Employee turnover has long been the most complex problem in the hospitality and tourism industry and Florida is home to over 1 million restaurant and food service jobs. This mixed methods study evaluated the effectiveness of a mindfulness program introduced to reduce job stress and turnover intention at multiple locations of a mid-size restaurant company in Florida. Managers were trained on mindful micro-practices and then introduced those practices to their teams over a four-week intervention. Pre- and post-surveys measured team member job stress, stress-reducing behaviors, turnover intention, self-determination, and mindful awareness. The quantitative data was underpowered and showed no statistically significant difference before and after the intervention. Interview data from managers suggested ways the organizational culture affected manager implementation and adaptations which included adding stress reducing behaviors at work. Stress was reportedly not openly discussed at work prior to this study; this intervention heightened awareness of stress at work and led to discussions about how to reduce the impact of stressful situations. Managers and team members became more aware of and attentive to their responses and the responses of their co-workers during stressful situations. This outcome was beneficial to the organization, and potentially to the restaurant and hospitality industries. The introduction of stress reducing behaviors during the workday in a hospitality company is the core contribution of the study to the existing literature. Future research may measure changes in turnover intention attributed to the mindful practices intervention and potentially explore other ways to promote mindfulness at work to reduce job stress and to reduce turnover intention in the hospitality industry.

This research studies and documents the effect of applying business marketing strategies to a small vocational program at a public community college in California. The intent of applying the business marketing strategies is to promote the growth of the program in the areas of: Student Enrollment, Number of Classes Offered, and Number of Degrees and Certificates Awarded. The aim of this research is to provide evidence to support the notion that promoting a vocational program in a public academic institution, using business marketing strategies would indeed produce favorable results as is it commonly does in the case of a commercial business that markets itself. The Hospitality & Restaurant Management (HRM) program at Mt. San Antonio College was the subject of this research. As a case-study, the HRM program was studied for a period spanning six years from 2000 to 2006 using a quantitative research methodology. A comparison was conducted to analyze the performance of the HRM program in terms of student enrollment, classes offered, degrees and certificates awarded for two periods. The first period (2000 to 2003) reflects a time when the HRM program did not actively employ any marketing strategies to promote itself. The second period (2003 to 2006) covers a period when several marketing strategies were employed. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived organisational ethical climate and employee commitment within an Australian hospitality organisation, with the objective of determining whether employees' perceptions of the organisational ethical climate influenced their commitment towards their organisation, as well as the associated implications. The Ethical Climate Questionnaire and the Employee Commitment Survey were utilised as measuring instruments. The overall finding revealed a statistically significant relationship between the two variables with the results indicating that organisations possess numerous ethical climates which are perceived by employees in a manner which in turn affects their commitment towards their organisation. It is concluded that employees who are more committed to their organisations have improved attendance records and show lower absenteeism and turnover rates. The findings of this study confirmed existing research and generated new knowledge applicable to the hospitality sector. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

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

Wang Yu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-111). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / Tables and Notes --- p.v / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Scope of Study --- p.2 / The Development of Naxi Studies --- p.6 / Theoretical Framework --- p.11 / Methodologies --- p.22 / Structure of Thesis --- p.27 / Chapter 2 --- Background to Tourism Development in Lijiang --- p.30 / Naxi Culture and Dongba Religion --- p.30 / Naxi's Family and House --- p.32 / Economy in Lijiang --- p.35 / Tourism Development in Lijiang --- p.38 / Tourism-related Impacts on Lijiang Old Town --- p.41 / Homestay Guesthouse in Lijiang Old Town --- p.44 / Chapter 3 --- Encounter with Homestay Tourism --- p.47 / Hosts and Guests --- p.47 / Guesthouses and Local Hotels --- p.52 / Hosts and Migrants --- p.55 / Hosts and the Local Government --- p.59 / Conclusion --- p.63 / Chapter 4 --- """World Heritage"" Discourse and Homestay Tourism" --- p.64 / Preparation for the Inscription --- p.64 / UNESCO and World Heritage --- p.66 / Scholars and Heritage Preservation --- p.71 / UNESCO Conference and Problems --- p.74 / Conclusion --- p.78 / Chapter 5 --- """Authenticity"" within Homestay tourism" --- p.80 / Constructing Naxi Ethnicity --- p.80 / Constructing Home --- p.85 / Constructing Heritage --- p.92 / Conclusion --- p.99 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.101 / Bibliography --- p.106

