Search

This paper investigates dynamic changes in instrumental (i.e., work‐related) tie‐seeking patterns and the structure of a communication network following a downsizing event—whereby many employees are simultaneously eliminated from a network. Our analysis spans a two‐year period and applies a resource‐ and network‐change approach to examine how survivors develop revised resource‐acquisition strategies while repositioning themselves after a downsizing. Our results demonstrate that two temporary logics of tie formation—a suspension of within‐unit homophily and a preference for seeking ties with long‐tenured employees—help employees acquire betweenness centrality during the disruption period. Specifically, we find that disruption initiates a transitional period after downsizing in which new tie‐making logics are employed, including seeking out ties with long‐tenured employees and employees outside of one's department. We observed post‐disruption, during the stabilization period after downsizing, where logics used for tie‐making in the disruption period were abandoned, pre‐disruption tie‐making logics were resumed, and betweenness centrality remained relatively constant. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of these results and suggest future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre- and postdownsizing information flow and postdownsizing turnover intentions of downsizing survivors were examined in the corporate office of an international hotel company. Using a combination of network analysis and path analysis, the relationship between changes in downsizing survivors' betweenness centrality and perceptions of information adequacy relative to reported turnover intentions were examined across two postdownsizing time periods. Results of the path analyses provided general support for the model as hypothesized, indicating in postdownsizing periods that changes to network members' network centrality positively influenced changes in their perceptions of information adequacy, which then negatively influenced their turnover intentions. The article concludes with a discussion of the support for the hypotheses and the study's limitations and pragmatic implications. Keywords: communication networks; downsizing; longitudinal network analysis

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in network analysis in the social sciences (Biggart & Delbridge, 2004; Monge & Contractor, 2003; Pescosolido & Rubin, 2000; Seary & Richards, [...]

The authors proposed and tested a model describing the relationship between customer service providers' perceptions and attitudes toward their service-related duties and their customers' perceptions of satisfaction with their service experiences. Results indicated that the perception of having standards for service delivery in an organization is strongly related to line-level employees' perceptions of support from coworkers and supervisors. Perceived support from coworkers was significantly related to service providers' customer orientation, whereas perceived support from supervisors showed a weaker relationship to a customer orientation. Ultimately, service providers' customer orientation was strongly related to customers' satisfaction with service. Finally, a set of post hoc analyses indicated that coworker and supervisory support explained a greater proportion of incremental variance in the model than did perceived organizational support alone.

The social exchange between consumers and service providers in service-based operations (such as restaurants) provides an opportunity to examine complaint efficacy and outcome expectations. To further explain the cognitive influences behind complaint message production and delivery, this two-part investigation applied previous work involving self-efficacy theory within the context of consumer complaint intentions about service experiences. Specifically, it extended Makoul and Roloff s work from complaint intentions in romantic relationships to consumerism. In Study 1, existing measures of complaint efficacy and outcome expectations were redesigned and validated in a service context, indicating that the two constructs are in fact distinct, despite controversy over their conceptualization and measurement. In Study 2, the measures were revalidated and applied to a simple causal string, modeling the cognitive processing of complaint intentions in terms of the relationship among consumers' dining frequency, complaint efficacy, and outcome expectations. Results indicated that dining frequency significantly influenced complaint efficacy expectations and that efficacy expectations significantly predicted outcome expectations.

Abstract We estimate the impact of information disclosure on consumer knowledge in an important context: the calorie content of restaurant food. We conduct a randomized controlled experiment of calorie labels on restaurant menus, and find that information disclosure improves consumer knowledge but does not eliminate the problem of imperfect information. Calorie labels improve consumers' post-meal estimates of the number of calories they ordered by 4.0 percent and reduce by 28.9 percent the probability that consumers underestimate the calories in their meal by half or more. However, even after information disclosure, the absolute value of percent error averages 34.2 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational downsizing places many strains on surviving employees. Despite the implicit relationship between changes to communication networks and employee responses, few studies examine downsizing-induced network changes or the impact of these changes on employees This longitudinal investigation examined fluctuations in structural holes within a hospitality company's corporate headquarters resulting from the loss and gain of communication contacts. Building on Burt's treatise on structural holes, we tested a measurement of structural holes and its relationship to layoff survivors' perceptions of organizational chaos and their willingness to participate in planned, postdownsizing changes. Although the downsizing had a modest impact on surviving employees' structural hole experiences overall, the structural hole index was a significant predictor in longitudinal and within time period comparisons of employees' perceptions of chaos and openness to change., Employees face many challenges following a downsizing. Layoff survivors experience the loss of coworkers, friends, supervisors, subordinates, and access to valued organizational resources (Brockner, 1988). The loss or reconfiguring of [...]

