Pre-smoke-ban café staff job satisfaction and attitudes in transition countriesPranić, Ljudevit;Pivac, Snježana ;Čolak, Anela
doi: 10.54055/ejtr.v6i1.113pmid: N/A
While a growing number of countries and sub-national localities are banning smoking in hospitality workplaces, extant research on the impacts of smoke-free legislation has centered on hospitality employees and industries in developed countries. Hoping to assist in filling this void, this research empirically explores the relationships among café employees’ attitudes, demographics, work-related variables (WRV), and job satisfaction before the introduction of a smoke-free legislation in one transition economy, i.e. Bosnia-Herzegovina. Results revealed that café area served, gender, average weekly workload, café seating allocation, and education were for the most part not significant in explaining different perceptions toward a smoking ban. However, respondents’ preferred café smoking policy, smoking status, hospitality work experience, job satisfaction, and age did influence how respondents viewed the smoking ban. In terms of respondents’ preferred café smoking policy, significant differences were noted due to smoking status and café seating allocation. In regards to job satisfaction, staff with more positive pre-implementation attitudes towards the ban exhibit significantly higher levels of dissatisfaction with the current job. Overall, respondents appear willing to make concessions for both pro- and anti-smoking patrons, staff, and owners/managers. Therefore, lawmakers should consider population characteristics, seating allocation, and the combination thereof when devising café smoking policies.
Perspectives on foreign training: middle managers in Jordan’s international hotel chainsMasadeh, Mousa
doi: 10.54055/ejtr.v6i1.114pmid: N/A
Despite the importance of employee training in the hospitality and tourism sector, there has been little research exploring the training of middle managers in hotels. The present research paper aims to explore this under-investigated topic in order to shed light on training practices in international hotel chains (IHCs) in Jordan, as well as company and management attitudes towards out-of-country training (OCT). This article focuses on a qualitative study in which guided focus group discussion was used to identify the determinants of upper management’s decisions to invest in OCT for middle managers in Jordan’s IHCs. The three groups each included six department heads from 18 IHCs. The interview data revealed five key themes affecting management’s decision-making: management and company attitudes; barriers; selection criteria; nature of training; and benefits and usefulness of out-of-country training to managers and hotels. Focus groups results revealed middle managers’ overwhelming support for out-of-country training along with some of the perceived barriers, including lack of company and upper management support. This is the first study of its kind investigating middle managers’ attitudes toward out-of-country training. As such, it offers insight into this little-investigated demographic, which serves a key organisational role as intermediaries between hotel management and front-line staff. The paper offers useful data and analysis to researchers and/or practitioners of hotel management, with practical implications for improving human resource management in hotels.
A study of expected and perceived service quality in Croatian and Slovenian hotel industryMarković, Suzana;Raspor, Sanja;Ivankovič, Gordana;Planinc, Tanja
doi: 10.54055/ejtr.v6i1.115pmid: N/A
The main purpose of present research is the comparison of guests’ expectations and perceptions of service quality in Croatian and Slovenian hotels. In order to measure hotel guests’ expectations and perceptions modified SERVQUAL model was developed. The questionnaire was designed in accordance with researches conducted by Parasuraman et al. (1988), Zeithaml et al. (1990), Snoj and Ogorelc (1998), Pizam and Ellis (1999) and Marković (2003). The questionnaire was divided in three parts: measurement of expected service quality, measurement of perceived service quality and demographic questions. Data were collected in hotel settings in Opatija Riviera (Croatia) and Slovenia’s coastal region. A total of 253 (Croatian sample) and 172 (Slovenian sample) completed and usable questionnaires were gathered. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. The conducted statistical analysis revealed similarities in both surveys. The research results identified high level of guests’ expectations and perceptions regarding the hotel service quality, and importance of intangible aspects of hotel service.
Service development: Modelling influencing factors by employing the Norwegian Coastal Voyage (Hurtigruten) as a caseSkaalsvik, Hugo;Johannessen, Jon-Arild
doi: 10.54055/ejtr.v6i1.116pmid: N/A
This paper reports research on a service development study carried out on the prestigious Norwegian Coastal Voyage (NCV), also known as the Hurtigruten, which is the brand name. The primary research instrument employed in the research was in-depth interviews with service managers and service personnel employed on the Hurtigruten. This paper reports on findings on influencing factors to service development and suggests how the identified factors influence service development on the Hurtigruten. A model is suggested that depicts these factors, which are grouped into company internal, company external and system factors. The study advances the knowledge field of service development particularly relevant for a high-contact service such as a cruise operation.
Impact of the attributes of private tourist accommodation facilities onto prices: A hedonic price approachPortolan, Ana
doi: 10.54055/ejtr.v6i1.117pmid: N/A
The concept of private tourist accommodation has been insufficiently studied in tourism economics literature. It has been only marginally brought up along with the hotel accommodation in scientific papers within the last ten years. Private accommodation represents almost 50% of the total capacity in the structure of accommodation in Croatia. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of facility prices for private accommodation in one of the Croatian leading tourist destinations, Dubrovnik, through empirical research. Hedonic model is applied to analyse the role of different attributes in form of the overall price of representative sample of private accommodation facilities and to demonstrate how facility prices can be related to certain attributes of private accommodation. The explanatory variables of the overall price, among others, include location, characteristics such as availability of free parking place, distance to the Old Town, sea view, terrace/garden. The results of this research provide instructions and direction to main tourism stakeholders and policy makers, and at the same time assist facility owners in shaping prices helping them to create instruments for future planning.