Hospitality processes through the lens of teleological actions – framework and illustration
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
ISSN: 1750-6182
Article publication date: 29 July 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a framework and illustration to assess and manage the perceived content and experiences in hospitality processes through the lens of teleological actions. Teleological actions are movements into the future that are believed to move either towards a predictable/known or unpredictable/unknown state or condition: transformative – ad hoc and present-based actions; formative – pre-determined and past-based actions; and rationalist – goal-directed and future-based actions.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework of teleological actions and its underlying logic illustrates how critical hospitality processes may be assessed and managed in both research and practice.
Findings
The lens of teleological actions offers a non-traditional and unusual, potentially unique, perspective on hospitality processes. It reveals additional insights to assess and manage critical incidents in hospitality processes between service providers and service receivers.
Research limitations/implications
Assessing and managing hospitality processes through the lens of teleological actions makes both a contribution to and provides opportunities for further research in the field of hospitality management.
Practical implications
It opens up the possibility of examining different hospitality processes based upon the lens of teleological actions. It provides interesting and valuable insights in relation to contemporary approaches to assess and manage critical incidents in the literature of hospitality processes.
Originality/value
It sheds a different and additional light upon current theory and practice in hospitality management. It explicitly addresses the meaning of time and how to relate to the content and experiences of previous, current and forthcoming hospitality processes.
Keywords
Citation
Padin, C. and Svensson, G. (2014), "Hospitality processes through the lens of teleological actions – framework and illustration", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-08-2012-0062
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited