Developing a strategic viability-fit model of mobile technology adoption in hotels

Abstract

Purpose

Notwithstanding the expected apparent benefits of mobile technologies (MTs) in the hotel industry, their adoption is slower than forecasted. This study aims to identify the challenges faced by hotel managers in adopting MTs in their industry, such that the authors may determine the strategic positions for adopting and managing MTs and build a frame of reference for hotel management practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a series of focus group interviews (FGIs) with the managers and executives of luxury hotels. FGIs were conducted in groups in a semi-structured format, asking questions about MT adoption in their hotels and the challenges they faced. The FGI transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach.

Findings

Open and axial coding of FGI scripts revealed 15 underlying categories of challenges in adopting MTs in hotels. Subsequent selective coding revealed two underlying dimensions: viability-fit. With these two underlying dimensions, a strategic model for MT adoption is developed. This model identifies four MT adoption strategies in hotels: lookers, experimenters, explorers and leaders.

Originality/value

The model developed and presented herein may help analyze a hotel’s strategic positioning in adopting MT’s. Depending on the positional analysis results, hotel managers can appropriately decide resource mobilization priorities and deployment timing.

研究目的

尽管酒店中的移动技术 (MT) 具有预期的明显行业优势, 它们的采用速度比预期的要慢。本研究旨在确定酒店经理在其行业中采用 MT 时面临的问题和挑战, 以便我们可以确定采用和管理 MT 的战略位置, 并为酒店管理实践建立参考框架。

研究设计/方法/途径：

作者与管理人员和豪华酒店的高管进行了一系列焦点小组访谈 (FGI) 。 FGI 以半结构化的形式分组进行, 询问关于他们酒店采用 MT 的问题以及他们面临的挑战。 FGI 的文字记录使用扎根理论方法进行分析。

研究发现：

FGI 脚本的开放和轴向编码揭示了 15 个潜在挑战类别酒店的 MT。随后的选择性编码揭示了两个潜在的维度：可行性, 匹配度。有了这两个基本维度, 就可以开发出采用 MT 的战略模型。这模型确定了酒店中的四种 MT 采用策略：观察者、实验者、探索者和领导者。

研究原创性/价值：

这里开发和展示的模型可以帮助分析酒店在采用MT的战略定位采用。根据定位分析结果, 酒店经理可以适当地决定资源调动优先事项和部署时间。

Citation

Han, H.“., Lee, J., Edvardsson, B. and Verma, R. (2022), "Developing a strategic viability-fit model of mobile technology adoption in hotels", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-05-2020-0109