Thesis ( M Tech( Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This study investigates the perceptions of the accommodation sector regarding the tourism value chain in the Western Province of Rwanda. The fact that the study could assist local communities with poverty alleviation in Rwanda has raised the issue of how the perceptions of the accommodation sector could be used to enhance the value chain so that it would benefit all the participants in the industry in that province.The study is undertaken to improve the understanding of the perceptions held by accommodation service providers regarding the tourism value chain. In order to achieve this, the researcher set out to gain a greater knowledge of tourism development planning, as well as to investigate the possible socio-cultural, economic and political impacts that could follow the effective implementation of the tourism value chain on the accommodation sector. Both the positive and the negative impacts of a tourism value chain on the local communities in Western Province of Rwanda were examined.In terms of the national tourism policy, tourism has become a priority. It is regarded as an economic activity that can contribute more than any other sector to poverty alleviation. This study therefore examines the current perceptions held by the practitioners of the industry as they develop tourism products and services in the country. In addition, the study examines the key benefits and concerns of the accommodation establishments about the tourism value chain

M.Comm. (Industrial Psychology) / There is ample evidence to suggest that optimal experience (flow), happiness and life satisfaction are related to one another in the creative culinary training environment. In this study, the effect of time management behaviour on these relationships was investigated within the hospitality training environment. Furthermore, the mediating role of perceived control of time on flow was explored, as well as the direct effect of happiness and life satisfaction on flow, among the different demographic groups. A quantitative research design was used and data were gathered with the use of an online questionnaire (cross-sectional survey). The sample consisted of n=229 students within the culinary training environment, in a tertiary institution spanning across different gender, age, racial groups and educational levels. Significant results were found for mechanics of time management that mediated fully through the perceived control of time on flow; goals and priorities mediated partially through the perceived control of time on flow. Happiness, however, had a direct link on flow. The practical implications of this study are that time management behaviour training should become more prominent in the culinary studies practical training for hospitality students. Successful time management behaviour skills may be beneficial in increasing the flow, happiness and life satisfaction outcomes of the students. This research further contributes to the body of knowledge of positive psychology, particularly within a South African vocational training context.

The primary objective of this research effort was to examine the relationships between successful lodging yield management systems and controllable independent variables in the form of critical success factors (CSFs). The identification of variables consequential to system success is considered to be an important step towards improving system design, implementation, and operation. Twenty-three system success constructs, 27 potential CSFs, and three confounding variables were identified through an extensive literature review, discussions with system vendors, developers, and users, and through data analysis. Eleven different lodging yield management systems (LYMSs) were identified, and three of them were sampled. The dependent variables were converted into a single weighted regression factor score using a principal components model. The respondent's position, size of property, and type of property were found to be confounding variables. The dependent and independent variables were correlated to identifY the CSFs. Every independent variable was identified as a CSF for at least one of the three systems, and the strength of the correlations were generally high. System, user, and task factors were found to be highly correlated to system success. Support and environmental factors were found to be moderately to weakly correlated to system success. / Ph. D.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, 2000. / As the world's tourism and hospitality industry sees the dawn of the new millennium, the twenty-first century, tourism and hospitality managers will begin to face many pragmatic challenges and opportunities. The fundamental issue which is identified in this study is the maintenance of high standard of quality of service in order to remain a competitive advantage within South Africa as well as the global tourism and hospitality market as a whole. The main areas of concentration this study is expecting to see tourism management changes in the new millennium include: the role played by new technologies, the business practices and general consumer demands. This research seeks to investigate the nature of managerial work in tourism and hospitality industries, specifically in hotels, travel agency, tour operators and tourism authorities. In a given situation, the begging question is whether this work fundamentally similar or different from that which is done in other industries? Furthermore, this study endeavours to find out what determines the nature of that work and, in so doing, puts forward approaches to the management process in the tourism and hospitality industry, specifically those which have to be adopted in the new millennium. As such, the main objectives of the study include the following: (a) To discover how managers intend to cope with the various changes that they will be exposed to in the new millennium, xm (b) To look at the present profile of managers and their expected profile changes in the new millennium, (c) To examine the evolving strategies that are being put in place to cope with challenges and strategies for the new millennium, (d) To examine and put forward a responsible approach to planning and development of the tourism and hospitality