This study investigated the effect of organizational culture on firm performance in the restaurant industry. Despite the importance of organizational culture in the organizational functioning, empirical evidence for the organizational culture-performance relationship remains fragmented. The inconsistency in the literature was aroused from a lack of theoretical development, a negligence of industry-specific factors, a small sampling issue, and a lack of longitudinal examination. Therefore, this study proposed to use text analysis in measuring organizational culture and examined the organizational culture-restaurant performance with a consideration of moderating effect of service orientation, franchising, and economic condition. This study found that different organizational culture influences restaurant performance differently. Specifically, the result of this study reveals that: clan culture immediately increases restaurant productivity; adhocracy culture decreases restaurant growth; and hierarchy immediately decreases restaurant productivity. In terms of moderating role of service orientation, this study found that: that tangible service orientation positively moderates both hierarchy culture-profitability and hierarchy culture-productivity relationships. This result implies that tangible service orientation works better with the hierarchy culture in improving restaurant performance than intangible service orientation. As for the moderating effect of franchising on the organizational culture-performance relationship, this study found that franchising positively moderates the clan culture-profitability relationship and the clan culture-productivity relationship. This result implies that operational and economic benefit of franchising could be passed on to create synergetic effect with the clan culture and maximize the positive clan-productivity relationship while offset the clan-profitability relationship. Last, this study found that recession positively moderates the hierarchy culture-profitability relationship and the hierarchy culture-productivity relationship. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature by: providing logical link between the organizational culture and firm performance; providing empirical evidence that reveals the performance implication of the organizational culture; and by using alternative organizational culture measurements based on text analysis of firms’ 10K filings. Practically, this study offers insightful implications for industry professionals in understanding the effect of organizational culture on restaurant performance.

Graduate employability skills have become one of the most important topics on the higher education agenda in the first decade of the 21st century. In the United States, and throughout the world, global competition, growth of a knowledge-based economy, technological advances, and the multigenerational workforce have combined to substantially alter the contemporary workplace (Gedye & Chalkey, 2006). Whether by choice or circumstance, the expectation of a secure lifelong position with one employer and the opportunity for linear career progression are no longer typical nor practical in the contemporary workplace (Harvey, Locke, & Morey, 2002). Employability skills are those skills, attributes, and behaviors, e.g., communication skills, problem-solving, organization, and planning, that bridge most disciplines, industries, and employing organizations. They have the greatest impact on the sustained, productive, successful employment of graduates (Cranmer, 2006; Gedye, Fender, & Chalkey, 2004). The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the employability skills employers perceive to be important for entry-level management/management-in-training positions in the hospitality industry, (b) to establish employability skills competency levels employers expect for these positions, and (c) to garner employer perceptions of Rosen College of Hospitality Management (RCHM) interns’ and new graduates’ employability skills competence for entry-level management/management-in-training positions in the hospitality industry. The findings add to the body of literature and provide insight into the need for further employability skills development of students prior to graduation and entrance into iv the workforce. Additionally, the study provides information and insight for faculty, career services, and experiential learning professionals regarding the skills students currently possess, the need for further skills development, and those skills employers deem most important

