinguishes the two as separate constructs. The results from this study may be useful to cruise line corporations, particularly in formulating successful marketing campaigns and in encouraging relationship building with customers.

Current convention course offerings at the top 25 ranked hospitality management undergraduate programs: an analysis of objectives, instructional delivery, and assessment methods.

In an effort to keep abreast of convention industry demands for a more qualified workforce, some hospitality and tourism undergraduate programs have implemented courses to prepare students for employment in the business. However, limited information exists regarding the content and quality of these programs and whether they are designed to adequately meet the needs of the industry. This current study evaluates the convention course offerings at the top 25 ranked hospitality and tourism undergraduate schools (Brizek & Khan, 2002). Course objectives, assessment and teaching methods, topics of instruction, and textbooks were analyzed using nonparametric statistics and CATPAC software to determine the similarities and differences among the various course offerings. Results revealed statistically significant differences among courses characterized as General MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, Events) Industry, Convention and Meeting Planning, and Event Management. Limitations and suggestions for future research in convention education are provided

Hospitality Instructors’ Preference for Blended Teaching: A Bridge to Full Online Course Delivery?

A substantial body of empirical research exists on the topic of online teaching and learning; however, few qualitative studies have been conducted examining the deeper reasons for teaching online and no studies of this type have been performed in the hospitality discipline. This research sought to understand the subjective norms influencing hospitality faculty to teach online. Data were coded according to TAM2 constructs and sub-coded revealing emergent themes. Findings demonstrated hospitality faculty’s propensity for blended learning as well as other strategies for improved online instruction.

Digital personalities: an examination of the online identity of travel and tourism web sites

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify whether travel and tourism related web sites derive a certain personality type.Design/methodology/approach – This study employed the ten‐item personality inventory (TIPI) measure to assess personality dimensions of 188 tourism web sites including airlines, hotels, cruise lines, casinos, restaurants, and government funded travel web sites. Data analysis of 413 cases was conducted through mean comparisons and ANOVA.Findings – Data identified web sites representing different segments of the hospitality and tourism industries do vary in relation to online personalities. More specifically, web sites for venues such as casinos were represented as extraverted while lodging web sites were deemed more conscientious.Research limitations/implications – While this study aimed to identify web site personalities of businesses within the tourism segment, not all categories were represented. Furthermore, response choices were limited only 20 of the personality objectives...

Gender differences in deal hunting: what motivates consumers to search and book hotel deals?

Previous research has indicated that gender is an imperative factor that influences consumers’ online purchasing behavior. The traditional view of gender differences in consumer behavior states that females are influenced by emotional gratification and seek promotions more frequently than males. This study aimed to investigate whether gender differences existed in deal-hunting behavior during the hotel booking process. The research model was structured to understand the factors that influence consumers to search and book hotel deals. A total of 603 completed online questionnaires were collected. Results showed there were significant differences between females’ and males’ deal-searching behavior and purchase intentions. Male consumers were likely influenced by emotional gratification, such as feeling excited about finding a good deal online. Alternatively, female consumers were not influenced by affection but by their cognitive evaluation. In addition, male and female consumers demonstrated different preferences in types of promotion utilized by travel websites.

Framework for Success: Overcoming Contemporary Challenges of Western Expatriate Managers in the Chinese Hospitality Industry

Exponential growth in the Chinese hospitality industry has fueled an overabundance of hotel job opportunities. The unintended consequences of an untrained workforce have posed a serious challenge to hospitality managers. Western hotel managers are hired for their special knowledge and expertise, and due to a lack of preparation and cultural training, they experience high assignment failure rates. Using the leveraging leader–member exchange theory, this qualitative study collected data from primary sources and revealed key emergent issues facing Western expatriate hotel managers working in China today. Productive culture-specific tactics for Western expatriate managers were offered to enhance team performance.

Competitive Advantage or Market Saturation: An In-Depth Comparison of Flash-Sale Sites Through Content Analysis

This study aims to identify the representativeness of hospitality and service industry firms on flash-sale sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial. Currently, academic findings related to the frequency of offerings from these firms are nonexistent. This research relied upon a content analysis rubric and daily measurement of offerings from randomly selected cities represented by Groupon and LivingSocial for a period of 6 weeks. The daily offerings for specific cities on the Groupon and LivingSocial sites were utilized as the primary data sources. Findings indicate firms in these industries, outside of restaurants, have shunned away from offering their services via flash-sale mediums. The research findings demonstrate restaurants frequently utilize flash sales as a promotional tool. However, the abundant representation of these types of firms has created a scenario in which operators are compelled to offer deep discounts to make their offers competitive with offers from competing firms in the same city.