Michael Cameron Davidson

How much does labour turnover cost?: A case study of Australian four‐ and five‐star hotels

Purpose – Employee turnover is a significant challenge for human resource management (HRM) strategies and organisational performance. This study seeks to present findings drawn from an extensive survey of labour turnover in the Australian accommodation sector. A particular focus is placed on turnover rates and costs.Design/methodology/approach – Based on labour turnover literature and an industry panel, an online survey was designed and distributed to four‐ and five‐star hotels across Australia. Human resource managers from 64 hotels participated in the survey, providing a representative sample and a response rate of 29 percent.Findings – The research shows that the major costs are attributed to labour turnover. These are costs that both the industry and individual operators should examine closely, as they impact substantially on hotel operating costs and profitability. It also indicates that the levels of service, consumer experience and value may be impacted.Research limitations/implications – A limitat...

Does organizational climate add to service quality in hotels

This paper examines organizational climate and organizational culture within a hotel industry framework. An argument is put forward that there is a causal link between good organizational climate and the level of service quality in a hotel. Organizational climate is also examined within the service quality framework to explore the effects of its integration into quality initiatives. A conceptual model of organizational climate and service quality and performance is presented that provides an explanation of the linkage between organizational culture, organizational climate, service quality, customer satisfaction and hotel performance.

A review of micro-analyses of tourist expenditure

Tourist expenditure is an important measure of international tourism demand. This study is a review of expenditure analyses in a tourism context presenting a range of factors that could affect tourism demand and expenditure. A review of 27 tourism expenditure studies that used micro-data was conducted, to elicit the sample size, model specification, as well as the dependent and independent variables. The study concluded that greater emphasis should be given to micro-economic modelling of tourism demand and to the investigation of the effect of psychological and destination-related factors on tourist expenditure.

The Dimensions of Organizational Climate in Four- and Five-Star Australian Hotels

This study aimed to determine the dimensions of organizational climate within four- and five-star hotels and to assess whether these dimensions vary significantly across hotels. Jones and James’s climate survey was shortened, modified to incorporate the psychometric improvements of Ryder and Southey, and tailored for specific use within hotels. The survey was administered to 1,401 employees from 14 hotels and provided a high index of reliability (α = .959). From items representing 35 a priori concepts, principal components analysis identified seven dimensions, which were labeled leader facilitation and support; professional and organizational esprit; conflict and ambiguity; regulations, organization, and pressure; job variety, challenge, and autonomy; job standards; and workgroup cooperation, friendliness, and warmth. Univariate analyses found each of the dimensions to vary significantly across the 14 hotels (p <.00005).

Pre- and post-trip perceptions: an insight into Chinese package holiday market to Australia

In light of the importance of destination image in determining purchase decision and visitor satisfaction, the present study investigated how Australia is perceived as a tourist destination in the Chinese package holiday market. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to collect travellers’ pre- and post-trip perceptions. Natural scenery and agreeable environment were identified as Australia’s advantages whilst museums, accessibility, shopping and entertainment related areas were disadvantages. The study also revealed significant improvement in perception of 13 destination attributes. The factorial structure of the perception was also modified by the travel experience. These results pose the question of whether Australia has been appropriately portrayed in existing destination promotional materials targeting the Chinese package holiday market. A shift in marketing emphasis or product offering may be necessary.

A survey of employee relations practices and demographics of MNC chain and domestic luxury hotels in Australia

Purpose – The paper aims to examine employment relations practices and labour market features of 4‐5 star luxury multinational chain (MNC) and domestic hotels operating in the Brisbane‐Gold Coast corridor in Australia and discuss the implications that competing on price and quality has on employment, wages and training.Design/methodology/approach – The study used data drawn from a large managerial and employee relations/demographic survey covering wages, employment status, age, gender, working conditions and training, including interview data from hotel HRM managers.Findings – The data showed a persistence of gendered, low waged and segmented labour markets dominated by flexible labour. Competition between MNC and domestic hotels were not found to be the conduit of “new” HRM practices as a competitive edge. Both MNC and domestic hotels shape the hotel labour market in a way which perpetuates cost minimization strategies based on an increasingly skilled, yet flexible and low cost labour force.Research limi...

Sustainable Labor Practices? Hotel Human Resource Managers Views on Turnover and Skill Shortages

Through this research, the authors investigate the recruiting practices and causative factors of labor turnover and skill shortages in four- and five-star hotels in Australia using a web-based questionnaire survey. Their findings in this study confirmed that labor shortages are a major industry concern. In selecting new employees, personal presentation, interpersonal and customer skills are paramount. The key findings present an industry that currently does not plan for sustainable labor practices and employee retention with casualization being the dominant strategy to cope with changing demand for labor. Hotels need to look beyond cost reduction and adopt a more strategic approach to Human Resource Management.

Innovation within the Australian outdoor hospitality parks industry

Purpose – Traditional innovation typologies within the extant literature are not compatible with the innovation levels found within the Australian outdoor hospitality parks (OHP) sector, given its tourism and small business characteristics. This paper seeks to introduce an innovation typology specific to the Australian OHP sector.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐phase qualitative research method was employed, whereby 30 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with OHP operators/administrators who were identified as being “innovative” by four industry executives. Based on the 30 interviews carried out in Phase 1, six industry individuals who demonstrated a wider and deeper approach to innovation than the others were further interviewed in Phase 2.Findings – A small percentage of Australian OHP industry operators and executive officers showcase a level of innovation that is beyond incremental in character, but is not radical, revolutionary or disruptive. This group of “strategic innovators” are the fir...

TOWARD A SHORTENED MEASURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of a shortened, and therefore more conveniently applied, version of the seven dimension Tourism and Hospitality Organizational Climate Scale (THOCS). Responses to the revised instrument, the THOCS-R, from 400 employees of a single, large tourism organization were analyzed. Subscales of the THOCS-R demonstrated levels of reliability ranging from acceptable to high. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the notion that the THOCS-R reliably measured four dimensions of the original instrument. Analyses were also conducted to investigate whether the THOCS-R has any explanatory utility in the prediction of other organizational variables. Regression analyses found the four replicated climate dimensions to explain 19.36% of the variation in employee turnover intentions and 20.07% of the variation in employee perceptions of customer satisfaction. It was concluded that the THOCS-R reliably measures four dimensions of organizational climate in tourism employees and is potentially a useful tool to examine the impact of climate on organizational outcomes.

Chinese Student Travel Market to Australia: An Exploratory Assessment of Destination Perceptions

ABSTRACT Chinese students form the largest international student travel market for Australia and approximately a quarter of Australias international student enrollments are mainland Chinese. Despite the significance of the market, little is known about Chinese student travelers. This study offers an exploratory assessment of the perceived image of Australia in the Chinese student market. Through a self-completion questionnaire, data regarding the pre- and post-arrival perceptions of Australia were collected from Chinese students on the Gold Coast. The study identified natural scenery/attractions and agreeable environment/climate as the strengths of Australia. Historical attractions and shopping related opportunities were the weaknesses of Australia as a tourist destination. A factor analysis was performed on both pre- and post-arrival perception data. Different structural patterns emerged from the two sets of data suggesting a modification effect of actual experience on the destination perception. The results also suggest that destination marketers should emphasize the general environment in Australia when marketing to the Chinese student market.