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:43:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Mendes Simoes.pdf: 296430 bytes, checksum: b3b9d76a0f8e623caa9d955c9dbd66fe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-06 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / The main focus of this qualitative study is the analysis of pedagogical practices of teachers of English as a second language in the undergraduate course of Hospitality Management. The subject matter of this study is as follows: How is the teaching of English for hospitality management students characterized according to their teachers? Two of the most highly regarded post-secondary institutions of Sao Paulo were chosen for the execution of this study, for they are considered by the market as the main educators of professionals for this area. The theoretical framework of this research is based on scholars who are engaged with studies related to learning and to the professional development of teachers. Among others, we can mention Masetto (1998, 2003), Mizukami (1986), Vasconcelos (2000), Freire (2004), Perrenoud (2002), e Shulman (2004). The data for this study were collected through interviews with English teachers. For the analysis and interpretation of the teachers discourses, three main points were considered: (a) academic education, (b) professional performance and (c) students learning. Such discourses indicate how university level English teachers verbalize the construction of their teaching practices. The results show that although the teachers have different teaching time experience and different age, they share some of the same references and origins, and these references influence their practices. Each and every one of them has their own teaching experience and they believe this facilitates their teaching practice. They also indicate that, along their professional journey, they construct knowledge about how to teach English to professionals with specific profiles. / Este estudo, de natureza qualitativa, tem como foco a análise de práticas pedagógicas de professores de língua inglesa em cursos superiores de hotelaria. A questão de pesquisa configura-se da seguinte forma: Como se caracteriza o ensino de inglês para alunos de hotelaria sob a ótica de seus professores? Para a concretização do presente estudo foram escolhidas duas instituições de ensino superior da cidade de São Paulo, consideradas pelo mercado de trabalho como sendo as principais formadoras de profissionais da área. Os principais teóricos que fundamentam essa pesquisa desenvolvem trabalhos relacionados à aprendizagem e ao desenvolvimento profissional de professores. Dentre eles podemos citar Masetto (1998, 2003), Mizukami (1986), Vasconcelos (2000), Freire (2004), Perrenoud (2002), e Shulman (2004). Os dados desta pesquisa foram coletados por meio de entrevistas com professores de inglês. Para a análise e interpretação dos relatos dos professores foram considerados três eixos principais, derivados da questão de pesquisa: (a) formação acadêmica, (b) atuação profissional e (c) aprendizagem dos alunos. Tais relatos indicam como professores da língua inglesa em cursos superiores de hotelaria verbalizam a construção de suas práticas pedagógicas. Os resultados evidenciaram que os professores, apesar de idade e tempo de experiência diferentes, possuem alguns referenciais e origens compartilhados; sendo que tais referenciais influenciam muito suas práticas. Todas contam com suas próprias experiências de ensino e acreditam que a experiência facilita a prática pedagógica. Indicam, igualmente, que constroem, ao longo de seu percurso profissional, conhecimentos sobre como ensinar a língua inglesa para profissionais com perfis específicos.

Driven by a growth of single-person households and individualized lifestyles, solo dining in restaurants is an increasingly recognizable trend. However, little is known about solo diners’ motives and preferences in on- and off-premises restaurant dining and the subsequent behavioral intentions. In order to enhance the understanding of solo diners’ motives, preferences, and behavioral intentions in restaurant dining, this dissertation proposed and completed three studies related to solo (vs. group) diners’ menu-decision making process, solo (vs. group) diners’ service mode-decision making process, and a restaurant scale development for solo diner friendliness. Specifically, Study 1 examined the effect of dining social context (solo vs. group) on healthy or indulgent menu item decisions using self-control dilemmas and temporal construal theory as a theoretical framework. Findings revealed that solo diners showed less preferences for indulgent menu items because of a more utilitarian (i.e., less hedonic) consumption orientation than group diners, and that solo diners showed more preferences for healthy menu items than group diners when the menu included nutrition information such as calories, fat, and sodium. Study 2 examined the effect of dining social context (solo vs. group) on off-site over on-site dining intentions based on three mediators and the moderating role of self-determination using the self-determination theory. Findings revealed that, in the self-determined condition, solo diners showed more preferences for off-premises dining than group diners via greater convenience-seeking and polychronicity-seeking tendencies and lower anticipated enjoyment of on-premises dining. In the context-determined condition, solo diners showed more preferences for off-premises dining than group diners only via polychronicity-seeking and anticipated enjoyment of on-premises dining, and the effects were smaller. Lastly, Study 3 developed and validated a Solo Diner Friendliness (SoDF) scale that measured restaurant menu and service dimensions important for solo diners’ enjoyment as well as restaurant revisit intentions. The SoDF scale provided nine items under three factors, namely, <i>Inconspicuousness</i>, <i>Proper Service</i>, and <i>Healthy Menu Items</i>, that are valid and reliable measurements for future research and restaurant operators. Altogether, this dissertation offered theoretical and practical implications regarding how solo diners differed from group diners on various motivational and behavioral perspectives in on- and off-premises restaurant dining.<br>

When asked to identify what characteristics are needed to fulfill an entry level management position in their companies, recruiters replied they were looking for someone “good”. When asked why they are enrolled in a 4 year hospitality program, a student may say to acquire a “good” job. The purpose of this study was to investigate the word “good” as it relates to hospitality industry recruiters in fulfilling an entry-level management position, as well as the hospitality management students perspective of “good” related to acquiring an entry level management position upon graduation from a four year hospitality degree program. This study investigated characteristics, skills, experience, and education of an entry-level manager, as defined by hospitality industry recruiters and hospitality students as “good.” There are opportunities to ensure that development is relevant and valued by both organization and students, through greater understanding of which competencies the industry recruiter is looking for in a “good” entry-level manager. Examples of good practice that enable development of existing talent should be published, in order that industry, academia and college graduates can learn from each other. Industry will ultimately determine the strengths and weaknesses of each four year hospitality degree program, based on whether or not they are able to recruit “good” entry-level managers from the program’s graduates.

