Hotel General Managers Research Articles

MADA–Marketing Analytic Digital Apps: A Business Dynamics Trajectory

The tourism industry is one of the leading service sectors, and it is crucial to gather data and conduct analysis to forecast market dynamics. Both academia and the industry require support in collecting data to conduct a comprehensive analysis, essential for mapping out the competition among tourism businesses, predicting trends, and making informed decisions. A digital platform is necessary to collect first-hand data from industry stakeholders across Indonesia. This platform would enable analysis based on various criteria such as region, pricing, hotel ratings, and profitability. Access to such data would significantly enhance research efforts, fostering sustainable partnerships between the industry and academia. A proposed Android app, "MADA," has been designed to meet a specific need. In order to assess the level of support for the project, a comprehensive digital survey comprising 17 questions was administered to General Managers via the Indonesian Hotel General Managers Association (IHGMA). Results from the survey indicate that MADA is widely embraced as a tool for market analysis, with an overwhelming 97.25% of respondents expressing strong approval.

Post-pandemic recovery strategies of Coastal hotels: Durban, South Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic caused prevalent effects across multiple industries; the hotel industry in parti-cular was impacted severely. However, Durban hotels derived innovative recovery strategies that could be implemented in most hospitality operations to alleviate financial disruptions. Furthermore, exemplifies the significance of hotel preparedness in times of crisis. This study aims to investigate the effects and recovery strategies post-COVID-19 in Durban hotels to present recommendations to sustain the industry through disastrous events. A qualitative methodology was applied in the primary data collection through semi-structured interviews with hotel general and senior managers. Qualitative computer-assisted software known as ATLAS.ti was used in the data analysis. The findings indicate that the measures taken by hotels resulted in sustainable strategies that aided their survival through the pandemic. Strategies included marketing campaigns, competition analysis, tactical spending, and evolved offerings among others. This paper provides achievable practices that can be used in times of crisis or financial challenges for hotels irrespective of status or size.

Sustainable luxury: from an oxymoron to a tautology – the case of the Indian luxury hospitality industry

PurposeIn the context of heightened awareness and understanding of responsible tourism, it has become increasingly imperative for luxury hotels to introspect on the impact of their operations on environmental and social sustainability. This study aims at examining the prevalence and growth of sustainability practices in the Indian luxury hotel segment as it increasingly competes on a global platform.Design/methodology/approachThe research approach adopted in this paper is qualitative and emic. Primary data is gathered for the study through semi-structured interviews with select luxury hotel general managers from four hotel chains of Indian origin – ITC Luxury Hotels, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, Taj Hotels and Palaces and The Leela – to gain an insight into sustainability initiatives adopted in the Indian hospitality industry. Secondary research data regarding the eco-friendly, green measures implemented in these hotels is collected primarily from the websites of the respective hotel chains and supplemented by review of academic literature, media articles, industry reports and company press releases.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal that Indian luxury hotel brands are increasingly adopting green products and integrating innovative sustainability practices in their day-to-day operations. However, several of these initiatives are in the non-customer-facing domains such as the engineering and back-of-the-house operations. Very few Indian hotel chains are building these sustainability initiatives into their core philosophy and embedding it in the front-line customer service experience at their properties to reinforce the green image of the hotels.Originality/valueThe paper also proposes the 6Cs Framework of Sustainability that can be utilised to categorise the green sustainable practices adopted in responsible hotels in a simplistic manner under six broad verticals. Practitioners, researchers and educationists in the hospitality industry would find the implications of this study useful in the context of a post-pandemic world where sustainability is influencing consumer choices across industries in today’s eco-conscious and enlightened business and marketing environment.

Hotel general managers' brand love: A thematic analysis with general managers in the U.S.

Although previous literature has identified support from top managers as one key success factor in internal branding, a knowledge gap remains regarding understanding general managers' (GMs') mindset toward their brands. Focusing on brand love, a construct identified as the highest degree of human-brand relationship, this study conceptualizes brand love and explores factors influencing brand love identified through interviews with fourteen hotel GMs in the U.S. Thematic analysis is applied with three raters to code the information collected. This study identifies five dimensions of hotel GMs' conception of brand love: affinity, experience, pride, loyalty, and reputation. Four dimensions of positive factors (employee benefits, organization, product, community) and four dimensions of negative factors (individual, organization, product, guests) emerged with several sub-dimensions. Findings of this study contribute to knowledge creation in hospitality branding literature as well as implications for hotel corporate-level human resource (HR) managers on planning GM-related HR programs.

