Hotels In China Research Articles

Servant Versus Authentic Leadership

This study compares the effectiveness of servant versus authentic leadership in hospitality firms by examining relationships with group-level trust and individual-level work outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment, work engagement, and work performance), and their influencing mechanisms through trust climate. Using two-wave data from 1,132 employee–supervisor pairs from 80 departments in 16 star-level hotels in China, we find that these two forms of leadership have positive effects on group trust climate and employee work outcomes; however, the magnitudes and paths of their effects are distinct. In comparison with authentic leadership, servant leadership has a more significant effect on creating a trust climate and a more direct effect regarding increasing employees’ positive work attitudes (i.e., organizational commitment and work engagement), ultimately influencing work performance. This study also demonstrates the importance of group trust climate in relationships between group-level leadership and individual-level employee work attitudes and performance. These findings extend the scope of servant and authentic leadership research, and advocate servant leadership in the hospitality industry.

The Impact of High-Commitment HR Practices on Hotel Employees’ Proactive Customer Service Performance

To explore the organizational antecedents of proactive customer service performance (PCSP), we developed and tested a multi-level model of the impact of high-commitment human resource (HR) practices on PCSP in the hospitality industry. Drawing on the proactive motivation model, the mediating roles of work-related self-efficacy, perceived organizational support, and harmonious passion for work are examined simultaneously in the relationship between high-commitment HR practices and PCSP. Using time-lagged data from 94 hotels in China, we found that high-commitment HR practices positively influenced service employees’ PCSP via work-related self-efficacy, perceived organizational support, and harmonious passion for work. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this research and also give some suggestions on how to effectively adopt and implement high-commitment HR practices.

The impact of CEO servant leadership on firm performance in the hospitality industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw on the theory of servant leadership to examine the influence of chief executive officer (CEO) servant leadership on firm performance in the hospitality industry. It examined the mediating role of the service climate and the moderating role of competitive intensity in the relationship between CEO servant leadership and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachMultiple regression was used to analyze multi-wave, multi-source data from 92 hotels in China. A moderated path analysis was used to test the moderating effects.FindingsCEO servant leadership positively influenced firm performance via the service climate in the hospitality industry. Competitive intensity strengthened the direct effect of the service climate on firm performance, and the indirect effect of CEO servant leadership on firm performance via service climate.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings offer managerial insights into CEO succession, service management and human resource management.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to investigate how and when CEO servant leadership might shape firm outcomes in the hospitality industry. Theoretically, the findings enrich our understanding of how CEO leadership might shape firm-level outcomes.

Person–organization fit, perceived organizational support, and organizational citizenship behavior: The role of job embeddedness

ABSTRACTThis research examines the moderating effects of job embeddedness on organizational citizenship behavior through both person–organization fit and perceived organizational support as well as the mediating effect of perceived organizational support on the relationship between person–organization fit and organizational citizenship behavior. Using a sample of 673 hotel employees and 131 managers, it was found that perceived organizational support mediated the relationship between person–organization fit and organizational citizenship behavior. The results also showed that the relationship between person–organization fit and organizational citizenship behavior, and the relationship between perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behavior were stronger among employees who were more embedded into their jobs. The results revealed that hotels in China that strive for organizational citizenship behavior should focus primarily on perceived organizational support and person–organization fit. In light of the findings, the article offers insight into the practical implications for organizational citizenship behavior. Limitations and future research directions are discussed at the end.

Motivating frontline employees: Role of job characteristics in work and life satisfaction

Abstract This study examined the intrinsic motivation for hospitality jobs and the effects of job characteristics on job satisfaction, job stress, and life satisfaction. Data were obtained from the survey responses of 401 frontline employees working at six full-service, upscale hotels in China. Results indicated that autonomy, task identity, and task significance reduced job stress, feedback increased job satisfaction, and task significance enhanced life satisfaction. Surprisingly, skill variety was negatively associated with job satisfaction, but positively associated with job stress. The composite Motivating Potential Score was positively associated with job satisfaction, but negatively associated with job stress. One recommendation is for hospitality organizations to analyze their service jobs to improve the intrinsic motivation of their employees.

Culture Differences and Challenges in Localization of Senior Executives of International Luxury Hotels in China

ABSTRACTWith the rapid increase of international hotels in China, the importance of talent localization has widely been recognized, although empirical research is still limited. This paper explores the current situation of talent localization of international luxury hotels in China and its influencing factors from a cultural perspective through in-depth interviews with executives and senior managers of hotel associations, luxury hotels, and hotel owners. The findings indicate that the localization process of senior managers is still slow. One of the important barriers to the localization process is cultural differences, which are analyzed at the social, organizational, and individual levels. Contradictory pressures between standardization and localization and mistrust issues influenced by culture differences are further discussed. Practical implications are indicated.