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration ))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, [2018]. / Diversity management was developed in the 1980s in response to demographic changes within the labour force and commercial competition in the US. This context establishes the fundamental point that organisations stand to profit from having a diversified workforce (Naik, 2012). However, the integration of immigrants within South African businesses is a process characterised by intense challenges. The reasons for this are unclear, as are the benefits of having a diverse workforce in the South African labour market. In order to explore and better understand the phenomenon, this study adopts a qualitative research approach and makes use of semi-structured interviews. Such a process is appropriate for gaining insight into complex issues concerning the research problem (East et al., 2010; Monette et al., 2014). According to several sources, immigrants face challenges linked to the degree of their language proficiency, educational level, lack of experience, ethnicity and country of origin. This notwithstanding, immigrants bring to organisations new ideas, a sustainable competitive edge, productivity and profits, and much more. This study provides an understanding of how the hospitality industry value immigrants and how they can accommodate them in their organisations. This will add to the existing body of knowledge and contribute to improvement in the quality of social relationships in organisations, bringing about returns on investment. The researcher adopted the ten ethical guidelines of Bryman and Bell (2007) in carrying out this study. Specifically, the participants’ consent was sought and they were informed that they could exit the project at will, and would not be subjected to any harm. The data collection process was also clearly explained (Bryman & Bell, 2007). The findings of this study were that not only immigrants find it difficult to find a job in the Western Cape Province: South Africans, the majority semi-skilled and under-qualified, are also trying to find a job in their own country. In short, South Africa is in a crisis of high unemployment, and there is an urgent need for more infrastructure to address this. But those who are most disadvantaged in this crisis are immigrants with formidable and remarkable qualifications. They have left their home countries with the sole desire to get work, to succeed, and to enjoy a good life in the host country. Unfortunately, certain destructive circumstances, such as discrimination, obstructive situations in the Department of Home Affairs, etc., prevent them from even obtaining a suitable job offer. At the end of their job search, some remain unemployed while others have to work in hazardous jobs, or in jobs not related to their qualifications, just to have an income. The study concluded that although workforce diversity has some inherent challenges, it has benefits for business organisations and so, should be supported by the government and business owners.

This research studies and documents the effect of applying business marketing strategies to a small vocational program at a public community college in California. The intent of applying the business marketing strategies is to promote the growth of the program in the areas of: Student Enrollment, Number of Classes Offered, and Number of Degrees and Certificates Awarded. The aim of this research is to provide evidence to support the notion that promoting a vocational program in a public academic institution, using business marketing strategies would indeed produce favorable results as is it commonly does in the case of a commercial business that markets itself. The Hospitality & Restaurant Management (HRM) program at Mt. San Antonio College was the subject of this research. As a case-study, the HRM program was studied for a period spanning six years from 2000 to 2006 using a quantitative research methodology. A comparison was conducted to analyze the performance of the HRM program in terms of student enrollment, classes offered, degrees and certificates awarded for two periods. The first period (2000 to 2003) reflects a time when the HRM program did not actively employ any marketing strategies to promote itself. The second period (2003 to 2006) covers a period when several marketing strategies were employed. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived organisational ethical climate and employee commitment within an Australian hospitality organisation, with the objective of determining whether employees' perceptions of the organisational ethical climate influenced their commitment towards their organisation, as well as the associated implications. The Ethical Climate Questionnaire and the Employee Commitment Survey were utilised as measuring instruments. The overall finding revealed a statistically significant relationship between the two variables with the results indicating that organisations possess numerous ethical climates which are perceived by employees in a manner which in turn affects their commitment towards their organisation. It is concluded that employees who are more committed to their organisations have improved attendance records and show lower absenteeism and turnover rates. The findings of this study confirmed existing research and generated new knowledge applicable to the hospitality sector. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