The expatriate and local hotel general managers: differing approaches to employees’ loyalty

PurposeHotels conducting international business are acknowledging the importance of an expatriate general manager (GM), to increase the effectiveness of their knowledge management system through the sharing of knowledge between expatriates and local employees. In the aspect of comparative leadership studies, this study attempts to compare and analyze the effects of knowledge sharing (KS) efforts, which are competencies of expatriate GMs and local GMs, on employee trust, organizational KS and employee loyalty.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from employees of 7 hotels managed by expatriate GMs among 16 franchising luxury (5-star) hotels, and from employees of 6 hotels operated by local GMs among 9 local luxury hotels located in Korea. Structural equation modeling method using SmartPLS 3.3.3 was used to analyze the data.FindingsExpatriate GM’s two-way KS influences affective trust but does not influence cognitive trust. Affective trust influences cognitive and organizational KS but does not influence employee loyalty. Cognitive trust does not influence organizational KS but influences employee loyalty. Finally, organizational KS significantly affects employee loyalty. In addition, in the analysis comparing the estimates between expatriate and local GM group, significant differences in groups were found for the impact of GM’s two-way KS on cognitive trust, for the impact of affective trust on organizational KS, for the impact of affective trust on employee loyalty and for the impact of cognitive trust on organizational KS.Practical implicationsThis study shows that knowledge management designs need to consider different effects of expatriate GMs’ and local GMs’ capabilities on employee attitudes and behavior considering cultural impacts. Expatriate GMs will greatly benefit their effort for KS by assuring employees that they are attentive to their needs, interests and problems.Originality/valueThis study not only contributes to the existing social capital theory but also provides managerial implications for human resources management in the hospitality field through a comparative study of KS efforts of expatriate and local GMs.

Hospitality managers in turbulent times: the COVID-19 crisis

PurposeThis study aims to explore the role General Managers (GMs) play in mitigating the effects of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachQualitative structured interviews conducted online with 50 hospitality GMs from 45 countries are used to explore the impact of the pandemic on the industry’s operational norms and the role of managers in both managing the crisis and planning contingencies for recovery.FindingsThe findings enhance the conceptual capital in this emerging field and provide insights on how GMs behave during crises. Four related sub-themes emerged from the data analysis, namely, contingency planning and crisis management, resilience and impact on GM roles, the impact on hotels’ key functional areas and some GMs’ suggestions for the future of luxury hospitality.Research limitations/implicationsThis study generates empirical data that inform contemporary debates about crisis management and resilience in hospitality organizations at a micro-level operational perspective.Practical implicationsFindings suggest that, in times of uncertainty and crisis, luxury hotel GMs are vital in coping with changes and leading their organizations to recovery. GMs’ resilience and renewed role and abilities enable them to adapt rapidly to external changes on their business environment.Originality/valueThis study is unique in terms of scale and depth, as it provides useful insights regarding the GM’s role during an unprecedented crisis such as COVID-19.

Political violence and hotels: economic consequences and response strategies

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the economic consequences of political violence on hotels operating in Hawassa city and assess their response strategies to deal with the crisis. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews with 13 hotel general managers in Hawassa city was employed, and data from interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Study findings uncovered that political violence inflicted significant economic costs on hotels operating in the city. To deal with the effects of political violence, hotels put in place temporary but creatively crafted tools that resorted to cost reduction and marketing strategies. The study could help to better understand the vulnerability and resilience of tourism to political violence in the context of small-city hotels.

