Arrive as guests and leave as friends : the role of hedonic experiences in the luxury context

This research was conducted to understand the role of personalized customer service in the customers’ hedonic experiences. A main objective was imposed in the research to fathom the relationship between the two factors, being made research the spectrum of luxury hospitality from the perspective of managers and customers. The purpose of the study falls under the principle that customer service is the key to a successful business. Twenty interviews were conducted with people on both sides of the coin – employees and guests – answering open-ended questions regarding the topic. In conclusion, it was found that personalized customer service undoubtedly impacts the guest's hedonic experience. Moreover, employees who are at the center of this effect play a major role in the overall hedonic experience.Esta investigação foi conduzida para compreender o papel do serviço personalizado ao cliente nas experiências hedónicas dos hóspedes. Um objetivo principal impôs-se na pesquisa para compreender a relação entre os dois fatores, sendo feita a pesquisa no espectro da hotelaria de luxo na perspetiva de managers e clientes. O objetivo do estudo enquadra-se no princípio de que o serviço ao cliente é a chave para um negócio bem sucedido. Foram realizadas entrevistas a vinte pessoas - empregados e hóspedes - respondendo a perguntas abertas sobre o tema. Concluindo, constatou-se que o serviço personalizado ao cliente sem dúvida impacta a experiência hedónica do hóspede. Além disso, quem está no centro desse efeito são os funcionários que desempenham um papel crucial na experiência hedónica geral

Customer e-Loyalty in Online Retailing: Testing a Measurement Scale

Research aim: In recent years, the interest for the activities aimed to nurture a strong relationship among retailers and their customers have increasingly intensified, especially in digital environments. Recently those activities have seen their relevance increased by the growing positive impact of COVID-19 pandemic on online retailing. Working on existing customers rather than capturing new ones is the new imperative for retailers, even if we refer to online platforms, obviously without underestimating the acquisition attempts of new customers. The aim of this study is to test a conceptual model of measurement for Customers e-Loyalty (CeL) in digital context in order to evaluate its impacts on digital retailers (e-commerce retailers, e-banking retailers, e-service providers). Methodology: it has been adopted a component-based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on a sample of Italian digital users, who makes online purchases prevalently on Amazon in order to test the CeL scale of measurement as a conceptual (meta) model. A structured questionnaire has been administered online to the consumers through Google Forms. Findings: The study has permitted to get some counterintuitive evidence related to the process of formation of customer loyalty in digital context. The trust isn’t a determinant of CeL and the affective loyalty doesn’t impact any of the elementary dimension of CeL, nor impacts on conative loyalty. Finally, the model has been able to better capture the impact of the individual dimensions of CeL on its outcomes (price sensitiveness, intentional SOW, e-WOM). Theoretical implication and originality: Propose a reliable customer e-loyalty measurement scale in online retailing. The statistical assessment of this conceptual model will permit, in the middle term, also to measure the CeL in several other retailing industries. Furthermore, in a next step, this investigation, could be extended to other geographical settings. Managerial Implication: the better understanding of the relationships among the latent variables and outcomes in the model might encourage the online retailers to figure out appropriate course of actions to win customers’ commitment and satisfaction and to provide better services in order to create a loyal customer base in a digital context

Service failure research in the hospitality and tourism industry: a synopsis of past, present and future dynamics from 2001 to 2020

Purpose - When service failure occurs, it leads to dissatisfaction, lack of trust and avoidance behaviour among customers, and it can also be seen as a threat to the survival of the business. This paper investigates the current and potential dynamics of service failure research within the tourism and hospitality area. Design/methodology/approach - By adopting qualitative, quantitative (citation and text mining) and science-mapping tools (descriptive, conceptual, and intellectual), we analyse 99 key papers on service failure in 18 major hospitality and tourism journals over a 20-year span. Findings - The research on service recovery strategies, recovery efforts, pre-, and post-failure, and post-recovery in the service encounter, and the impacts of justice on post-recovery and post-complaint behaviour are identified as the major streams of service failure research. While emotional labour, rumination, and satisfaction recovery were identified as emerging themes, service failure perceptions and social media were found as the developed and substantial trends. Practical implications - We present a comprehensive understanding of service failure research development in the hospitality and tourism industry. We propose three areas – circumstantial cues, interactional cues, and crisis management – that practitioners need to understand in order to minimise service failure during the service interaction. Originality – To the best of our knowledge, no prior bibliometric study has investigated the current and future dynamics of service failure in the hospitality and tourism industry and offered a research agenda based on this gap in the literature

