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Article
Publication date: 20 August 2018

Marianna Sigala

This paper aims to debate the technology-driven transformation of customer relationship management (CRM) into social CRM, which entails a shift from a transactional and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to debate the technology-driven transformation of customer relationship management (CRM) into social CRM, which entails a shift from a transactional and automational solution to a customer experience management philosophy, reflecting high levels of customer empowerment.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review provides a critical analysis of the concept, tenets, aims and implementation approaches of social CRM. Arguments are summarised by developing a process-based framework for implementing social CRM.

Findings

By adopting a value co-creation approach that recognises the technology-fostered customer empowerment, the social CRM highlights the need to immigrate from relationship management to relationship stewardship. In this vein, social CRM implementation should support and foster dialogue facilitation and customer engagement in co-creating customer experiences. To achieve these, five approaches for implementing social CRM are proposed: collecting, analysing and interpreting customer insight; monitoring and improving the performance of CRM; developing holistic and seamless personalised customer experiences; gamifying CRM and loyalty programmes; and nurturing community relationship management.

Research limitations/implications

The five approaches to social CRM implementation are identified and validated based on current industry practices, theoretical arguments and anecdotal evidence of professionals’ perceptions about their outcomes. Future research is required to collect hard evidence showing the business and customer impacts of these approaches.

Practical implications

Social CRM immigrates relationship management from a transactional to a customer experience mindset that treats customers as co-creators of value and demands the tourism and hospitality firms to exploit the affordances of information and communication technologies to collect and analyse customer data for better understanding the customer; develop customer touch points that do not only aim to sell but also primarily aim to enhance the customer interactions and experiences; consider and treat the customers and the customer communities as co-creators, brand ambassadors and stewards of relations; and motivate and enable customer participation into value co-creation processes for developing customer experiences and building relationships.

Originality/value

Research in social CRM is emerging, but it mainly focusses on defining its scope and identifying the functionality and adoption of social CRM technology. The paper contributes to the literature by proposing five specific approaches and a process framework for implementing social CRM. Various directions for future research are also provided.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 December 2023

Nick Noghan, Peter O’Connor and Marianna Sigala

Traditionally vision-focused, tourism effectively ignores the other senses. With tourists travelling to “see” places, an understanding of how people with vision impairment or…

Abstract

Purpose

Traditionally vision-focused, tourism effectively ignores the other senses. With tourists travelling to “see” places, an understanding of how people with vision impairment or blindness (PwVIB) experience tourism is currently lacking. Borrowing from psychology, this viewpoint proposes innovative research approaches to address this knowledge gap, clarifying how PwVIB psychologically experience tourism, enabling tourism professionals to design meaningful and appropriate tourism products and services for this market.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviewing extant literature on the tourist experience of PwVIB, this study highlights the existing knowledge gaps regarding understanding how PwVIB experience tourism, proposing alternative theoretical approaches and methodologies for use in future studies.

Findings

Alternative research approaches, borrowed from psychology, are proposed to address this knowledge gap and clarify our understanding of how PwVIB experience tourism, serving as a call to action for researchers to attack this issue in innovative ways. An example study, using a mental imagery approach is discussed by way of illustration of how such techniques could be applied.

Originality/value

Highlighting a gap in the understanding of tourist experiences of PwVIB, this viewpoint proposes the adoption of innovative research methods from psychology as a means of delving into the cognitive and conceptual processes involved, offering a new perspective on how to address this important and topical issue and contribute to the design of inclusive and meaningful tourism experiences for this demographic.

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Parves Sultan, Ho Yin Wong and Marianna Sigala

The purpose of this paper is to segment the Australian organic food consumer market.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to segment the Australian organic food consumer market.

Design/methodology/approach

A nationwide online survey was conducted for collecting data about the Australian organic food consumer market. Various statistical techniques were used for analyzing the data and identifying market segments.

Findings

The key market segmentation variables that significantly characterize the Australian organic food consumer market include age, income, education, metro/city-vs-rural/region, purchase frequency, weekly expenditure, consumption period, retail outlets, perceived values, self-image, and perceptions about organic foods.

