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1 – 10 of 21
Article
Publication date: 20 June 2008

Richard Redmond, Elizabeth Curtis, Tom Noone and Paul Keenan

There can be little doubt about the importance and relevance of quality for any service industry. One of the most influential contributors to service quality developments was W…

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Abstract

Purpose

There can be little doubt about the importance and relevance of quality for any service industry. One of the most influential contributors to service quality developments was W. Edwards Deming (1900‐1993). An important component of Deming's philosophy is reflected in his 14‐principles for transforming a service as they indicate what management needs to do to ensure that they and their employees are able to deliver good service quality. The purpose of this paper is first, to select and describe six of the 14 principles and their implications for organisational management; and second, to hightlight the relevance of these principles within higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Six of Deming's principles for transforming organisational management and the application of these to management within the area of higher education are discussed. The selection of these six principles, for discussion is not that they are more important for quality, but because they are among the most important for management in higher education.

Findings

Deming's principle on teamwork is not only about problem solving and decision making but more fundamentally it is about breaking down organisational and professional barriers. This is necessary for creating opportunities for people to generate new insights and ideas for improving quality of the service provided by the organisation.

Orginality/value

This general review paper discusses six of Deming's principles seen as being important in managing education and considers that organisational management needs to embrace these particular principles if they are to be successful in pursuing their quality initiatives.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2020

Bahar Tasar, Keti Ventura and Ural Gokay Cicekli

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of capacity decisions regarding the number of servers/chefs and tables on identifying a change in the number of…

1386

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of capacity decisions regarding the number of servers/chefs and tables on identifying a change in the number of wait-related anxious customers, customer losses and customers served to meet the waiting time standards of an actual upscale restaurant.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied a simulation model to present the consequences of restaurant capacity decisions based on waiting time standards. Arena Simulation Software, licensed by Rockwell Automation, was used for modeling and identifying distributions of the data set provided by the restaurant. An experiment was designed for an upscale restaurant with existing five servers/chefs and 50 tables by changing these resources to measure the changes in customers' wait-related anxiety and other service performance indicators.

Findings

The results showed that an additional server/chef on weekends decreases the daily average number of anxious customers by nearly 33% and increases the daily average number of customers served by nearly 3% and has a little positive effect of decreasing customer losses. Table insertion for high- and low-requested seating areas had an only positive effect on decreasing customer losses.

Originality/value

In this study, the service capacity is dependent on waiting time, and it is addressed to study the relationship with customers' wait-related anxiety, which is a subjective metric. This study developed a point of view for identifying anxious customers whose waiting times are much longer than their cooking and delivery duration expectations regarding their meal preferences in the cooking stage and waiting experiences in the service entry.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 122 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 December 2021

Zohreh Doborjeh, Nigel Hemmington, Maryam Doborjeh and Nikola Kasabov

Several review articles have been published within the Artificial Intelligence (AI) literature that have explored a range of applications within the tourism and hospitality…

6238

Abstract

Purpose

Several review articles have been published within the Artificial Intelligence (AI) literature that have explored a range of applications within the tourism and hospitality sectors. However, how efficiently the applied AI methods and algorithms have performed with respect to the type of applications and the multimodal sets of data domains have not yet been reviewed. Therefore, this paper aims to review and analyse the established AI methods in hospitality/tourism, ranging from data modelling for demand forecasting, tourism destination and behaviour pattern to enhanced customer service and experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was to systematically review the relationship between AI methods and hospitality/tourism through a comprehensive literature review of papers published between 2010 and 2021. In total, 146 articles were identified and then critically analysed through content analysis into themes, including “AI methods” and “AI applications”.

Findings

The review discovered new knowledge in identifying AI methods concerning the settings and available multimodal data sets in hospitality and tourism. Moreover, AI applications fostering the tourism/hospitality industries were identified. It also proposes novel personalised AI modelling development for smart tourism platforms to precisely predict tourism choice behaviour patterns.

Practical implications

This review paper offers researchers and practitioners a broad understanding of the proper selection of AI methods that can potentially improve decision-making and decision-support in the tourism/hospitality industries.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the tourism/hospitality literature with an interdisciplinary approach that reflects on theoretical/practical developments for data collection, data analysis and data modelling using AI-driven technology.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2009

Breffni M. Noone, Sheryl E. Kimes, Anna S. Mattila and Jochen Wirtz

Restaurant operators can process a greater number of customers and increase revenues by reducing service encounter duration during high demand periods. Actions taken to reduce…

8971

Abstract

Purpose

Restaurant operators can process a greater number of customers and increase revenues by reducing service encounter duration during high demand periods. Actions taken to reduce duration may be experienced by customers as an increase in the pace of the service encounter. While achieving a reduction in duration may be appealing from a revenue perspective, will customers' perceptions of the resulting pace of the service encounter negatively impact their satisfaction? The aim of this paper is to propose that, in the context of restaurant experiences that are hedonic and extended in nature, the overall relationship between perceived service encounter pace and satisfaction follows an inverted U‐shape.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents were asked to recall a recent (i.e. within the last three weeks) restaurant experience, write a description of that experience, and then complete scales that measured their perceptions of pace and satisfaction with the experience.