<p>Managers within the hospitality industry are often required to handle irate guests through various service-recovery situations and thus are exposed to frequent guest aggression. Consequently, manager work is associated with high stress and anxiety. This study used several theories to understand the complex landscape of manager stress and anxiety within the hospitality industry. The Conservation of Resource Theory (Hobfoll, 1989), Stress as Offense to Self Theory (Semmer et al., 2007), and the Social Exchange Theory (Baumeister & Leary, 2005) are used as the foundation to delineate the roles of guest aggression and workplace social support played in reducing manager turnover intention through stress and anxiety. The study results identify that stress and anxiety are vital in impacting turnover intention; however, only certain forms of workplace social support (such as appraisal support) moderate the relationship in such a way that turnover intention decreases.</p> <p>The study design utilized a moderated-mediation analysis with a two-time cross-sectional survey. Respondents were guest-facing managers in various hospitality organizations, including restaurants, hotels, and clubs. Two hundred and sixty-three participants completed the first and second waves of the survey, and after data cleaning, a total of 260 usable responses remained. This study employed Hayes' (2018) mediation analysis model 4 and the moderated mediation analysis model 58 to test all hypotheses.</p> <p>This study shows that guest aggression is a significant predictor of turnover intention, and anxiety mediates the relationship leading to turnover intention. At the same time, stress only has a direct effect itself on turnover intention. In addition, this study found that some forms of workplace social support increased turnover intention, while supervisor appraisal (words of affirmation) moderated the relationship. Ultimately, this study helps guide organizations in making decisions that may reduce managers' intention to quit while providing a foundation for future researchers to examine how workplace social support uniquely affects managers.</p>

<p>Driven by various benefits, such as authenticity, enjoyment, sustainability, socialization, and uniqueness, peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation has become an increasingly important socio-economic phenomenon. To study this emerging hospitality consumption format systematically and to enhance the understanding of consumers’ motivations, perceptions, and behavioral intentions in the P2P accommodation context, three projects were proposed and completed in this dissertation. These focused on the mechanisms underlying consumers’ perceptions and participation in the world of P2P accommodation. Project I provided a comprehensive overview of how diverse motivators can influence consumers’ satisfaction and loyalty toward P2P accommodation services, following the push and pull theoretical framework. By conducting a meta analysis, Project I revealed that improving push motivators (i.e., psychological and intrinsic motivators) is more important than pull motivators (i.e., cognitive and extrinsic motivators) in enhancing consumers’ satisfaction, re-patronage intentions, and the spreading of positive word-of-mouth interactions. Next, by employing the dual-process theory, Project II comprised a series of three studies to investigate how various types of online reviews (i.e., fact-based versus emotion-based; property-focused versus host-focused) can affect consumers’ consumption decisions pertaining to P2P accommodation. The findings revealed that fact-based reviews result in higher booking intentions due to enhanced trust in the P2P property/host. Moreover, it was found that female consumers exhibit higher booking intentions when they read host-focused reviews. Finally, drawing on the norm activation theory, Project III comprised an investigation into how consumers’ altruistic value versus egoistic value orientations impacted their consumption intentions of sustainable P2P accommodation. Furthermore, by employing both survey and experimental design studies, the underlying mechanism explaining the impacts of various consumption value orientations on behavioral intentions was explored, focusing on booking intentions and willingness-to-pay-more for sustainable green P2P accommodation. Bringing these findings together, this dissertation provides theoretical and practical implications from various perspectives with regard to how consumers’ motivators and perceptions lead to their participation in the P2P accommodation world.</p>

