Hotel Units Research Articles

Impact of Leadership on the Relationship Between Innovation and Performance

Leadership, innovation, and performance are essential factors to achieve the desired sustainable profitability of companies. The relationship between these variables is one of the keys to the organizational success, although their study has proved to be complex. The purpose of this article is to analyse the impact of leadership on the relationship between innovation and performance in the Portuguese hotel sector. To answer to this challenge, a survey was carried out to top and middle managers of four-star and five-star hotel units. The existence of a positive correlation between innovation and performance was found; however, leadership has not been shown to have a moderating effect on the relationship. The work highlights several important contributions to the hotel industry and identifies aspects that, when well implemented and developed, can lead to superior performance in organizations.

Differences between TripAdvisor and Booking.com in branding co-creation

The most popular travel platforms in the world are Booking.com and TripAdvisor. Both these platforms take advantage of users' reviews as a source of information to help other users in their traveling decision processes. These users' reviews are creating, recreating, and destroying online reputation, and consequently affecting firms brand image. Managing a hotel's brand image online can be a major challenge, considering the wide range of user content generated in distinctive platforms. This article focuses on hotel brand image co-creation in TripAdvisor and Booking. Using a sample of 52 hotel units, all located in an island destination, it shows that despite both platforms being supported by user-generated content (UGC), both projected brand identity and image can be quite different. Content analysis was used to assess the brand personality traits communicated as well as sentiment analysis in order to understand the nature of the content better. Results show that hotel profile descriptions in the TripAdvisor platform convey a more sincere brand personality, while the descriptions in Booking.com convey a personality-oriented profile to the scale of excitement. This study demonstrates the utility of looking into electronic word-of-mouth as a source of brand meaning co-creation.

The Effectiveness of Strategic Management and Leadership Style on Performance of Local Hotel Operators in Managing Hotel Unit Businesses in Ubud Bali, Indonesia

The Effectiveness of Strategic Management and Leadership Style on Performance of Local Hotel Operators in Managing Hotel Unit Businesses in Ubud Bali, Indonesia

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE HOTEL SECTOR THROUGH CONSORTIA: THE PORTUGUESE CASE

Networks are cooperation arrangements that have gained importance over the last century. In the future, network-based and network structures will be among the most important organizational models. Therefore, this assumption formed the basis of the questionnaire designed for conducting this research. The objectives of this research are: (1) to examine hotel decision-makers’ perceptions about the future of networks in tourism and (2) to analyse the influence of online distribution on hotel marketing consortia. A questionnaire was sent to four- and five-star hotel units in Portugal. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis was performed. Main conclusions and recommendations for both academics and practitioners are then presented and discussed.

Determiners in the Consumer’s Purchase Decision Process in Ecotourism Contexts: A Portuguese Case Study

Purpose: This paper entails a reflection on sustainability and specific tourism contexts (i.e., ecotourism). It focusses mainly on local communities’ determiners in the consumer’s purchase decision process in ecotourism. This research aimed at understanding the determiners in the process of consumer decisions in ecotourism contexts, as well as verifying the growing importance of ecotourism. Methodology: A questionnaire was conducted (with ecotourism specific contexts), in Portugal. Portugal is a tourist destination that has gained notoriety and recognition in recent years. In total, 197 questionnaires were collected, aiming for a deeper understanding of the real social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts resulting from the uncontrolled development of tourism. This study aimed at testing the proposed conceptual model empirically (i.e., the relationship between destination image and post-purchase behaviour). Findings: Sustainability must be looked at as a vital need for society in general, as well as for the tourism sector. Ecotourism is the natural evolution of tourism employing care for the environment, culture and local traditions, while promoting environmental education. Research Limitations: The results obtained are limited, considering the availability of most accommodation units in the ecotourism segment in Portugal (e.g., hotels). As next steps, it is advisable that hotel units come to realise the pertinence of such research as they are the main beneficiaries of these initiatives, being then recommended that they collaborate with the process of completing surveys. Originality/Value: Managers and ecotourists can use the outcomes of this study to gain an in-depth understanding of customer experiences (i.e., sustainability experiences), to develop effective marketing strategies, and to create an operational environment that can maximise customers’ perceived experiential values. Destination image plays a fundamental part in terms of experience and the tourist’s own satisfaction, with a need to improve the degree of affectivity towards the hotel unit.