Originality/value

Australia, like many other countries, is an emerging market for the organically produced and marketed food products. The current review unfolds the fact that there are limited studies in market segmentation, and no study in the Australian context, in particular. The current paper contributes to the organic food market segmentation literature and provides several implications for market segmentation strategy.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2021

Sayeh Bagherzadeh, Sajjad Shokouhyar, Hamed Jahani and Marianna Sigala

Research analyzing online travelers’ reviews has boomed over the past years, but it lacks efficient methodologies that can provide useful end-user value within time and budget…

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Abstract

Purpose

Research analyzing online travelers’ reviews has boomed over the past years, but it lacks efficient methodologies that can provide useful end-user value within time and budget. This study aims to contribute to the field by developing and testing a new methodology for sentiment analysis that surpasses the standard dictionary-based method by creating two hotel-specific word lexicons.

Design/methodology/approach

Big data of hotel customer reviews posted on the TripAdvisor platform were collected and appropriately prepared for conducting a binary sentiment analysis by developing a novel bag-of-words weighted approach. The latter provides a transparent and replicable procedure to prepare, create and assess lexicons for sentiment analysis. This approach resulted in two lexicons (a weighted lexicon, L1 and a manually selected lexicon, L2), which were tested and validated by applying classification accuracy metrics to the TripAdvisor big data. Two popular methodologies (a public dictionary-based method and a complex machine-learning algorithm) were used for comparing the accuracy metrics of the study’s approach for creating the two lexicons.

Findings

The results of the accuracy metrics confirmed that the study’s methodology significantly outperforms the dictionary-based method in comparison to the machine-learning algorithm method. The findings also provide evidence that the study’s methodology is generalizable for predicting users’ sentiment.

Practical implications

The study developed and validated a methodology for generating reliable lexicons that can be used for big data analysis aiming to understand and predict customers’ sentiment. The L2 hotel dictionary generated by the study provides a reliable method and a useful tool for analyzing guests’ feedback and enabling managers to understand, anticipate and re-actively respond to customers’ attitudes and changes. The study also proposed a simplified methodology for understanding the sentiment of each user, which, in turn, can be used for conducting comparisons aiming to detect and understand guests’ sentiment changes across time, as well as across users based on their profiles and experiences.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the field by proposing and testing a new methodology for conducting sentiment analysis that addresses previous methodological limitations, as well as the contextual specificities of the tourism industry. Based on the paper’s literature review, this is the first research study using a bag-of-words approach for conducting a sentiment analysis and creating a field-specific lexicon.

论可推广性的情感分析法以创建酒店字典:以TripAdvisor酒店评论为样本的大数据分析

摘要

研究目的

对于在线游客评论的研究在过去的几年中与日俱增, 但是仍缺乏有效方法能在有限的时间喝预算内提供终端用户价值。本论文开发并测试了一套情感分析的新方法, 创建两套酒店相关的词库, 此方法超越了标准词典式分析法。

研究设计/方法/途径

研究样本为TripAdvisor酒店客户评论的大数据, 通过开发崭新的有配重的词库法, 来开展两极式情感分析。这个崭新的具有配重的词库法能够呈现透明化和可复制的程序, 准备、创建、并检验情感分析的词条。这个方法用到了两种词典(有配重的词典L1和手动选择的词典L2), 本论文通过对TripAdvisor大数据进行使用词类划分精准度, 来检测和验证这两种词典。本论文采用两种热门方法(公共词典法和复杂机器学习算法)来对比词典的准确度。

研究结果

精确度对比结果证实了本论文的方法, 相较于机器学习算法, 显著地超越了以字典为基础的方法。研究结果还表明, 本论文的方法可以就预测用户情感趋势进行推广。

研究实际启示

本论文开发并验证了一项方法, 这种方法通过创建可信的词典进行大数据分析, 以判定用户情感。本论文创建的L2酒店词库对分析客人反馈是可靠有用的工具, 这个词库还能帮助酒店经理了解、预测、以及积极相应客人的态度和改变。本论文还提出了一项可以了解每个用户情感的简易方法, 这项方法可以通过对比的方式来检测和了解客人不同时间的情感变化, 以及根据其不同背景和经历的不同用户之间的变化。

研究原创性/价值

本论文提出并检测了一项新方法, 这项情感分析方法可以解决之前方法的局限并立脚于旅游行业。基于文献综述, 本论文是首篇研究, 使用词库法来进行情感分析和创建特别领域词典的方式。