Findings

The relationship between perceived pace and satisfaction has an inverted U‐shape. This holds both at the level of the overall service encounter and by service stage within the encounter. The effect of perceived pace on satisfaction is moderated by service stage, with a greater tolerance of a faster pace during the post‐process stage than during the pre‐process or in‐process stages.

Practical implications

The results of this study have implications for the application of revenue management strategies for duration control. Management need to consider the negative effect that service encounter pace can have on consumer satisfaction. Service stage should also be factored into strategy development for duration control.

Originality/value

This paper extends the wait time literature, demonstrating that as the perceived pace of the service encounter increases, satisfaction increases, but only up to a point, beyond which it decreases as perceived pace continues to increase.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 May 2022

Tom Cockburn and Cheryl Cockburn-Wootten

This chapter considers how social capital is evolving in the era of globalization today especially under COVID-19 pandemic conditions globally. Definitions of social capital have…

Abstract

This chapter considers how social capital is evolving in the era of globalization today especially under COVID-19 pandemic conditions globally. Definitions of social capital have varied: some broad others narrow. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for example, currently has a broad research project on social capital. These researchers have defined social capital as comprising four key areas. These areas are:

  • Personal relationships, referring to the structure of people’s social networks.

  • Depth and breadth of social network support available to each person in their networks.

  • Civic engagement activities such as volunteering and community action.

  • Beliefs, attitudes, and action frames of reference such as trust and cooperative norms, of reciprocity.

Personal relationships, referring to the structure of people’s social networks.

Depth and breadth of social network support available to each person in their networks.

Civic engagement activities such as volunteering and community action.

Beliefs, attitudes, and action frames of reference such as trust and cooperative norms, of reciprocity.

Thus, there are tacit as well as explicit aspects of social capital though some of these may seldom if ever be articulated and delineated for others.

As Claridge (2020) indicates, there are distinct, but dynamically interrelated, levels of social capital. These levels range between the micro- or individual level. That is personal “habitus” – which Bourdieu (1977) describes as a person’s “taken-for-granted” – ways of being, thinking, and reacting to events and to other people. Then, the next level above the individual is the meso-level, which is “how things are done here amongst us,” that is, the level of a group’s social capital (such as a team, or an organizational or local community level). Lastly, and wider still, the top level is the macro- or cultural-societal structural level of the nation.

The social capital systems in any location encompasses sets of acceptable or culturally legitimated behavioral norms and rules of engagement between community members which include types of greetings, forms of cooperation, communications, and signaling between diverse members. Thus, social capital may be present in the tacit, or unspoken/taken-for-granted assumptions as much as in explicit or formalized codes of behavior. The forms of social interactions at each of the levels may have norms for specific types communication and address in particular sets of circumstances such as social gatherings at home or in public or when attending communal gatherings or ceremonial occasions, or between people of different social status. Social capital generates trust and social cohesion and some level of cultural and attitudinal consensus and interest, which in turn delivers a stable environment for the local community or larger society, business, or the economy.

  • (1)

    Social capital is the development of relationships that help contribute to a more efficient production of goods and services as there is embedded trust, embodied in practice, that is, in behaviors regarded as trustworthy and socially helpful.

  • (2)

    There are three types of social capital at each level of interaction – bonding, bridging, and linking. Bridging and linking are similar though they operate in different directions socially. Bonding social capital describes the connections between people in similar social levels or groups of people who share the same characteristic norms and beliefs, whereas linking social capital facilitates connects between different groups.

  • (3)

    Social capital can therefore make or break businesses, especially small businesses or start-ups as those with the right kind and amount of social capital, such as good connections and contacts in the trade or profession, can usually thrive as they are able to get work done more quickly, effectively, and efficiently. Conversely, a lack of social capital denoting some distrust between groups can undermine social stability.

Social capital is the development of relationships that help contribute to a more efficient production of goods and services as there is embedded trust, embodied in practice, that is, in behaviors regarded as trustworthy and socially helpful.

There are three types of social capital at each level of interaction – bonding, bridging, and linking. Bridging and linking are similar though they operate in different directions socially. Bonding social capital describes the connections between people in similar social levels or groups of people who share the same characteristic norms and beliefs, whereas linking social capital facilitates connects between different groups.

Social capital can therefore make or break businesses, especially small businesses or start-ups as those with the right kind and amount of social capital, such as good connections and contacts in the trade or profession, can usually thrive as they are able to get work done more quickly, effectively, and efficiently. Conversely, a lack of social capital denoting some distrust between groups can undermine social stability.

