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The purpose of this paper was to examine how small- and medium-sized hospitality organisations engage with social media and how social media data are used by their managers to inform business decisions.

A qualitative approach was used in this research in which interviews were conducted with top management, comprising the owners/directors and other key managers from small- and medium-sized organisations based in Penang, Malaysia. Fan and Gordon's (2014) categorisation of the social media data analysis process and Simon's (1995) concept of the interactive and diagnostic usage of data were used in the analysis of data.

The managers of small- and medium-sized hospitality organisations engage with social media for customer relationship management and the understanding of key main competitors. Social media is used to understand, build and manage relationships with current and potential customers; these activities are also linked to actions taken to protect a company's reputation. Even though, for the companies concerned, data gathering is still at the capture stage with no formal procedures and processes in place, the data are utilised in an interactive way to inform two areas’ major business decisions-making, i.e. those related to pricing and promotion and the strategic formulation and reorientation of the business.

The respondents of this study were mainly from smaller hospitality organisations. Hence, the insights gained are limited to the context of smaller hotels.

A significant number of social media studies within the hospitality sector have focussed on marketing aspects. This study explored the wider use of social media in the case of smaller hospitality organisations and how they compete and position themselves in the competitive hospitality industry.

This paper aims to investigate the influence of customer and competitor orientations on the entrepreneurial orientation of small hospitality enterprises in Kazakhstan.

The research uses quantitative data collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 318 entrepreneurs who participated in the survey.

The findings of the study demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between customer and competitor orientations and the entrepreneurial orientation of small hospitality businesses in Kazakhstan.

Future studies should also consider additional contingencies such as organizational learning capability and environmental dynamism. In addition, it is recommended that future studies look into the effect of customer and market orientations on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) performance.

The findings of the study showed that hospitality in small businesses needs to embrace a new way of thinking and adopt a more strategic approach to their entrepreneurial activities through proactively responding to constantly changing customer needs and competitors’ moves.

This study offers insights into the relationship between strategy and entrepreneurship in the context of small hospitality businesses. In particular, it develops an understanding about the factors that stimulate small hospitality businesses’ entrepreneurial orientations in a dynamic and competitive environment marked by the growing pressure of continuously changing consumer habits and direct competition both from SME counterparts and large enterprises.

The chapter presents a mechanism of innovational development of cluster of the hospitality industry in the system of region's economic security, which formation takes place in the conditions of complex turbulent state of economy, which leads to crises of various scales and volumes. Cluster is treated as a platform that unifies efforts and partnership interactions between large, medium, and small business and synthesizes expectations of consumers on the basis of territorial concentration of readiness to care about a customer in the form of provision of the need: (1) selection and readiness of consumer to accept a specific complex service of the hospitality industry (with tourist service complexes); (2) movement (with transport complex); (3) accommodation (with hotel complex), (4) readiness for catering (with catering complex); (5) entertainment (with participation of complex of entertainment); (6) security (with security complex). The process of clustering leads to a new treatment of the notion of competition, development of capabilities to be a business partner, and finding advantages in generation of innovations together with intermediaries and neighbors.

Examines the role of benchmarking within the small hospitality sector. Argues that there is considerable potential for improving service quality by this means, not only in the small businesses themselves, but also in tourist destinations, which often depend heavily on this sector. While benchmarking activity is growing in large organizations, there has been limited application among small hospitality businesses. Examines the reasons for this, and discusses how benchmarking, linked to external awards and grades, can offer advantages and bring about improvements in competitiveness for both small hospitality businesses and destinations. Consumers also benefit through clearer indication of the service likely to be offered, so that their service expectations are more likely to correspond with performance, and their satisfaction with the destination to be increased. Argues that external benchmarking needs to be directed by local authorities, so that it matches the destination’s planned strategic development.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether there were significant differences in the factors affecting economic contribution and performance of small hotel clusters in the three regions of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and Mwanza in Tanzania. This paper also assesses whether there were significant differences in developmental policies, and industry and competitive environments of small hotel activity in these three regions.

In the paper data were collected using a novel method of educational workshops held in the three regions. Three short questionnaires were used in the paper to gather data on demographic information of participants and businesses, business environment, and economic transactions of these businesses.

The paper finds that statistical analyses indicate that factors including development policies, competitive and business environment are significantly different among the three regions.

This paper presented a framework within which policy and industry practices could be comparatively benchmarked amongst multiple locations. Continued future research is essential to contribute towards the dearth of literature formally assessing small hotel activity in developing economies.

The results of this paper could be used to evaluate industry practices as comparative benchmarks across regions. Policy makers in Tanzania can use the data provided to close gaps in services provided to support the three regions. This could lead to a more balanced development of small hotels across the country.

This paper adds to the sparse literature on small hospitality business research, comparative spatial analysis within the hospitality industry, and offers an insight into factors affecting operations of small hospitality businesses in developing nations. The paper also introduces the usage of novel data collection methods from small businesses that are otherwise inaccessible to such research studies. The paper found this data collection method mutually beneficial for both the participants and the researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of information communication technology (ICT) in small rural hospitality businesses. Although ICT is often presented as a means of reducing the impact of being rural, little is known about the extent or level of use of ICT. This paper addresses these issues.