Guest satisfaction in East and West: evidence from online reviews of the influence of cultural origin in two major gambling cities, Las Vegas and Macau

ABSTRACT We assess how cultural differences between guests and host destination affect the TripAdvisor score granted on hotel units. We selected two gambling destinations, Las Vegas and Macau, to enable a comparison between a Western and an Eastern destination. The six Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation, indulgence) were adopted. A total of 109,309 and 28,957 useful reviews for Las Vegas and Macau, respectively, were collected from TripAdvisor. Then, for each online reviewer, the difference between the reviewer’s country of origin and the destination for each dimension were computed. Finally, two data mining models (one per destination) of TripAdvisor score were computed using as inputs the differences for each dimension. We conclude that the difference between guest origin and destination cultural dimension influences the scores granted on TripAdvisor. We also found that the relevance of each dimension is different for both destinations analysed.

E-Accessibility Policy for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Tourism Marketing. Case Study from Regional Hotel Units in Greece

Nowadays, there is a growing interest for social inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in tourist industry. Tourism is vital part of modern lifestyle and is considered beneficial for individuals with disabilities enhancing personal development and promoting quality of life. This project aims to investigate policies implemented and kind of services offered in tourist industry concerning persons with disabilities who have barriers for leisure time, not only physical but also internal, cultural and social. Research is being carried out on hotel units of four and five stars in Greece. Given the fact that tourism is considered as an important sector in the economy which improves the standard of living in a country, its adaptation to web tourism with innovations in technology and development of social policies appropriate for persons with disabilities, that can facilitate travelling, can promote tourist movement and also can offer a travel motive for them.

Manifestation experiences in hotel units. An analysis of Machu Picchu’s hotels reviews on Tripadvisor network

This paper describes the image of hotels transmitted by customers on the social network TripAdvisor.es. It is a case study that breaks down and interprets the analysis of a set of comments in the Spanish language to 20 hotels in Machu Picchu (Peru). Moreover, we did a descriptive analysis, based on the inference of qualitative and quantitative data, to 177 comments of the aforementioned social network, distributed by the first 20 hotels listed in order of classification of the traveler, between the months October to December 2019. The comments were analyzed through a table composed of 14 categories and we observed that positive commentaries prevail in all categories, and that the experiences most appreciated by travelers and described in our sample were “Service”, “Food”, and “Location”.

The Role of the Passive Conditioning in Achieving Thermal Comfort in Temporary Hotel Units

يقوم هذا البحث على رصد للتقنيات البيئية والمحلية في تصميم الوحدات الفندقية المؤقتة (الخيمة البدوية) في المناطق الصحراوية في جنوب الاردن، وذلك لتكييفها صيفا وشتاءا، مع المحافظة على هويتها الأردنية، حيث يتم تقديمها بثوب وتقنيات العصر ليتم الوصول بها إلى العالمية.وقد اعتمد هذا البحث المنهج التحليلي الوصفي، وقامت الباحثة بعمل تحليل SWOT الخاص في تحليل الجوانب الإيجابية والسلبية عند تصميم الوحدات الفندقية المؤقتة، ومقارنتها بالحالات الدراسية الموجودة في موقع البحث المختار المثلث الذهبي الاردني، وذلك من خلال عناصر الحالة محل الرصد، حيث استنتج هذا البحث ان مواد اليوم تمتاز بقدرتها على تلبية رغبات المصممين والمستخدمين في آن واحد، وذلك نظرا لتنوعها وتنوع خصائصها، سواء كان ذلك من الناحية الوظيفية أو الجمالية أو الاقتصادية، كما أوصى البحث بإجراء الدراسات والتجارب على خواص مواد البناء، من ناحية الضغط والشد والتأثيرات الجوية المختلفة، وذلك عند استخدام مواد بناء جديدة يمكننا من الوصول إلى الراحة الحرارية لمستخدمي المكان

