Performance improvement is at the heart of all strategic management. Thus, the principal objectives of this study were to develop an industry-specific instrument to measure lodging strategy, identify a set of strategic dimensions underlying such strategy, and relate performance differences among lodging units to varying strategic dimensions emphasized by such units. The study adopted the individual hotel as the unit of analysis, and realized strategy was measured as opposed to the intended. Five hundred and seventy nine hotels, which are part of the franchise systems of two industry-leading chains contributed information for this research. Following a comparative approach to the measurement of the strategy construct, this study developed a lOS-item lodging industry-specific strategy measurement scale, capturing a comprehensive set of strategic characteristics from the business strategy (porter, 1980) and service management (Gronroos, 1990; Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry, 1990) literatures. Through factor analysis, a parsimonious set of seven strategic dimensions, Service Quality Leadership, Technological Leadership, Push, Cost Control, Pull, Group Channels, and Cross-Training, underlying this lOS-item scale was delineated. Using Yield Per Room, Market Share Index, and Return on Sales as the performance measures, the study indicated that strategies followed by high and low performing hotels were different. The empirical evidence showed that, in general, the Push, Service Quality Leadership, and Technological Leadership strategic dimensions tended to be associated with high performance. The evidence also indicated that strategies emphasized by high and low performing hotels differed by the four control variables studied: Location, (Service) Segment, (Ownership-Management) Affiliation, and Size. Additionally, similar differences were also obtained when the hotels studied were classified by the performance measure most used by them to evaluate themselves, and the age of the properties. Preliminary indications were also obtained to confirm the existence of a strategic time lag effect. The results from this study should be valuable not only for extending hospitality strategy research, but also for their normative implications. / Ph. D.

Relative to whites, blacks occupy a very small percentage of upper-level management positions in the lodging industry. This is evident when the numbers of black upper-level managers are compared to their representation in the hospitality labor pool and the United States population. This study uses the perceptions of black general managers and corporate executives as a means of identifying factors affecting the recruitment, retention, and promotion of blacks into these positions. While most of the literature attributed the underrepresentation to race discrimination, this study explores other factors that may also be responsible. One area of exploration was the use of internal marketing principles as a means of addressing and possibly resolving the problem of under-representation. The study consisted of telephone interviews with seven black general managers and executives from four major hotel chains. The purpose of the study was to determine if and to what extent did race discrimination affect the advancement of blacks into upper-level lodging management. It was also designed to explore the extent to which other factors affected such advancement by blacks, and further, identify ways in which hotel companies could enhance advancement opportunities for their qualified black employees. The respondents of the study provided enough information to develop conclusions about the impact such factors like education, mentorship, societal perceptions, and internal marketing have on the advancement of blacks in the lodging industry. There was unanimous agreement that race discrimination did adversely affect the advancement of blacks into upper-level lodging management. However, there it was also noted that there is a tremendous amount of opportunity in the industry that is either being overlooked or simply not being pursued by blacks. These respondents also provided several recommendations for young blacks considering careers in lodging management. / Master of Science