Listening to the voice of the customer in the hospitality industry: Kano model application

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 436-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Zobnina ◽  
Aleksandr Rozhkov

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the customer satisfaction drivers of Russian tourists choosing hotels in Europe. Design/methodology/approach The study is focused on tangible aspects of the hotel service product adopted from the European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index by J.D. Power. Research methodology is based on the Kano model that enables satisfaction driver classification based on the level of their impact. Data collection was conducted via online panel representative for 1 million+ Russian cities, totaling 1,238 respondents. Findings This paper reveals groups of customer satisfaction drivers by their impact from attractive to expected and indifferent, as well as customer preference profile by age, overall travel experience and trip purpose (recreational, sightseeing or active tourism). Research limitations/implications This paper focuses on the tangible attributes of hotel experience; the survey sample composed of Russian tourists that evaluated their satisfaction with hotels in Europe. Practical implications As a result of the study, the authors test Kano model application in the hospitality and tourism industry, providing hotel managers with an advanced yet easy to use customer satisfaction measurement tool. Also, the authors demonstrate substantial differences in customer satisfaction drivers by groups that can be used to plan product development. “Expected” and “one-dimensional” groups of product features would cause customer dissatisfaction if missing and should be the first priority of management. Interestingly after a certain level, “expected” factors have no marginal value, so their improvement by the hotel management should be limited. On the other hand, “attractive” factors boost customer satisfaction while present but with no negative impact if they are absent; that makes this group the second priority for hotel management. Factor distribution by group is different for various customer segments that can also be taken into consideration when designing the marketing communications of a hotel. Originality/value In this research, the authors use the Kano model to identify customer satisfaction drivers in the hospitality and tourism industry. This methodology enables in-depth analysis of the factors’ impact and provides understanding of the accommodation product improvement potential based on customer perception. The authors suggest several groups of factors and demonstrate that certain high-impact satisfaction drivers have zero incremental value for customers.

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-390
Author(s):  
Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena ◽  
Altaf Sovani ◽  
Alanna MacDonald

Purpose This paper aims to provide a backdrop to the Worldwide Hospitality Themes (WHATT) theme issue (volume 9, issue 4) on aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry of Canada. Design/methodology/approach Canadian hospitality and tourism educators and their counterparts in the industry have collaborated periodically to discuss the challenges they face and to find practical solutions. Outcomes of ten key initiatives in Canada during the past 15 years that brought leaders of the hospitality and tourism industry and academia together to create 50 academic papers are summarized. Findings This paper provides key information on Canada, its people, its economic conditions and the challenges of the five sectors of the tourism industry in Canada. By introducing the main challenges faced by each sector, this paper provides a foundation for the other articles that follow in this WHATT theme issue. Practical implications Canadian tourism is losing ground, tourism marketing budgets are significantly reducing and there is a labour shortage crisis which are identified as key challenges requiring urgent attention. In conclusion, the authors suggest practical solutions. Originality/value Readers who are interested in the Canadian hospitality and tourism industry will find this paper to be of interest.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Munjal ◽  
Anjana Singh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and summarize the theme issue outcomes in relation to the strategic question: How is the hospitality and tourism industry in India responding to the dynamic digital era? Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on the findings of the theme issue contributors to identify the response of the Indian hospitality and tourism industry towards the rapid pace of digitization and use of technology. Findings The summary highlights the research on various facets of digital push with respect to marketing of products and services, role of data analytics, use of technology tools in operations to impact customer experience. It has implications for industry practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Practical implications It is quite clear that technology needs to be embraced by the hospitality and tourism Industry in India at a faster pace to compete well globally, deployment of digital technology has potential to positively impact efficiencies and quality of customer experience. There are huge implications for how digital marketing is going to become a critical part of the marketing strategy at large. Originality/value The research in this theme provides insight from both practitioner and academic perspectives provide a take on the ground realities with respect to how the hospitality and tourism businesses in India are changing how they work in the digital era.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Law ◽  
Huiyue Ye ◽  
Irene Cheng Chu Chan

Purpose This study aims to build a comprehensive knowledge structure of smart hospitality and tourism research. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis is carried out on the themes of pertinent research from the perspectives of customers, suppliers, technology and policymakers. Findings Results show that over half of the reviewed articles are carried out from the perspective of customers, while those of suppliers, technology and policymakers are less discussed. The unbalanced number of articles reveals an evident mismatch between the supply and demand. Practical implications Findings provide theoretical and practical implications from different perspectives. Collaboration among various stakeholders is also advocated to achieve sustainable and balanced development of the smart hospitality and tourism industry. Originality/value This study contributes to smart hospitality and tourism research through an in-depth review of relevant literature. Based on the findings, the identified research gaps provide potential directions for future knowledge development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 560-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basak Denizci Guillet

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of revenue management (RM) research’s intellectual structure in hospitality and tourism in an effort to initiate a creative discourse for RM scholars. Design/methodology/approach Co-citation analysis was used to examine the reference list of 343 articles over a 35-year period (1983-2018). Co-citation analysis focused on subject clustering and source knowledge evolution. Five periods were created to investigate the evolution of the RM field in the hospitality and tourism industry. The paradigm shift approach was adopted to acquire a better understanding of scientific evolution. Findings Findings indicated that from a Kuhnian perspective, RM research in hospitality and tourism did not go beyond the normal science phase. There is no current indication of anomalies in the form of conflict or questioning of the existing paradigms in RM research in hospitality and tourism. This might change, as the research in this realm develops further and evolves. Research limitations/implications This study identified issues related to research themes that have the potential of moving RM research in hospitality and tourism to the next level, enabling the paradigm shift in this discipline. Originality/value This study is instrumental in its outlook on the evolution of RM research’s intellectual structure in hospitality and tourism. In addition, it is the first study that considers the concept of paradigm shift in RM research context in hospitality and tourism.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Litvin ◽  
Ronald E. Goldsmith ◽  
Bing Pan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the impact electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has had on the hospitality and tourism industry and discuss the changes that will affect its future. The paper’s touchpoint is the authors’ earlier paper (Litvin et al., 2008), which proposed that eWOM was to become a major influence as a conduit of travelers’ views and opinions. Design/methodology/approach The paper summarizes the arguments of the authors’ earlier paper, describing ways in which eWOM has evolved into the influential system it has become, with special emphasis on the growth of mobile media as a platform for eWOM dissemination. Findings The authors conclude that eWOM has fulfilled its promise to become a major influence on the hospitality and tourism industry and will continue to play an essential role in hospitality marketing for the foreseeable future. Practical implications The authors provide examples of successful media campaigns and propose strategies for hospitality and tourism businesses. Originality/value eWOM has emerged to become a highly influential element of modern marketing strategy. This look back at an early eWOM paper, with reflection on changes that have occurred and a view to the future, is of value as validation of an often cited article that set the stage for much subsequent hospitality research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3835-3851
Author(s):  
Glenn McCartney ◽  
Andrew McCartney

Purpose This study aims to introduce a conceptual framework for service robot (SR) acceptance by customers, employees and policymakers – a framework to help determine corporate decision-making on SR workplace integration. Design/methodology/approach This study reviews SR adoption literature within the tourism and hospitality industry. These SRs may have some level of artificial intelligence capability and possibly anthropomorphic (e.g. humanoid) or zoomorphic (e.g. animal-like) features, contingent on task and design choices. The study then identifies factors that potentially influence employee and consumer acceptance and experiences of SR, as well as policy and compliance factors and all elements of the corporate decision-making process concerning SR adoption in the hospitality setting. Findings This paper reviews the obstacles and benefits of SR adoption in the hospitality industry based on employee, consumer and public policy considerations. Research limitations/implications SRs are increasingly deployed within hospitality and tourism settings. Future studies should further explore the value-adding functions of SRs implemented in existing hospitality operations. Practical implications Hospitality and tourism industry practitioners should integrate the dimensions in the conceptual framework to make fully informed decisions on SR adoption. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to provide a holistic SR adoption framework offering theoretical and practical implications for ongoing SR research and implementation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson K. F. Tsang ◽  
Louisa Yee-Sum Lee ◽  
Hailin Qu