The paper employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather and analyse data. The study had two stages: an initial survey to determine the extent and pervasion of ICT; and a second interview stage to explore the role and applications of ICT.

The authors find that 84 per cent of the businesses use ICT effectively, mainly to provide information and improve service quality. In addition, some firms had adopted very successful methods of using the internet for sales and marketing but ignored supply functions. The authors were surprised to find that ICT was seen as a way of enhancing personal service and that rather than a barrier, it was seen to promote quality of service. Moreover the respondents did seem to have used ICT effectively to overcome the disadvantages of location and rurality.

The survey was carried out in a single rural environment and this limits its generalisability. Nonetheless, the study develops some interesting issues about the application of ICT in the rural context.

The paper identifies the benefits derived from the enthusiasm of some rural business owners. They had recognised the efficacy of computing and can provide lessons in how to apply ICT to overcome distance.

The paper addresses a gap in research and offers some insights into the application of ICT in rural areas.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivational factors behind the transition of successful hospitality entrepreneurs in New Zealand, back into paid employment.

In all, 16 interviewees were recruited using the snowball technique and their stories examined using a narrative analysis technique.

Motivational factors were categorised into seven themes of family, work–life balance, health and stress, age, planned exit, stagnation and intuition. Poor work–life balance was identified as a consistent factor in decisions to sell hospitality businesses. Although lifestyles were self-imposed, they were exacerbated by the conflicting needs of family, customers and the owners themselves, several of whom worked to exhaustion.

Implications for prospective entrepreneurs include considerations of work–life balance and the true costs of hospitality business ownership.

This is the first study of motivations for leaving a successful hospitality business and moving into paid employment. As research is sparse on reasons for this transition, this study provides an understanding of this phenomenon and insights into the extraordinary challenges of hospitality entrepreneurship in New Zealand.

The purpose of this paper is to provide further evidence of the effectiveness of a new method of HACCP for the hospitality industry that was developed, piloted and validated by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the University of Salford. It is the sixth article in the second Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management presenting a new method of HACCP for the hospitality industry and proof of its utility.

A series of industry working parties and research projects were carried out between 2004 and 2006 to investigate the utility and impact of the new method in a wide range of sectors, cuisines and locations. Over 200 stakeholders and businesses were involved in this process.

The paper finds that in 2005 the new method was extended and published as Menu‐Safe a system for hospitality businesses of all types and sizes, and developed into a shorter ready to use package called Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) by the UK FSA for very small hospitality businesses. This series of projects shows further evidence of the success of the new method, and provides important guidance on how, when and where the new systems should be implemented.

This paper combines in‐depth, academically sound research with widespread industry involvement. It brings together the views and findings of all groups to make important recommendations for the future of HACCP‐based systems in the hospitality industry.

This paper aims to investigate how small/medium hospitality (SMH) firms set preferences for knowledge transfer relating to customer service improvement activities, through a determination of the most valued activities, preferred forms of media delivery and why best practice choice is valued.

A single cross‐sectional survey was used of 255 owners, managers or owner‐managers of SMH firms in Australia using attitude rating scales.

In nominating preferred customer service training/business performance improvement activities, the reasons for reporting a highly valued activity were grouped into six themes. Relevance and novelty of the activity were the two highest ranked activities. The remaining four themes of informative, credible, ease of use, and social were ranked equally.

The findings suggest that hospitality firms are reluctant to embrace knowledge transfer activities in general and customer service training in particular. These findings shed light on specific preferred activities and indicate the reasons why.

The results from this study have been integrated with other studies to present a range of communication‐based strategies to assist industry policy makers. It is recommended that communication strategies to sell the “novelty, relevance and newness” of the customer service activity should be promoted.

The paper synthesises literature from the small business sector, together with hospitality‐specific papers and extends thinking beyond prescriptive advice. Given that knowledge transfer, delivered as prescriptive advice, tends to be ignored by the sector at large, this paper focuses on what managers do in practice and how they can be reached more directly.

The digital revolution is causing profound transformations, characterised by the way companies and customers approach the market, helping to significantly transform the tourism sector. The aim of this study is to investigate how small hospitality businesses use internet in terms of marketing.

After analyzing the literature, which concerns the relationship that has gradually developed over the years between small businesses in the tourism sector and the use of the internet, it was decided to carry out an empirical survey conducted among the subjects managing micro-activities in the hospitality sector. The research hypothesis is that the adoption of the website is conditioned by the size of the company and the type of experience one has with small businesses.

The results show how small hospitality businesses make limited use of booking portals and social networks, and it emerges how digital marketing policies are crucial to achieve success, both in Italy and abroad.

It is believed that this work can provide useful insights that can be useful for the local government, aimed at promoting a greater ability of small businesses to participate more actively in the competition.