Innovation inequality within service sectors : preliminary evidence from the hospitality sector in Kenya

Conference paper presented at the 1st African Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Strathmore University, Kenya.Limited attention has been paid to the issue of NSD between sectors. To address this critique of the literature a comparative study of NSD strategy and process of the hospitality and financial sectors was conducted. The exploratory study used a cross-sectional survey-based methodology and case study strategy from 35 hotels. Three-stage sampling procedure was used in the study. Findings from empirical studies of the financial sector were used for comparison. The data showed that there is a significant difference in the implementation of the NSD strategy between chain and independent hotels. The type of management adopted by the establishment influenced the execution of NSD strategy. There is no evidence that the number of new services developed is related to hotel‟s star rating for hospitality sector. The analysis has been restricted to two sectors: hospitality and financial services. This suggests the need for further comparative studies of NSD between other service sectors. The findings of this research support the notion that some of the key NSD strategy and process may be common across all service sectors whereas others must be adjusted for sector variations. The insights from this study can help service managers to better understand innovation inequality within the service sectors and manage their NSD efforts in a sector-specific context. The findings of the research are expected to advance the understanding of service cataloging and their implications on a firm‟s NSD strategy and process

New service development: strategy and process in the hospitality sector in Kenya

Thesis research proposalThis paper addresses the issue of new service development (NSD) process in the hospitality sector. While it is recognized that there are significant differences between service sectors, much less has been written about differences between separate services, with most studies concentrating on financial services. The aim of the study is to investigate to what to what extent findings in the financial services sector are applicable to the hospitality service sector and whether NSD is significantly different for “high contact” services as opposed to “low-contact” services. Utilizing a survey of industry managers in Kenya data will be collected in the areas of NSD strategy and process. This paper tries to fill this gap by integrating the empirical findings from both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will employ a cross-sectional, surveybased methodology and qualitative case studies. The Kenyan sampling frame will include classified hotels.This paper addresses the issue of new service development (NSD) process in the hospitality sector. While it is recognized that there are significant differences between service sectors, much less has been written about differences between separate services, with most studies concentrating on financial services. The aim of the study is to investigate to what to what extent findings in the financial services sector are applicable to the hospitality service sector and whether NSD is significantly different for “high contact” services as opposed to “low-contact” services. Utilizing a survey of industry managers in Kenya data will be collected in the areas of NSD strategy and process. This paper tries to fill this gap by integrating the empirical findings from both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will employ a cross-sectional, survey based methodology and qualitative case studies. The Kenyan sampling frame will include classified hotels

Strategic Adaptability And Innovation In The Travel Industry In Nairobi

A Research Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to explore how strategic adaptability is changing company operations and influencing innovation in the travel industry in Kenya. The study sought to answer the following research questions: what is the relationship between strategic adaptability and innovation patterns in the travel industry? What is the relationship between strategic adaptability and managerial factors in the travel industry? What are similarities and differences in the innovation approach of organizations in the travel industry? The study used a descriptive research design. The target population comprised 446 member firms of Kenya Association of Tour Operators and Kenya Association of Travel Agents based in Nairobi. A sample size of 53 travel and tour firms representing 12 per cent of the population in Nairobi was selected. The sampling unit was top managers of the travel and tour firms. Proportionate stratified sampling was used. Data was analyzed using correlation techniques and results were presented in figures and tables. The findings showed that innovation was positively correlated with both internal and external structuring. The level of agreement was highest for firms always striving to improve customer service and the existing organizational competency (knowledge, skills and attitude) being able to withstand changes in the travel industry. External structuring had significant effect on innovation especially on the firms’ competitive advantage being based on understanding customer's needs. Most firms also frequently and systematically measured customer satisfaction. With respect to strategic adaptability and managerial factors, managerial factors were positively correlated to both internal and external structuring. Most firms always responded appropriately to major shifts in the travel market as well as analyzed risks and opportunities associated with addressing innovation issues. Majority of the firms identified potential revenue streams through new products, services or business models, developed new product and work processes continuously and devoted more resources to new products/services that met current and future market needs. The study findings showed that majority of the firms had prospector and analyzer orientation with respect to innovation approach. Most firms either valued being “first with new products, markets and technologies” or were seldom first to market but frequently fast followers with a more cost-efficient or innovative product. It was recommended that managers in the travel industry should be aware of and willing to adapt to the transformation of the travel industry in order to remain competitive and innovative. Tour operators and travel in Kenya should enhance their adaptive capacity within and outside their own firms. Future research could undertake a comparative analysis of how strategic adaptability is changing company operations and influencing innovation between travel industries in different countries

New service development strategy and process: considering concepts from financial sector in an analysis of the hospitality sector in Kenya

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The purpose of the study was to build rather than test the underlying theory of new service development (NSD). The literature study was expanded by an empirical research on NSD strategy and process in the hospitality sector in Kenya. In particular, the research was to establish the extent to which findings and concepts of NSD generated primarily in the financial sector can be extended to the hospitality sector. This exploratory study used case study strategy from eight hotels and a cross-sectional survey-based methodology from 35 hotels. A three-stage sampling procedure was used in the quantitative part of the study. Judgement sampling, stratified random sampling, and quota sampling methods respectively were used in the first phase of the study. Judgement sampling was used to identify the respondents for eight in-depth interviews conducted to proportionately cover each hotel star category in Nairobi and Mombasa. The researcher administered the questionnaire and the interviews personally. From the findings, the hospitality sector develops moderately innovative products that provide improved performance or greater perceived value for their customers and there is a difference in the implementation of the NSD strategy between chain and independent hotels. Also, the customer involvement in the NSD process was found to be relatively high, but the service encounter is dominated more by standardised rather than customised services. The major findings of this study must be interpreted with caution due to limitations in the research focus, method and data analysis and cannot be generalised beyond the circumstances and conditions in which they occurred. Future studies should use a longitudinal study methodology exploring service innovation strategy and process over real time to resolve for the retrospective nature of the data collection process. Research is needed for further comparative studies of NSD in other countries and between service sectors since the diversity and complexity of the delivery process is well known.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geen opsomming beskikbaar