The Churning of Skid Row: A Genealogy of Development, Gentrification, and Displacement

AbstractThe last two decades have seen striking changes to downtown Los Angeles's population. While phrases like “renewal” or “revitalization” pepper the discourse around new urban investment, the reality has been a shocking displacement of those living in single room occupancy (SRO) hotel units—and in tents throughout the area known as Skid Row. Beneath the competing interests of affordable housing advocates, on the one hand, and the public relations campaigns of the private and public sectors, on the other, lie the very real material and discursive forces that are taking the lead. Collective memory is often too short to see historic trends, yet to approximate a grasp of them is to gain ground in a seemingly chaotic present. Through a depth approach to journalistic sources, power analyses, and stakeholder interviews, this article investigates and interrogates the various discourses at play in gentrification media—government, financial interests, individual actors, and judicial bodies. Its purpose is to illustrate systemic causes of urban oppression and trauma in order to inform future attempts to both understand and intervene in the uprooting of communities.

МЕТОД ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЯ ЭЛЕКТРОГИДРАВЛИЧЕСКИХ ПРЕОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЕЙ АВИАЦИОННЫХ ДВИГАТЕЛЕЙ

The main trends in the use of aircraft engines actuators, that convert electrical commands into mechanical and hydraulic, are presented. Examples of the use of modern engine control systems are described, in which hydraulic cylinders are used to move the actuators. The hydraulic commands for moving hydraulic cylinders are formed by electro-hydraulic converters. A significant increase in the modern engines mechanization complexity required an increase in the reliability of electro-hydraulic converters and the level of static and dynamic characteristics. The necessity of introducing a new generation of electro-hydraulic converters into the control systems of domestic aircraft engines is discussed. The analysis of the list and method of determining indicators using which it is advisable to control the balanced conformity of the design to the technical requirements at the design stage is carried out. A model-oriented approach to the design of electro-hydraulic converters is described. The structure of a universal model of the working process of an electro-hydraulic converter is proposed. A feature of the model is the predominant use of the geometric parameters of the elements and properties of materials as initial data. The main constituent elements of the working process model are the models: an electromechanical converter with an elastic part, a preliminary stage, orifices, volumes of compressible fluid and attached masses. The main parameters of the actuator, external parameters (defined in the technical requirements for the whole product) and internal parameters (characteristics of the hotel units) of electro-hydraulic converters are highlighted. The analysis of the dependence of external and internal parameters and the parameters of the actuator. The design method of electro-hydraulic converters is given. A key feature of the method is the use of a workflow model at almost all stages of design. To form a balanced combination of parameters of the electro-hydraulic converter in the structure of the method, it is proposed to use the objective function, which includes the internal parameters of the electro-hydraulic converter.

A Profile of Wine Tourism Entrepreneurs: Study in Portugal

Background: Wine tourism is one of the tourism components adopted as part of Portugal’s strategy due to its eminence as a wine producer. Such strategy has received great prominence in recent years and aims to promote regional development from an economic, social, cultural and environmental perspective. The aim of this study was to understand the entrepreneur profile in this sector. Methods: The study uses a qualitative, case study methodology with data analysis and triangulation. In this study, a literature review of scientific studies was carried out on the scientific knowledge in the area of study from a critical perspective and an interview was conducted where qualitative data were collected. Results and Discussion: The entrepreneurs have shown the following characteristics: initiative, innovation capability, optimism, creativity, creative energy, tenacity, selfconfidence, capability for long term involvement with the project, and learning capacity. Conclusion: The study shows that most entrepreneurs state that they have established partnerships with other companies, particularly with restaurants, catering businesses, hotel units, tourism companies and companies that organize tours. This is one of the factors of economic importance recognized by another study which enables increased prominence of the company and widens the value of wine tourism.

