Thesis (M. Tech.(Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2010 / Globally, tourism is increasingly referred to as the world's biggest industry. As tourism increases so the consumer’s demand for quality in all its related products and services increase. Superior customer service can therefore be viewed as one of the most effective strategies to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The delivery of excellent service is crucial if a tourism destination such as the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is to enhance its visitors’ experience and ensure their extended stay. One of the key constraints to tourism growth that has been identified is the lack of product and service quality. The primary goal of the study therefore was to investigate the perceptions of tourists on the quality of tourism service in the Sol Plaatje Area. Another primary goal was to determine the quality of service by conducting unstructured interviews with role-players in the local tourism industry. Secondary objectives were set, namely to determine the service needs of foreign and domestic tourists, and to make recommendations and suggestions to increase service quality in the Sol Plaatje Area. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument and distributed to domestic and foreign tourists. Three sampling points were selected to conduct the survey (250 questionnaires), namely the departure hall of Kimberley Airport, the Big Hole and the McGregor Museum. Results indicated that although the majority of tourists (83.4% of domestic and 93.8% of foreign respondents) were generally satisfied with the service they received and would promote the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as a tourist destination, a large number of respondents (32.1%) rated their satisfaction with service delivery as average to poor. This is an indication that improvement is needed in the delivery of quality service. Unstructured interviews (conducted by the researcher) with 20 major role-players in the local tourism industry indicated that the majority (60%) perceived the service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as average to poor and not exceeding the expectations of tourists. Overall, the results indicated the need for the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area to improve its tourism service delivery in order to exceed tourist expectations and compete with other destinations locally and abroad. The findings of this study contribute valuable information and insights into the quality of service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area. It will therefore be beneficial to all tourism stakeholders to provide visitors with the best service experience in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area.

Thesis (M. Tech) (Tourism and Hospitality Management)) Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / Job stress and burnout can have a detrimental effect on the health of employees and their job performance. This is especially applicable to the hospitality industry which is a service-intensive industry where customer needs and wants are the most important focus. Organisational culture being defined as the social glue that helps bring the organisation together is seen in this case as the proper mechanism that managers could use to deal with the detrimental effects of job stress and burnout. This study assessed the impact of organisational culture on job stress and burnout in graded hospitality establishments in the Free State Province. The two main economic areas of the Free State, namely Bloemfontein and Clarence, were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was administered to all staff members in 46 graded accommodation establishments, and a total number of 227 questionnaires were collected for data analysis. The questionnaire consisted of a demographic section, an organisational culture section (based on the Competing Value Framework), a job stress section (based on Spielberger’s Job Stress Survey) and a burnout section (based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Data were interpreted using both descriptive and inferential statistics (including factor analysis and t-tests). The findings indicate that graded hospitality establishments had a predominantly Rational Culture, which points to strong external positioning and competitiveness. The Rational Culture is externally focused and does not adequately consider the needs of internal constituents – notably the employees. The cultural values associated with the Rational Culture are thus not as conducive in moderating job stress and burnout as the Group and Developmental Cultures. Appropriate recommendations are proposed in mitigating the effect of job stress and burnout in the hospitality industry.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Office Management and Technology)-Durban University of Technology, 2005 xv, 129 leaves / The Constitution contains the Bill of Rights, one that is regarded as the corner-stone of democracy, as it enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. Section 9(1) provides for the promotion of a society in which diversity of identity is respected and protected. The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, stipulates that designated employers implement affirmative action, thereby compelling organizations to eradicate all forms of discrimination in organizational processes and procedures. With such legal measures put in place (Promotion of the Equality Act) acceptance and change within organisations has to be accelerated. The purpose of this study is to explore workplace discrimination against trainees within the Hotel and Catering industries. Workplace discrimination is against human rights and can become a legal violation of Labour laws. Although preventative policies are in place, this study would illuminate the extent to which discrimination occurs, how it has manifested itself, and how students would be affected by this discrimination.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree: Doctor of Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / There is extensive focus on the practical performance of ecotourism in respect of environmentally invasive activities and the satisfaction of ecotourists in South Africa. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of quality management practices on service quality in the accommodation sector serving ecotourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was conducted at 58 hotels within a 50 kilometre proximity to ecotourism development regions of KwaZulu-Natal province. Two separate self-administered questionnaires were designed for the hotel managers and for their guests. A quantitative approach and a census of 58 managers were conducted and the guest response of 587 was obtained using convenience sampling. The results revealed that there are mismatches in guests’ actual experience on the variables of interest for customer service quality and the importance they attach to each variable. The experience-importance findings show that most guests rated their experiences above the importance they attach to those experiences. Little attention has been paid to hotel service quality research pertaining specifically to quality-related performance. This study fills this gap by identifying congruent hotel service quality attributes and relating these to management performance by analysing the importance of these attributes for hotel-guests seeking experiences of the natural environment. The results of the study offer measures for ecotourism service quality enhancement for the ecotourists experience at the hotels and a starting point for hotel managers to optimise the service quality growth and development while protecting the resources on which they are based. Quality function deployment has emerged as a significant tool to guide hotel managers in ecotourism destinations to attain planned levels of guest service quality and formulate a well-informed and systematic framework that will advance strategies for service quality enhancement.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / This study investigated the implementation of broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) policy in the hotel industry of South Africa. BBBEE aims to accelerate the inclusion of black people into the economy through company ownership, human resource, and enterprise and community development. Although black people represent 91 per cent of South Africa’s population, the economy is controlled by a small white population. Studies have shown slow adoption and resistance to the BBBEE policy by the private sector, including in the hotel industry. Therefore, the research problem was the nature of compliance with, and the implementation of, black empowerment policy in the hotel industry. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether a framework for the effective implementation of black empowerment policy could be developed, given the centrality of hotels in the tourism value chain. The specific objectives were to determine the nature of the disconnect on BBBEE, to identify factors which facilitated or inhibited implementation, and to explore solutions for enhancing BBBEE implementation in the hotels. A quantitative investigation of 611 hotel general managers constituted the core of the dissertation’s content and contribution. Data from 178 respondents was analysed using descriptive and correlational statistical methods. The development of the quantitative research instrument was substantiated by the preliminary qualitative study of five hotel group executives. The mixed methods approach was appropriate for investigating the dual structure (group and unit) of the hotel industry. The results indicated that hotels were recording progress on human resource development although compliance levels did not meet the required BBBEE targets. On enterprise development, the hotels’ engagement with small black enterprises was low both quantitatively and qualitatively. Furthermore, hotel group leaders indicated that the tourism-specific BBBEE charter presented bureaucratic challenges, as tourism straddles several industries which required different BBBEE certification. The study has developed an empowerment framework of solutions for achieving success in BBBEE in hotels. The primary factors determining success are the provision of performance targets and incentives for general managers, and if the hotel manager supports BBBEE policy. Furthermore, exogenous factors such as the star rating and location of a hotel also impact on BBBEE implementation. A quantitative investigation of 611 hotel general managers constituted the core of the dissertation’s content and contribution. Data from 178 respondents was analysed using descriptive and correlational statistical methods. The development of the quantitative research instrument was substantiated by the preliminary qualitative study of five hotel group executives. The mixed methods approach was appropriate for investigating the dual structure (group and unit) of the hotel industry. The results indicated that hotels were recording progress on human resource development although compliance levels did not meet the required BBBEE targets. On enterprise development, the hotels’ engagement with small black enterprises was low both quantitatively and qualitatively. Furthermore, hotel group leaders indicated that the tourism-specific BBBEE charter presented bureaucratic challenges, as tourism straddles several industries which required different BBBEE certification. The study has developed an empowerment framework of solutions for achieving success in BBBEE in hotels. The primary factors determining success are the provision of performance targets and incentives for general managers, and if the hotel manager supports BBBEE policy. Furthermore, exogenous factors such as the star rating and location of a hotel also impact on BBBEE implementation. This study builds on, and adds value to previous studies by moving beyond the investigative mode to identifying practical policy options for successful transformation of the hotel industry. The proposed framework acknowledges the diverse nature of the tourism product, and provides potential solutions to enhance the hotel managers’ ability to anticipate and incorporate factors impacting on BBBEE implementation. The framework adds theoretical value to affirmative action discourse by suggesting a conceptual shift from a race-based approach to an alternative one which would incorporate sustainable tourism and ethical governance concerns. Such an approach would maximise BBBEE potential in the hotel industry of South Africa for beneficiaries and communities. Additional research is recommended to substantiate the hypothesis with a broader sample as the study was limited to hotel managers.