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Werner Kunz, Lerzan Aksoy, Yakov Bart, Kristina Heinonen, Sertan Kabadayi, Francisco Villarroel Ordenes, Marianna Sigala, David Diaz and Babis Theodoulidis

This paper aims to propose that the literature on customer engagement has emphasized the benefits of customer engagement to the firm and, to a large extent, ignored the customers’…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose that the literature on customer engagement has emphasized the benefits of customer engagement to the firm and, to a large extent, ignored the customers’ perspective. By drawing upon co-creation and other literature, this paper attempts to alleviate this gap by proposing a strategic framework that aligns both the customer and firm perspectives in successfully creating engagement that generates value for both the customer and the bottom line.

Design/methodology/approach

A strategic framework is proposed that includes the necessary firm resources, data, process, timeline and goals for engagement, and captures customers’ motives, situational factors and preferred engagement styles.

Findings

The authors argue that sustainability of data-driven customer engagement requires a dynamic and iterative value generation process involving customers recognizing the value of engagement behaviours and firm’s ability to capture and passing value back to customers.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a dynamic strategic value-creation framework that comprehensively captures both the customer and firm perspectives to data-driven customer engagement.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2016

Marianna Sigala

Although the generation of social value is the focus of social entrepreneurship, little research attention is paid on how social value and transformation can be created. By…

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Abstract

Purpose

Although the generation of social value is the focus of social entrepreneurship, little research attention is paid on how social value and transformation can be created. By adopting a market approach, this study aims to develop a framework showing how social enterprises in tourism/hospitality can generate social value and transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough literature review revealed that a market approach is an appropriate lens for understanding social entrepreneurship. Consequently, a framework based on “learning with the market” is proposed as a useful tool for identifying, managing and also creating (new) opportunities for social ventures. The justification and the theoretical underpinnings of the market-based framework are further supported by discussing various other theories and concepts.

Findings

The framework identifies three capabilities that social entrepreneurs need to develop for generating social value and transformation: network structure, market practices and market pictures. Several examples from tourism and hospitality social enterprises are analyzed for showing the applicability and usefulness of the framework.

Research limitations/implications

The paper proposes a conceptual framework as well as several research directions for further testing, refining and expanding it.

Practical implications

By applying the framework on several tourism and hospitality social enterprises, the paper provides practical implications about the capabilities that social enterprises should develop for engaging with other market actors to identify and exploit (new) market opportunities for social value co-creation, and influence market plasticity for forming new markets and driving social change.

Social implications

The suggested framework identifies the capabilities and the ways in which (tourism/hospitality) social enterprises can engage with and form markets for co-creating social value and escalating their social impacts through social transformation.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new marketing approach (that overcomes the limitations of traditional economic theories) for understanding how social enterprises can shape, manage and engage with social markets for generating social value.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 January 2021

Naveen Donthu, Satish Kumar, Chatura Ranaweera, Marianna Sigala and Riya Sureka

In 2020, the Journal of Service Theory and Practice (JSTP), previously titled Managing Service Quality, celebrates its 30th anniversary. This study provides a retrospective of the…

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Abstract

Purpose

In 2020, the Journal of Service Theory and Practice (JSTP), previously titled Managing Service Quality, celebrates its 30th anniversary. This study provides a retrospective of the evolution and contribution of the journal to service research by identifying its major trends, research constituents, factors contributing to citations and thematic structure over its 29 active years (1991–2019). The paper concludes by providing directions and ideas for progressing service research

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the Scopus database to extract JSTP's bibliographic data. It employs bibliometric methods to study the trends of the journal, such as the citation structure and most-contributing authors, institutions and countries. Bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence analyses are used to study the intellectual structure of the journal. Regression analysis discloses the factors influencing citations of JSTP articles. Factors explaining the citation count of JSTP articles include article age, number of author keywords, article length, title length and number of references.

Findings

JSTP's influence has grown significantly in the scientific community, which is evidenced by findings relating to the citation counts, the thematic scope/variety and authorship features of the JSTP papers published during the last 30 years. JSTP attracts publications from around the globe, but most contributions come from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Although JSTP has continuously evolved with new and varied themes, a bibliographic coupling analysis clustered JSTP articles into five major clusters.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the Scopus database may impact the study's results.