Gamification aplicada à formação na indústria hoteleira

This study aims to explore the usefulness of a training platform/mobile app based on gamification for the hotel industry in Portugal, with contents that respond to the most common training needs in this context. Through gamification, companies can motivate workers to participate in learning activities and thus improve productivity. Using a qualitative approach, five different stakeholders were surveyed, companies that offer these type of training solutions and three hotel companies. In this case, data were collected in three hotel chains operating in Portugal, from twenty-three employees in five focus groups. The results of the study allowed the identification of the main training needs in the different hotel units and the main obstacles felt by managers and workers in the implementation of the training plan and also identified gamification in training as a motivational strategy that promotes adherence to training.

A Case Study - Doyen in American Hospitality Industry: Entrepreneur Spirit of Mike Chaudhari

This case study narrates management principles adopted by Mike Chaudhari in his hospitality industry encompassing over four dozen hotel units in America. Mike's hotel business is over three decade old and evolved from a scratch. By humble beginning of first hotel in Arizona, USA in 1990s, his business empire portfolio includes about fifty hotel properties across USA.

Inspiring prosociality in hotel workplaces: Roles of authentic leadership, collective mindfulness, and collective thriving

Drawing from social learning theory and the conservation of resources theory, this study examines the relationships between authentic leadership, collective mindfulness, collective thriving, and prosociality in hotel workplaces. Data from 86 hotel units with a total of 354 full-time frontline employees were used to test the research hypotheses via structural equation modeling. As anticipated, statistical results revealed that authentic leadership is positively related to collective mindfulness and collective thriving; collective mindfulness is positively related to collective thriving; and collective thriving is positively related to prosociality (helping behavior and proactive customer service behavior, respectively). This study links Buddhist culture to Western management theory and highlights that collective mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and collective thriving.

TURISMO, GESTÃO HOTELEIRA E O DESENVOLVIMENTO SOCIOECONÔMICO NOS PAÍSES EM DESENVOLVIMENTO: MUNICIPIO DE INHAMBANE, MOÇAMBIQUE

This article aims to analyze the hotel units’ operational practices in Inhambane, assesses their socio-economic impacts into the local community and proposes hotel operations qualitative measures to promote sustainable socio-economic development. Follow the Quivy and Campenhoudt methodological model for social sciences and has the hotel units and their workers as objects of study. Presents the following dimensions: hotel operations multiplier effect, the employability quality generated by them, their contribution to the welfare infrastructures and their environmental policies. Remarks that the implemented hotel development model is based on a neoliberal matrix, mostly in result of foreign or multinational investments, not guaranteeing a significant multiplier effect in the local economy, its job offer quality is often precarious, unable to have a significant contribution to the local "welfare" infrastructures improvement and sometimes producing undesirable environmental costs. Concludes that it is pressing to rethink the whole model of tourism development in Inhambane, retaining in its territory the economic benefits of the touristic activities and transforming the local community in its main beneficiary.

RESEARCH ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ATTITUDE AND COMMITMENT OF COMPANIES IN THE BRASOV MUNICIPALITY ON THE PROGRAM "FRESH PRODUCTS" FROM OLYMPUS

