Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Quality, service and ambience are concepts synonymous with the restaurant industry. Whilst the importance of these, and the integral function they perform in ensuring guest satisfaction and ultimately the success of a restaurant can hardly be denied, how effectively these inextricable concepts have been integrated within restaurants of Hermanus is of particular interest to various stakeholders. In a recent article submitted to an impact study conducted by GHACT (Greater Hermanus Association for Commerce and Tourism) titled: "Restaurateurs and Other Catering Outlets - February 2002", the Chairman of the Restaurateurs Association of Hermanus stated: "Restaurateurs usually are very impulsive individual personalities, working long hours - they do not comply with regulations; do their own thing and do not plan their strategies for the future - seat of the pants. We urgently need to start managing and policing our industry similar to accommodation establishments (e.g.... cleanliness, quality control and star ratings.)" The aim of this study project, originally commissioned by GHACT, is to contribute to GHACT's aim of stimulating commerce and tourism to Hermanus as part of their functions of core marketing, project development (impact studies), environment maintenance, and complaint resolution. A review of related literature as well as information gathered from 273 interviews, concerning 43 out of approximately 51 restaurants, forms the backdrop to this document. Definitions of key terms, investigation into previous empirical research, and identification of various excellence and guest satisfaction techniques, are the major focal points of this literature review. Four quality, service and ambience related assessments form part of the research, namely: 1) industry consistency in dealing with seasonality; 2) competitiveness between six specific restaurants; 3) tourist versus resident perceptions of restaurant excellence; and 4) individual restaurant excellence development areas. It was concluded that, although consistency throughout 2002 does not appear to be a concern for the Hermanus restaurant industry, the actual levels of quality, service and ambience offered by certain restaurants are below an acceptable standard. The Quality Matrix intervention presented in Chapter 5 integrates the tangible and intangible product and service standards essential for service excellence and guest satisfaction within all restaurants of Hermanus. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kwaliteit, diens en atmosfeer is konsepte wat sinoniem is met die restaurantbedryf. Alhoewel die belangrikheid van hierdie konsepte sentraal is om tevredenheid by gebruikers te verseker en uiteindelik om sukses te bepaal, is dit ook belangrik vir belanghebbendes om te sien hoe effektief hierdie konsepte in die restaurantbedryf van Hermanus ingeburger is. In 'n onlangse artikel deur GHACT (Greater Hermanus Association for Commerce and Tourism), getiteld: "Restauranteurs and Other Catering Outlets - February 2002", sê die voorsitter van die Restauranteurs Assosiasie van Hermanus dat "Restaurateurs usually are very impulsive individual personalities, working long hours - they do not comply with regulations; do their own thing and do not plan their strategies for the future - seat of the pants. We urgently need to start managing and policing our industry similar to accommodation establishments (e.g.... cleanliness, quality control and star ratings.)" Hierdie projek is deur GHAT aangepak in 'n poging om toerisme en koophandel in Hermanus te stimuleer deur impak studies, bemarking, omgewingsbeheer en klagte oplossing. 'n Oorsig van soortgelyke literatuur sowel as informasie wat versamel is van 273 onderhoude met betrekking tot 43 restaurante vorm die agtergrond van hierdie dokument. Die fokuspunt van hierdie literatuuroorsig was om die kern begrippe te definiëer, die bevindings van ander empiriese navorsing te analiseer, en tegnieke wat uitstaande diens en tevredenheid by gebruikers te verseker, te ondersoek. Vier kwaliteit, diens en atmosfeer verwante evalueringsareas vorm deel van die ondersoek, naamlik: 1) die eenvormigheid van die industrie in die hantering van seisoensverandering; 2) mededinging tussen ses spesifieke restaurante; 3) toeriste se persepsie teenoor die plaaslike inwoners se persepsie van restaurant kwaliteit en 4) individuele restaurant ontwikkelings areas. Alle gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak is in hierdie dokument is gebaseer op die bevindings van bogenoemde toetse. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat alhoewel betroubaarheid nie 'n probleem blyk te wees vir die Hermanus restaurantbedryf nie, werklike kwaliteit, diensvlakke en atmosfeer deur sekere restaurante aangebied, wel onder aanvaarbare standaarde was. Die kwaliteitsmatriks voorgestel in Hoofstuk 5 integreer die tasbare en ontasbare produk en noodsaaklike standaarde vir kwaliteit diens en tevredenheid by gebruikers by al die restaurante in Hermanus.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This Extended Research Assignment discusses the information systems found in HBR Personnel. The discussion, based on the research problems, proposes steps in which the systems of HBR can be integrated so that they add the most value. Furthermore, a review of Corporate Portals is undertaken to show the potential impact it may have on organisational efficiencies and knowledge. The Assignment, according to the methodologies given, analyses the HBR information system for system incompatibilities and bottlenecks and proposes solutions for these problems. The solutions include changing core system databases and computer systems, together with a portal to fully integrate HBR Personnel’s information systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie Uitgebreide Navorsingsopdrag bespreek die informasiestelsels gevind in HBR Personnel. Die bespreking, gebaseer op die navorsingsprobleme, stel stappe voor waardeur die stelsels van HBR geïntegreer kan word om die meeste waarde toe te voeg. Verder word ‘n oorsig gedoen van Korporatiewe Portale om te wys watter potensiële impak dit kan hê op organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en kennis. Na aanleiding van die gegewe metodologieë analiseer die opdrag HBR se informasiestelsel vir sistemiese probleme en bottelnekke en stel oplossings voor vir hierdie probleme. Die oplossings sluit in ‘n verandering van kern-sisteem databasisse en rekenaarstelsels, tesame met ‘n portaal om HBR Personnel se informasiestelsels ten volle te integreer.

