Artificial intelligent towards hotels’ competitive advantage. An exploratory study from the UAE

Purpose Hotel industry is witnessing a radical change as a result of technology interaction such as artificial intelligence (AI) in service tasks. As a result of this transformation, the pattern of service delivery based on human interaction has been changed to digital interaction. This brought opportunities to the hotels industry and consolidate its competitive advantage. However, the understanding gap still existed in both practical implementation and literature, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how hotels use AI to carry out services tasks. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted the qualitative research method through Semi interviews. The sample was purposively selected from five 5-star hotels in the UAE, meanwhile, the managers were the targeted respondents. Findings Through content analysis, the authors find that the UAE hotels use AI in managing trip planning, reception service and room services. The authors also find that there are four key drivers that improve the performance of AI, which include AI infrastructure flexibility, strategic alignment, management and skills. Finally, the authors found four indicators of the impact of AI on hotels, which are quality, cost and market share and customers satisfaction. Originality/value This study is one of few studies that explored the use of AI in the hotels industry and discussed how AI influence several aspects of hotels performance and helped them to attain their competitive advantage. This study is also one of few studies and the first study in UAE to explore the key drivers of AI performance in UAE hotels.

Independent mobility for persons with VIB using GIS

Purpose The study aims to promote independent mobility for persons with visual impairment or legal blindness (VIB) by developing a Web-based wayfinding application using geographic information systems (GIS). While the literature mainly focuses on technical devices presenting results for wayfinding, a lack of integration of user needs is identified. The inclusive, participative developed application offers step-by-step directions for pre-trip planning through an accessible user interface. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a semi-automated approach to extract a pedestrian routing network data set based on open government data and field survey. User profiles calculate different routes using a weighting scheme for landmarks, orientation hints, infrastructure of crossings and sidewalks. The adoption of ArcGIS Web AppBuilder widgets allows access of the user interface additionally through keyboard-only navigation and therefore screen-reader capability. Findings GIS offers a powerful tool to design network analysis for persons with VIB. The routing algorithm accesses different user profiles, returning individualized turn-by-turn directions. The complex set of attributes, including shorelines, landmarks and barriers, can be integrated by semi-automated processes. Practical implications The paper illustrates the benefit of GIS applications for wayfinding of persons with VIB to raise self-determination and independence. Originality/value A ubiquitous pedestrian sidewalk network for a medium-size city comprises a novelty, as research has mainly focused on small areas. The integration of shorelines next to a various number of hints, landmarks and potential barriers through semi-automated processes allows reproducibility and transferability of the model to other cities.

Examining the Effect of Interruptions at Different Breakpoints and Frequencies Within a Task

Objective The purpose was to explore how event segmentation theory (EST) can be used to determine optimal moments for an interruption relying on hierarchical task analysis (HTA) to identify coarse and fine event boundaries. Background Research on the effects of interruptions shows that they can be either disruptive or beneficial, depending on which aspects of an interruption are manipulated. Two important aspects that contribute to these conflicting results concern when and how often interruptions occur. Method Undergraduates completed a trip planning task divided into three subtasks. The within-subjects factor was interruption timing with three levels: none, coarse breakpoints, and fine breakpoints. The between-subjects factor was interruption frequency with two levels: one and three. The dependent measures included resumption lag, number of errors, mental workload, and frustration. Results Participants took longer to resume the primary task and reported higher mental workload when interruptions occurred at fine breakpoints. The effect of interruptions at coarse breakpoints was similar to completing the task without interruption. Interruption frequency had no effect on performance; however, participants spent significantly longer attending to interruptions in the initial task, and within a task, the first and second interruptions were attended to significantly longer than the third interruption. Conclusion The disruptiveness of an interruption is tied to the point within the task hierarchy where it occurs. Application The performance cost associated with interruptions must be considered within the task structure. Interruptions occurring at coarse breakpoints may not be disruptive or have a negative effect on mental workload.