In the hospitality industry, women with children are in a unique position. Government deregulation of corporate labor practices, the exit of manufacturing overseas, and the rise of the service sector economy in the United States has contributed to the development of a surplus, low-wage labor force. Tourism is one subset of this labor force that deserves further attention. Although there is substantial literature on the structure of low-wage labor in tourism economies (Herod and Aguiar, 2006), as well as the impacts on work-family balance (Liladrie, 2009), a less explored topic is the impacts hospitality labor has on mothering. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women with children who 1) work in the hospitality industry and 2) whose work is located in the tourism districts of Seattle, Washington and New Orleans, Louisiana. The investigator used semi-structured, qualitative interviews that asked women about the decisions they make for their children, how their work in hospitality influences their parenting decisions, and how they assign meaning to their roles as mothers. The investigator found that women in the hospitality industry do not separate work and motherhood as two separate spheres. Work is a mothering strategy. The decisions they make for their children are characterized by mobility, particularly through relocation. Finally, this study found that women who work in the hospitality industry navigate various “markers” that stigmatize them in the workplace. The investigator calls this “motherhood markers;” forms of stigma that intensify emotional labor in their workplaces, can create tension with employers and co-workers and, in some cases, termination of their employment.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-08-08T17:01:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Helen Tomaz Hexse_.pdf: 937975 bytes, checksum: 5701374a367386bfe656c2180d1b42b6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T17:01:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Helen Tomaz Hexse_.pdf: 937975 bytes, checksum: 5701374a367386bfe656c2180d1b42b6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-26 / Nenhuma / O propósito de uma organização é atender os interesses e necessidades de seus clientes e para que isso aconteça, ela precisa ser orientada para serviço. Portanto, precisa possuir um conjunto de políticas, práticas e procedimentos internos que a possibilitem entregar um serviço excelente. No momento em que o setor hoteleiro compreende que a sua sobrevivência e crescimento dependem da criação e oferta de experiências memoráveis para seus clientes, e percebem que a cocriação pode ser utilizada na tentativa de responder as variadas expectativas que eles possuem, a sua habilidade para cocriar e o seu comportamento de cocriação assumem papéis fundamentais para colocá-la em prática. Neste cenário, as avaliações on-line podem ser utilizadas com uma forma de compreender as opiniões, pensamentos e reações dos clientes sobre os serviços que se oferece. Servindo para analisar se o cliente realmente percebe a excelência nos serviços prestados. Diante deste contexto, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar os efeitos da orientação para serviço do hotel (i) na sua habilidade de cocriação, (ii) no seu comportamento de cocriação, (iii) nas avaliações on-line que recebem dos clientes e analisar o efeito que (iv) a habilidade de cocriação possui no comportamento de cocriação. Para tanto, primeiramente, realizou-se uma etapa exploratória, onde 6 hotéis foram entrevistados com o objetivo de auxiliar na validação das escalas a serem utilizadas, na medida em que as entrevistas possibilitam um maior conhecimento sobre os construtos estudados e em como eles se encaixam no setor hoteleiro. Após, foi realizada uma survey com 155 hotéis do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul a fim de investigar os aspectos apresentados anteriormente. A técnica de estatística utilizada para análise dos dados foi a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (MEE). Os resultados mostram que a orientação para serviço influencia positivamente na habilidade de cocriação, no comportamento de cocriação e na avaliação on-line. Destaca-se que a variância explicada atingiu índices importantes no momento em que a orientação para serviço explica 88,8% da habilidade de cocriação, 56% do comportamento de cocriação e 33,3% da avaliação on-line que hotéis recebem de seus clientes. Por outro lado, a habilidade de cocriação não apresentou efeito no comportamento de cocriação. Assim, os hotéis devem buscar uma maior orientação para serviços, a fim de alcançar maiores níveis de cocriação e melhores avaliações on-line. / The aim of an organization is to satisfy the needs and desires of the customer. For this, the organization must have service orientation. Therefore, the organization needs a basic set of organizational policies, practices and procedures to be able to deliver service excellence. When the hospitality industry understands that their future survival and growth depends upon creating and offering unique and memorable experiences for their customers, and realized that co-creation can be adopted to try to respond to customer expectations, their ability to co-create and their willingness to co-create will be the key to put co-creation in practice. Faced with this scenario the on-line reviews can be used as a way to comprehend the personal thoughts, reactions and opinions of the clients about the services that the organization offers. With this, is possible to analyze if the client really perceived an excellence in the services provided. Then, this research aims to analyze the effects of hotel service orientation (i) in their ability to co-create, (ii) in their willingness to co-create and (iii) in on-line reviews, and (iv) analyze the effect of ability to co-create have on willingness to co-create. Therefore, an exploratory study was made with 6 hotels, an attempt to get a better knowledge of how the studied constructs fits on the hotel sector to assist on the scales validation. Afterwards, a survey was realized with 155 hotels in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in order to investigate the aspects presented previously. The statistic technique used was Structural Equation Model (MEE). The results have shown that service orientation influences ability to co-create, willingness to co-create and on-line reviews positively. The explained variance has reached important indexes since service orientation explained 88,8% of ability to co-create, 33,3% of willingness to co-create and 33,3% of on-line reviews that hotels received by clients. On the other hand, ability to co-create has not presented influence on willingness to co-create. Thus, hotels should search a major service orientation to reach high levels of co-creation and better on-line reviews.