Thesis (MTech (Quality (Faculty of Engineering)))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / Customer satisfaction is one of the most important strategic mechanisms of best practice hotel organisations. Daily, managers and employees are continuously faced with the challenges of establishing and maintaining customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to seek and identify measures that can be used in the hospitality industry for purposes of assessing and evaluating customer satisfaction and customer service effectiveness. The results from the research will enable hotel owners, managers and decision makers to identify the best practices in customer service design, culminating in customer value. The primary objective of this study is to assess customer expectations and perceptions of service quality in Cape Town based hotels, and to identify the gaps between client expectations and perceptions. This will be used as a basis to investigate the challenges that Cape Town hotels experience pertaining to internal and external customer strategy development and satisfaction. These identified challenges will be used as learning opportunities for improvement in aspects of quality and to establish a usable model for the organisation (hotels) from which strategies can be developed for the effective management of customer relations, and to ensure that customer expectations of service quality are met. The researcher will use SERVQUAL and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) scoring method to rate the customer’s level of satisfaction with each service attribute into an overall service performance of each hotel. The researcher will recommend an appropriate quality improvement mechanism to measure, analyse and improve processes in the hospitality industry.

Thesis (MTech (Cost and Management Accounting))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the hotel industry in South Africa are perceived to be failing/underperforming partly due to their reluctance to use Non-Financial Performance Measures (NFPMs). The main purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which SMEs in the hotel industry use three categories of NFPMs, namely; customer oriented, internal business process as well as learning and innovation, for running their businesses. This objective requires quantitative data to determine the percentage of SMEs in the hotel sector that make use of NFPMS. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the types of NFPMs used by the SMEs, the purposes for which these measures are used, the perceived effectiveness of the NFPMs currently used, as well as the factors that inhibit SMEs from using NFPMs. To this end, a questionnaire survey was administered on owners/managers of 100 hotels operating in the Cape Metropole. Purposeful sampling method was employed. Test of reliability of questionnaire was done during the experimental stage to ensure the stability, consistence, repeatability, or reproduction of the same results if questionnaires were to be administered to the same population using the same methodology at different times. The results of the study revealed that customer oriented measures were the most frequently used NFPMs, while learning and innovation related measures were the least frequently used NFPMs by the sampled SMEs. Concerning the purpose for which SMEs use NFPMs, the results revealed that SMEs used the NFPMs mainly for: improving the profitability of their business, improving productivity and effectiveness, as well as for improving decision–making. As far as the perceived effectiveness of the NFPMs currently used by SMEs, the results revealed that customer oriented measures were perceived by the sampled respondents to be the most effective of the three NFPMs. With respect to the factors inhibiting SMEs’ use of NFPMs, the results revealed that the main factors were high cost of implementing these measures, incomparability of the measures to those of other SMEs due to their entity specific nature, difficulty in quantifying the NFPMs measures, as well as employee resistance. This study fills a gap in the literature by making a significant contribution on the usage of NFPMs by SMEs. The study provides useful information on the usage of NFPMs that the Department of Small Business Development and Small Enterprise Development agency(SEDA) can use to inform the development of interventions aimed at reducing SMEs’ failure. These findings may also help SMEs to improve their usage of NFPMs in order to capitalise on the benefits gained from using these measures. Furthermore, these findings may help SMEs to overcome the factors that inhibit them from using NFPMs.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Technology: Hospitality and Tourism, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / In South Africa, the tourism industry has been identified as one of the key drivers for economic development and transformation of the country. Although South Africa joined the world tourism stage since democracy, the country still contends with issues linked to apartheid, such as poverty, inequality and transformation. More specific and related to this study is the transformation of the tourism industry. In this regard, an overwhelming majority of tourism enterprises are still under the ownership of the White minority. With the post-apartheid transition, the national government recognized that the unequal ownership structure within the tourism sector (as with most of the other economic sectors) needed to be addressed through a programme of transformation. Hence, the transformation programme introduced to counter the current dominance of the economic sector was called Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), followed by Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE); the programme aimed at redressing inequalities that were linked to the legacy of apartheid. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather in-depth information from respondents, based on their accommodation establishment. The data collected from the responses were analysed using Microsoft Excel. This study revealed that the accommodation sector is struggling to keep up with the 2014 transformation target of thirty percent. Incidentally, transformation as noted by the National Department of Tourism, within the industry currently stands at less than 3 percent and will struggle to meet the amended target of thirty percent in respect of the transformation targets set for 2017. Although the government has introduced many initiatives to promote Black participation within the accommodation sector, transformation has remained stagnant and Black ownership of accommodation establishments is almost non-existent. The study results have found that there are no Black business that operate within the CBD of Clarens and that businesses that operate in Clarens even though wholly White-owned, are indeed compliant with the Tourism BEE charter in spite of the results noting that no transformation has taken place. This is due to the issue of automatic compliance afforded to businesses based on their annual turnover. / M

