129 research outputs found
The Production of Hospitable Space: Commercial Propositions and Consumer Co-Creation in a Bar Operation
This paper examines the processes through which a commercial bar is transformed into a hospitable space. Drawing on a study of a venue patronized by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual/transgender consumers, it considers how social and commercial forms of hospitality are mobilized. The paper argues that hospitable space has an ideological, normative and situational dimension. More specifically, it suggests the barâs operation is tied to a set of ideological conceptions, which become the potential basis of association and disassociation among consumers. It examines the forces and processes that shape who participates in the production and consumption of hospitality and how. Finally, it considers the situational, emergent nature of hospitality and the discontinuous production of hospitable space. Rather than focusing exclusively on host-guest or provider-customer relations, which dominates existing work on hospitality, the paper examines how consumersâ perceptions, actions and interactions shape the production of hospitality. By doing so the paper offers an alternative approach to understanding queer spaces, bar operation as well as hospitality
A Risk Comparison of Ordinary Least Squares vs Ridge Regression
We compare the risk of ridge regression to a simple variant of ordinary least
squares, in which one simply projects the data onto a finite dimensional
subspace (as specified by a Principal Component Analysis) and then performs an
ordinary (un-regularized) least squares regression in this subspace. This note
shows that the risk of this ordinary least squares method is within a constant
factor (namely 4) of the risk of ridge regression.Comment: Appearing in JMLR 14, June 201
Using abstract concepts in impact-focused organisational research: An empirical example deploying âhospitalityâ
Purpose
This paper conceptualises and examines the processes through which abstract
concepts, or abstractions, can be utilised in co-creating knowledge within âimpactfocusedâ
organisational and business research i.e. applied research that primarily seeks
to promote change in practice rather than principally aiming to make theoretical
contributions to academic debates. The paper uses the abstraction âhospitalityâ as an
empirical example and discusses the techniques used to âoperationaliseâ this concept
i.e. make it understandable for research participants enabling researchers to use it
within data generation and the creation of practical insights in organisational enquiry.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed two methods: firstly, participant generated photos; and secondly,
two interactive workshops with 38 practitioners where the abstract concept
âhospitalityâ was used to generate practical organisational insights.
Findings
The paper distinguishes between four stages: the elaboration of abstraction;
concretisation of abstraction; probing perspectives on abstraction; and exploring
experiences of abstraction. It is argued that utilising specific techniques within these
four stages facilitates: a) recognisability: the extent to which organisational
stakeholders understand the content and meanings of the abstraction; and b)
relatability: the extent to which stakeholders appreciate how the abstract concepts are
relevant to interpreting their own practices and experiences.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study, used to develop and refine elicitation techniques, rather
than to draw definitive conclusions about the applicability of specific abstract
concepts. Nevertheless, reflecting on the processes and techniques used in the
utilisation of abstractions here can help to operationalise them in future impactfocused
research.
Originality/value
The paper conceptualises the processes through which abstract concepts can be made
apprehendable for non-specialist, non-academic practitioners. In doing so, it discusses
how various elicitation techniques support the utilisation of abstractions in generating
insights that can support the development of constructive, context-specific practices in
organisations and businesses
Work(ing) Dynamics of Migrant Networking among Poles Employed in Hospitality and Food Production
Recent studies of migrants provide us with an understanding of their social relations beyond work; however, workplace networking practices among migrants, particularly as they are mediated by their jobs and their working environment has not been addressed as a substantive subject. Drawing on two studies of Poles, working in hospitality and food production, which utilised interviews, participant observation, netnography and a survey, this paper examines how occupational and organisational factors, including the nature of work and the characteristics of the workplace, impact upon migrantsâ intra and inter-group relations. Furthermore, the data are used to consider how migrants âworkâ (ie. utilise and exploit) the dynamics of the work(place) to facilitate their networking. We distinguish between task, spatial and related temporal dimensions affecting their interactions, arguing that such a conceptual lens is necessary for understanding migrantsâ networking strategies
Bandit problems with fidelity rewards
The fidelity bandits problem is a variant of the K-armed bandit problem in which the reward of each arm is augmented by a fidelity reward that provides the player with an additional payoff depending on how âloyalâ the player has been to that arm in the past. We propose two models for fidelity. In the loyalty-points model the amount of extra reward depends on the number of times the arm has previously been played. In the subscription model the additional reward depends on the current number of consecutive draws of the arm. We consider both stochastic and adversarial problems. Since single-arm strategies are not always optimal in stochastic problems, the notion of regret in the adversarial setting needs careful adjustment. We introduce three possible notions of regret and investigate which can be bounded sublinearly. We study in detail the special cases of increasing, decreasing and coupon (where the player gets an additional reward after every m plays of an arm) fidelity rewards. For the models which do not necessarily enjoy sublinear regret, we provide a worst case lower bound. For those models which exhibit sublinear regret, we provide algorithms and bound their regret
Challenges in Hospitality Management Education: Perspectives from the United Kingdom
Drawing on qualitative data gathered from educators based in the United Kingdom, this paper examines their perceptions of significant challenges facing contemporary hospitality management education. These include: engaging contemporary students, particularly through new technologies; the growing presence of international students; institutional constraints, resource pressures and the distinctiveness of hospitality management education; ongoing tensions between hospitality's intellectual development and its practice focus; and new course designs, delivery models and partnerships. The study also explores their views on how those are likely to evolve in the future. The findings suggest that many of the key challenges are not unique to the hospitality management area, but they also highlight many pressing concerns specific to this sector. Importantly, the findings help to identify how individuals and institutions are responding to particular challenges in higher education
Hospitality, Culture and Regeneration: Urban decay, entrepreneurship and the "ruin" bars of Budapest
This paper considers the relationships between hospitality, culture and urban regeneration through an examination of rom (ruin) venues, which operate in dilapidated buildings in Budapest, Hungary. The paper reviews previous work on culture and urban regeneration in order to locate the role of hospitality within emerging debates. It subsequently interrogates the evolution of the rom phenomenon and demonstrates how, in this context, hospitality thrives because of social and physical decay in urban locations, how operators and entrepreneurs exploit conflicts among various actors involved in regeneration, and how hospitality may be mobilised purposefully in the regeneration process. The paper demonstrates how networked entrepreneurship maintains these operations and how various forms of cultural production are entangled and mobilised in the venuesâ hospitality propositions
The hospitality consumption experiences of parents and carers with children
Drawing on research conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom, this paper addresses two questions: first, how is parenting and childcare provision performed within restaurants, cafes and pubs; and second, how are different aspects of hospitality provision entangled with parent, carer and childrenâs experiences? The findings show how gestures of hospitality, particularly service interactions that are tailored to meet the specialist needs of these consumers, can create positive emotions and encourage customer loyalty. Furthermore, the data show the importance of recognising children as sovereign consumers. We conclude that responding directly to childrenâs needs can augment their experiences and hence, those of their carers and other patrons. The paper identifies a number of implications for management practice and several avenues for future research
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