M. Tech. (Tourism and hospitality Management, Faculty of Human Sciences)|cVaal University of Technology / The growth of the tourism industry led to the development of various different types of tourism products. In order to remain competitive it is important that tourism products provide high-quality services for tourists. Tourists are, however, becoming more demanding due to higher education levels, more sophisticated tourists that travel more and are more exposed to various types of experiences. It is therefore important that tourism products satisfy the expectations of the guest to increase loyalty levels as well as return to the product. It is difficult today to exceed the expectations of the guest but high levels of service quality can make a difference in the customer experience and it is thus worthwhile to go the extra mile for guest. Although service quality has been measured in various research studies it has not been measured for the guesthouses in Kimberley and this information can be to the advantage of the tourism products as well as to that of Kimberley as a destination. The main aim of this study was to measure service quality levels of guesthouses in Kimberley based on the SERVQUAL instrument to gain a competitive advantage over similar tourism products and to assist these products in meeting and exceeding guest’s expectations. Questionnaires were distributed at participating guesthouses in Kimberley. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed among guests guest of which 450 were used in the analyses. The questionnaire was divided into four sections, namely socio-demographic information, the expectations of guest, the perceptions of guest and the overall service quality of the guesthouse. The data resulting from the questionnaires was captured and analysed by means of descriptive and exploratory analyses in SPSS. A factor analysis was applied to the 29-attribute scale measuring service expectations and perceptions. The paired-samples t-tests were used to determine the differences in the expectations and the perceptions. The multiple regression analysis was done to determine the aspects best predicting the overall service quality levels in the guesthouses. From the descriptive analyses it was clear that the two main expectations from guests include the following: employees will be willing to serve and that employees will always be available when needed. The highest mean value was obtained for the first aspect mentioned. In terms of the perceptions, the main perceptions of the guest included: employees gave individualised attention, the operating hours of the guesthouse are convenient and the guesthouse provides a safe and secure environment. In the case of perceptions, the aspect that yielded the highest mean was: employees are always available when needed. The paired t-test revealed very few differences in expectations versus perceptions and this indicated that respondents are satisfied with the service levels and that the guesthouses did better than expected. The factor analyses revealed the following five factors: Tangibles, Adequacy, Understanding, Assurance and Convenience. Before visiting the guesthouse it was clear that Assurance made the strongest contribution to overall service quality but after visiting the guesthouse Understanding and Convenience made the strongest contribution to overall service quality; thus indicating what is important to the guests. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in guesthouse management but also to service quality in accommodation establishments such as guesthouses. Knowing that service levels in the participating guesthouses adhered to the needs of the current guests guest is encouraging, but these establishments need to plan strategically for when these guests guest overnight again and might expect something additional, extra or even different. / National Research Foundation

The hospitality industry has seen rapid growth through the last three decades. The hospitality industry in New Zealand is still growing steadily. According to the Ministry of Tourism (2008, para. 3), “Visitor expenditure is forecast (from 2008 to 2014) to increase from $13.73 billion to $19.05 billion per annum, an increase of 41.4%” (Ministry of tourism, 2008b). Therefore, in response to the needs of the industry, training providers have established a number of hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism degrees (O'Mahony & Sillitoe, 2001). However, previous studies have identified that hospitality management degrees tend to lack importance in the actual world (Harkison, 2004a, 2004b; Steele; 2003). Hospitality management students seem to rate the value of their degrees higher than do employees in the industry (Collins, 2002; Raybould & Wilkins, 2005). Therefore, there are gaps between the expectations and assumptions of students and those of hospitality professionals, which have led to problems in the hospitality industry. This study has taken three steps to identify: 1) how career expectations, assumptions and requirements differ between undergraduate hospitality management students and management employees in the hospitality industry; 2) The working histories of managerial employees and their perceptions of the industry’s needs; 3) Establish the perceived value of hospitality management degrees amongst hospitality management undergraduate students and the hospitality industry. To do so, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, and questionnaires were collected from 137 undergraduates enrolled in a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management degree at AUT University and 74 managerial employees in the hotel industry. After an analysis of the data, the researcher examined and compared the results of both groups’ data with relation to the findings of the literature review. The following key points emerged from the research: most students expected that they would work in the hospitality industry after completing their course and supposed that their first work field would be in a Food and Beverage department at a management trainee level. The results of the survey show a match between students’ long-term career expectations and the working history of employees. Students also seem to understand the environment of the hospitality industry well. These results show that students organise well, planning for their future careers, and these results were similar with those of some previous studies (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004b; Jenkins, 2001). The results of this study identified similarities and differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees in the hotel industry. Similarities of students’ perceptions and managerial employees’ perceptions are; • Commitment is rated as the most important factor in determining success, while personality is rated the most important attribute for an employee in the hospitality industry. • A degree in hospitality management is not recognised as an important qualification by students or employee respondents. Working experience is more important than a bachelor degree of hospitality management for a prospective employee. • Students and managerial employees believe that the hospitality educators know the industry well, although educators and employees have different understandings of career expectations. • Both parties believe that internship might help hospitality students’ careers in the industry. Differences of perceptions between undergraduate students and managerial employees are; • Students believe that knowledge of the industry and experience are the most significant factors for a new employee in the hospitality industry but employees indicate personality. • Employees believe that using initiative skills are the most important factor for an employee’s career development, whereas students answer communication skills. • Students believe that a hospitality management bachelor degree will contribute more to the hotel business but employees believe that having three years’ experience will contribute more. • Students consider that an employee with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality will receive higher starting salaries than someone without, but employees disagree. • Students suggest that a bachelor of hospitality management degree will affect opportunities for promotion, but employees do not share that opinion. This study found that even if students and managerial employees share some common opinions, many gaps still exist between them. Therefore, the researcher suggests recommendations relating to students’ expectations and assumptions of their job entry level, the working environment in the hospitality industry, the needs of the hospitality industry, and the value of a bachelors degree of hospitality management. Furthermore, the researcher identifies some limitations of this study and areas for further research.