Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Alisha Ali; Andrew J. Frew

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-12-2012-0034

Purpose – The aim of this research is to foreground information and communication technology (ICT) as an innovative approach for sustainable tourism (ST) development of destinations. ICT is the technology required for information processing which facilitates data processing, information sharing, communication, searching and selection. This paper concentrates on the Abernathy and Clark model and its usefulness in applying ICT as innovative in managing ST. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to destination managers and to eTourism experts. Destination managers were selected as they were identified as the person responsible for the overall management of a Destination Management Organisation. eTourism experts were identified as someone who possesses special expertise, knowledge and skills on ICT applications to tourism and offered expertise on which ranged from such areas as electronic distribution, recommender systems, user‐generated content, online communities, mobile technology, technology acceptance, tourism networks and Web 2.0. This was followed by semi‐structured interviews. Findings – These ICT tools were found to be innovative for information management and distribution for critical decision‐making. Innovation was fostered through the use of ICT for ST by leading to a better understanding of the tourism product, monitoring, measuring and evaluating, forecasting trends, developing partnerships and engaging and supporting stakeholder relationships. ICT would provide novel ways of approaching marketing, energy monitoring, waste management, and communication for destinations. Originality/value – This research is important in demonstrating the value that technology can have to ST and further develops the work on tourism innovation theory.

Niklas Eriksson

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-10-2012-0028

Purpose – This study aims to identify user categories of mobile travel services and analyze the differences between the categories based on individual characteristics, the individuals' perceived barriers to use internet‐/mobile services during a trip and the individuals' preferred channel strategies. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive online survey in Finland was conducted to collect the data and a cluster analysis is used to identify the user categories. Findings – The study indicates that there are four user categories of mobile travel services: “info‐seekers”, “checkers”, “bookers” and “all‐rounders” and one group of “non‐users”. Research limitations/implications – Due to the online data collection method and the self‐selective process, the sample may be biased towards respondents finding electronic travel services important. It would be of value to conduct similar studies on a representative sample of the total population of different countries. Practical implications – The identified categories can be seen as consumer segments for which travel service providers can target mobile services. Originality/value – This study contributes with a categorization of mobile travelers and provides insights on the diffusion of mobile travel services.

Bendegul Okumus; Anil Bilgihan

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-01-2013-0003

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating behaviors, especially when ordering food and drinks in restaurants. This paper also aims to develop a conceptual model based on literature to test users' intention to use smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating habits. Design/methodology/approach – The article is written based on a synthesis of previous research in this area. Findings – Smartphone apps are innovative channels for delivering individual health behavior changes. They offer a range of services that can improve the daily habits of their users. Smartphone apps allow users to keep up with their diets, exercise routines, and overall health. Based on an extensive review, this paper develops a conceptual model that includes the precursors of actual usage of smartphone apps that may assist in building healthy eating habits. Practical implications – Restaurants are advised to consider developing apps that includes nutritional facts about their menu items. These apps could be used for both consumer education and marketing efforts. The conceptual framework developed in this paper suggests that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self‐efficacy and social norms are the antecedents of intention to use these apps. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies in the foodservice and nutrition fields that looks at the smartphone apps' impact on healthy eating. It offers practical implications for restaurateurs and smartphone app developers. In addition, this is one of the first papers that offers a model to test smartphone users' intention to use smartphone apps when ordering food and drinks in restaurants.

Thomas J. Norman; Natasa Christodoulidou; Marcus Rothenberger

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-07-2012-0021

Purpose – Human resource technologies in the hospitality industry are a means by which an organization can gain competitive advantage technologically. The technology‐oriented human capital embedded in an organization's human resources is a source of sustainable competitive advantage in an industry that is heavily dependent on people and makes it unique and inimitable. This study uses data collected on 34 different practices to provide a snapshot of current practices in the hospitality sector, which can be used to benchmark individual technology operations against the current norms. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses survey data collected from dozens of managers working in the hospitality sector on the level of outsourcing of 34 different HRM practices to provide a snapshot of current practices in the hospitality sector. Findings – Starting with the theoretical predictions of total cost of ownership and transaction cost analysis, multiple regression models are used to test whether or not human resource outsourcing (HRO) technology‐related activities in hospitality are associated with negative outcomes, such as higher voluntary turnover of good employees. Research limitations/implications – This is one of the first articles to explore HRO technology in the hospitality sector and the findings suggest that what an organization outsources matters. Practical implications – These results can be used by hospitality managers to benchmark their operations against the current HRO technology norms. Originality/value – It is expected that the type of HR technology‐related activities outsourced in hospitality will affect how employees and employers view and react to HRO in hospitality.

Kayhan Tajeddini; Myfanwy Trueman

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-12-2012-0036

Purpose – Despite the undisputed importance of organizational innovation and decades of academic research on the subject, there is surprisingly little agreement on what innovativeness is or how to achieve successful innovation in practice. Furthermore, the difference between the theory and practice is often interpreted in an ad hoc manner, which limits the potential for innovation to provide a competitive advantage. This research aims to explore perceptions of innovativeness from the perspective of senior managers in the hotel industry from a sample of 11 high‐class hotels located in the developing country of Iran. Design/methodology/approach – A stratified purposeful sampling method will be employed, in which in‐depth interviews with top managers and owners will be carried out over a five‐month period. Meaning units (MUs) will be extracted, which are compared and discussed with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms can be made. Findings – The findings relate to themes such as Leavitt's diamond of task, structure, people and technology, with technology featuring quite strongly in a number of responses. It reflects how top managers and owners perceive that innovativeness can gain a competitive advantage by differentiating one hotel from another; and the role of national culture in developing that advantage. There are implications that a strong relationship with government and local business stakeholders could underpin innovativeness at local and regional level. Originality/value – This research provides a valuable contribution to the understanding of some important drivers of innovativeness in the context of the hotel industry in a developing country.

Wenyue Wendy Zhu; Cristian Morosan

2014 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-09-2013-0029

Purpose – Interactive mobile technologies (IMT) offered to hotel guests during their stay represent an interesting development in consumer technologies in the hotel industry. Such technologies are designed to facilitate transactions and enhance the quality of guest experience. This research explains how hotel guests develop attitudes and intentions to use IMT in hotels. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from students enrolled in a large hospitality program located in the Southwestern USA, the study validates a variant of the technology acceptance model, extended with constructs such as cognitive absorption and security that capture better the context of IMT in hotels. Findings – The conceptual model explained a large part of variability in intentions to use IMT. Among several predictors, cognitive absorption was the stronger predictor of attitudes. The analysis also revealed the dimensions of cognitive absorption as a second‐order factor in the context of mobile commerce in the hotel industry. Research limitations/implications – This research offers a number of notable theoretical contributions. First, it provides an unique perspective on adoption of immersive technologies that enhance the experiential value of the hotel stay. Second, it revisits and validates the multidimensional construct of cognitive absorption. Finally, it ascertains the roles of cognitive absorption, playfulness, and security in the adoption of IMT. Practical implications – This research provides specific suggestions to integrate IMT in hotels based on system characteristics and users’ perceptions. Originality/value – To date, the research examining the immersive aspects of technology is scant. This research provides a novel platform for the systematic examination of the adoption of immersive technologies as they mediate the experiences in hotel service settings.