TQM in American Hotels

Abstract

This 1997 study of 230 AH&MA-member properties is the first to attempt a summary survey of TQM programs in the hotels in the United States. The survey found that 116 of the properties responding practice TQM. Three-quarters of these TQM properties are full-service hotels. Statistical tests on the responses showed that size, affiliation, and lodging segment are significantly associated with hotels' using TQM. Generally, the larger the hotel, the more likely it is to have a TQM system, and chain hotels are more likely than independents to have TQM systems. The most common barrier to TQM success is failure of management leadership. One caveat to the findings is that AH&MA-member hotels are, on average, larger than the hotels as a group, possibly skewing the results to show a larger proportion of TQM programs in place than occurs in the industry as a whole.