The loyalty of European tourists from a destination country perspective

Tourism market represents in many countries a significant weight in its economy. However, this market tends to be volatile and, in order to ensure economic sustainability, it is necessary to ensure the loyalty of tourists. Loyalty is influenced by satisfaction and it's a result of different determinants along the trip. The ability to analise which tourists are more loyal allows tourism agencies as well as government organizations to position and change their strategy in order to boost and increase the loyalty of tourists. To evaluate the loyalty of the tourists, different analyzes of data mining techniques were carried out to verify the most loyal tourists, and the type of loyalty. A predictive model was also created in order to evaluate the influence of socio-demographic variables on the loyalty of tourists. In order to do so, it was used three-year data (2014, 2015 and 2016) for the Flash Eurobarometer, in a specific way, using the "Preferences of European toward tourists" questionnaire, where were studied data from Europe 28. Through the techniques mentioned, it was possible to verify, which tourists are the most loyal and which are the least, as well predict the holiday destination of the tourists. Finally, it was still possible to see the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on the loyalty of tourists and their weight.O Mercado do turismo representa em muitos paises um peso significativo na sua economia. Contudo, este mercado tende a ser volátil e, deste modo, de forma a garantir uma sustentabilidade económica, é necessário garantir a lealdade dos turistas. A lealdade é influenciada pela satisfação sendo que esta é resultado de diferentes determinantes ao longo da viagem. A possibilidade de verificar quais turistas mais leais permite que as agências de turismo, assim como as organizações governamentais posicionarem e alterarem a sua estratégia de forma a potencializar e aumentar a lealdade dos turistas. De forma a avaliar a lealdade dos turistas, foram realizadas diferentes análises e tecnicas de data mining de forma a verificar quais os turistas mais leais, e quais os tipos de lealdade existentes. Foi ainda criado um modelo preditivo de forma a avaliar a influência das variaveis sócio-demográficas na lealdade dos turistas. Para tal foram utilizados dados de três anos concecutivos (2014, 2015 e 2016), referentes aos dados do Flash Eurobarometer, de um modo específico, utilizando o questionário “Preferences of European toward tourists”, onde foram estudados dados referentes aos turistas da Europa 28. Através das tecnicas mencionadas, foi possível verificar quais os turistas mais ou menos lais assim como prever o destino de férias dos turistas. Por fim, foi ainda possível ver o impacto das caracteristas socio-demográficas na lealdade dos turistas e qual o seu peso

Influence of consumer values and sustainable business practices on brand loyalty within luxury hotels