Antalya da Yer Alan Konaklama Tesisleri Yöneticilerinin COVID-19 Kapsamında Alınabilecek Tedbirler Üzerine Görüşleri (The Views of The Managers of The Accommodation Facilities in Antalya on The COVID19 Scope)

Purpose – Tourism is one of the sectors that are defined as corona virus (COVID-19) and are affected by the epidemic in a short time, which affects the whole world. Especially the fact that accommodation enterprises have to stop their activities has increased the importance of the measures to be taken against the epidemic. The purpose of this research is to determine the opinions of the accommodation facility managers in Antalya regarding the basic measures that can be taken within the scope of the COVID-19 outbreak. Design/methodology/approach – The research universe consists of the five stars hotels managers of the accommodation facilities located in Antalya. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, face-to-face meetings were not available with participants, and 13 hotel general managers were contacted at different time intervals and online interviews were conducted. The research was carried out by using interview technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Standardized open-ended interview approach was used among interview approaches. Content analysis, one of the qualitative data analysis, was used in the analysis of the research data. The data were analyzed with the help of MAXQDA program. Findings – According to the results of the research, the main measures to be taken in all operational units, especially the front office, food and beverage and housekeeping services, are gathered under 4 t hemes ( basic m easures that can b e taken for f ront office services, food and beverage services, housekeeping and other services) and 43 topics. Discussion – The titles and contents obtained as a result of the study show that hotel management pays great attention to hygiene activities in every unit of the hotel in the period called “new normal” after the corona virus. This can help potential tourists break their sense of insecurity to stay at the hotel.

Book Review: Kelly A. McGuire’s Hotel Pricing in a Social World

Book Review: Kelly A. McGuire’s Hotel Pricing in a Social World

Market Orientation, Hotel Chain Group And Strategic Management Accounting Usage

The growth effect of the hospitality industry is an increasingly strong competition. Management's focus on the use of strategic management accounting is an important key in anticipating competition. For this reason, this study needs to identify factors that can influence the use of strategic management accounting by hotel management. This study aims to explain the effect of market orientation and hotel chain groups on the use of strategic management accounting in the hospitality industry. A total of 134 questionnaires are distributed to the hotel general managers in Southern Sumatra region. The number of questionnaires used in this study is 118 (88.06%). The data are analyzed using a statistical method of multiple regression. The statistical software used to estimate the model is SPSS software version 21. Research findings indicate that market orientation and hotel chain groups have a positive impact on the use of strategic management accounting in the hotel industry. An important contribution of this research is that the research findings confirm that market orientation is an important factor in the implementation of strategic management accounting, and hotel chain groups are new things that can be identified in strategic management accounting research.

Relationship satisfaction: An overlooked marketing channel safeguard

Transaction specific investments (TSIs) are investments that a marketing channel firm makes to create value for a particular channel relationship. TSIs transform the relationship by creating barriers to exit or lock-in situations because the investing party cannot leave the relationship without incurring substantial costs. This situation may compel the investing party to engage in opportunism to recoup the value of the specific investments, particularly when they are not satisfied with the relationship. We argue, therefore, that relationship satisfaction may serve as an important safeguard when TSIs have been made. Further, we argue that monitoring ease will interact with the moderating effect of relationship satisfaction on the relationship between TSIs and opportunism. Data were collected from 296 hotel general managers and 37 hotel headquarters' field representatives in the U.S. and Canada to test these possibilities. We found that relationship satisfaction indeed serves as an important safeguard, particularly when the partner has difficulty in monitoring the firm.

Business model innovation in the Indian hospitality industry

Purpose This study aims to explore the reasons for the rise of independent, stand-alone restaurants and ascertains the benefits of outsourcing food and beverage (F&B) in luxury hotels in India from the perspectives of the strategic partners involved in such an alliance. The study also proposes different formats for F&B outsourcing in luxury hotels. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory study was carried out by collecting primary data from 16 Hotel General Managers and F&B operations experts through qualitative, semi-structured, personal and in-depth interviews. NVivo12 software was used to carry out a qualitative thematic analysis of the data. The primary data collected were triangulated with secondary data gathered through literature review of academic papers, industry reports and studies on the trends of restaurants in luxury hotels being outsourced. Findings The study focusses on the antecedents of the rise of stand-alone restaurants in the Indian hospitality industry. To combat the competitive disruption arising because of this trend, the study posits the business model innovation of outsourcing F&B operations in luxury hotels. Practical implications The benefits of a strategic alliance from the perspective of both parties – the luxury hotel and Michelin-star chef or branded/marquee restaurant – are elucidated. Further, three broad formats, which can be adopted for speciality restaurant outsourcing are also proposed. Practitioners, researchers and educationists in the hospitality industry would find the implications of this study useful in the context of the present customer-centric business environment where hotels are constantly striving to meet the exponentially rising bar of guest expectations in an increasingly globalised milieu. Originality/value The study proposes a preliminary road map for internationalisation of F&B operations through the business model innovation of outsourcing operations of in-house specialty restaurants by luxury hotels in the Indian context.

