Explaining the embodied hospitality experience with ZMET
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 25 September 2018
Issue publication date: 20 November 2018
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars have rarely applied an embodied perspective when studying hospitality experiences. They have given even less attention to methodological considerations. This paper aims to introduce Zaltman’s Metaphor elicitation Technique (ZMET) to explore various domains of the embodied experience.
Design/methodology/approach
In demonstrating the applicability of the ZMET procedure to understanding embodied hospitality experiences, the researchers present a study of emotional encounters that involve the dining experiences of Chinese tourists with Western cuisine. The focus of the paper is on data collection, i.e. detailing the step-wise procedures of ZMET that have received minimal scholarly attention.
Findings
Through the medium of this empirical study, the ZMET example uncovers deep metaphors and answers previously unanswered questions about embodied experiences. The detailed information and nuanced insights that are generated through this ZMET application offer the prospect of enhanced understanding of the hospitality experience.
Originality/value
This investigation contributes an innovative research method to the embodied experience in the hospitality and tourism context.
Keywords
Citation
Ji, M. and King, B. (2018), "Explaining the embodied hospitality experience with ZMET", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 11, pp. 3442-3461. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2017-0709
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited