An exploration of female underrepresentation on executive boards in the Dutch hotel industry through an ethical lens

PurposeThis paper elucidates female underrepresentation on executive boards in the Dutch hotel industry through a “feminist” stakeholder perspective, which persists despite public opinion and government initiatives to resolve this enigma. It contributes to this discussion by examining Rhenish governance structures through a “feminist” stakeholder-focused rationale, complementing prevailing Anglo-Saxon shareholder-focused governance research.Design/methodology/approachEleven in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with hotel executive board representatives and five with sublevel management representatives. Saturation was achieved by interviewing all females on Dutch hotel corporate boards regarding their career experiences compared with those of female general managers and male counterparts.FindingsThis paper finds a prevailing “masculinist” perspective of an idealized shareholder-orientated executive and a “feminist” perspective of a humanized stakeholder-orientated executive expressed within the interviews. While the former sacrifices family for their career, the latter balances their family with their career. The former fosters presupposed gender norms, with females commonly sacrificing their careers while males sacrifice their families. Notably, most executives predominantly supported the humanized stakeholder-orientated executive, while recognizing that micro-, meso- and macro-structural barriers remain.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a lacuna in the ethical literature in exploring female executive representation in Rhenish stakeholder-focused governance structures, as opposed to Anglo-Saxon shareholder-focused ones. It found a “masculinist” perspective of an idealized shareholder-focused executive archetype and a “feminist” perspective of a humanized stakeholder-focused executive archetype. Notably, contrary to perceived business norms, several interviewees rejected the former as it is incompatible with family and work, instead seeking the latter which balances between family and work.

Research trends in tourism and hospitality from 1991 to 2020: an integrated approach of corpus linguistics and bibliometrics

PurposeThis study aims to track the historical development in tourism and hospitality research over the past 30 years by applying a novel interdisciplinary approach, combining both corpus linguistics and bibliometric analysis.Design/methodology/approachMost frequently discussed topics and newly emerging topics were identified by investigating 18,266 abstracts from 18 leading tourism and hospitality journals with corpus linguistics toolkit AntConc and natural language processing (NLP) tool spaCy. Trend analysis and bibliometric methods were used to determine the longitudinal changes of research topics, most highly-cited publications and authors' production.FindingsThis study revealed the evolution patterns of the identified 576 most frequently discussed topics across the four subperiods (1991–2000, 2001–2010, 2011–2015 and 2016–2020). Specifically, results showed that information technology-related topics account for the largest proportion of the identified 38 newly emerging topics from 2011. Besides, researchers are increasingly focusing on the use of more sophisticated and advanced statistical methodologies.Practical implicationsThis study helps researchers make sensible decisions on what research topics to explore; it also helps practitioners and stakeholders make the shift and track opportunities in the field.Originality/valueNo other studies have employed the novel interdisciplinary approach, combining corpus linguistic tools in linguistics, NLP techniques in computer science and bibliometric analysis in library and information science, for exploring research trends in tourism and hospitality.

Local food consumption values and attitude formation: the moderating effect of food neophilia and neophobia

PurposeThe local food tourism in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, and it attracts scholars to determine the factors affecting local food tourists' buying choices. Particularly, the authors aim to investigate the role of food consumption values on predicting domestic tourists' attitude toward local food and its effect on the intention to try local food with the moderating effect of personality traits (neophobia and neophilia).Design/methodology/approachThe authors tested the study model on 250 completed responses from local food tourists. They collected the data from three tourism locations (Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar) in Pakistan. Their study utilizes the consumption value theory within the limits of Pakistan's local food tourism.FindingsThe empirical findings show that consumption values, such as price, emotion, interaction, epistemic value, location value and variety value, effectively explain the domestic tourists' attitude toward local food. The authors further report that food neophilia strengthens the local tourists' positive reception toward the local food. However, food neophobia weakens the direction between local tourists' attitude toward local food and the intention to try local food.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights pertaining to tourists' local food consumption values (LFCVs) to a local destination owner and marketing manager to strategically work on LFCVs that are crucial for domestic tourists to derive their intention to try local food. Practitioners should work on domestic tourists who possess food neophobia trait and enquire them for their rejection or avoidance of a particular local destination. This will enable practitioners to bring innovation and development in the local destination, which ultimately promote local food tourism.Originality/valueThis study is the first to incorporate the variety and local value in tourists' LFCVs to predict local tourists' attitude toward local food. Additionally, the authors contribute to local food tourism by empirically studying the moderating role of personality traits (food neophilia and food neophobia) to examine the direction between local tourists' attitude and intention to local food.

Supplier selection criteria in the Greek hotel food and beverage divisions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting supplier selection in food and beverage divisions in the Greek hotel industry. This research aimed to (1) examine the factors affecting supplier selection in food and beverage divisions of the Greek hotel industry, as these were perceived by the Greek purchasing managers themselves; (2) investigate the underlying factors when changing a supplier.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted using a closed-ended type questionnaire. Data collection met the following three criteria: hotels with a fully operational food and beverage division could participate in the research, the research population comprised all the hotels located in 13 regions of Greece, the sample represented over 10% of the total hotels in each region. Finally, 653 valid questionnaires were collected.FindingsExploratory factor analysis showed that six broad sets of factors affect supplier selection in the food and beverage divisions: those related to raw materials, financing, environment, services, origin-nutrients and people. Regarding the factors considered in changing a supplier, three factors were found: service and product quality, economic policy change, food quality and safety management systems.Research limitations/implicationsGreek hotel managers could use the findings of the study to effectively create a supply chain management strategy that will lead to improved firm performance. Understanding the importance of the selection criteria for the supply chain performance and the need to build strong relationships with stakeholders, suppliers could also create a proper supply chain.Originality/valueThe study adds to the knowledge regarding the perspectives of the Greek purchasing managers in food and beverage divisions in hotel industry and the body of much-needed research. Using exploratory factor analysis, a sort of grouping of the variables seems beneficial for simplifying how to present and understand the factors affecting supplier selection in food and beverage divisions within the Greek context.

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) research – a comparative bibliometric analysis and future research insight

PurposeIn recent times, the growing use of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has attracted consumers, organizations and marketers alike. The objective of this study is to summarize and compare the current mass of eWOM research published in leading hospitality and tourism journals with research published in the other fields of both business and management.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses multiple bibliometric analysis methods, including citation, co-citation, keyword and co-word analysis. It compares various assessments of eWOM research published in 399 selected business publications and 398 selected hospitality/tourism publications (ABDC A and above and ABS 3 and above) between 2003 and 2021.FindingsThe co-citation analysis identified three thematic areas under each of the domains, i.e. in the hospitality/tourism field, the three themes included eWOM and behavior; eWOM and social media; and eWOM as a marketing tool. Similarly, under the business field (encompasses remaining business and management subdisciplines), the three themes are eWOM and sales, eWOM quality and attributes; and eWOM, information and consumer. Additionally, the word and co-word analysis mapped the comparative evolution of research in these two fields. The study advocates more research focusing on less researched platforms using diverse data, recommender systems adoption and application of eWOM in the business to business (B2B) context.Research limitations/implicationsThis study summarizes the overall theoretical and conceptual structure of eWOM research in both business and hospitality/tourism fields; based upon which, several recommendations for future research are proposed.Originality/valueBy comparing the developments in the specialized hospitality/tourism sector with broader management literature using multiple, complementary techniques, this study brings out important insights for hospitality/tourism researchers.

How leader–member exchange affects job embeddedness and job dedication through employee advocacy

PurposeCompatible with the principles of leader–member exchange (LMX) theory and social exchange theory (SET), the study explores the effect of LMX on job embeddedness and job dedication and the mediating role of employee advocacy.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered via a survey at four hotels in Izmir. To test the reliability and validity, 194 valid questionnaires were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results show that high quality LMX and employee advocacy increase the hotel employees' job embeddedness and job dedication. In addition, the results show that employee advocacy has a partial mediating effect on the relationships between LMX and job embeddedness, and between LMX and job dedication.Originality/valueAlthough past researches have examined both various determinants of employee job embeddedness and job dedication, and consequences of high-quality LMX, they have ignored a critical factor, which is employee advocacy. This current study addresses this research gap by investigating the interrelations between LMX and job embeddedness, and job advocacy through employee advocacy in hotels. Moreover, this research is the first empirical study that analyzes the relationships between LMX, job embeddedness, job dedication and employee advocacy in the same model. Therefore, this research contributes to hospitality literature by filling this gap.

Leadership challenges for Indian hospitality industry during COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe COVID-19 crisis has affected almost all the global sectors. The hotel industry, however, was hit hardest challenging the leadership. This study, therefore, attempts to explore the challenges hospitality leadership in India face to navigate the crisis. The study additionally addresses how leaders manage the expectations of key stakeholders; communicate hard decisions with employees, pursue strategies for revival and explores the role of technology to survive the crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative approach involving structured interviews with 16 senior hospitality leaders consisting of CEO, vice president, general managers, directors, entrepreneur and general managers from various organisations like hotels, restaurant chains, food services and facilities management services. Data were content analysed involving coding techniques.FindingsThe leadership challenges included making customers and employees feel safe, optimising operations, agility and resilience of leaders, maintaining a balance between stakeholders, managing employee stress and ensuring cash reserves. The study found that leaders manage the expectation of various stakeholders by maintaining balance, demonstrating empathy and agility. The hard decisions are communicated with the employees through involvement, empathy and alleviating stress.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes by identifying twelve themes from the participants' responses under five major themes-labelled as leadership challenges, managing stakeholders, communicating with the employees, the role of technology and best practices of surviving the crisis. Future research can be conducted on such sub-themes in different countries.Practical implicationsAs the tourism industry in India is recovering after the second wave, the governments along with all stakeholders, must launch special events for promoting the tourism sector. Safety measures like making vaccination certificates for all tourists and employees of the tourism sector should be made mandatory. Further, special certification following the COVID-19 protocol needs to be introduced for hotels and catering establishments. A fund generated from the sector's direct tax contribution needs to be established to support the employees.Social implicationsThe study has several social implications. The study results can unite all industry stakeholders to shape the post-pandemic era through collaboration. Empathetic leadership can take the industry out of chaos by balancing the interests of the various stakeholders of society. The pandemic has proven that we all are vulnerable to risks and challenges; leaders have a vital role in taking proactive steps to ensure that such uncertainties do not cause unprecedented damage.Originality/valueThis study expanded the research on the hospitality leadership challenges in managing crises in the backdrop of the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The conceptual model, variables, themes and sub-themes utilised are original contributions to the hospitality literature.

Linking leadership styles to communication competency and work engagement: evidence from the hotel industry

PurposeThis study examines the mediation effects of leaders' communication competency in the link between leadership styles (i.e. servant and transactional leadership) and employees' work engagement.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional survey data from 392 employees in 33 hotels in Bangladesh were collected. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling was adopted, and partial least squares (PLS) analysis was used.FindingsResults of PLS analysis revealed that servant leaders and leaders' communication competency positively influence employees' work engagement. In boosting employees' work engagement, communication competency is an important tool for servant leadership but not for transactional leadership.Practical implicationsHoteliers and managers may want to adopt a servant leadership style and develop effective leadership communication skills to increase employees' engagement at work.Originality/valueThis study introduces communication competency as a mediating mechanism between leadership styles and work engagement in the hospitality industry.

Place attachment and affinity: turning the Mainland Chinese students into “Word-of-Mouth Champions”

PurposeMainland Chinese students are the largest group of international students globally. The role of international students in destination marketing can be seen as “Word-of-Mouth Champions”. This study attempts to examine the effect of place attachment and affinity for Mainland Chinese students on generating word-of-mouth intention towards their place of study.Design/methodology/approachSix well-trained research assistants collected paper-based questionnaires in six institutions in Macao. They chose every tenth student who passed by to fill in the questionnaire at six locations in each institution. This study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the strength of causal relationship among place identity, place dependence, affinity and intention to word-of-mouth.FindingsThe results of the survey from 327 students in Macao indicate that place dependence, place identity and affinity drive Mainland Chinese students to provide word-of-mouth regarding Macao. Place dependence has a positive influence on place identity, and place identity has a positive influence on affinity with residents. However, place dependence has no significant direct effect on affinity.Practical implicationsEvidence from this study indicates the importance of students' word-of-mouth as they as sojourners, in particular, the students' place attachment and affinity for residents is critical to positive their Word-of-mouth on destinations. This research offers insights about the potential group which need require attention.Originality/valueThis study fills a research gap by exploring the relationship between place attachment and social distance in influencing Mainland Chinese students' behaviour, a relationship that has rarely been investigated in tourism research. Practical recommendations are provided to the governments, universities and education enterprises according to the results of the study. From both theoretical and practical perspectives, the findings from this study suggest promoting international students to turn into real “Word-of-Mouth Champions”.

Dimensions of gastronomic experience affecting on sharing experience: place attachment as a mediator and length of stay as a moderator

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impact of gastronomic experience on sharing experiences, as well as place attachment as a mediator and length of stay as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative method was used in this study. The paper conducted an online survey from 717 international tourists who visited Phuket, a city of gastronomy.FindingsThe result revealed that four dimensions of gastronomic experience – entertainment, escapist, education and aesthetic – affected sharing experience. The mediating role of place attachment was documented. As expected, the length of stay moderated the effect of the gastronomic experience on sharing experience through place attachment as a mediator.Practical implicationsThese results could help destination managers to develop tourist experiences and enhance customers' length of stay and place attachment. On the other hand, this research contributes to the understanding of the factors that affect sharing experience in the tourism industry with a special focus on the city of gastronomy.Originality/valuePrior research shows that tourism experience provides a future tourist behavior based on effective attitudinal variables. At the present, this research provides researchers with information on how to narrow the behavior gap through a range of marketing. This study gives additional insights into the indications of what visitors will transfer into behavior and why an area that has not been addressed previously in this context.