SBI Intervention: An Old Problem- A New Perspective

This research effort attempted to determine if SB/ intervention would change the perception of business problems by not only the business owner but also the student consultants. This focus further to encompassed firms that could be classified in either Stage I or Stage II of development. Even though there were no changes in perception by student consultants, and mixed results of whether stage development affected perceptual differences, strong support was given to the proposition that owners, overall, did change their perception of existing problems after SBI intervention

Interrole Conflicts in the Hospitality Industry: The Role of Positive Affectivity as an Antidote

This study investigates the role of positive affectivity as a buffer against the detrimental effects of interrole conflicts on frontline hotel employees’ job performance and turnover intentions. Data collected from a sample of frontline hotel employees in Turkey serve as the study setting. Results and their implications are discussed, and directions for future research are offered

Gender-choice behavior linkages: an investigation in the hospitality industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether males and females differ on the emphases they place on core service and relational service in choosing a hotel. Design/Methodology – Data were gathered from the residents of a metro area in the United States. Three hundred and forty-one residents participated in the study. The Del statistic, an undertapped technique, was used. Findings – The results reveal that male and female guests are essentially the same in the importance they place on core and relational services in choosing a hotel. Originality of the research – Empirical research about the hotel choice behavior of female guests is scarce. Therefore, this study addresses this underresearched issue

SBI Intervention: An Old Problem- A New Perspective

This research effort attempted to determine if SB/ intervention would change the perception of business problems by not only the business owner but also the student consultants. This focus further to encompassed firms that could be classified in either Stage I or Stage II of development. Even though there were no changes in perception by student consultants, and mixed results of whether stage development affected perceptual differences, strong support was given to the proposition that owners, overall, did change their perception of existing problems after SBI  intervention

What Do Guests Look for in a Hotel? a Multi-Attribute Approach

This study assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of a hotel, Holiday Inn, as viewed by two customer segments: business travelers and vacationers. The evaluation is based on the analytical framework of importance-performance analysis using 28 hotel attributes. Despite some differences, there are a number of similarities between the two segments in terms of the attributes they rely on when choosing a hotel and how they evaluate Holiday Inn on these attributes. These insights are important to the management in designing pointed strategies to better serve the needs of their guests

Relationships Between Organizational Support, Customer Orientation, and Work Outcomes: A Study of Frontline Bank Employees

Purpose: This paper seeks to examine the nature of relationships between six organizational support mechanisms, a personal resource, and selected psychological and behavioral work outcomes. A related objective of the study is to uncover whether these relationships exhibit similar patterns between employees with different characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: Data for the study were collected from the employees of a large bank in New Zealand. Usable responses were obtained from 530 employees. Findings: Results show that supervisory support is most closely associated with psychological work outcomes. On the other hand, job performance is more susceptible to influences of service technology and empowerment. Also customer orientation, as a personal resource, impacts job performance. Research limitations/implications: Using multiple-informants (e.g. measuring frontline employees\u27 job performance on the basis of their supervisors\u27 or customers\u27 assessments) would help minimize common-method variance. To cross-validate our results, replication studies among other samples of frontline employees in banking as well as other service settings are in order. Practical implications: To fuel greater affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction among frontline employees and to reduce their turnover intentions, management must take proactive actions for the frontline employees to receive support and encouragement from their supervisors. Instituting a structured mentoring program and providing training programs to supervisors in support skills can also pay dividends. Originality/value: The study shows that an undifferentiated approach is warranted in managing employees. Similar strategies would be equally effective in inducing favorable and reducing negative affective and performance outcomes among employees with different demographic characteristics

Competing for Guests: An Application of Extended Quadrant Analysis

In today’s highly competitive environment, an imperative to the success and survival of hotels is an understanding of their competitive standing. This article describes and illustrates the application of a tool, Extended Quadrant Analysis (EQA), that can aid hoteliers in conducting competitive analysis. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: [email protected] Website: http://www.HaworthPress.com

Purchasing Involvement in Saudi Arabia: Measure Development and Validation

A five-term involvement scale is developed and tested using data from a sample of Saudi women. Unlike previous efforts, this scale is designed to measure purchasing involvement in reference to a specific product or service. This easy-to-administer scale captures the core aspects of involvement construct and emerges as a unidimensional measure with sound psychometric properties. Potential uses of scale are discussed

Modeling Patronage Behavior: A Tri-Partite Conceptualization

Purpose: By using mall patronage behavior as its context, this study aims to develop and test a patronage model consisting of three dimensions. Design/methodology/approach: Data for the study are collected through self-administered questionnaires from residents in an MSA in the USA. Usable responses are obtained from 319 residents. Findings: Results suggest that mall patronage behavior can be represented as a global construct with three viable components (utilitarian, hedonic and accessibility). Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to a particular sample. Replications among other samples in the study locale and elsewhere are needed to validate the current findings. Practical implications: The results enable management to look at shoppers\u27 patronage behaviors at three levels. At the individual attribute level (first level of abstraction), management may identify areas that need special attention. At the second level of abstraction (the latent construct), choice attributes can be combined into reliable and valid composite scores across dimensions and can reveal information that is not readily available by the individual attributes. At the third and highest level of abstraction, the one second-order factor with three first-order factors as its reflective indicators provides management with a single metric for comparing a mall with its competitors or other malls owned by the corporation. Originality/value: The model tested here explicitly recognizes accessibility as a distinct patronage dimension and expands the domain of inquiry beyond the initial attribute level to the first-order and the second-order composite levels

Customer Orientation as a Buffer Against Job Burnout

This study examines the role of service worker customer orientation (CO) as a buffer against the detrimental effects of job burnout on job performance and turnover intentions. Data collected from frontline bank employees serve as the study setting. The tenets of the attribution theory are used in developing the study hypotheses. Results show that CO moderates the detrimental effects of job burnout on both job performance and turnover intentions, where the effects of job burnout on both outcomes are weaker for frontline employees with higher CO. Hiring employees high on CO for frontline positions should pay dividends in managing burnout and its negative consequences on job performance and turnover intentions