The meso- or macro-levels of bridging type social capital ensures acceptance of established social roles locally and linking forms of social capital boost levels of acceptance of other roles such as those of leaders and followers.

All three forms of social capital and the three levels are not mutually exclusive but instead are mutually inclusive and interrelated. That is, they co-evolve, each impacting the other while dynamically interacting with the social capital anchored as it is emerging from the complex and interwoven fields of tacit and explicit norms of social interaction underpinning each of the levels of interaction over time.

Details

Contestations in Global Civil Society
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80043-701-2

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 9 April 2021

Abstract

Details

International Perspectives in Social Justice Programs at the Institutional and Community Levels
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80043-489-9

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1985

NEIL BOWYER

What is Electronic Publishing? Electronic Publishing (EP) is the application of communications technology to distribute information. In the context of libraries, it typically…

Abstract

What is Electronic Publishing? Electronic Publishing (EP) is the application of communications technology to distribute information. In the context of libraries, it typically means large, often textual databases, stored on powerful computers, from which information is selectively retrieved using terminals linked to the computers via the telephone system.

Details

New Library World, vol. 86 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Book part
Publication date: 13 April 2022

Keith D. Parry and Rory Magrath

The aim of this chapter is to explore the relationship between contemporary sport, social media, digital technology, and sexuality and to explore the historical context of sport…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this chapter is to explore the relationship between contemporary sport, social media, digital technology, and sexuality and to explore the historical context of sport and sexuality, before then outlining the decline of homophobia in recent years. Despite this decline, social media is one area where we still see the manifestation of homophobia.

Design/methodology/approach

This chapter synthesizes a range of academic literature to chart how – despite improving attitudes toward homosexuality in sport – abuse and discrimination is still prevalent on social media.

Findings

Eric Anderson's (2009) Inclusive Masculinity Theory has been the most useful theoretical apparatus to underpin the changing nature of sport, gender, and sexuality. While this has been used in a variety of sporting contexts, these are primarily focused on gay male athletes in the West. Accordingly, there is a gap in knowledge around the experiences of lesbian, bisexual, and trans athletes, as well as those outside of the Western context.

Originality/value

Although there has been some literature to document discrimination on social media, very little focuses specifically on the manifestation of homophobia. Accordingly, this chapter provides an important contribution by being one of the first to tie together the literature on improved cultural attitudes toward homosexuality while simultaneously focusing on the prevalence of discrimination on social media.

Details

Sport, Social Media, and Digital Technology
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-684-1

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 September 2020

Virginia Munro

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has escalated innovation to new heights unseen, creating an evolution of innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and as a result, a…

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has escalated innovation to new heights unseen, creating an evolution of innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and as a result, a more Innovative CSR. With this evolution comes also the evolution of the ‘Preneur’ from social entrepreneur to corporate social entrepreneur and corporate social intrapreneur. It is therefore important to acknowledge that social entrepreneurship is not just for the social sector, or start-up entrepreneur – corporations can also be social entrepreneurs. This chapter establishes an understanding of this possibility alongside solving wicked problems and challenges, and how to provide collaborative networks and co-creation experiences to assist others on this journey. More importantly, the chapter discusses how corporates can assist millennials (and Generation Z) by funding and incubating their innovative or social enterprise idea under the umbrella of CSR strategy, until it is ready to be released to the world. The chapter is supported by academic literature and business publications with suggestions for future research opportunities.

Details

CSR for Purpose, Shared Value and Deep Transformation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80043-035-8

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2020

Matthew Hodder, Tom Syson, Zobia Aziz, Anthony Handy, Hafsa Khan and Julie Lancaster

Without effective support and intervention, young people with learning disabilities and severe challenging behaviour are at risk of placement in out-of-area residential settings…

Abstract

Purpose

Without effective support and intervention, young people with learning disabilities and severe challenging behaviour are at risk of placement in out-of-area residential settings or highly specialist child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) units. Such placements may be inappropriate and result in significant reductions to the quality of life of young people and their families. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bradford positive behaviour support (PBS) service model in terms of its aims to improve quality of life, develop skills and maintain children living with their families in their own homes.

Design/methodology/approach

A service evaluation using quantitative and qualitative data from a range of sources to review the effectiveness of the PBS model being applied in Bradford and Calderdale was the methodology used.

Findings

When consistently implemented, the Bradford positive behaviour support–in reach service may improve quality of life, facilitate skill development in young people and their carers and reduce placements in residential and CAMHS inpatient units. Avoidance of such placements is likely to reduce the overall costs of service commissioning in Bradford.

Originality/value

This paper evaluates a novel approach being applied by a third sector agency to implement effective PBS with a small group of children, their families and networks. There is scope for this model to be successfully implemented in other areas.

Details

Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-5474

Keywords

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