The research refers to the attitude and behavior of the managers of the hotel units in the city of Brasov regarding the new program born by those from Olympus. Other studies carried out on this topic have helped us to realize how important this program is and how aggregate it is. The program from olympus aims to market the fresh products of cow, sheep and goat respectively derived from them directly to hotel units that want to serve their customers with some of the best products on the market. The hypotheses are specific to the qualitative research the formulation is made after the research goals and the conception with which we will work have been defined. The assumptions from which we started are that the program is not very well known, which can lead to the failure of this project. The research is of a qualitative type, based on a questionnaire, carried out on a total number of subjects, taking place in Brasov. Following the questionnaire support, we managed to reach the following conclusions, whereby more than half of our respondents consider that this program set up by Olympus is highly appreciated by the aggregate of consumers of different ages. Another advantage is the attention paid to the relationship with, the consumer company trying to offer through this program besides products of superior quality and a safety to consumers. In short, this article represents a good development and vision of a huge Olympus company that wants to expand taking into account the needs and wishes of the clients.

RESEARCH ON THE DEGREE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN TOURISM OF BRAȘOV MUNICIPALITY

This research refers to the perception that human resource management has remained frozen over time in tourism industry, although this sector is under development. Other studies on this topic confirm employees complaints about poor pay, challenging conditions at work and few opportunities for growth and development. Change can take place at managerial level with the practice of a new, sustainable management. We wanted to identify, within a hotel unit, the current level of knowledge that managers have regarding sustainable human resource management and the degree of interest in the future application of sustainable practices. The hypotheses that we create are that the theory of sustainable management is not yet well known, therefore not so many practice it; that, it could be interest and managers would like to be better informed because this type of management brings positive results. We used a qualitative research, in which we helped with a semi-structured interview guide with open questions, responds with nominal scale, ordering scale or interval scale.We succeeded to find that half of our respondents do believe that sustainable management influence the quality of services, but a fair one is not applied, especially in tourism. Friendship, the relaxed relationship at work are the values that managers bet on when they think at sustainable management of people. They say that sustainable management is not enough to make loyal employees, but it can bring economic benefits in a long period of time. In short, this is an article that provides a view on the actual type of people management practiced in the tourism sector of Brasov and the posibility to improve it with the help of sustenability. Our work is important for creating a base in the development of human resource management, which is necessary to satisfy future customer needs.

The Hotel Industry in the Metropolitan Region of Rio De Janeiro: An Analysis of the Legacy of Accessibility in Civil Construction Projects Post Mega Events

This article aims to analyze the civil construction projects of the hotel industry in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through statistical modeling, regarding the issue of accessibility. The key point of the study was to diagnose how these hotel construction projects were prepared to receive disabled tourists during the period of Mega events. The methodology used is based on an analysis of the data obtained through the Inventory of the Tourist Offer of the State of Rio de Janeiro in the counties of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, applied to the quantitative of approximately 400 hotel units. From the point of view of civil construction projects, an accurate diagnosis of accessibility was possible, pointing to the development of a benchmarking model. The relevance of the study is also to contribute to raising awareness of the tourist and civil engineering markets relating to people with disabilities or reduced mobility and the possibility of reversing the current scenario in Rio de Janeiro, since it can be emphasized that the investigated hotels do not show the necessary accessibility, due to the small number of hotels that reach the accessibility requirements of Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT NBR 9050: 2015). For civil construction, there is the accurate confirmation that the hotel industry of the Metropolitan Region is not accessible. For society in general, it has been observed that the Mega events that occurred in the city did not leave a legacy of accessibility.

Building the Bridge Between the AcademIA and the Regional Government in Hospitality. A Case Study

This paper attempts to shed light on the current role of academia in the context of rural areas of low population density, which are regional interaction models. In this study, we follow a qualitative research methodology of a case study. We found that through the case study applied to a hotel unit, that the Academia can through its third mission, and in the context of regional triple helix dynamics (Academia-Business-government interaction), play an important role in terms of knowledge dissemination, wealth creation and employability. The limitations, which our study presents, are principally related to the measurement of the variables. Some of the characteristics of education should be studied more deeply. In the instance of a case study applied to the hospitality industry, it is important to take as limitations of the study to its direct application to any economic context. This study allowed however, contribute to the enrichment of literature through case studies presented in the hospitality industry.