Yuksel Ekinci

Service quality in Cretan accommodations: marketing strategies for the UK holiday market.

Abstract Quality of accommodations is considered to be a strategic tool for increasing the competitiveness of island destinations. This has led to the measurement of service quality in Cretan accommodations and the development of marketing strategies for the UK holiday market. The aim of the study is two-fold; firstly, to identify characteristics of the British tourists who visit Crete and secondly, to assess their perception of service quality in the island accommodations. To do this, the study employs the modified SERVQUAL scale, which consists of two dimensions: tangibles and intangibles. Analysis of the data suggests that British tourists rate the intangible elements of service quality higher than the tangible elements. However, overall satisfaction with services is found to be marginal. Furthermore, the study indicates that perceptions of service quality in Cretan accommodations vary according to gender and classifications of accommodations.

Destination image and destination personality.

Purpose – To examine the contentious relationship between brand image and brand personality in the context of tourism destinations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on brand (destination) image, brand (destination) personality and identifies examples of definitional inconsistencies and instances where the terms brand image and brand personality are used interchangeably. Two studies were carried out to investigate the relationship between the two constructs. Data were analysed using canonical correlation.Findings – Results indicate that destination image and destination personality are related concepts. Canonical correlation analyses reveal that the emotional component of destination image captures the majority of variance on destination personality dimensions.Research limitations/implications – Academics must pay particular attention at distinguishing between brand image and brand personality, since, failure to do so, will hinder research progress and result in poor conceptual...

An Investigation of Perceived Value Dimensions: Implications for Hospitality Research

The proposition that guides this article is that value for money not only influences customers’ choice behavior at the prepurchase phase but also affects their intention to recommend and return behavior at the postpurchase phase. Perceived value is conceptualized as consisting of two dimensions: acquisition value and transaction value. The study applied a two-dimensional value scale developed by Grewal, Monroe, and Krishnan to hospitality services; hotels, and restaurants. Although the scale was found to be reliable, there were some concerns about its validity across the two studies. In particular, although the dimension of acquisition value was found to be valid, transaction value showed poor validity. The conclusion suggests that a new conceptualization of transaction value and a better scale should be developed for the evaluation of hospitality services.

Which school of thought? The dimensions of resort hotel quality

The service quality literature has evolved around two schools of thought: the North American and the Nordic European. Although the North American School of thought has received much attention from the practitioners with a five factorial model, it has also generated a great deal of criticism. The Nordic European School of thought, on the conceptualisation of service quality, has remained for the most part at the conceptual level with few attempts at applications. Attempts to test an instrument developed by the North American School. It did not produce the nominated dimensions. In fact the result favours the Nordic European School in that it produced a two factor model.

An investigation of self-concept: actual and ideal self-congruence compared in the context of service evaluation

Abstract This article describes two studies that tested the basic tenet of congruence theory—that there is a relationship between self-concept and evaluation of product concept. The present paper extends the range of previous empirical work by considering the above relationship in a service context, using restaurants and hotels. In the first study, the degree of congruence is assessed by the gap score formula and in the second uses the direct score formula. In both cases the results are regressed against measures of satisfaction, attitude, service quality and behavioural intention. The study highlights the importance of self-concept and suggests that the actual and ideal self-congruence have a variable influence on the above variables. The results presented here also suggest that an applied scale may be useful for evaluating product concept and self-concept.

A critique of the issues and theoretical assumptions in service quality measurement in the lodging industry: Time to move the goal-posts?

Abstract The article critically reviews the conceptual issues which surrounds the measurement of service quality. Methodological issues are not addressed. The critique centres upon the gap model and its associated instrument SERVQUAL and argues that, despite progress, all the original problems remain in place. A conclusion which leads firstly, to the suggestion that the dimensions of the model might be re-tested using different scaling techniques and secondly, to the advocacy of the adoption of a wider psychological perspective and one which goes back to the fundamentals of evaluative processes.

Validating quality dimensions.

Abstract This article is primarily methodological and is concerned with the psychological dimensions which form the basis of evaluative judgment on hotels. The study takes six dimensions which have empirical and conceptual support in the literature and attempts to validate them using methods which are different from the now common measuring procedures in this area. The methods applied are Q-Methodology and Guttman procedure. The study highlights the special properties of these methods and shows their utility in hotel evaluation. Of the six dimensions tested only three were found to be valid.

A Review of Theoretical Debates on the Measurement of Service Quality: Implications for Hospitality Research:

The complexity of the factors defining service quality has led to the development of multidimensional models, which are divided into two schools of thought: the North American and the Nordic European. The aim of this article is twofold. First, it reviews some of the key is - sues raised in relation to the theoretical formations of these two schools of thought. Second, it outlines further research areas in the hospitality industry.

The validation of the generic service quality dimensions: an alternative approach

Abstract This study focuses on generic service quality dimensions, which have empirical and conceptual support in the literature. The purpose of this research is to try to validate these dimensions using two measuring procedure that are different from the common ones used in this area. The Guttman scaling procedure and Q-sort test are the two new measuring procedure used in this validation process. The outcome of this study is that of the six dimensions tested, only four are found to be valid. Also, a three-dimensional scale is recommended to measure service quality.

A Comparative Study of the Importance of Hotel Selection Components by Turkish Business Travelers

Abstract The study surveyed 612 Turkish business travelers to determine the importance they placed on hotel selection attributes. Twelve major factors emerged including service, price and value, security, extra amenities, technology, room comfort, food and beverage, complimentary goods, parking, location, health sensitivity, and single sensitivity. Further analysis suggested that there are significant differences between male and female business travelers in five of the twelve factors: Security, food and beverage, complimentary goods, parking, and health sensitivity