Vinnie Jauhari

An exploratory study of competencies required to co‐create memorable customer experiences in the hospitality industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and map competencies required by frontline employees to enhance guest experience in the hospitality industry, in the context of an emerging experience economy.Design/methodology/approach – Secondary research through extensive review of relevant literature in the area of experience economy and hospitality management.Findings – This study proposes a new construct of “Hospitality Intelligence” (HI) encompassing mainly Emotional Intelligence (comprising Interpersonal Intelligence and Intrapersonal Intelligence), Cultural Intelligence and Hospitality Experiential Intelligence dimensions.Practical implications – Practitioners and HR professionals in the field of hospitality would find the Hospitality Intelligence construct useful in recruiting and training frontline employees, while educationists could use the findings of this study in designing curricula and pedagogical interventions for developing the right skill set for the hospitality industry.Originality/v...

Strategic growth challenges for the Indian hotel industry

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to explore the strategic growth challenges for the hospitality industry in the context of India. As the tourism industry is growing, Indian and global firms face new challenges which need to be addressed.Design/methodology/approach – The study involved obtaining practitioner insights by conducting an industry round table discussion with senior managers who are in leadership positions with international and national hotel brands. The data so collected were then corroborated by a literature review.Findings – The major challenges are in the domains of human resources (in terms of skill and knowledge base), land acquisitions, technology deployment as a strategic tool and understanding the dynamics of new generation consumers.Practical implications – The paper has policy implications for both industry practitioners and government bodies setting up governing mechanisms for this industry segment.Originality/value – There is very little formally documented research in the dom...

ANALYSING EXPORT INTENSITY OF THE SELECT ELECTRONICS FIRMS IN INDIA

The second half of the 1990s has witnessed almost three-fold increase in the exports of Indian electronics industry. The study proposes a model for analysing the export intensity of 164 electronics firms in India and tests the same empirically. The Tobit model is estimated using firm level panel data for the period 2000–2005 for the electronics industry in India. The results show that both size of the firm, foreign direct investment and capital employed have played an important role in boosting exports in this sector. The study has policy implications to improve the performance of the Indian Electronics sector in India and similar other countries.

Managing customer experience for spiritual and cultural tourism: an overview

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a background on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses the importance of customer experience and provides insights on destination management approaches. It reviews the factors beyond the control of a specific service provider which impact the consumer experience. The paper also discusses the tourism potential for selected spiritual and cultural sites and gives an overview of the approach followed to assess consumer experience at each of these locations.Findings – The paper focuses on elements that contribute to consumer experience at selected spiritual and cultural places. It also focuses on technology and its impact on creating a superior experience. Further, aspects of infrastructure and hygiene are also reviewed.Originality/value – The paper explores spiritual and cultural tourism in the context of India where there is very little formal research in this ...

Managing workforce issues in the hospitality industry in India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the workforce issues as they relate to the hospitality industry which if managed well, could lead to higher growth for the firm and consequently the industry.Design/methodology/approach – The perspectives have been drawn from the hospitality industry and academia in India.Findings – The key workforce issues that need to be addressed in the hospitality industry are: perceptions about the industry; levels of manpower attrition; education; competencies and skill development; work environment and compensation; opening up of diverse opportunities for the workforce. These have a strong bearing on the firms growth and consequently industrys growth and contribution to the economy.Originality/value – The paper integrates viewpoints from industry and academia and specific suggestions are made to address the listed issues.

The hospitality and tourism industry in India: conclusions and solutions

Purpose – The paper aims to present answers to the strategic question: what contribution will hospitality and tourism make in securing sustainable economic growth in India? It attempts to integrate the conclusions of the six articles contributed by industry experts to the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue on hospitality and tourism in India.Design/methodology/approach – The approach is to integrate the findings and recommendations from the six articles and to include the issues and suggestions that were made by practitioners and academics at the theme issue roundtable discussion.Findings – While discussing the overall challenges to the hospitality and tourism in India, the practitioners suggested measures which if addressed, could stimulate economic growth not only in this industry but also for Indias economy as a whole. The most significant factors affecting hospitality and tourism in India are: infrastructure management; government policy; workforce issues and education in hospital...

Institutional Context for IT Use in the Automotive Industry: A Case Study on the Market Leader in India's Passenger Vehicle Sector

This study explores the use of IT in the automotive industry. It examines the institutional context of India’s passenger vehicle sector by conducting a value chain analysis of the automotive industry. Additionally, the usage of IT at Maruti Udyog, India’s market leader in the passenger vehicle sector, is investigated. The study evaluates to what extent IT has contributed to Maruti Udyog’s market growth in India and in other, similar countries.

Fostering effective university-industry partnerships: concluding remarks.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the answers to the question posed in the introduction to the themed issue: how can effective university‐industry partnerships be developed?Design/methodology/approach – The paper consolidates the findings of various studies featuring in this theme issue on effective university‐industry partnerships. It addresses the aspects which contribute to effective partnerships and also challenges the issues around such partnerships.Findings – The paper discusses the range of best practices for building effective university‐industry partnerships.Practical implications – There are lessons for industry, universities and policy makers.Originality/value – The paper provides multiple perspectives on university‐industry partnerships from various geographies.

Hospitality, tourism and economic growth in India

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to provide a backdrop to the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth.Design/methodology/approach – The paper narrates the growth potential of tourism in India and provides a perspective on the conduct of a roundtable discussion about economic growth.Findings – The paper discusses the potential that tourism holds for India and its economic growth. It also captures the essence of the roundtable which was conducted in 2008 to capture practitioners perspectives.Originality/value – This paper relates the growth of hospitality and tourism in India to the countrys overall economic growth. The paper provides academic and practitioner perspectives on some key issues.

Building employability in hospitality industry: insights from IIMT Gurgaon-Oxford Brookes University collaborative effort.

Purpose – The paper aims to provide insights into how an effective partnership between IIMT Gurgaon and Oxford Brookes University led to employability, curriculum development and research orientation at IIMT.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from the experience of managing the collaborative partnership for 13 years and being involved in institutionalising the best practices and engagement with the hospitality industry.Findings – The paper discusses the factors which have contributed to building effective university‐industry partnerships and generating employability of hospitality graduates at IIMT. The factors include a state of the art curriculum which focuses on learning outcomes, building competencies and enabling students to be able to do well in their careers. The networking with industry, developing an understanding of expectations, and supervised work experience are all factors that have contributed to the success.Practical implications – There are lessons for industry and universities ...