ANALISIS HUKUM PENGELOLAAN HOTEL BERBASIS SYARIAH KHUSUSNYA ASPEK PERLINDUNGAN KONSUMEN DITINJAU DARI PERSPEKTIF HUKUM BISNIS

Syari'ah based hotel. Hotel Syari'ah is a concept of a combination of conventional hotel business by incorporating several principles (rules / values) of Islam in it. This concept is one thing that is fairly new, but is in great demand by people who are predominantly Muslim like Indonesia. The approach used in this study is a normative juridical method, namely an approach that uses the concept of positivist legislation which states that law is identical to written norms made and promulgated by authorized institutions or officials. The subjects in this study were the Application of Syari'ah Principles with data sources for hotel general managers, supervisors, and employees. Constraints found in the study include the negative perception of the hotel business that has been built up so far in the community such as that hotels are used for immorality, but after many Syari’ah-based hotels, the community began to shift its paradigm towards hotels, especially syari’ah-based hotels.

The effect of hospitality conference messaging on employee job responses

Despite the prevalent practice of organizing costly annual leadership conferences by hospitality organizations, little is known about the impact of such conferences on employees’ job outcomes. This study is the first to examine the effectiveness of conference messages on attendee-employee job response. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires from 235 leadership conference participants including corporate employees and hotel general managers of a well-known US-based limited-service hotel chain. Based on signaling theory, the results indicated that in the relatively less distorted signaling environment of the annual leadership conference, when a signaler (corporate leadership) sends an observable and strong signal (conference message) to a receiver (conference attendee) it positively and significantly influenced employee engagement, service climate, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Statistically significant differences were found between first-time and repeat conference attendees, indicating stronger results overall for first-time attendees.

Measuring disaster resilience within the hotel sector: An exploratory survey of Wellington and Hawke's Bay, New Zealand hotel staff and managers

The measure of disaster resilience within the hotel sector is investigated in this exploratory quantitative study. Disaster resilience of hotels describes the organisations’ ability to withstand and recover from a disaster. Data collected from hotel general managers and staff in two New Zealand tourist destinations were derived through an Internet-based survey instrument. The survey data queried different aspects of disaster resilience from a capital-based approach. Capitals investigated included economic, social, human, physical, natural, and cultural. Survey insights from both general managers and staff in Hawke's Bay and Wellington regions advance our knowledge of resilience predictors and highlights current and future resilience-building actions and activities, and gaps. The inclusion of employee responses in studies of tourism management is uncommon and provides an added dimension to our understanding of disaster resilience-building in the hotel context. The data shows that hotels in the sample have positive attributes of disaster resilience across all of the surveyed capital predictors. Data also identified some gaps in these hotels’ disaster resilience. Recommended areas of future focus for resilience-building include: budgeting disaster management activities, greater emphasis on involving staff in disaster planning, and increased information on hazards and protective actions for guests.

Assessment of the Role of Top Management in the Egyptian Hospitality Industry through All-Inclusive Sales: The Case of Hurghada

The major role of top management in the hospitality industry represents includes planning, supervision, regulation, follow-up stimulus and top management operations, in addition to the main role in the marketing and sales and achieving the desired goals of the organization's operations. Achieving these tasks can be judged or evaluated the performance of this management. This study aims to examine assessment of the role of top management in the Egyptian hospitality industry through the All-Inclusive sales, through a case of Hurghada destination in the Red Sea Governorate in order to reach the best recommendations and suggestions for the improvement and development of the real role of top management and this will be of great benefits to the Egyptian hospitality industry in general. In order to achieve this aim, mixes of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used. Where it was used semi-structured personal interview with some of hotel general managers and their assistants. Also, two types of questionnaire forms were conducted with hotel employees and hotel. Meanwhile, the investigated hotels are limited to five and four star categories in Hurghada destination.

