Sustainability in the Pakistani hotel industry: an empirical study

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aymen Sajjad ◽  
Aleena Jillani ◽  
Muhammad Mustafa Raziq
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
The Government ◽  
Hotel Managers

Purpose This paper aims to look at the sustainability practices adopted by the Pakistani hotel industry. Sustainability is a relatively under-researched notion from the perspective of the developing world, and in particular, the research lacks evidence from the Pakistani hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach The authors follow an exploratory multiple case study design to study the sustainability practices adopted by the Pakistani hotel industry. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with the senior hotel managers. Findings The results suggest that sustainability is only partially integrated into the business strategy for most of the sample hotels, and a systematic approach to sustainability is currently lacking. Overall, the central focus of the hotels is on developing commercial performance, whereas some fragmented social and environmental sustainability initiatives are implemented on an ad hoc basis. Practical implications This study identifies some practical issues and challenges in relation to sustainability implementation in the Pakistani context. It is suggested that the government, community organizations and the private sector firms need to actively collaborate to promote the sustainability agenda. Originality/value This paper extends the extant literature by exploring sustainability implementation in the Pakistani hotel industry. While there is limited sustainability research in the context of the developing world, this study contributes by bridging this gap in the present literature.

Technology innovations towards reducing hospitality human resource costs in Langkawi, Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rozila Ahmad ◽  
Noel Scott
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Innovations ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
Ict Adoption ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Hotel Managers

Purpose Hotel labour costs in Malaysia are increasing. This paper aims to explore Langkawi hotel managers’ perceptions about reducing labour costs using various information and communication technology (ICT) innovations. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from 19 budget and boutique resorts on Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed and content analysed using latent coding. Findings All hotel managers reported using some form of ICT. The purpose for ICT adoption found was to increase productivity and efficiency. A hotel’s customer mix, the need of the organization and the technology budget available influenced the outcome of technological innovation. Langkawi hotels had successfully implemented Property Management Systems (PMSs), but self-check-in/out kiosks were not seen as important as they do not meet their customers’ service expectations. Research limitations/implications This study identifies some factors influencing uptake by hotels of technological innovations. This initial qualitative exploration of the technology adoption feasibility in Langkawi suggests that implementation to reduce labour cost is more likely for employee-operated devices rather than customer-operated devices. Practical implications This study contributes to the human resource (HR) management literature by providing insight into the reasons hotel managers introduce technology in a developing country context. Results suggests that hotels face challenges in reducing labour costs through technology. These insights may serve to guide policymakers and hotel managers in other developing countries that are planning to use technology to solve their HR issues. Luxury hotels can consider adopting ICT for back-of-the-house operations such as using a HR information system within the HR department and PMS for the hotel overall operation. Social implications These findings can increase the Malaysians awareness of ICT importance, especially in the hotel industry. Originality/value The Malaysian national minimum wage order policy was introduced in 2012. This policy has resulted in increased labour costs and suggests a need to adopt ICT. This paper is the first to examine the viewpoints of hotel practitioners as to the viability of this strategy. Whilst many studies on the adoption of ICT in the hotel industry focus on its impact on productivity and firm’s performance using quantitative methods, this study used qualitative methods to explore hotel managers’ perceptions on its feasibility to reduce dependence on labour.

Brexit anticipated economic shock on Ireland’s planning for hospitality and tourism: resilience, volatility and exposure

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 595-606
Author(s):  
Mark Burnett ◽  
Tony Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Science Framework ◽  
Hospitality Managers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore tourism scenario planning for an anticipated shock as viewed through the lens of Irish hospitality managers preparing for Brexit. The research appropriates a climate science framework to structure the study, situating preparations, or lack thereof, against the themes of volatility, exposure and resilience. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a qualitative, pragmatic approach to determine how senior Irish hospitality managers were preparing for Britain’s exit from the European Union. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data conducted with hotel management, industry federations and tourism policymakers. Findings Buoyancy of the industry, from an industry perspective, little foreseeable threat to the sector, has caused management to develop complacent tendencies, a myopic viewpoint and a head-in-the-sand mindset. Their “wait and see” and “ad hoc” approaches to planning for an anticipated shock suggest an industry that believes itself to be resistant to threats. Practical implications The findings suggest that although tourism has been resilient to economic shocks in the past, historical lessons learned have not been implemented in anticipation of the next shock. More proactive engagement and better strategic preparedness is necessary to mitigate the impacts of future shocks. Industry needs to acknowledge its role in developing resilience and reducing volatility and exposure. The government additionally needs to coordinate initiatives with industry to develop robustness. Originality/value The paper demonstrates areas of practice in the hospitality industry that could be improved to reduce volatility and exposure, enhance resilience and encourage rapid adaptability post crisis.

