Sheryl F. Kline

From satisfaction to delight: a model for the hotel industry

Purpose – This article seeks to develop a managerial model that will aid in the effective management of customer relations. This study explains in detail the concepts of satisfaction and delight; their antecedents and potential outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – An extensive review of existing customer delight literature reveals the key concepts necessary for customer delight to occur.Findings – Customer delight is a better measure of customer relationship management than customer satisfaction. Delight is likely to generate positive business results such as word‐of‐mouth communications, loyalty and increased profitability. Using existing literature a model is developed.Practical implications – The proposed model can be used by managers to achieve customer delight in their organizations. It can also be used to gain a better understanding of the process of managing customer relations.Originality/value – In the last few years the concept of customer delight has been taking precedence over the concept of ...

Exploring bed & breakfast websites: a balanced scorecard approach.

SUMMARY This exploratory study was designed to evaluate the Websites of Bed & Breakfast(s) (B&B) belonging to the Indiana B&B Association (IBBA). Using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach, four evaluation perspectives were considered: (1) user friendliness, (2) site attractiveness, (3) marketing effectiveness, and (4) technical aspects. A team of trained evaluators rated a random sample of 20 IBBA property Websites. The study found that the major strength of the B&B Websites evaluated was their attractiveness, but improvements were needed in all four categories. The B&B modified BSC instrument used in this research also showed good inter-rater reliability.

Like It! Learn It! Use It? A Field Study of Hotel Training

This field study examines factors influencing hotel employees’ ability to transfer the concepts that they learned in job training when they return to work. The study was conducted during a major hotel company’s training program. The training objective was to ready front-desk associates to operate a new property management system (PMS). Past business research suggests that trainee characteristics, training design, and work environment factors can positively impact an employee’s transfer of training. Role-play exercises and surveys were used to explore the validity of this research in a hospitality setting. This study’s findings suggest that proper management of these impact factors can foster enhanced transfer of training in hotels. Strategies are offered to help hospitality human resource professionals improve training transfer in hotels.

Utilitarian Value in the Internet: Differences Between Broadband and Narrowband Users

SUMMARY As homes across the world adopt broadband connectivity, there is a need to understand how it may impact consumer propensity to buy travel products on the Internet. The objective of this study is to evaluate differences in perceptions of utilitarian and social value on the Internet between broadband and narrowband users. The study also explores the relationship of utilitarian and social value on the Internet within the context of online travel purchase behavior. MANOVA results indicate differences between broadband and narrowband users when it comes to self-improvement and functional dimensions of utilitarian value. Practical and theoretical implications are also discussed.

The Early Career Impact of the Co-op Commitment in Hospitality Curricula

ABSTRACT The purpose of this exploratory research was to quantitatively compare the early professional outcomes of hospitality management alumni from three cooperative education models in post-secondary education. Survey design was used for this comparative, descriptive research. This quantitative survey was sent to 469 potential respondents in the fall of 2006. The overall final response rate was 33% ( N = 155). Industry preparedness, starting and current salaries, industry retention, and career satisfaction were explored for statistical significance among the three experiential models.

Mitigating social loafing in team-based learning

ABSTRACT Team-based learning (TBL) is becoming increasingly present in higher education hospitality classes. There are many advantages to TBL but instructors should be aware of social loafing, or withholding of individual effort, that is frequently associated with TBL. This paper explores the theoretical accounts of social loafing in a two-stage quasi-experimental study on three undergraduate sections of Organization and Management in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry (HTM 212). Methods of peer evaluation were used to control for the evaluation-potential thought to mitigate social loafing. Evidence was found that evaluation-potential does play a role in reducing social loafing but might be operationalized through fellow team members rather than the instructor, as the literature suggests.

Group sales and marketing in convention hotels: internet and web usage.

Abstract The goal of hotel sales and marketing is revenue generation. The methods employed by group sales and marketing professionals have evolved overtime to incorporate an array of technological innovations. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the perceptions that convention hotel sales and marketing professionals have about Internet and Web integration in the group sales process. The findings indicate that Internet and Web based marketing tools have become an integral part of hotel sales and marketing activities, though convention hotel managers do not necessarily attribute an increase in revenue to these activities.

The Attrition Condition What Hotel Sales People Need to Know

Attrition provisions in group-business contracts have become increasingly problematic for meeting planners in recent years because meeting participants and exhibitors increasingly seek their own accommodations outside room blocks, particularly when they find low-price rooms via Web sites. A 2002 survey of 143 meeting planners (primarily working with associations) found that most signed contracts containing attrition provisions for the largest meeting they held in 2001, but only one-third of those who came up short on room-block guarantees were billed for attrition. Many planners negotiated some form of settlement. Rather than have attrition continue to be a point of contention for hotels and meeting planners, a better approach might be for hotel sales managers and meeting planners to work together to formulate reasonable attrition policies. From the meeting planners’ view-point, this would include receiving credit for the business that the meeting brings to the hotel, whether in the room block or through other sales channels.

Motivation and Satisfaction of Lodging Employees: An Exploratory Study of Aruba

Motivating employees and keeping them satisfied are some of the ways that managers and organizations retain employees and provide excellent service. There is a paucity of research regarding Caribbean lodging employees, especially as it relates to various demographic factors including age groups. The current study analyzed the motivational factors of hotel employees of different ages in Aruba. The study also looked at employee satisfaction with a variety of job components in order to help management develop better policies and practices that can help to keep employees satisfied in their jobs. Using Kovachs (1987) model this study found that the most important ranked motivational factor was “appreciation for a job well done,” and the most highly rated job component as it relates to satisfaction was the “work accomplishment” that the respondents get done on the job. The study also found that having a “feeling of being in on things” in general was less important to younger employees than to older employees, using ANOVA statistical analysis. Younger employees also tended to be less satisfied with the job security that they felt and the career advancement and development that they received in their jobs. Managerial implications are also discussed.

Effectiveness criteria for icons as tourist attractions: a comparative study between the United States and China

As the application of human icons as tourist attractions continues to increase, there is a growing need to better understand how these famous individuals are used by destinations. Based on literature in several relevant fields, such as history, social science, and destination management, effectiveness criteria for icon attractions were analyzed in this study. Three “situational” factors influencing the operation of icon attractions (culture, history, and government involvement) were included in these criteria. It also suggested that icon attractions can be evaluated from three aspects: characteristics of icons, organization, and impacts. The applications of icon effectiveness criteria for tourist attractions in the United States and China were compared. The validity and practical value of the effectiveness criteria were demonstrated. Management implications in the utilization of icon attractions were derived.