Sharing economy businesses have increasingly began to inhibit the competitive landscape of many different industries. Their growth can be primary connected to general digitalization developments. At its core, the sharing economy concept is built around efficiently using excess resources. In this thesis, it is argued that sharing economy businesses should be considered disruptive innovations, partly because they present incumbent firms with significant challenges. While the sharing economy business concept facilitates effective peer-to-peer exchange, and in the process provides new possibilities of employment, customer-centric innovation and market development, it can also be tied to a decreasing demand for goods and services offered by incumbents in the same marketplace. Examples of businesses built around the sharing economy concept include – but are not limited to – Airbnb, Vrbo, Uber, Lyft, Zilok, and Hygglo. Prior to the beginning of this research project, very little research regarding potential strategic countermeasures for incumbent firms to employ against sharing economy competitors had been conducted. As a result, this thesis serves the purpose of investigating the impact of sharing economy businesses from the perspective of incumbents and theorizing about potential responses. In order to facilitate this purpose, the hospitality industry was chosen as a representative of an industry that has experienced sharing economy business entrances and sharing economy business competition to a researchable extent. Through this thesis and its accompanying qualitative data collection process, several challenges that are presented to incumbents as a result of sharing economy business entrances were identified. Additionally, a focus was placed on evaluating both tried and prospective strategic measures, using existing theory and insights from the data collection to discover the key aspects needed for the development of potential responses to sharing economy businesses. A similar process was undertaken regarding business models, as the crucial and core elements of a perceived successful business model needed to be identified. The findings generated by the data collection process were then analyzed using a thematic analysis, centered on the themes of: Strategic Management in the Hospitality Industry; Current Trends in the Hospitality Sector; Fundamentals of a Successful Hotel Business; and Future Strategy Suggestions and Industry Prospects. After conducting the three identification and analyzation stages, the findings were discussed in the penultimate chapter of the thesis, where the findings’ relation to existing theory was explored. Following the discussion, the possibility to answer the main research question of this thesis appeared. After discussing our findings, our analysis, and the connection to existing theory, we were able to conclude that incumbent firms can successfully compete with sharing economy businesses. Specifically, they could ensure this through strategic changes and business model innovations built around efficiently exploiting the incumbents’ internal strengths and advantages that are currently not easily imitable by sharing economy businesses. As such, they should look to create, deliver, and communicate unique value to its customers, and suggestions on how this could be achieved by both incumbent hospitality managers and others are provided.

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the industry employment intentions of the undergraduate freshmen majoring in tourism and hospitality management, their motivation for choosing these programs, and the relationship between their industry employment intentions and their motivation as well as demographic profiles. The 1140 undergraduate freshmen who were enrolled in the tourism and hospitality management programs at Shanghai's 13 higher educational institutions in the fall of 2013 were recruited to participate in the study. In the pilot study, 244 students among 250 recruited completed the survey developed by the researcher using Self-determination Theory as the theoretic framework. In the formal study, 685 out of 890 students completed the modified survey. Data analysis techniques included descriptive statistics, one-way between-subjects factor ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results of the study showed that: (1) on average, students' motivations for choosing a tourism and hospitality program were slightly above a moderate level of autonomy; (2) students' intentions to find job placements in the tourism and hospitality industry after graduation were at a moderate level; (3) there were significant differences among students majoring in tourism and hospitality management from the three different tiers of higher educational institutions regarding their family SES, motivations for choosing tourism and hospitality programs, and industry employment intentions; (4) among students' demographics, gender, family SES, and tier of higher educational institutions were significant predictors of their industry employment intentions, though only explaining 4.0% of the variance in students' industry employment intentions; (5) degree of autonomy of students' motivation for choosing their academic programs was a significant predictor of their industry employment intentions, explaining 15.3% of the variance in students' industry employment intentions; (6) degree of autonomy of students' motivation in choosing their academic programs was still a significant predictor of their industry employment intentions after controlling for demographics, leading to a 15.2% increase in explained variance; and (7) the degree of autonomy of students' motivation in choosing their academic programs and their demographics combined predicted 19.2% of their industry employment intentions. Implications for researchers, educators, policy makers and industry, as well as recommendations for further study, were discussed.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine how the current hospitality management curriculum at The International Hotel School contributes to students’ preparedness from their own perspectives. Generic and curriculum specific skills that can be used for curriculum evaluation were identified, a framework of curriculum variables to rate the level of student preparedness was developed, the effectiveness of the hospitality management curriculum from the perspectives of students’ perceptions of preparedness was analysed, and the aspects that contribute most to student preparedness were identified through a literature study and an empirical investigation. The findings were summarised and it was recommended that The International Hotel School needs to review the hotel and restaurant accounting course and the experiential learning components. Furthermore, lecturers of The International Hotel School should receive training on the implementation of more interactive course content delivery methods. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)