Using a table-service casual dining restaurant chain, we used direct observations to examine how guests' use of tabletop technology affected their dining time and front of house labor usage. Results from our study showed that dining time was significantly reduced for guests who used the tabletop devices to either order, or order and pay for their meals by 17% and 31%, respectively. We also found that server contact time and table service time required by the servers to manage their guests' experiences was significantly decreased for the tables that used the tabletop devices compared with the tables that did not use the devices. Practical and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined team processes and outcomes among 12 multi-university distributed project teams from 11 universities during its early and late development stages over a 14-month project period. A longitudinal model of team interaction is presented and tested at the individual level to consider the extent to which both formal and informal network connections—measured as degree centrality—relate to changes in team members' individual perceptions of cohesion and conflict in their teams, and their individual performance as a team member over time. The study showed a negative network centrality-cohesion relationship with significant temporal patterns, indicating that as team members perceive less degree centrality in distributed project teams, they report more team cohesion during the last four months of the project. We also found that changes in team cohesion from the first three months (i.e., early development stage) to the last four months (i.e., late development stage) of the project relate positively to changes in team member performance. Although degree centrality did not relate significantly to changes in team conflict over time, a strong inverse relationship was found between changes in team conflict and cohesion, suggesting that team conflict emphasizes a different but related aspect of how individuals view their experience with the team process. Changes in team conflict, however, did not relate to changes in team member performance. Ultimately, we showed that individuals, who are less central in the network and report higher levels of team cohesion, performed better in distributed teams over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we replicate and extend the guest–server exchange (GSX) model to include guest return intentions as a mediator between guest satisfaction and unit-level sales. With the extended model, we establish that guest return intentions are strongly connected to financial performance and are a better indicator of unit-level sales when compared with guest satisfaction as previously modeled. Furthermore, our model confirms that guest satisfaction is a statistically significant consequent of service orientation, but is best treated as an antecedent to guest return intentions, rather than unit-level sales as previously modeled. Other results consistent with existing research on the GSX showed that line-level employees’ recognition of service delivery standards being in place is strongly connected to line-level employees’ perceptions of coworker and supervisor support. The former was significantly related to line-level employee guest orientation, which was related to guest orientation. Supervisor support was not found to affect guest orientation in the model, consistent with previous tests of the GSX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sample of 51 full-service restaurants from three competing full-service restaurant companies, we extended the research on service process management by connecting the reactions of service-based employees to guests’ satisfaction with their service experience and firm-level performance. We replicated and confirmed previous tests of the existing guest–server exchange model connecting frontline-level employees’ attitudes toward their work as service providers to guests’ satisfaction in the restaurants. Most notably, we extended the guest–server exchange model by including the relationship between guests’ reports of satisfaction with service and firm performance, bringing together three unique sources of data. The findings from the test of our structural equation model revealed that 26% of the variance in firm performance was accounted for by guest satisfaction, showing that organizational policies and support for employees, are connected to a positive service climate, guest satisfaction, and firm performance, measured as sales per available seat in each restaurant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine how consumers’ reactions to the British Petrolium (BP) oil spill and their attitudes about the Gulf of Mexico as a tourism destination differ as a function of the respondents’ geographic location of residence and their past travel behavior. A survey conducted with 540 travelers and tourists, which began three weeks following the successful capping of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, reveals that consumers’ reactions to the oil spill varied by geographic location and past travel behavior. In particular, consumers from the southeast region, when compared with the three other geographic regions we sampled, had more negative views regarding the oil spill on a number of dependent measures. We also found that individuals who traveled to Florida in the two years prior to the oil spill reported higher perceptions of environmental risk than those individuals who had not traveled to Florida during that same time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite everyone’s best efforts, restaurant service falls short at times. In those situations, guests perceive a service failure, and many complain. This study of 513 guests in three U.S. markets examines the guest characteristics that seem to drive the channel used for those complaints. Using a framework of media richness theory, the study found that guests who are more educated, more likely to complain, more frustrated, and in need of greater information about the service failure will typically take their complaint directly to management, either face-to-face or via written communication. On the other hand, those who are less educated or less frustrated will instead complain to line staff or use corporate guest-comment cards. Some of these findings appear not to support media richness theory, as face-to-face complaints are the richest channel (whether to line staff or management). However, it appears that for this sample of restaurant guests, the idea of taking it to the top (both in person or in writing) is important, particularly for frustrated, educated guests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtle energy saving changes in guest rooms did not diminish satisfaction, based on a study of 192 guests at an independent four-star hotel. Two changes were tested, a television with three energy settings and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in place of the standard compact fluorescent lightings (CFLs). While overall satisfaction was not affected by these changes, some guests, notably those with high incomes, did react to the energy saving settings. Contrary to some studies, 45 percent of the guests agreed that they would pay a higher room rate to support sustainability programs. On balance, this study indicates that hotels can gain cost savings and improved sustainability by implementing judicious energy saving approaches without harming guest satisfaction. This article is based on a paper presented at the 2013 Quality in Service Conference (QUIS 13), in Karlstad, Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the examination of 11 intact interuniversity research project teams, this study examines the relationship between team leaders, team members, their communication networks (represented as structural holes), and performance. The study shows that in the conduct of their work, the team leaders bridged more structural holes than team members. Although team leaders demonstrated a higher level of out-of-alliance performance, they did not