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of PhilosophyDespite the recent recession, the economic growth of recent decades has created a group of so-called ‘Global-Elites’ (CeMoRe, 2010). Small in number, but high in net worth and influence they are influential in the creation of, and desire for consumption, often portrayed as luxury, privilege, prestige, and 'class'. The tourism industry has also benefited from growth, with demand predicted to double by the year 2020, reaching an estimated $14.95 billion (World Tourism & Travel Council, 2010). Much of this growth has been at the top end, as Keissling et. al. (2009) note an unprecedented rise in demand for the luxury hotel sector over the past decade. The global elite’s leisure consumption practices require considerable research attention, and yet research into luxury services, such as hotels and associated hospitality services, is greatly undeveloped. Atwal and Williams (2008) note the ability of consumption as a means for consumers to make statements about themselves, and nowhere is this more true than in the world of the Global-Elite, who seemingly having no desire to curb current travel activities (Elliott & Urry, 2009). This may be due to the uncertainty that is felt about future travel opportunities, with environmental decline of natural and heritage attractions paralleled by numerous threats to travel such as peak oil and political instability. However, in recent years, there has been increased interest in the study of ethical consumption in the tourism arena (e.g. Novelli, 2005; Sharpley, 2006; Lansing & Vries, 2006; Yeoman et. al., 2006). Although there appears to be incompatibility between the concepts of luxury and concerns around ethical consumption and sustainability, this research posits that while current transitions (around travel and tourism) continue towards further unsustainability (Cohen, 2010), ethical consumption may provide an avenue for social distinction and status differentiation in the world of the Global-Elites. In order to adequately understand the behavioural intentions of the Global-Elites, the synergy between consumer values, luxury dimensions and ethical consumption needs to be explored. This research examines the influence of consumer values, as a more universal measure of intent, in relation to ethical consumption in luxury hotels. This research argues that by reducing the uncertainty related to the degree to which consumers (Global-Elites) value ethical consumption, deeper insights into these apparently incompatible spaces and places for ethical consumption will be obtained. Furthermore, luxury hotels will be able to assess the suitability of marketing and communicating such strategies to their customers

Carrying forward Uses and Grat 2.0: A study of new gratifications for F2P games based on APEX Legends

This study employed a Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theoretical framework (MAIN model) to investigate the effects of virtual items in free-to-play (F2P) games on players\u27 satisfaction. Additionally, this study tried to investigate extra satisfaction that players get in the process of consuming virtual items. A mixed-method survey in China with a sample size of 265 participants was utilized to test the research questions. The findings of the study revealed significant variations in satisfaction related to personalization and sociality level between free players and paying players, and the degree was positively correlated with the in-game spending level. In addition, one satisfaction not included in prior research on video games—superiority—was found through qualitative data analysis. Keywords: Virtual items, free-to-play, purchase, Uses and gratifications (U&G

Booking intention research progress: Emerging trends and research agenda

Purpose: Booking intention in the hotel context has motivated the interest of researchers in recent decades. However, research in this field is fragmented and its understanding presents gaps. The aim of this paper is to identify current trends in booking intention research and to recommend future research directions. Methods: To this end, a bibliometric study and content analysis were conducted on a total of 274 papers published between 2000 and 2022 in the Web of Science database. In particular, VOSviewer, SciMAT and the R software package were used to determine, quantify and visualise research clusters, as well as emerging topics in this field of study. Results: The results revealed the existence of three lines of research that have evolved during the total period studied: (1) the impact of technologies on booking intention, (2) the influence of internal consumer factors on booking intention and (3) the hotel attributes that are most sensitive to booking intention. Finally, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourist booking intention is reflected cross-sectionally in the studies, where variables such as consumer trust and perceived risk have become more important. Implications: Consequently, this paper contributes to the current body of literature on booking intention, providing a structured overview of research in this field and suggesting future avenues for research

Casas partilhadas monetizadas: a experiência turística e seus efeitos na autenticidade percebida, no apego ao destino e na lealdade