The South African government has attempted to find a balance of interests between the employer and the employee by the introduction of the Labour Relations Act in 1995 and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in 1997. It is critical to the health of the South African economy that these labour laws do not impact small businesses to the extent that the Gross Domestic Product of the country is negatively affected. There are conflicting reports as to how these labour laws affect small businesses. It is therefore important for government to be able to understand, define and measure the impact of its labour laws on small businesses, in order for it to strategise corrective measures, which may include reconsidering the application of the legislative directive, regulated flexibility, if required. The study was limited in the sense that it was solely based on evidence collected from employers. An interpretivist approach was applied as a research methodology to data collected through in-depth interviews. The main findings of the empirical analysis demonstrate that labour legislation does not heavily impact small firms. It was thus determined that extensive measures were not needed with regard to correcting the framework of regulated flexibility.

The application of internet marketing techniques has been widespread in the hospitality sector worldwide, with many hotels crafting websites for marketing purposes. However, there is still a debate and speculation on the impact of internet marketing on business performance and profitability. Given the well-recognised value of internet marketing in the hospitality and tourism industry, this study sought to examine the impact of internet marketing on the profitability of the hospitality sector in South Africa and to establish factors which influence internet marketing usage. In order to achieve these objectives, a perceptual survey was conducted in graded hotels and lodges in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Multiple linear regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between internet marketing and business profitability as well as the relationship between organisational and environmental factors and internet marketing usage. Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that the use of internet marketing can positively influence business profitability. It is also concluded that internet marketing experience moderates the relationship between internet marketing usage and business profitability. The results also indicate that factors such as technological competence, managerial support, level of star grading and alliances significantly influence internet marketing usage. Thus, from the findings of this study, it was concluded that hotels and lodges can enhance their profitability through internet marketing usage.

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.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Management Science: Tourism and Hospitality Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / The advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) coupled with sophisticated network channels and applications have unveiled new avenues for small organizations and those in the hospitality industry must be included. However, there is limited industry specific research activity on the impact of adoption and utilisation of ICTs on business specifically with regard to the hospitality industry in developing countries. This report records the findings of an analysis into ICT and e-commerce adoption and use in small remote hospitality establishments in the Natal Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The research used a mixed methods approach involving questionnaires, observations and interviews. The participants were drawn from three case areas namely Curry’s Post, Nottingham Road and Lions River. From each case area, two restaurants, two wedding venues, two lodges and two curio shops participated. The findings indicate that most establishment acknowledged the need to adopt and utilise ICT and e-commerce. The links between ICT adoption and level of business success were marked. The challenges to adoption and utilisation of ICT were found to centre on cost, owners’ lack of familiarity with ICTs, and a corresponding lack of ICT skills amongst staff. The inability of imported software packages to suit local needs also emerged as a significant issue. Recommendations involve targeted sponsorships of ICT courses, language accessibility initiatives, and adaptation of software packages to local needs, along with advantages in starting small and adopting more sophisticated ICT as the business grows. / M

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.