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies general managers of full-service hotels used to reduce voluntary frontline employee turnover. The conceptual framework for this study was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. The 3 participants were hotel general managers in the midwestern region of the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 3 purposefully selected hotel general managers and by reviewing company documents. Data analysis consisted of gathering the data, coding for emergent themes, compiling the data into common codes, organizing the data into themes, interpreting the meaning, and reporting the themes. Four themes emerged from the data: employee retention, leadership characteristics, effective retention strategies, and ineffective retention strategies. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to decrease voluntary employee turnover in the hospitality industry. Positive results of decreasing voluntary employee turnover may include increased success within the hospitality industry, which might positively influence productivity, raise customer satisfaction, and increase organizational profits.

Questa tesi empirica si concentra sul ruolo svolto dal food marketing (sezione uno) e dal destination branding (sezione due) nel promuovere lo sviluppo di una regione . La tesi è strutturata come raccolta di 4 articoli. La prima sezione si basa su due ricerche empiriche inerenti il caso della Fontina, un tipico formaggio italiano. L'obiettivo è capire che tipo di valore può essere generato collegando un alimento tipico alla regione di origine / produttore / certificazione. L'analisi approfondisce e supporta studi precedenti sull’ importanza della certificazione DOP e contribuisce individuando un legame tra le preferenze dei consumatori per i prodotti DOP e le differenze territoriali. La seconda sezione si concentra sul tema della collaborazione nelle destinazioni turistiche, approfondendo il ruolo della fiducia nel rapporto tra benefici (economici e relazionali) realizzabili attraverso service bundling e l'orientamento degli albergatori al networking. Sono stati intervistati 164 albergatori valdostani. I risultati evidenziano che la fiducia media il rapporto tra benefici relazionali e orientamento al networking. Un ulteriore risultato interessante è l'effetto mediazione svolto dell’ innovatività degli albergatori nel rapporto tra benefici economici e orientamento al networking. Lo studio fornisce una segmentazione del settore dell'ospitalità in base all'orientamento al networking degli operatori. / This empirical thesis focuses on the role played by typical food marketing (section one) and destination branding (section two) in enhancing the development of a region. The thesis is structured as the collection of 4 papers. The first section is based on two empirical surveys on the case of Fontina, a typical Italian cheese. The aim is to understand which kind of value can be generated by linking a typical food to the region of origin/ producer/ certification. The analysis supports and builds on previous studies on the importance of PDO certification. Importantly, it contributes by eliciting consumers’ preferences for PDO according to territorial differences. The second section focuses on the topic of collaboration in tourism destinations. This research investigates the role of trust in the relationship between benefits (economic and relational) achievable through service bundling and hoteliers’ orientation to networking. 164 hoteliers located in Aosta Valley region in Italy were interviewed. Outcomes highlight that trust mediates the relationship between relational benefits and networking orientation. Another interesting result is the mediation effect of hoteliers’ innovativeness on the relationship between economic benefits and networking orientation. The study provides a segmentation of the hospitality industry according to operators’ networking orientation.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Office Management and Technology)-Durban University of Technology, 2005 xv, 129 leaves / The Constitution contains the Bill of Rights, one that is regarded as the corner-stone of democracy, as it enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. Section 9(1) provides for the promotion of a society in which diversity of identity is respected and protected. The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, stipulates that designated employers implement affirmative action, thereby compelling organizations to eradicate all forms of discrimination in organizational processes and procedures. With such legal measures put in place (Promotion of the Equality Act) acceptance and change within organisations has to be accelerated. The purpose of this study is to explore workplace discrimination against trainees within the Hotel and Catering industries. Workplace discrimination is against human rights and can become a legal violation of Labour laws. Although preventative policies are in place, this study would illuminate the extent to which discrimination occurs, how it has manifested itself, and how students would be affected by this discrimination.