industry, (e) To resolve the conflict between the front-office managers who perceive their section of the hotel as separate from the rest of the establishment, (f) To establish a balance between the various components of the tourism product in terms of both quality and capacity. For example, infrastructure and the environment, accommodation and transportation, attractions and services, (g) To understand the need and development of appropriate training facilities and programmes, which are intended to both maximise employment opportunities and achieve the desired standards of quality. To achieve these objectives the study uses two fields of management studies available and relevant to changes in tourism and hospitality. These are: (a) current management functions in the tourism and hospitality business, and (b) the wider field of management, which focuses on managerial work as a whole. The methodology that used for this study are a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies utilising techniques such as focus groups, observation, in-depth interviews, telephone interviews, mail questionnaires and the non-participant observation technique. The latter technique was the most preferred method of data collection, because it offered the best alternatives, such as allowing for the simultaneous collection of qualitative and quantitative data. The breakdown of the final sample included four (4) tour operators, five (5) travel agents, two (2) provincial tourism authorities and 250 tourism and hospitality customers. A quantitative approach using statistical techniques was used for the 250 customers, whereas the case study approach was used to analyse the rest of the sample. In these cases the meanings and interpretations of the researcher were used as the main interpretative approach for the views and actions of the managers. However, this was balanced with the managers' interpretations of events. The main and general conclusions that were arrived at, with the help of the above methodologies, were that the tourism industry in the new millennium should move with the customer and therefore planning should be flexible in order to accommodate the customer at all times. Future growth strategies for tourism and hospitality management designed to keep customers satisfied, are those that use a combination of advertising, product innovation, service improvement changes in product and service, with more emphasis on direct selling, entailing personal contact with the customer. It is also evident from the findings that business travelers in the Durban area would prefer branded tourism and hospitality products rather than their counterparts in Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay would. On the whole, the preference for both business and leisure customers is for branded products. Travel agents believe that the bulk of their business comes from business customers and in the future, the emphasis is expected to be on the business traveler market. Tour operators are looking at buying smaller travel agents that they can use as retail outlets and heavy concentration on the domestic tourism and hospitality market. Tourism authorities are expected to concentrate on supporting community projects as a means of creating employment in the provinces. The intimidation of tourists in the provinces is because the community believes that tourists are the reason for increased crime, high prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases and an increase in the price of basic food and rent. The customer in the new millennium is expected to be very different, and rate standard requirements higher than the willingness to pay. The reality of the situation creates a desperate need for tourism and hospitality managers to search actors and forces in the business environment that may be utilised to the advantage of managers. One element that needs to be introduced urgently in all tourism and hospitality organisations is training in customer care. The study points to a very advanced technological environment, with emphasis on product design and the size of the capital of the organisation. The pages that follow will answer these questions and look at other issues in the study in greater detail.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of English

The International Hotel School is registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution. This registration entails accreditation by the Council on Higher Education and one of the requirements for accreditation is that "The programme has taken steps to enhance the employability of students and to alleviate shortages of expertise in relevant fields, in cases where these are the desired outcomes of the programme." The purpose of this study was to assess, from a graduate perspective, whether or not the Diploma in Hospitality Management programme offered by the school met the requirement of the Council on Higher Education. Skills sought by employers were identified through a review of literature on the topic of 'employability'. These skills were used to compile a research questionnaire sent electronically to the identified sample group. A study was conducted among students who had completed the diploma programme during the years 2008 to 2010. Using a five-point Likert Scale respondents were asked to rate their perception of skills developed through their participation in the diploma programme. In addition to assessing the employability skills, respondents were asked to rate the usefulness to them in their employment of the subjects comprising the diploma programme. Here a four point Rating Scale was used in the questionnaire. Results of the study have identified areas of weakness within the programme's design and recommendations will be made to the school Academic Board as to suggested actions to be taken in addressing these weaknesses. The programme's syllabi should be reviewed and the curricula content adapted to consider the areas of concern highlighted through this study. The study identified that the programme goes some way to meeting the requirements of both the Department of Higher education and Training and employers within the hospitality industry. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This research study analysed the role that experience played in the development of bar managers’ social competencies. Given the social nature of the bar environment, social competencies were perceived to be essential managerial competencies that enable bar managers to manage employees and consumers to ensure that employee and consumer satisfaction is maintained. The literature reviewed discussed the importance of managerial competencies and the composition of social competencies. Experience was conceptualized to develop an understanding of the informal learning method through which competency development occurs. Data was captured through face-to-face interviews, which were based on the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The data was analysed using the open coding procedures of grounded theory. This research study proposed a process to explain how experience contributed to the development of social competencies. The proposed process, which is called the Social Competency Cache Development Process (SCCD Process), ultimately indicated that experience contributed to bar managers’ social competencies through a reflection process, the residues of experience, and through the familiarity of situations and results. This research study found that experience contributed to the development of bar managers’ social competencies within a process that established an awareness of unfamiliar social competencies or reinforced the effects of familiar effective social competencies. Experience was also found to promote the transition between novel situations and familiar situations, which in turn enabled bar managers to effectively assess social situations and select effective responses to social situations. Consequently, experience improved the probability of bar managers implementing effective social competencies to ensure employee and consumer satisfaction. In essence, experience shaped bar managers’ accumulation of social competencies by promoting the addition of new social competencies or the reinforcement of existing social competencies.

The primary objective of this study was to utilize an exploratory research methodology to determine relationships among the antecedent factors and entry mode choices of multinational lodging firms. A basic framework was developed based on the review of the literature of multinational strategy, international business theories and concepts and hospitality management strategy. A qualitative research approach, specifically a multiple-case study method was used. The data was collected through interviews and secondary resources of five multinational lodging companies, analyzed through summary tables and matrices. The findings from the research included sixteen propositions that explain the relationships among the antecedent factors and entry mode choices in the multinational lodging operations. A framework was developed to illustrate the antecedent factors which may support the entry mode choices of the multinational lodging companies. Factors in the framework include those from the external environment: taxation and repatriation in the political dimension, infrastructure and tourism related factors in the economic dimension, adaptation to local needs and expectations in the socio-cultural dimension, investment and sharing technology in the technological dimension and awareness of the natural environment in the ecological dimension. Antecedent factors in the internal environment include: local and regional competitors, international and local customers, gateway and commercial centers of property locations, the strengths and weaknesses in tangible and intangible assets and partner selection criteria. These factors were found to have an important influence on the entry mode choices of the five participating multinational lodging companies. / Ph. D.

The aim of this research is to explore the contextual characteristics of a particular group of Dutch restaurant owner’s (SSUSCROs) and practitioners, to examine how these contextual characteristics might be used in a professional hospitality education programme. This very small segment of the Dutch restaurant business (0,2-0,5% of the total restaurants) is known for its strong commitment to competitiveness, in delivering quality service and products. No previous research in The Netherlands had embarked on a search for connecting this specific category of practitioners to education. As owners of their restaurants, the SSUSCROs were aware of the potential contribution that participating in this research would make. The research was designed from a constructionist epistemological point of view. This means that the data supplied by the respondents, and the background and vision of the researcher provided an interplay. By using grounded theory methodology, theory is constructed from the empirical data. The main instrument for the primary research was in-depth, interviewing. Six retired and four practising restaurant owners, and a connoisseur of the business were interviewed in one to three hour depth interviews that were digitally recorded. The transcripts of the recorded interviews were analysed, applying the specific constructivist version of grounded theory methodology as described by Charmaz’s (2006). The research generated a grounded theory in the form of a narrative about the SSUSCRO social construct and its central theme ‘Living the business’. The narrative informs future practitioners i.e. students, about how they can prepare for possible future business ventures in the culinary restaurant business. Furthermore, it confronts future practitioners with the notion of particular contextual characteristics and value systems that need to be incorporated in order to successfully engage in and sustain a career in the culinary restaurant sector. Elements of the narrative, connected to Covey’s 7-Habits of Highly Effective People framework for personal leadership. The findings from this research confirmed the importance of providing students in hospitality management education with a approach towards professional development that is grounded in the social construct of a remarkable group of entrepreneurs such as the SSUSCROs. The conclusions suggested that faculty and academic management of hospitality management programmes need to become more knowledgeable about the particular nature of the discipline, and the specific category of practitioners researched here.