The emergence of the shared peer-to-peer accommodation (SP2PA) has attracted the attention of practitioners and academics, given this new business model’s increasing popularity amongst travellers. It is therefore suggested that this type of accommodation can offer a differentiated, eventually more authentic, experience to its guests, introducing new values and meanings to the hospitality provided at destinations. To sustain this argument, it is important to enhance the understanding of guest experiences while staying in such a SP2PA, while also the impact of these new tourist behaviour patterns on destinations is worthwhile exploring. Taking into account the relevance of understanding the tourist experience associated with the SP2PA, this study aims to gain theoretical and empirical understanding of the SP2PA guest experience by proposing and testing a theoretical model that estimates the relationships between the dimensions of the tourist experience (the SP2PA guest experience) and the constructs of ‘destination attachment’, ‘perception of authenticity’, ‘destination attitudinal loyalty’ and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. To achieve this goal, two complementary methodology stages were undertaken: (i) an ‘exploratory qualitative approach’ by conducting focus group discussions and passive netnography; and (ii) a ‘quantitative approach’ by applying a survey to a convenience sample of SP2PA guests. Statistical analysis of data used descriptive and inferential methods, with the Partial Least Squares (PLSSEM) as the main method for testing the hypotheses. A total of 409 valid responses were used to test the proposed conceptual model. Findings confirm the ‘aesthetic’, ‘escape’, ‘entertainment’, ‘educative’, ‘affective’, ‘social interaction’, and ‘sharing experience’ dimensions as appropriated dimensions to analyse the SP2PA guest experience. Amongst these dimensions, the ‘educative’, ‘social interaction’, ‘aesthetics’, ‘sharing’, and ‘affective’ are, in this order, the dimensions that most influence the SP2PA guest experience. Regarding the influence of the SP2PA guest experience on the tourist experience outcomes, this study demonstrates that this experience positively influences the ‘perception of destination authenticity’ and ‘destination attachment’ formation. In turn, destination attachment mediates the relationship between the ‘SP2PA guest experience’ and ‘destination loyalty’, while the SP2PA guest experience predicts the ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. Besides, the ‘perception of authenticity’ positively influences ‘destination attachment’ formation and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. The results contribute to the tourist experience theory by providing an empirically-based insight into its dimensionality in the hospitality sharing economy context. This study also provides an analytical framework to understand the effects of the SP2PA guest experience on constructs such as the perception of authenticity, destination attachment and tourist loyalty. Furthermore, results may help design management strategies for both SP2PA platforms and SP2PA hosts to develop and implement an experience-oriented service strategy in order to achieve a memorable experience for SP2PA guests and create positive future behavioural intentions. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research complete the picture.O surgimento do alojamento partilhado pessoa para pessoa (SP2PA) tem vindo a atrair a atenção de profissionais e acadêmicos uma vez que esse novo modelo de negócio tem ganho crescente popularidade entre os viajantes. Sugere-se, portanto, que esse tipo de alojamento ofereça aos seus hóspedes uma experiência diferenciada, eventualmente mais autêntica, introduzindo novos valores e significados à hospitalidade proporcionada nos destinos. Para sustentar esse argumento, é importante melhorar a compreensão das experiências dos hóspedes durante a permanência em um SP2PA, ao mesmo tempo em que vale a pena explorar o impacto desses novos padrões de comportamento turístico nos destinos. Tendo em vista a relevância de compreender a experiência turística associada ao SP2PA, este estudo tem como objetivo desenvolver uma compreensão teórica e empírica da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA, propondo e testando um modelo teórico descritivo que estima as relações entre as dimensões da experiência turística (a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA) e os construtos de ‘apego de destino', 'percepção de autenticidade', 'lealdade atitudinal ao destino' e 'lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA'. Para atingir esse objetivo, duas etapas metodológicas complementares foram realizadas: (i) uma "abordagem exploratória qualitativa", conduzindo as técnicas de grupos focais e netnografia passiva; e (ii) uma "abordagem quantitativa", administrando uma pesquisa a uma amostra conveniente de hóspedes do SP2PA. A análise estatística dos dados utilizou métodos descritivos e inferenciais, sendo o principal método para testar as hipóteses a modelagem de mínimos quadrados parciais - PLS-SEM. Assim, 409 questionários foram utilizados para testar o modelo conceitual proposto. Os resultados confirmam a "estética", "escape", "entretenimento", "educativa", "afetiva", "interação social" e "experiências de partilha" como dimensões apropriadas para analisar a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Entre essas dimensões, "educativa", "interação social", "estéticas", "partilha" e "afetivas" são, nessa ordem, as dimensões que mais influenciam a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Com relação à influência da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA nos resultados analisados da experiência turística, este estudo demonstra que a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA influencia positivamente a ‘perceção da autenticidade’ do destino" e a formação do ‘apego ao destino’. Por sua vez, o ‘apego ao destino’ media a relação entre a "experiência dos hóspedes do SP2PA’ e a "lealdade ao destino", enquanto a experiência dos hóspedes do SP2PA condiciona positivamente a “lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Além disso, a "perceção da autenticidade" influencia positivamente a formação do "apego ao destino" e a "lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Os resultados contribuem para a teoria da experiência turística, especificamente em contexto de alojamento turístico partilhado, monetizado, fornecendo uma visão baseada empiricamente em sua dimensionalidade no contexto da economia da partilha na hospitalidade. Este estudo também fornece uma estrutura analítica para a compreensão dos efeitos da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA em constructos como a perceção de autenticidade, o apego ao destino e a lealdade do turista. Além disso, poderá auxiliar o gerenciamento de plataformas SP2PA e aos anfitriões do SP2PA a desenvolver e implementar uma estratégia de serviço orientada à experiência, a fim de obter uma experiência memorável para os hóspedes no SP2PA e criar intenções comportamentais futuras positivas. Limitações do estudo e sugestões para futuras pesquisas completam o quadro.Programa Doutoral em Turism