Sexual harassment and proactive customer service performance: The roles of job engagement and sensitivity to interpersonal mistreatment

This study examines the relationship between sexual harassment (SH) and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) by focusing on the mediating role of job engagement and the moderating role of sensitivity to interpersonal mistreatment. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, we propose that SH reduces job engagement and PCSP, and that individuals who are highly sensitive to interpersonal mistreatment are more vulnerable to SH. Using time-lagged data collected from 209 female employees of 18 hotels in China, we find that: (1) SH is negatively related to PCSP; (2) SH negatively affects PCSP via job engagement; and (3) sensitivity to interpersonal mistreatment strengthens the direct effect of SH on job engagement and its indirect effect on PCSP via job engagement.

The experience of Meliá Hotels International in China: A case of internationalisation of a Spanish hotel group

The aim of this work is to identify the key success factors of a Spanish investment in a country with such profound cultural differences, as it is China, through the experience of Meliá Hotels International Group, one of the biggest hotel chains in the Spanish and international tourism sector. Two interviews were held with the group’s Vice-president of Development. The first was after the opening of the group’s first hotel in China in 2012, and the second two years later, because of the changes that the group had experienced in China. As a result, nine success factors and three entry barriers were identified.

A study on holistic customer experience in selected resort hotels in China

A study on holistic customer experience in selected resort hotels in China

Stimulating Employees' Feedback-seeking Behavior: The Role of Participative Decision Making

Drawing upon psychological ownership theory, we examined the link between participative decision making and employees' feedback seeking from supervisors, by focusing on the mediating role of job-based psychological ownership. Analysis of data from 248 subordinatesupervisor dyads employed at 2 hotels in China showed that participative decision making was positively associated with employees seeking feedback from supervisors, and the relationship was mediated by job-based psychological ownership. In sum, our results suggest that participative decision making can serve as a managerial tool to stimulate, encourage, and foster employees' feedback-seeking behavior, and that the development of job-based psychological ownership can help with this process.

Localization of Senior Managers of International Luxury Hotels in China: The Current Situation and Influencing Factors

ABSTRACTWith the rapid development of China’s hotel industry, international brand hotels have been expanding rapidly in recent years, which has led to a great demand for hotel talents, especially senior managers. This paper presents an up-to-date understanding of talent localization with respect to international luxury hotels in China through in-depth interviews with executives and senior managers, and it aims to explore the current situation and influencing factors. It was found that the executives mostly agreed with the importance of talent localization, but the localization process of executives and senior managers is still very slow in China. There are differences among different hotel brands and also in different departments. The quality of local talents is one of the main factors restricting the localization process since some vital competencies are insufficient, including international vision, overseas work experience, language and communication skills, leadership, and so on. Various stakeholders, the hotel education in China and its unique sociocultural environment also have impacts on the localization process to varying degrees.

On protection of employee rights and interests in management of tourist hotel in China

With the rapid development of the tourist hotel, the hotel has many problems in the protection of employee rights and interests. To enhance the importance that hotel managers attach to the protection of em-ployee’s rights and interests, and strengthen the hotel employees’ consciousness in rights protection, this paper regards the China’s tourist hotel employees as research objects, discusses the problems and causes in the process of protecting the tourist hotel employee rights and interests, and proposes solutions with the basic idea of “dis-covering, analyzing and solving problems”.

Abusive supervision and customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior: The roles of hostile attribution bias and work engagement

We examined the relationship between abusive supervision and hospitality employees’ customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Employing the conservation of resources theory, we explain the mediating role of work engagement. We further examine the moderating role of hostile attribution bias in exacerbating the abusive supervision and work engagement relationship. Using time-lagged data from 12 hotels in China, we found that abusive supervision negatively affected service employees’ customer-oriented OCB by undermining work engagement. In addition, our findings indicated that hostile attribution bias strengthened the direct effect of abusive supervision on work engagement and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on customer-oriented OCB via work engagement such that the relationships were stronger when hostile attribution bias was high rather than low. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed.

Chinese hotel guest perception of international chain hotels under the same hotel brand in different travel destinations

A qualitative approach was employed to examine how Chinese hotel guests perceive international chain hotels in different travel destinations (i.e. China and abroad) under the same brand. A total of 13,204 reviews were retrieved from online hotel review Web sites, namely DaoDao.com and Ctrip.com . Content analysis of the reviews showed discrepancies in the perceptions. Chinese favoritism toward the West affected the perception of hotel service quality. Empirical results revealed the belief that hotel services in Western cities and Hong Kong are better compared with those of hotels in China. However, the perception in terms of location, rooms and facilities, cleanliness, and value was mainly affected by the experience during the actual hotel stay. No noticeable influence of Chinese favoritism was found.

Learning From “Alien Monks?” The Productivity Spillovers of Foreign-Invested Hotels in China

As suggested by the strategic management literature, foreign-invested firms with superior technology and managerial skills are likely to generate productivity spillovers that may benefit local firms. In this article, we examine productivity spillovers in the context of the hotel industry. Using panel data from star-rated hotels in China’s major cities from 2001 to 2012, we model the labor productivity of domestic hotels as dependent on degree of foreign hotel presence in the city and on other control variables. Our results confirm the existence of productivity spillovers in China’s hotel industry and suggest that the presence of foreign capital is associated with higher labor productivity among domestic hotels. Moreover, the magnitude of these spillovers increases along with the productivity gap between domestic and foreign-invested hotels. Finally, we present several policy implications based on the econometric estimation results.

FDI spillovers in the Chinese hotel industry: The role of geographic regions, star-rating classifications, ownership types, and foreign capital origins

Although productivity spillovers have long been recognized to be a major benefit of foreign direct investment (FDI), such spillovers have not yet been systematically studied in the context of the hotel industry. This paper investigates hotel-related FDI spillover effects as well as moderating factors (geographic region, star rating classification, ownership type and foreign capital origin) in China. Evidence from province-level panel data reveals the existence and significance of intra-industry spillovers from foreign to domestic hotels in China, although the nature and magnitude vary based on different moderating factors. Domestic hotels in eastern and western China and those with alliance and limited liability ownership structures benefit significantly from productivity spillovers. Foreign-invested three-star hotels transfer a significant amount of positive productivity, whereas domestic three- and five-star hotels benefit the most from productivity spillovers. Moreover, foreign-invested hotels from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (HMT) and non-HMT countries generate positive spillovers of similar magnitudes.

Understanding the normative expectations of customers toward Buddhism-themed hotels

Purpose– This study aims to understand the normative expectations of travelers on the services and experiences provided by Buddhism-themed hotels as well as how service providers perceive such expectations. The growth of religion-themed hotels in China follows a larger and more generalized global marketing trend in terms of providing tourists and consumers with “themed” experiences.Design/methodology/approach– Using the service quality model, this study investigates these expectations of Buddhism-themed hotels in China. The Delphi method was used with two expert panels, namely, travelers and tourism/hotel practitioners. Preliminary interviews revealed 98 normative expectations from Buddhism-themed hotels. Two sets of Delphi questionnaires were used to compare tourist expectations with practitioner perceptions.Findings– Results show a wide range of expectations of travelers staying in Buddhism-themed hotels. They also reveal how the expectations of the two groups aligned as well as differed.Research limitations/implications– This study extends the application of the service quality model to the context of religion-themed hotels. As this study adopted the Delphi technique through criterion sampling, future studies should use a larger random sample to verify the results of this study.Practical implications– The results help religion-themed hoteliers to understand their customer expectations better.Originality/value– Given the lack of studies on religion-themed hotels, especially on the gap between tourist expectations and service providers’ perceptions, this study is a timely contribution to improve the understanding on the needs and expectations of customers when visiting religion-themed hotels.

Countermeasures Study on Enhancing Competitiveness of Budget Hotels in China

With the development of China’s economy, the number of foreign tourists and business visitors will increase significantly, which provides objective opportunities for developing economy hotels. In the background of the rapid development of budget hotels, we analyze the development of budget hotels from five aspects, i.e. existing competitors in the industry, potential or newcomer threat, threat from substitutes or services, buyer’s bargaining capability, supplier’s bargaining capability, and put forward strategies to promote competitiveness of budget hotels in China, that is, budget hotels should actively innovate, strengthen joint marketing with related industries, embrace consumer psychology of seeking the divergent and chasing the new, form their own unique brand characteristics and adjust the regional structure of hotels in order to master the right to choose suppliers, so as to enhance Chinese budget hotel competitiveness.

An Analysis of Industry Forces, Strategic Implementation, and Performance: Evidence from State-owned Hotels in China

This study explores the influence of industry forces, strategic implementation, and business performance of state-owned hotels in China. The findings show that industry forces of competitors, customers, and new hotel entrants have a crucial influence on the strategic development of state-owned hotels whereas substitutes and suppliers have less impact. The hotels under study applied differentiation to position themselves by implementing strategies of branding, human resources, advanced information technology, and cost efficiency. Differentiation enables state-owned hotels to achieve desirable performance. Hoteliers in China should monitor the effect of industry forces to sustain strengths, grasp opportunities, avoid threats, and overcome weaknesses.

Construction of the Comprehensive Energy Consumption Assessment Model for Star-rated Hotels and the Difference Analysis

Abstract Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of star-rated hotels in China, especially highend star-rated hotels. Consequently, there are now approximately12 000 hotels in China. One bottleneck within the industry is its huge energy consumption and carbon emissions, but the development of a comprehensive energy consumption assessment has lagged. Here, a comprehensive energy consumption and carbon emission model suitable for hospitality is established, using comprehensive data collected for hotels over six years and with reference to general international methods, decomposition analysis methods as recommended by the IPCC, and related standards in China. Our study shows that the maximum comparable unit energy consumption per building area among four- and five-star hotels is 73.26 kg ce m-2 y-1. Through energy-saving reconstruction, the comprehensive energy consumption of five-star hotels has declined by 4.1% in six years and is smaller than the advanced comparable value of 55 kg ce m-2 y-1. The ...