Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Woojin Lee; Timothy Tyrrell; Mehmet Erdem

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881311302329

Purpose – The purpose of this study is three fold: to provide a preliminary exploration of meeting planners' use and perceived usefulness of the different types of social media; to examine why meeting planners use social media and; to investigate the perception of adopting the social media, especially as perceived critical mass impacts the adoption of social networking media. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from the members of a professional association for meeting professionals in the Southwest US using an online self‐administered questionnaire. A total of 510 members received an invitation to take the survey and 120 responses were received, representing a 23.5 percent response rate. Descriptive analysis, discriminant validity, reliability and path analysis were used to estimate the relationships between the five constructs: perceived critical mass, usefulness, ease of use, attitudes and intention to use social network media in the future. Findings – The most commonly preferred social network sites were Facebook (29 percent), LinkedIn (15 percent), YouTube (13 percent), Twitters (11 percent) and My Space (11 percent) and the social networking media rated most useful were Facebook (mean=3.7), LinkedIn (mean=3.1), YouTube (mean=3.0), Blogs (mean=2.7), Webinars (mean=2.6) and Twitter (mean=2.5), The top three reasons for using social media were: to communicate with other planners easily and quickly through chat or discussion boards (80.4 percent), to share queries, problems, solutions and opinions with other meeting planners (70.1 percent) and to get feedback from attendees after meeting/event/convention (69.9 percent). Additionally, the path model used in the analysis indicated that perceived critical mass not only directly influences intention to use social network media but also indirectly affects attitude toward using social media and intention to use social media simultaneously through perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Originality/value – Even though the social networking media has previously been used by many meeting planners to find information, few research studies have explored the meeting planners' perception of social networking media and what factors may have an effect on meeting planners' adoption of using social network media. This study provides a preliminary empirical analysis of meeting planners' perception of these tools and the factors that influence their utilization.

Cristian Morosan

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881311302338

Purpose – Today's increasingly interconnected world presents substantial challenges for the security of air travel, which can be attenuated by using registered traveler biometric systems (RTBS). While several systems have been deployed (i.e. Global Entry), it is not clear how a mass adoption of registered traveler biometric systems can be predicted. Using data from air travelers, the aim of this study is to examine the link between air travelers' perceptions of several air travel attributes and their intentions to use RTBS. Design/methodology/approach – This study used an exploratory factor analysis to reduce the dimensionality of 17 perceptions of air travel experience attributes. Further, a discriminant function analysis was used to determine if any of the air travel attribute groups are useful in distinguishing between travelers favorable v. unfavorable toward RTBS. Findings – This study found that travelers' perceptions of several air travel attributes are linked to their intentions to use RTBS. Specifically, the in‐flight service experience, the efficiency of the pre‐flight processing, and the emphasis on customers' time are useful in discriminating between travelers who are favorable v. unfavorable toward registered traveler biometric systems. Research limitations/implications – This study shows how certain groups of air travel attributes, which are “visible”, can discriminate between air travelers willing and unwilling to use RTBS. Also, by focusing on general air travel attributes, this study provides a broader understanding of how travelers form criteria to evaluate air travel service performance. Finally, this study offers distinctive insight into the voluntary use of biometric technology in airports. Social implications – This study has important implications for improving the security of air travel and understanding better a technology that is associated with strong consumer sentiments. Originality/value – Being among the first studies to examine air travel attribute perceptions and travelers' intentions to approach or reject RTBS, this study makes an important step in the general understanding of biometric system adoption in air travel. By finding the links between air travel attributes and intentions to use RTBS, this study provides a unique approach to understanding the potential use of RTBS in travel, with important implications for an improved management and marketing of RTBS. Also, the study establishes a link between air travel attributes and technologies designed to enhance the air service experience.

Jungsun (Sunny) Kim; Natasa Christodoulidou; Yunjeong (Clara) Choo

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881311302347

Purpose – This study aims to explore: the impact of customers' previous experience on their likelihood of using kiosks at quick service restaurants (QSRs); a mediating role of customer readiness (i.e. role clarity, ability, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation) between customers' previous experience and their likelihood of using kiosks; and a moderating effect of gender in the relationships among customers' previous experience, readiness, and likelihood of using kiosks. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 614 complete responses were obtained through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was developed and tested. Findings – The results demonstrated that extrinsic motivation in using SSTs directly influenced the likelihood of using kiosks, and previous experience with SSTs indirectly influenced the likelihood of using kiosks through customer readiness in both male and female groups. This study also revealed that both male and female respondents who perceived their roles in using SST more clearly were more likely to use kiosks at QSRs. However, their perceived ability and levels of intrinsic motivations did not significantly influence the likelihood of using kiosks in both groups. Overall, gender did not play a significant moderating role in the relationships among experience, readiness, and likelihood of using kiosks at QSR. Originality/value – Since very few studies have investigated the kiosks adoption at QSR settings, the findings and suggestions from this study will provide practical insight for QSR operators. Future research could attempt to draw a comprehensive kiosk acceptance model by incorporating the current study's framework with other demographic variables or other antecedent variables.

Fevzi Okumus

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881311302356

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss how hospitality organizations can facilitate knowledge management (KM) better through information technology (IT) tools. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is developed based on a synthesis of previous literature. Findings – Knowledge can be seen as one of the key assets for hospitality organizations. Therefore, KM can help hospitality organizations create and sustain a competitive advantage. Use of IT applications can assist in creating, storing, transferring and using tacit and explicit knowledge. Hospitality organizations can use numerous IT tools in their KM practices, which include competency databases, decision support systems, online search systems, expert networks, e‐mail, groupware, teleconference, intranet, WWW, document management systems, video conferences, data warehousing, and workflow software. Research limitations/implications – Rather than looking at IT applications from a tactical and operational point of view, this article suggests that hospitality organizations need to view their IT initiatives strategically. It is important to connect such IT application with other ones and search for synergies among them and management practices to optimize these elements, and so that tacit and explicit knowledge from different functional areas and management levels can be created, stored, transferred, and used efficiently and effectively. To achieve this, hospitality organizations not only need to create a supportive organizational culture and structure, but also train and motivate their team members to manage knowledge through IT applications. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies in the hospitality field that offers discussions and recommendations on how hospitality organizations can better facilitate KM through IT. This paper provides discussions on potential challenges in utilizing IT tools in KM initiatives in hospitality organizations. The article further offers theoretical and practical implications, which should be useful for hospitality executives, researchers, educators, and students.

Jun Mo Kwon; Jung‐in (Stephanie) Bae; Shane C. Blum

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881311302365

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine customer intentions to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Even though major hospitality companies offer the mobile applications, many customers have not utilized them. The results showed what encouraged customers to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach – The Technology Acceptance Model was applied for this research to explain customer intentions. College students were the target population of this study because they understand and adopt the technology well. Therefore, mobile applications will become a popular way to purchase goods and services when university students will have purchasing power. Findings – Even though major hospitality companies offer mobile applications, more than a half of respondents responded that they had not used mobile applications from the hospitality firms. The results showed that promotion information was not an only reason to download mobile applications; however, the results also showed that consumers who enjoy using smartphones and who are confident in themselves are more likely to download the mobile applications. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected in a university; therefore, generalizability is one of the limitations of this research. Multiple regressions only verify the relationship between dependant and independent variables. University students may not have a chance to plan their trips so they may not need the mobile applications. Originality/value – This study employed the TAM to examine the reasons why customers download mobile applications offered by companies in the hospitality industry. Literature discussing mobile applications in the hospitality industry is very scarce. This research will assist managements in utilizing their mobile applications.