Purpose – The study aims to provide an inventory of the existing English and Chinese research on service quality in China’s hospitality and tourism industry. The study aims to identify the reasons for the lack of research on service quality in China’s hospitality and tourism industry and the ignorance of the Chinese language literature in the field. Design/methodology/approach – A synthesis review is conducted of 31 articles published in 11 leading Chinese and English academic journals from 1998 to 2013. Findings – Popular research themes are service quality management and evaluation in the hotel sector. The majority of the reviewed articles are empirical studies that adopt quantitative methods, and none of the English articles use qualitative methods. Recent studies tend to use sophisticated statistical techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Changes in disciplines, publication trends and statistical techniques are observed. The theoretical and practical contributions of the Chinese and English publications are compared, and recommendations are made for future research. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to review and compare the existing publications in the leading Chinese- and English-language journals. It provides a platform for scholars, especially non-Chinese literate researchers, to understand the research on service quality in the China hospitality and tourism industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 2155-2173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Chang ◽  
Anyu Liu ◽  
Xuhui Wang ◽  
Bowen Yi

Purpose Leader–member exchange (LMX) theory is particularly relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry due to its labor-intensive and service-focused nature. However, the hospitality literature regarding the impact of LMX on its various outcomes have inconsistent results. A holistic review of LMX studies is nonexistent in the current literature. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use a meta approach to quantitatively summarize and examine the relationship between LMX and its outcomes in the hospitality and tourism literature. Design/methodology/approach A total of 89 individual observations from 36 studies conducted between 1997 and 2018 were identified. A Bayesian random effect model was introduced into the hospitality and tourism literature for the first time to implement the meta-analysis. Findings The results suggest significant differences in the impact of LMX on various groups of outcomes. LMX has the strongest impact on firms’ practice-related outcomes, such as organizational justice and employee empowerment. Few moderators are identified on the impact of LMX, such as LMX measure, culture, industry sector and statistical method. Practical implications Findings yielded several recommendations for both hospitality researchers and organizations in developing LMX related studies, as well as managing employees. Originality/value This study is the first Bayesian meta-analysis in the hospitality and tourism literature; it complements LMX theory by linking it to cognitive appraisal theory. Specific characteristics of LMX in the hospitality and tourism industry, such as the measurement of LMX and the effect of industry sector, are also identified.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-184
Author(s):  
Mark Kasa ◽  
Joey Kho ◽  
Danial Yong ◽  
Kashif Hussain ◽  
Patrick Lau

Purpose This study aims to explore the viability of the curricula offered by a university specialising in hospitality and tourism education in Kuching, Sarawak. The study also aims to explore the relevance and application of the hospitality and tourism education curricula to the needs of the Sarawak hospitality and tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in human capital theory, the article highlights the importance of education in facilitating competently skilled human capital. Using a qualitative research approach, the outcomes indicate that the curricula offered by the hospitality and tourism education sector does meet the basic industry needs in Sarawak. Findings The outcomes suggest that the education sector should adopt a work-based learning model as this is shown to be an effective approach to enhancing practical relevance and competency. Originality/value There is insufficient empirical evidence on the exact set of skills and knowledge needed by an individual to be competently skilled in response to the needs of the hospitality and tourism industry in Sarawak.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-256
Author(s):  
Richard Teare

Purpose This paper aims to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue “What are the issues facing human capital development in the hotel industry in Nigeria and how might they be addressed?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editors, contributors from industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings Concerns have been raised about the absence of a strategic government policy for human capital development in Nigeria’s tourism sector, a task that individual businesses address in a fragmented and inefficient manner – and sometimes not at all. Likewise, a weak regulatory framework has given rise to imbalances in the employment relationship and business operations that do not create an enabling environment, a primary condition for developing knowledge, skills and attitude to acceptable service levels. Practical implications This paper reflects a sustained dialogue between leading Nigerian academics and senior industry practitioners about the barriers to workforce development and ways of unlocking the potential that exists for employment and professional development in hospitality and tourism. Originality/value This paper reports on the first comprehensive set of discussions between academics and practitioners about the human capital development challenges facing the hospitality and tourism industry in Nigeria. Specifically, the theme issue identifies key action steps needed to keep pace with industry development in Nigeria – the largest and fastest growing market in Africa.


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