Building sustainability strategy in business

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Teh ◽  
Brian Corbitt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Strategy Implementation ◽  
Senior Executives ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy And Strategy ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
Sustainability Policy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore environmental sustainability (eco-sustainability) policy and strategy adoption and implementation in Australian companies. Specifically, it assesses what influences the extent of organizational eco-sustainability strategy implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This research used semi-structured interviews with senior executive from a list of the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) 200 companies in banking, materials, real estate and transportation industry groups. A purposive sampling method was used to select the most appropriate participants. The “elite” interviewing method was adopted with persons who are recognized as the expert in the topic under investigation. Finally, an interpretative approach to data analysis was used. Findings – The paper shows the importance of eco-sustainability strategy alignment with the overall business strategy. Similarly, organizational structure and systems are recognized to be equally important. The senior executives also agreed that shared values, passionate skilled and experienced staff, the Board and senior management, as well as governance, are critical in ensuring a successful adoption and implementation of organizational eco-sustainability policy and strategy. Practical implications – This research provides some understanding of how organizations implement their eco-sustainability policy and strategy and what influences the extent of their eco-sustainability strategy implementation, and answers to why each dimension is important for a particular organization was gained through interviews with the senior executives. This paper also facilitates a better understanding of the relative importance placed on each dimension as a factor influencing eco-sustainability adoption and implementation. Originality/value – Drawing on theories from various disciplines and the McKinsey Seven S’s framework, this paper strengthens the foundation for industry practitioners to understand what influences the success of the eco-sustainability strategy adoption and implementation.

Barriers and drivers of environmental sustainability: Australian hotels

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Khatter ◽  
Leanne White ◽  
Joanne Pyke ◽  
Michael McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Theory ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Financial Marketing ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Independent Hotels ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Hotel Managers

Purpose The paper presents the findings of research into the barriers to and drivers of environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs) in the Australian hotel industry. This study aims to explore these drivers and barriers from the perspective of hotel managers and involve a range of hotels with different hotel industry profiles and management structures. Design/methodology/approach The study conducted one-on-one interviews with hotel managers to explore the barriers to and drivers of ESPPs. The purpose of the sample and sample size was to ensure representation of different segments of the hotel industry to include international chain affiliated hotels, Australian chain affiliated hotels and independent hotels. Findings An analysis of the findings suggests that the major barriers to implementing and sustaining environmental sustainability in the Australian hotel industry are time, financial challenges, availability of resources and the views and imperatives of hotel owners and shareholders. The major drivers are financial, marketing, owner and shareholder interests and guest preferences. These stakeholders play a major role in creating both barriers and drivers. Research limitations/implications Based on the results, this study can modify the application of stakeholder theory to a degree and argue that stakeholders need to co-operate further to drive sustainability. This study demonstrates that management of environmental sustainability is a challenge for many hotels and there is a particular need for small and independent hotels to embrace environmental sustainability to keep pace with their larger counterparts. Originality/value This study is broadly informed by the stakeholder theory. Owners, shareholders and associated stakeholders have a significant influence over environmental sustainability in the Australian hotel industry and they create both drivers and barriers. Responses from hotel managers in this research demonstrate that owners act as a barrier to as well as a driver of environmental sustainability initiatives in the Australian hotel industry.

