Human communication is examined from several standpoints and an 'Exchange' perspective is preferred because its of greater explanatory power in reconciling Communication and Organisational theory, when the latter is concetualised as Open Systems theory. This synthesis provides a rationale for analysing exchanges between the members of organsiations involved in both Prescribed networks, comprising information, goods and decision transactions; and Emergent networks which also include Friendship transactions. An inductive methodology is used to analyse networks of perceived and received communication links so that dyadic, clique and system measures of Connectedness can be calculated. Replicated communication surveys and labour turnover analyses are described for two hotels, after the various jobs undertaken were grouped under six Job Classifications, according to the individual roles in internal and external communication networks, so that network analysis could be completed at progressively more complex levels of generality and the relationships between Connectedness and Labour Turnover, and the analysis of the hotels under a 'Grid/Group' taxonomy, could be investigated. Five main hypotheses are tested which postulate that Connectedness is related posively to length of employment, higher job status, and negatively to labour turnover. Subject to the mediating influence of age, pay, and length of full-time education and company training, strong correlations occurred between the Connectedness of isolated, lower-status individuals and Labour Turnover. Members of the higher-status Job Classifications were more common in the longer-employed dominant cliques at the Coastal hotel, where the 'Grid/ Group' characteristics of 'Insulated Subordination' were reinforced by kinship ties and friendship links established away from work or in previous employment. The characteristics of 'Collaborative and Competitive Alliances' predominated at the London hotel, where most higher-status members were excluded from dominant cliques which typically consisted of supervisors and long-serving members of the three main ethnic minority groups.

The Twentieth Century’s hotel industry saw a shift from independently managed grand hotels to the increasing influence of multinational hotel companies whilst processes of globalisation contributed to the international movement of people, ideas and practices. The London Hilton was the first subsidiary of this American branded chain to open in Britain undergoing, at the time, cultural and social changes associated with the ‘Swinging Sixties’. The history of grand hotels has been thoroughly documented however there is lack of business history research into the expansion process of modern multinational hotel companies. The aim of this study is to explore the process of internationalisation of Hilton Hotels through the transference of knowledge between the parent company and the London subsidiary. International business theory is investigated in pursuit of establishing relationships between the concepts of transference of knowledge, multiple-embeddedness and negotiation of legitimacy, collectively forming a conceptual framework driving this research. A single embedded case study is adopted to comprehend the nuanced relationships and pressures resulting from the multiple-embeddedness of the case. An extensive range of archival material is collected to construct an in-depth case study of the London Hilton embedded in the contexts of its parent company as well as home and host countries. The case is synthesised with the theory using interpretive research methods and employing a three-stage coding process. The London Hilton appears to be representative of a case of effective knowledge transference which avoided the pressure for homogenisation from the host environment. It is an example of an organisation whose foreignness served as a differentiating, rather than restraining factor. These findings contradict the traditional institutional assertion of the necessity for adaptation to local settings and confirm the notion that legitimacy can be negotiated. The appearance of the Hilton hotel on the 1960’s London hotel market can be perceived as an emblem of the wider historical changes in the globalising world. The main contribution of this research is adding a new dimension to the paradigms of institutionalism and the resource-based view by illuminating the complex associations between these concepts underpinning international business theories. The study also extends the existing theory of foreignness and contributes to the body of business history research in the field of hotel management. It recommends the application of oral history and network analysis for further exploration of these concepts.

Summary in Chinese. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 83-84.

It is fair to assume that the level of participation in a world economy depends on the capacity of business organisations to use technology efficiently. Conducting business in the world today is driven by information technology. Internet technology has changed various business activities and transactions. In the Internet age, the development of electronic commerce (EC) is considered a major indicator of the overall competitiveness of organisations. An EC marketing channel can bring customers more benefits such as greater shopping convenience and potentially lower prices. Today, most hotels have been forced by the market to consider adopting EC to carry out business processes more efficiently. Hence, the purpose of the study is to determine the determinants of EC adoption by hotels in South Africa. This study is based on Tornatzky and Fleicher’s (1990) technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) model that includes technological context, organisational context and environmental context. The TOE model has been widely used to examine the factors that influence organisational technology adoption. The research model looked at eight determinants, which are (1) relative advantage, (2) compatibility, (3) complexity, (4) organisational size, (5) technology knowledge, (6) managers’ attitudes towards EC, (7) information intensity and (8) competition. A quantitative research design was used and a questionnaire was used to collect data and answer the research questions in the study. Four hundred hotels were randomly selected from the three groups of hotels suggested by the South African Tourism office, i.e. (1) Tourism Grading council hotel listing, (2) Tshwane accommodation listing and (3) AA travel accommodation. A total of 332 questionnaires were collected for data analysis, which represents a 94.9% response rate. Descriptive statistics, correlational statistics, one way analysis of variance, (ANOVA), regression analysis, cross tabulation tests and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that all three contexts (TOE) were important in the decision of EC adoption by the hotels in South Africa. The findings indicated that not all the determinants used had a statistically significant relationship with the extent of EC adoption in the hotel industry. The researcher also found out that hotels were more concerned about the benefits of EC than the organisational ability to adopt EC, the hotels that had sufficient resources were more willing to adopt EC. The findings also indicated that managers’ attitude towards EC adoption is influential on the extent of EC adoption. Finally, findings indicated that there is a lot of pressure from suppliers and customers for the hotels to use EC. Even though the mangers that filled in the questionnaire were computer literate, technology knowledge of EC would help managers to realise which systems are most appropriate.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-188). Also available via the Internet

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The hospitality industry has undergone far-reaching changes based on discussions held with industry representatives. Due to the rapid development of accounting systems there is an over reliance on systems to control costs. This influences the accounting skills of department managers, which are insufficient to manage their departments effectively. The research investigates the role and relevance of accounting skills amongst department managers of selected hotels in Cape Town. The research methodology employed a semi-structured questionnaire that was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The focus was on selected three-star (3) and five-star (5) hotels within Cape Town. The findings were drawn from a small sample of 45 hotels, among which 35 participants from the 45 hotels completed the questionnaire. A review of literature identified a strong need for department managers to have accounting skills, but there is limited evidence whether they actually hold these skills. Statistical analysis of the responses revealed that less than 50% of the participants were confident that they had sufficient accounting skills to manage their departments effectively. Two key issues were identified (1) the benefits of accounting skills (2) the need for formal accounting skills training. If the findings and concerns of the lack of accounting skills are not addressed it will affect cost control, costs will increase and profitability will be negatively affected. Recommendations include more interaction and forging links between academia and industry. A challenge for hospitality academics is review current financial management training provided and introduces mentorship programmes to develop the accounting skills of department managers.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2007. / Adviser: Bill Ryan. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-46).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-53).