Measuring and analysing standardisation in the Hungarian hotel sector

In tourism and the hotel sector standardisation is sometimes an advantage and other times a disadvantage, though it has been mentioned several times. This research explores the topic of standardisation in the Hungarian hotels. The paper determines the level of standardisation in hotels and the extant of the relationship between the level of standardisation and the hotel affiliation, the Hotelstars Union membership, the number of rooms and the star rating. There are 81 questionnaires filled out by hotel general managers of those hotels which belong to the Hungarian Hotel and Restaurant Association. Only the three-, four- and five-star hotels were questioned by this survey. The results show that the level of hotel standardisation depends on the hotel chain membership but only weakly by 5%. There are also proven significant relationships with the Hotelstars Union membership, the number of rooms and the star rating of the hotels. Keywords : Standardization, hotel, chains, hotel stars, rooms.

Modelling the Impact of ISO 26000 Implementation on Egyptian Hotel Sector Performance

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of ISO 26000 implementation on Egyptian hotel sector performance among hotel general managers, financial managers and food and beverage managers based on adoption seven core principles of ISO 26000 which are organizational governance, human rights, labor practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, community involvement, and development. The study is based on a quantitative approach to achieve its aim. The procedure for collecting data for this study used a questionnaire to collect exploratory data. The semi-structured questionnaire online link was sent randomly to hotels' managers and financial managers via email and across social media (Facebook) to collect their perspective. The results of this study can act as a reference guide to hotel managers, financial managers and food and beverage managers to develop strategies to overcome ISO 26000 implementation challenges. First, the study revealed that hotel’s progress on ISO26000adoption contributed to maximize its economic performance, increasing market share and enhancing reputation. Second, the economic, social and environmental drivers have a significant positive effect on ISO adoption. Third, the result also indicated that the internal, the external and resources barriers have a negative effect on ISO adoption.

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY, MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING SYSTEM INFORMATION AND CUSTOMER-RELATED PERFORMANCE

This study aims to analyse how competitive strategy and managerial use of the management accounting system (MAS) information may affect customer-related performance in the hotel industry. An online survey involving 116 hotel general managers (GMs) was conducted to collect data from 3- to 5-star hotels located in Indonesia. Additionally, in-depth interviews with 19 GMs were performed in order to enhance the validity of the research findings and make the discussion of the results more informative. Based on the analysis, the results revealed that managerial use of MAS information may enhance customer-related performance in the hotel industry after competitive strategy has been applied. This paper provides empirical evidence on the relationship between competitive strategy, managerial use of MAS information, and customer-related performance of hotel industry in Indonesia.

Competencies of hotel general managers: a conceptual framework

PurposeIt is crucial for hospitality organisations to develop sustainable leadership by regularly re-evaluating the competencies and skills required by their senior managers and leaders. In the context of this strategic talent management imperative, this paper aims to identify and map competencies required for the pivotal position of a hotel general manager to develop a holistic and relevant leadership competency framework.Design/methodology/approachThrough secondary research, this study undertakes a detailed literature review of competency and leadership studies in the context of the hospitality industry to distil the essential competencies and skills required by a general manager.FindingsThis study proposes a leadership competency model for hospitality organisations in the form of a 43-item competency framework for hotel general managers categorised into four broad dimensions – cognitive competencies (knowledge), functional competencies (skills), social competencies (attitudes and behaviours) and meta competencies (motives and traits).Practical implicationsThe proposed competency model, once empirically tested for robustness, could serve as a blueprint for hospitality organisations to develop their own organisation-specific competency framework for senior leadership that could prove to be a keystone for integrated talent management practices. Further, educationists and trainers could use the findings of this study as inputs in designing curricula and pedagogical interventions to meet the industry’s future needs and expectations with regards to competencies of senior managers.Originality/valueBy aggregating competencies from earlier studies and synthesising and categorising them in accordance with a contemporary, hospitality industry-relevant typology, a comprehensive competency model specific for hotel general managers has been proposed.