Originality/value

This study is the first to provide a comprehensive review of JSTP since its launch. It is useful to the editorial board and other JSTP stakeholders as well as service scholars alike.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2020

Aaron Tham and Marianna Sigala

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the disrupting usage and impacts of blockchains and cryptocurrencies and advocate their role as enablers of sustainable tourism development…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the disrupting usage and impacts of blockchains and cryptocurrencies and advocate their role as enablers of sustainable tourism development goals.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature on blockchains and cryptocurrencies is critically synthesized, debated and expanded to identify and discuss their implications toward sustainable tourism futures.

Findings

As a distributive digital ledger, blockchains have the potential to create a more inclusive tourism future to address debates around tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development that alludes to value accruing to only certain providers and consumers. Blockchains and their cryptocurrencies (as a financial transaction capability) elevate trust and relational capabilities in an expedited and holistic manner, democratize participation in economic systems and re-distribute power and economic relations amongst actors by influencing the way data (the currency of the digital economy and the lifeblood of tourism) is collected, stored, exchange, owned and traded for co-creating value.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is conceptual and speculative by identifying ways in which blockchain and cryptocurrencies can support sustainable tourism development goals. Directions for future research are provided for further elaborating and collecting primary evidence on whether the premise and applications of these technologies can deliver the acclaimed sustainable impacts.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the emerging but controversial literature about the trajectories between technology and sustainability by critically debating on how blockchains, through cryptocurrency economies, can be positioned to facilitate sustainable tourism futures.

研究目的

本论文旨在讨论区块链和加密货币的使用和影响, 并且建议其对于可持续旅游发展目标的积极作用。

研究方法/途径/手段

区块链和加密货币的文献得到批判式的综述, 作者对有些文献进行辩论, 有些学说进行延伸, 以确立和探究其对可持续旅游发展未来的作用深意。

研究结果

区块链作为分布式电子账本技术, 有潜力创造一个更加融合的旅游未来, 以解决旅游作为媒介打造可持续发展的争论问题。区块链和加密货币(作为一种财务交易能力)通过以价值共创为前提, 影响数据(数字经济货币和旅游生命力)收集、储存、交换、所有、以及交易, 快速全面地提高了信任和关系能力, 使得经济系统参与更加民主化, 并且重新分配了各种角色中的权力和经济关系。

研究理论限制/意义

本论文是概念性文章, 主要通过指出区块链和加密货币如何支持可持续旅游发展目标的方式来进行讨论。未来研究可以深入探讨并且收集数据来验证是否这些科技的应用可以影响所谓的可持续发展。

研究原创性/价值

本论文对这个前沿又充满争议的文献进行梳理和讨论, 指出了科技与可持续性之间的多种联系, 批判地综述了区块链如何通过加密货币经济能够帮助可持续旅游的未来。

关键词

加密货币, 电子付款, 破坏性创新, 分布式账本, 旅游业, 可持续发展

文章类型

概念性论文

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Marianna Sigala, Lianping Ren, Zhuo Li and Leonardo (Don) A.N. Dioko

This study aims to examine talent management (TM) in the hospitality industry in Macao during COVID-19. It deploys a contingency theory perspective (Luthans and Stewart, 1977) to…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine talent management (TM) in the hospitality industry in Macao during COVID-19. It deploys a contingency theory perspective (Luthans and Stewart, 1977) to illuminate the heightened uncertainties and challenges talent managers faced during the pandemic and the urgent adaptations to TM practices they embraced in response.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a phenomenological approach, this study analyzed data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with a representative sample of 20 hotel managers in Macao.

Findings

Managers reported four major categories of COVID-19-induced challenges and a corresponding set of contingent TM practices. The four contingent TM practices were found to contribute to the shaping of the next new normal in TM in hospitality and included the following: Contingent TM planning; contingent TM deployment and replacement; talent training and development under contingent arrangements; and changed “talent” attitude and practices in recruitment and retention.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are limited to the geographical and industry context of the study. This study should be refined with larger samples.

Practical implications

This study provides a useful framework for guiding professionals on how to manage talent during turmoil periods. It also contributes toward understanding the shifting meaning of talent and TM in hospitality.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the applicability of contingency theory in managing hospitality talent during turbulent times, which extends TM knowledge and enriches the contingency theory. The findings also facilitate our understanding on how contingent TM practices create processes that lead in setting the new normal.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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