Shane C. Blum

Mobile applications in the hospitality industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine customer intentions to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Even though major hospitality companies offer the mobile applications, many customers have not utilized them. The results showed what encouraged customers to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry.Design/methodology/approach – The Technology Acceptance Model was applied for this research to explain customer intentions. College students were the target population of this study because they understand and adopt the technology well. Therefore, mobile applications will become a popular way to purchase goods and services when university students will have purchasing power.Findings – Even though major hospitality companies offer mobile applications, more than a half of respondents responded that they had not used mobile applications from the hospitality firms. The results showed that promotion information was not an only reason to download mobile applications; howe...

Using a model of emotional intelligence domains to indicate transformational leaders in the hospitality industry

ABSTRACT In the workplace, teamwork, collaboration, and excellent interpersonal communication are traits of successful leaders. Transformational leaders, utilizing their emotional intelligence (EI) abilities, are successful in employing these effective leadership skills. Using the dimensions of transformational leadership and the domains of EI, a model was developed indicating the direct relationship between the two constructs. Additionally, a pilot study was conducted to demonstrate that students in hospitality undergraduate programs do not possess the level of EI needed to be successful transformational leaders. These findings demonstrated the need to incorporate EI instruction into orientation and training programs.

Factors Affecting Women's Career Advancement in the Hospitality Industry: Perceptions of Students, Educators and Industry Recruiters

Abstract The underrepresentation of women in top management positions is an important concern in the hospitality industry, in spite of the increasing number of women employees. This study examined factors affecting womens career advancement in the hospitality industry. An online survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 226 hospitality students, educators and recruiters. Seven factors were extracted: External (e.g. network, mentor), Character, Equity, Family issues, Lack of support, Advancement and Treatment. A major finding of this research was that significant differences existed in perceptions by gender and groups (students, educators, and recruiters). Group differences showed that industry recruiters always had significant differences with educators and students. The findings indicated that hospitality education programs could implement a number of measures to better prepare women for leadership roles in the hospitality industry.

A Study of Emotional Intelligence Levels in Hospitality Industry Professionals

ABSTRACT Little research has been conducted on emotional intelligence (EI) in the hospitality industry. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the relationship between specific socio-demographic variables and the EI levels of hospitality industry professionals. Although few significant differences were found between the groups, the professionals in this study possess above average levels of EI, which may be indicative of their achievement and longevity in a service-based industry.

The impact of positive and negative e-comments on business travelers’ intention to purchase a hotel room

Purpose – This paper aims to find out the impact of business travelers’ behavioral belief on positive and negative e-comments, which consequently lead to intention to purchase a hotel room. To explore the relationships among attitude toward positive and negative e-comments with intention to purchase, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was used. Design/methodology/approach – Business travelers in the USA who read e-comments and made a hotel choice based on those e-comments within the past six months were targeted for this study. The TRA, as well as a wide-ranging review of literature, were used to develop the survey instrument. The survey was distributed through Qualtrics, which is an online questionnaire service platform. To measure the business travelers’ behavioral beliefs toward e-comments, a number of measures were developed for this research. The theories of Fishbein and Ajzen were used to examine business travelers’ behavioral beliefs toward positive and negative e-comments. All of the questions on...

Mobile Technology: An Exploratory Study of Hotel Managers

Hospitality businesses provide a natural context for mobile technology, especially given the dynamic nature of the business, the size and complexity of many hotel operations, and the need to have managers visible and overseeing multiple areas of the business (and sometimes, multiple properties) concurrently. To explore the potential for mobile technology in hospitality business contexts, we surveyed 70 full-service hotel property managers. The survey was based upon two theoretical frameworks: technology adoption model and innovation diffusion theory. Specifically, this study addressed (a) hotel property managers’ intentions to use mobile technology at work, (b) factors influencing their intentions, (c) their suggestions for implementing mobile applications in different departments, and (d) demographic characteristics of those who are inclined to adopt certain types of mobile applications. This study identified the top opportunities for mobile applications and found adoption differences based upon the respondents’ demographics as well as the factors of perceived enjoyment and relative advantages as significant determinants of hotel property managers’ intentions to use mobile technology. This study concludes with recommendations for industry practitioners and suggestions for future research opportunities related to mobile technology adoption and usage in hospitality.

The Development of a Graduate Distance Education Program in Hospitality Management

Abstract The Internet is increasingly being employed to provide educational programs to a diverse student population. Many hospitality programs are using this technology to offer graduate curriculum to individuals currently working in the industry. Most of these students could not attend a conventional graduate program and an Internet-based program allows them the convenience and flexibility they desire. This article examines some of the reasons why hospitality education programs should establish graduate distance programs. A timeline of activities required to develop a graduate distance education program is presented, and a summary is provided for those hospitality educators interested in developing a graduate distance education program of their own.

How hotel responses to online reviews differ by hotel rating: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how hotels respond to online reviews on a third-party Web site (such as TripAdvisor) based on the hotel’s star rating. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was used to compare responses to online hotel reviews at five different levels of hotel based on a star-rating system ranging from one star to five stars. Findings – Most hotel managers’ response rates were low, and they paid the most attention to positive comments. Managers at four- and five-star hotels more often responded to negative online reviews. Guest service manager was the most common job title of managers who responded to guests’ reviews. Research limitations/implications – This paper is limited to an analysis of ten hotels, two for each of the five-star ratings. More hotel cases with long-term data collection involving the use of the star-rating system may provide more insights on this discussion. Practical implications – The exploratory study sought to identify strategies for m...

The Role of Hospitality Education in Women's Career Advancement: Responses From Students, Educators, and Industry Recruiters

The purpose of the study was to explore the roles of hospitality education programs in preparing women for leadership roles in the industry and in reducing industry barriers to womens advancement. Literature reviews suggested both educators and industry leaders should take responsibility for preparing women for success as well as preparing education programs to create a more equitable environment for women. Data were collected through an online survey from a convenience sample of 226 hospitality students, educators, and industry recruiters. The sample groups were selected to represent the views of future leaders of the industry, the educators who prepare and mentor them, and those individuals who serve as industry gatekeepers. Major themes were identified through a content analysis of narrative responses to open-ended questions from the three groups. Themes identified for preparing women for leadership included: “focus on leadership skills,” “mentoring,” and “provide female role models.” Themes identified for reducing barriers included: “educate women about the barriers they will face” and “teach women to value their abilities.” The findings demonstrate that hospitality education programs can contribute to the creation of a more supportive industry environment for women.

Business Travelers’ Intention to Purchase: The Application of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

ABSTRACT This research focused on parameters of e-comments effecting business travelers’ intention to purchase a hotel room. In order to explore the relationships among behavioral belief toward ease of use and usefulness of e-comments with intention to purchase, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used. The results of this research indicated a positive relationship between usefulness of e-comments and business travelers’ intention to purchase. The study also found that age was a moderating effect on ease of use of e-comments. The findings of this research can help both hoteliers and online-review website operators. Since business travelers are considered an important target market in the hotel industry, hoteliers need to put more emphasis on these factors to attract more business travelers. On the other hand, online-review website operators should design websites that make it easier for users to write and read e-comment reviews.