demonstrate higher levels of individual performance on their teams (compared with team members). Furthermore, we examined the relationship between structural holes and both individual team member performance and overall team performance. Contrary to our expectations, bridging structural holes were not significantly related to individual team member performance but were negatively and significantly related to overall team performance, the effect of which came mainly from team members' effective size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although restaurant-related research has long focused on boosting sales, the focus on revenue as a quantitative discipline has arisen only in the past fifteen years, with restaurant revenue management. This series of studies is emblematic of the increased focus on scientific studies to help restaurateurs improve their operations. Another thread of research, on service process management, included a series of articles explaining the many elements beyond the food itself that go into a successful restaurant operation. A particular element in guest satisfaction is the extent to which employees believe that their restaurant maintains service standards. Finally, when service goes awry, service recovery requires handling guest complaints in a prompt and appropriate fashion. Service failures subject restaurants to negative word of mouth, but it is not simply a matter of a dissatisfied guest complaining to a certain number of friends. Instead, the nature and number of subsequent negative comments depends on the type of failure—with food quality being most critical. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – A model of the relationships between individuals' perceptions of internet use and internet usage behaviors is presented and tested. The purpose of this paper is to propose that a lack of perceived responsiveness to on-line communication is positively related to individuals' general resistance to use the internet as a communication information exchange medium, termed general internet apprehensiveness (GIA). Perceptions of GIA are negatively associated with on-line information-seeking behavior, and positively associated with individuals' resistance to or fear of using the internet for on-line retail transactions, termed transactional internet apprehensiveness (TIA). Design/methodology/approach – College-aged students reported their attitudes about on-line information seeking, on-line purchasing, and their on-line information seeking and purchasing behaviors. The model presented is tested with path analysis to assess the variables' interrelationships. Findings – Ultimately, lack of responsiveness is positively related to GIA, GIA is negatively related to information-seeking behavior, and TIA is negatively related to consumers' on-line purchasing of goods and services. Research limitations/implications – The student sample used in this study prevents us from making broad-based generalizations. While students represent a large base of internet users and have been presented as a viable population to study in investigations for both academic audiences and marketing practitioners, future research will continue to benefit from more diverse samples of internet users. Practical implications – This study offers hospitality professionals a better understanding of the elements that inhibit or encourage on-line information seeking and purchasing behaviors. Originality/value – This paper further defines the socio-demographic factors that inhibit consumers from using the internet as both an information-sharing tool and purchasing medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model examining the relationship between restaurant employees' reactions to their work environment and their jobs as service providers and guest satisfaction was tested among twenty-five restaurants from a casual dining restaurant chain. In the model, the relationship between guest service employees' work-related perceptions and attitudes are connected to guests' reported satisfaction. Results show that employees' perceptions of the presence of organizational standards for service delivery were strongly related to their perceptions of receiving adequate support from coworkers and supervisors to perform their jobs. Employees' perceived support from coworkers was significantly related to service providers' guest orientation (commitment to their guests), while perceived support from supervisors proved to be a weak influence on guest orientation. Ultimately, service providers' guest orientation was strongly related to guests' satisfaction with their service experience in the restaurant. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Servers are typically encouraged to make recommendations and attempt to up-sell. Little is known, however, about the conditions under which restaurant consumers follow server recommendations. We propose considering this from the perspectives of Mertz' s work regarding the effect of source evaluations on persuasive influence and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. Both perspectives yield important insights. Potential research questions are proposed. A few propositions are tested and are generally supportive [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on existing research examining customers' complaints about service experiences, this study examined restaurant consumers 'episode-specific reactions to service failures. in the first stage of this work, restaurant patrons were asked to describe a recent service experience where they complained about some element of the service they received. From these statements a coding scheme was developed to classify the consumers' qualitative descriptions of the service episodes where they experienced a service failure and remedy. The consumers' reports addressed three issues:(a) the issue that triggered the complaint, (b) the complaint remedy further broken down on two dimensions based upon the degree of correction and whether the remedy produced a positive or negative outcome, and (c) how (and if) the service failure and remedy influenced repatronage intentions. Following the content analysis and the coding of the critical incidents, logistic-regression analyses revealed that the extent to which a service failure is corrected is important to customer satisfaction and satisfaction with a specific service remedy is connected to a consumer's desire to return to the restaurant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the customer-server exchange, this investigation examines the phenomenon of consumer frustration. Specifically, this investigation examines consumers' perceptions of frustration as it relates to service failure in service-based transactions. The results indicate that consumers' (a) propensity to complain was related to their perceptions of receiving adequate information in the customer-server exchange regarding service failures, (b) negative attitudes toward complaining was not significantly related to information inadequacy or perceptions of consumer frustration, and (c) perceptions of information inadequacy were significantly related to perceptions of consumer frustration in the customer-server exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asked for their reactions to specific demand-shifting tactics based on revenue management, patrons of a restaurant in Ithaca, New York, indicated that they generally would be willing to shift their dining time to off-peak hours in exchange for discounts on menu items. Better than three-quarters of the 367 respondents agreed that they would accept an incentive for dining at an off-peak time. Specific results and conclusions are detailed below. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Investigates the Internet as a communication and transaction channel. Details of a measure of consumers' Internet apprehensiveness; Relationship between Internet apprehensiveness and consumers' perceived online information-seeking and purchasing behaviors; Relationship between Internet apprehensiveness and reported online expenditures.