Introduction The National Department of Tourism (NDT) identified the underutilisation of tourist attractions as a challenge facing South Africa’s tourism. According to eThekwini Municipality (2014) and Gauteng Provincial Government (2001), domestic business tourists, amongst others, visit tourist attractions. The likelihood of business tourists requesting that hotel front office staff arrange visits to tourist attractions is acknowledged in the literature. There is, however, a dearth of research investigating the relationship between hotel front office staff and business tourists’ intentions to visit tourist attractions (hereafter mostly referred to as business tourists’ visiting intentions). The conceptualisation of this relationship is discussed in the context of hotel front office staff, interest in tourist attractions, and business tourists’ visiting intentions. The proposed mediating role of Interest in tourist attractions is highlighted, which was tested statistically, while evidence is provided that Hotel front office staff, Interest in tourist attractions, and Business tourists’ visiting intentions can serve in a causal Model of Business Tourist’s Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions. The inclusion of these constructs in a causal model will enable hotel and tourist attractions managers develop strategies to attract business tourists. Main research question Against the background of Frazier, Tix and Barron’s (2004) and Ro’s (2012) Mediation Model, see section 1.3, the following main research question was proposed for the present study: Is the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions mediated by Interest in tourist attractions in a Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions? Literature review Based on the main research question, this study resulted in the proposal of a theoretical causal model for the mediating role of tourist attractions and a causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions. The likelihood of the newly conceptualised Interest in tourist attractions as a mediator in the relationship between the Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions is evident in tourism literature. As far as could be determined, the influence of interest in tourist attractions in the relationship between hotel front office staff and business tourists’ visiting intentions has not been established to date. An extensive literature review was conducted to conceptualise hotel front office staff, interest in tourist attractions, and business tourists’ visiting intentions as constructs to include in the theoretical model from which the causal model was developed. Business tourists’ demographic details were investigated in the context of gender, age, and province. Research design A research design comprises the research approach and research method of a study. In the present research, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to generate the study’s primary data. A statistical study design was adopted for the purpose of conducting factor analysis (FA) and validating the causal model by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through structural equation modelling (SEM). Furthermore, this study was causal-explanatory, as it explored the mediating role of Interest in tourist attractions. International Business Machines (IBM) software SPSS 22.0 was used to conduct this study’s FA, and IBM SPSS AMOS 22.00 was used for this study’s CFA through SEM. Research method Convenience sampling, which is a non-probability sampling method, was used to select the respondents. The target population was domestic business tourists who stayed at the selected three-star hotel between 15 July 2014 and 15 April 2015. A new measuring instrument was developed to comprehensively investigate hotel front office staff, interest in tourist attractions, and business tourists’ visiting intentions. A seven-point intensity Likert scale was used for all items in the questionnaire. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire issued to domestic business tourists upon hotel check-in. The sample comprised 282 respondents. Results and discussion Data sets for all constructs were inspected for central tendency, distribution, and missing values. Missing values were replaced by the respective items’ mean score. Once inspected, PCA was conducted to explore the uni-dimensionality of items, and to reduce constructs. All constructs were retained by the PCA, and the achievement of Cronbach alpha scores exceeding .70 confirmed the validity and reliability of constructs (Hotel front office staff, Interest in tourist attractions, and Business tourists’ visiting intentions). PCA was not conducted on Business Tourists’ Visiting Intentions, due to a significant Cronbach’s alpha and the presence of only four items measuring the construct. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed positive inter-correlations between dimensions of the constructs Hotel front office staff and Interest in tourist attractions. CFA was conducted to establish the causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions. The establishment of a causal model was followed by exploring the mediating effect of Interest in tourist attractions on the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model confirmed that Interest in tourist attractions fully mediates the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. This successfully answered this study’s main research question. This study makes a unique contribution by establishing a causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions, confirming Interest in tourist attractions as a mediator in the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model proves that there is no relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions without the indirect connection with Interest in tourist attractions. In support of this study’s results, Yang, Jou, and in tourist attractions, and business tourists’ visiting intentions. A seven-point intensity Likert scale was used for all items in the questionnaire. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire issued to domestic business tourists upon hotel check-in. The sample comprised 282 respondents. Results and discussion Data sets for all constructs were inspected for central tendency, distribution, and missing values. Missing values were replaced by the respective items’ mean score. Once inspected, PCA was conducted to explore the uni-dimensionality of items, and to reduce constructs. All constructs were retained by the PCA, and the achievement of Cronbach alpha scores exceeding .70 confirmed the validity and reliability of constructs (Hotel front office staff, Interest in tourist attractions, and Business tourists’ visiting intentions). PCA was not conducted on Business Tourists’ Visiting Intentions, due to a significant Cronbach’s alpha and the presence of only four items measuring the construct. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed positive inter-correlations between dimensions of the constructs Hotel front office staff and Interest in tourist attractions. CFA was conducted to establish the causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions. The establishment of a causal model was followed by exploring the mediating effect of Interest in tourist attractions on the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model confirmed that Interest in tourist attractions fully mediates the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. This successfully answered this study’s main research question. This study makes a unique contribution by establishing a causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions, confirming Interest in tourist attractions as a mediator in the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model proves that there is no relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions without the indirect connection with Interest in tourist attractions. In support of this study’s results, Yang, Jou, andin tourist attractions, and business tourists’ visiting intentions. A seven-point intensity Likert scale was used for all items in the questionnaire. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire issued to domestic business tourists upon hotel check-in. The sample comprised 282 respondents. Results and discussion Data sets for all constructs were inspected for central tendency, distribution, and missing values. Missing values were replaced by the respective items’ mean score. Once inspected, PCA was conducted to explore the uni-dimensionality of items, and to reduce constructs. All constructs were retained by the PCA, and the achievement of Cronbach alpha scores exceeding .70 confirmed the validity and reliability of constructs (Hotel front office staff, Interest in tourist attractions, and Business tourists’ visiting intentions). PCA was not conducted on Business Tourists’ Visiting Intentions, due to a significant Cronbach’s alpha and the presence of only four items measuring the construct. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed positive inter-correlations between dimensions of the constructs Hotel front office staff and Interest in tourist attractions. CFA was conducted to establish the causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions. The establishment of a causal model was followed by exploring the mediating effect of Interest in tourist attractions on the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model confirmed that Interest in tourist attractions fully mediates the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. This successfully answered this study’s main research question. This study makes a unique contribution by establishing a causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions, confirming Interest in tourist attractions as a mediator in the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. The causal model proves that there is no relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions without the indirect connection with Interest in tourist attractions. In support of this study’s results, Yang, Jou, and Cheng (2011) asserted that business tourists expect hotels to arrange their visits to tourist attractions. According to Kasavana and Brooks (2009), it is a duty of the hotel front office staff to arrange visits to tourist attractions. Limitations This study was limited to domestic business tourists only, thereby excluding international business tourists. A non-probability sampling method was used to select respondents; this study’s results can therefore not be generalised to the population of domestic business tourists who stay at the selected three-star hotel in Pretoria. This study’s sample was uneven in the context of gender, age, and province of residence. Future research Future studies could explore the established causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions at a different hotel, to verify the validity of the model. Future studies could also explore the moderating effect of domestic business tourists with regard to age, gender, and province of residence in the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Interest in tourist attractions. Future studies could further explore the causal Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions using a different biographical segment, e.g., leisure tourists. Conclusion This study aimed to determine whether scores for Hotel front office staff related to scores for Business tourists’ visiting intentions, and how this relationship is mediated by scores on Tourist attractions scores. The Model of Business Tourists’ Intentions of Visiting Tourist Attractions confirmed that Interest in tourist attractions fully mediates the relationship between Hotel front office staff and Business tourists’ visiting intentions. Based on these results, this study’s main research objective has been achieved. / Business Management / M. Com. (Tourism Management)