Exploring the Grocery Store Satisfaction of England's Older Population: An Evaluation of Antecedents and Consequences Using Structural Equation Modelling

The number of people aged 60 years and above is increasing in the UK. In total, this age group represents 22% of the population with estimates indicating a rise to 29% by 2050 (United Nations, 2009). One market sector that is extremely important to the health and wellbeing of older people is grocery retail (Khan, 1981). However, little previous research has addressed how older people rate the service delivered by their grocery provider, particularly in regard to satisfaction. To reconcile this gap in theoretical understanding, a sequential transformative mixed-method research design was specified using 36 qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires with 524 subjects. A model including both drivers and consequences of satisfaction was formulated using past research. As such, an antecedent scale for grocery store image was developed via procedures suggested in the extant literature (e.g. DeVellis, 2003). Pre-existing scales (i.e. commitment and loyalty) representing exemplary reliability and validity were borrowed and specified as consequences. The scales were modified and integrated into a ‘structural equation model’. Older people were found to place a high level of importance in aspects of merchandise, store environment, personnel and services. Price/promotions and clientele were found to be insignificant in driving satisfaction. Differences in factor mean scores and structural parameters were then analysed using ‘finite mixture structural equation modelling’ to identify segments of similar respondents (Jedidi et al, 1997). Using posterior probabilities, the emerging segments were subjected to profiling using personal and behavioural variables (Hahn et al, 2002). Market Segmentation showed three groups of similar respondents in the sample population, differing in factor mean scores and psychological operationalisation of satisfaction. Nonetheless, only several differences in personal and behavioural characteristics were found between the segments. Whilst, the results show that segmenting this group is necessary when measuring satisfaction, basing this purely on a priori descriptive variables might be erroneous given the inherent levels of unobserved heterogeneity. The model developed and tested in this study is considered the most up-to-date available in the literature

Redesigning an Effective Pathway to Consumer Loyalty for Sustainable Competitive Advantage

The qualitative case study aimed to study the impact of leadership behaviors on delivering hospitality frontline employee services to customers to sustain consumer loyalty and gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the South Florida hospitality and tourism industry. The flexible design allowed the researcher to develop specific research questions while focusing on the problem statement, which addressed the potential inability of U.S. business leaders in service-related industries to gain customer loyalty, resulting in the possible loss of competitive advantage for the organizations. The researcher selected a highly successful South Florida luxury hotel resort, and twenty-nine professionally diversified participants were interviewed in person during this study. Each participant was asked eight semi-structured interview questions about their experiences at the resort or previous hospitality experiences. The qualitative concepts of bracketing and triangulation used in data collection enabled the researcher to develop an increase of objectivity about the participants. Through this case study, the researcher discovered that hospitality leadership must ensure employees are engaged with their jobs; such actions should help reduce employee turnover and develop a strong culture of employer-employee commitment (Figure 1). Furthermore, this qualitative research discovered the five new critical themes of 1) ensuring proper training, 2) teamwork, 3) leadership engagement with staff, 4) delivering high-quality services, and 5) developing and maintaining a caring organizational culture. Furthermore, this case study proved to fill the gaps in research knowledge on redesigning a practical pathway to customer loyalty for sustainable competitive advantage