A study of 63 Toronto restaurants found that certain attributes or amenities had a statistically significant effect on average check, as well as customers' ratings of decor and service quality. The features tested were offering catering, a dress code, late-night dining, live entertainment, outside seating, parking, smoking, take out, and some form of internet activity. Specifically, a dress code boosted check averages and improved ratings for decor, service, and food quality. Offering parking also boosted check averages. In contrast, offering takeout depressed check averages and reduced the ratings for decor. Offering a late-night menu had a significant negative effect on perceptions of food and service quality. The restaurant features offered most frequently were catering, takeout, and a smoking section. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A model of customer service behavior and outcomes was proposed and tested among managerial-supervisory personnel (N = 250) from 11 hotel properties within six large national and international hotel companies. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded a reliable approach to examine elements of customer service and outcomes in a service-based setting. Specifically, organizational support was represented by two independent dimensions of coworker support and supervisory support. A dimension of standards for service was presented and validated as a central mediating factor in the perception of service processes, along with customer (guest) orientation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions as outcome measures in a path model of customer service behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reports on a study that interviewed pleasure travelers to create a behavioral profile of them based on Internet use. Research questions; Method; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

A critical prerequisite for the formulation of effective travel marketing strategies in the next decade must include an understanding of the influence exerted through the Internet. The increasing presence of the Internet as an instrument for advertising travel destinations and travel-related services highlights its importance as a factor in travelers'decision-making processes. This exploratory investigation examined travelers who requested on-line infor mation about a potential vacation destination using the Internet. Results of this investiga tion suggest that Internet "users," when compared with "nonusers," are more educated, have higher household incomes, use commercial lodging accommodations while travel ing, tend to travel by air, and spend more money on travel-related expenses on a per diem basis. Implications for target marketing strategies designed for travel destination areas, services, and facilities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors report the results of a test of the construct validity of the Hinkin and Schriesheim (1989) scales based on the French and Raven (19569) power scales using a hospitality industry sample. In addtition, scales for subordinate self-percep tion of power were suggested and tested. The internal and external consistency of all scales was satisfactory and nomological expecations were met. Unanticipated relationships are discussed and explanations proffered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Micro-breweries and micro-brewed beer have been growing in popularity ever since 1977. In recent years, the growth has been phenomenal; restaurants have started to take notice and advantage of the increased interest in micro-brewed beers. However, shakeout is expected. The research focused on mid-priced casual restaurants, a large segment with many chain restaurants, with respondents from three regions of the continental United States (i.e., the Southeast, the Pacific Northwest, and the Midwest). The research findings suggest that more than 70 percent of the participants in this study reported that they dine out at least once per week, indicating that they are accustomed to the dining process. These respondents indicated a higher than average socioeconomic index (Byrne, 1971), and a strong preference for micro-brewed product offerings. Additionally those respondents who indicated a preference for micro-brewed products were less prone to desire a national brand of beer. Regional differences among the participants' responses are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]