Sustainability Practices in Hotel Industry: A Study on Guest Awareness and Satisfaction

GIS Business ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 9-10
Author(s):  
Shweta Mathur ◽  
Kavita Khanna ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Customer Preferences ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Relationship Of

The research paper is an empirical work to ascertain the awareness and satisfaction levels of the hotel guests on the sustainability practices in Five Star hotels in Delhi. This paper also aims to determine the extent to which certain sustainability practices influence customer preferences and requirements. The methodology used in this research included a survey method, combined with an extensive secondary research and descriptive methods. The survey was conducted in selected Five star and Five-star deluxe hotels in Delhi from June 2016 until September 2016. The results of the study establish a direct relationship of sustainability practices with customers satisfaction in Five Star Hotels in Delhi, however, it reveals that the prevailing sustainability practices do not satisfy the guests to a considerable extent. The research results can be used by hotel managers in order to improve and adopt sustainability strategy in their management policy in order to raise the level of awareness towards the hotels sustainability initiatives undertaken and then to meet the demands of cognizant guests and for the sake of its own business survival.

The deputy principal instructional leadership role and professional learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Leaf ◽  
George Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a study examining the perceptions of secondary principals, deputies and teachers, of deputy principal (DP) instructional leadership (IL), as well as deputies’ professional learning (PL) needs. Framed within an interpretivist approach, the specific objectives of this study were: to explore the extent to which DPs are perceived as leaders of learning, to examine the actual responsibilities of these DPs and to explore the PL that support DP roles. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used multiple perspective case studies which included semi-structured interviews and key school document analysis. A thematic content analysis facilitated qualitative descriptions and insights from the perspectives of the principals, DPs and teachers of four high-performing secondary schools in Sydney, Australia. Findings The data revealed that deputies performed a huge range of tasks; all the principals were distributing leadership to their deputies to build leadership capacity and supported their PL in a variety of ways. Across three of the case study schools, most deputies were frequently performing as instructional leaders, improving their school’s performance through distributing leadership, team building and goal setting. Deputy PL was largely dependent on principal mentoring and self-initiated but was often ad hoc. Findings add more validity to the importance of principals building the educational leadership of their deputies. Research limitations/implications This study relied upon responses from four case study schools. Further insight into the key issues discussed may require a longitudinal data that describe perceptions from a substantial number of schools in Australia over time. However, studying only four schools allowed for an in-depth investigation. Practical implications The findings from this study have practical implications for system leaders with responsibilities of framing the deputies’ role as emergent educational leaders rather than as administrators and the need for coherent, integrated, consequential and systematic approaches to DP professional development. Further research is required on the effect of deputy IL on school performance. Originality/value There is a dearth of research-based evidence exploring the range of responsibilities of deputies and perceptions of staff about deputies’ IL role and their PL needs. This is the first published New South Wales, Australian DP study and adds to the growing evidence around perceptions of DPs as instructional leaders by providing an Australian perspective on the phenomenon. The paper raises important concerns about the complexity of the DP’s role on the one hand, and on the other hand, the PL that is perceived to be most appropriate for dealing with this complexity.

scholarly journals Green business models in the construction sector: an analysis of outcomes and benefits

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Abuzeinab ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Mohd. Asim Qadri ◽  
Dennis Kulonda
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Business ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Green business models (GBMs) in the construction sector represent the logic of green value creation and capture. Hence, the call to examine GBMs is growing ever louder. The aim of this paper is to identify benefits of GBMs by adopting five essential elements of the GBM from the literature: green value proposition; target group; key activities; key resources (KR); and financial logic. Design/methodology/approach In all, 19 semi-structured interviews are conducted with construction sector practitioners and academics in the UK. Thematic analysis is used to obtain benefits of GBMs. Further, the interpretive ranking process (IRP) is used to examine which elements of the GBM have a dominant role in providing benefits to construction businesses. Findings The benefits are grouped into three themes: credibility/reputation benefits; financial benefits; and long-term viability benefits. The IRP model shows that the element of KR is the most important when evaluated against these three benefit themes. Practical implications Linking GBM elements and benefits will help companies in the construction sector to analyse the business case of embracing environmental sustainability. Originality/value This research is one of the few empirical academic works investigating the benefits of GBMs in the construction sector. The IRP method is a novel contribution to GBMs and construction research.

Successful collaboration between smart city consortium and Hong Kong Government in Covid-19 dashboard: the case of leadership in practice

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jung Yue Chun ◽  
Wahid Abdul Nabsiah ◽  
Cheng Ling Tan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Third Party ◽  
City Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Mass Collaboration ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to discover why such a public partnership project had been successful with a non-profit third-party alliance such as a smart city consortium (SCC) promoting smart city development. Design/methodology/approach This descriptive case study is primarily based on analysing data collected from various texts, public statements, media interviews and three semi-structured interviews with key members involved in the Covid-19 dashboard project. Findings The data and analysis reviews that both interpersonal and interorganisational trust, dedication and proactiveness of the leaders at SCC were major contributing factors to why SCC was able to partner with the Hong Kong Government in the Covid-19 dashboard in the first place and that the success was also a direct outcome of effective mass collaborative knowledge management activities. Research limitations/implications The research in leadership attributes and activities in the non-profit alliance has been few and this collaborative partnership between the alliance and the government is an example of the importance of further research in smart city leadership. Practical implications In deploying projects for mass collaboration and knowledge sharing in smart city development (which is multi-disciplinary in nature). there are still many new and evolving organisational practices and leadership matters that many business leaders and city managers can learn from. Social implications Smart city development projects involve the notion of sharing data in an open environment enabled by software and mediating tools. Successful projects such as this Hong Kong Covid-19 dashboard which serves a diverse audience can further promote the importance of an open data policy regime for the benefit of the public. Originality/value This case study covers a highly original and unique case study with the leaders at the SCC and representatives from the Hong Kong Government.

Exploring the student perspectives on the barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Rana
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Teacher Relationship ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe present study aims to gauge the perspectives of students on the difficulties they faced during online learning during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) technique.Design/methodology/approachThe current study employed IPA, and it was conducted among the students enrolled for professional courses in the government, private and deemed-to-be universities in Uttarakhand, India, using semi-structured interviews for the purpose of data collection.FindingsThe findings have been grouped under five parts referred to as “superordinate themes” or “barriers” which comprises learning in an online class environment, online learning in the home environment, student–teacher relationship in online learning, technical hindrances in online learning and health issues in online learning. These superordinate themes were further grouped under sub-themes.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study focused on the students of various private, public and deemed-to-be universities of the Uttarakhand region and represents the higher education sector only and did not tap the primary, secondary and vocational education. The students of academic courses or degree courses like arts, commerce, basic sciences and humanities, etc. were not included in the research study. Hence, the study lacks generalizability.Practical implicationsThe research findings of the present study have implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), teachers, students and policymakers.Originality/valueThe present study addresses the methodological gap by offering a new line of research where IPA has been used as the methodology to determine the barriers of online learning in the COVID-19 situation, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the studies have used it so far to ascertain the barriers to online learning from the student perspective.

Service innovation in the hotel industry: the dynamic capabilities view

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Babak Ziyae ◽  
Hossein Sadeghi ◽  
Maryam Golmohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Labor ◽  
It Training

Purpose Consistent with the dynamic capabilities view tenets, this paper aims to conceptualize a theoretical framework of service innovation in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative method with a content analysis approach. The data were collected using a snowball sampling method and semi-structured interviews with 14 experts in Tehran's hotel industry. Findings The findings demonstrate that the most significant factors are using the new technology, keeping up with it, training human labor, being up-to-date and adopting new infrastructures. Results also reveal that improper management and lack of knowledge are the most critical factors behind service innovation failure in the hotel industry. Regarding the infrastructures needed to develop service innovation in the hotel industry, the results show that adopting the newest technology in diverse aspects, human infrastructure, the capital and appropriate space and place are the key factors. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by linking the service innovation perspective to the dynamic capabilities view. It explains how hotels can enhance service innovation to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore, both academicians and hoteliers can develop action plans by selecting and managing the service innovation process.

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