hong kong polytechnic university
Wait Lines May Boost Perceived Popularity of Restaurant Brands
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | April 25, 2024
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Restaurants can benefit from keeping their customers waiting, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. The research, led by Associate Professor of Hospitality Management Breffni Nooneand published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, found that the presence of a pre-process wait line, such as waiting to be seated at a restaurant, can increase perceived brand popularity of the business among first-time customers. This effect is increased when paired with a brand popularity statement from an organization that is independent of the restauran...
Navigating the Digital Seas: A Dive Into Corporate Digital Responsibility in Hospitality
Khoi Yan Phon | April 1, 2024
By Khoi Yan Phon In the dynamic scene of hospitality, where traditional business practices meet disruptive innovations, a seismic wave is on the horizon. This is not just referring to the usual corporate social responsibility (CSR) jargon; it is diving into the digital deep end with corporate digital responsibility (CDR). This article will explore the nuances of CDR, and how it reshapes the way hospitality giants navigate the tech-infused landscape. The Crossroads of CSR and CDR Unlock the mystery of CDR: think of it as the cool cousin of CSR, orchestrating a symphony of digital prowess and ethical commitment. As the hospitality industry...
The Cost of Faking a Smile
PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management | June 27, 2023
Perhaps surprisingly, the smiles that greet you upon arrival at a hotel might not be genuine. A positive, welcoming demeanour is part of the job description for housekeeping, front desk, and restaurant workers, whose smiles, moods, and emotions are distinguishing features of the hospitality sector. But when frontline employees have to fake it, what strategies do they use? Eye-opening new work from researchers Dr Deniz Kucukusta and Ms Yoo Jin Lim of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has revealed more about the emotional labour strategies adopted by frontline workers to counter the emot...
Singleton Employees in the Hotel Industry
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | March 29, 2023
Many organisations take pride in their ability to offer a rich variety of supportive programmes for employees with families. However, the growing number of single childless people in the workforce, especially members of Generations Y and Z, rarely benefit from equivalent perks or policies. Does the hospitality industry care about single childless employees? Curious as to whether organisational support can benefit hotels and their employees, Dr Xiaolin (Crystal) Shi of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her co-author quizzed hotel employees in China about their experiences. The fruits ...
Saving the Planet, One Hotel at a Time
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | June 28, 2022
Despite the urgent need to reduce global carbon emissions, the hotel industry faces numerous barriers to implementing carbon reduction programmes. Why is it so difficult for hotels to reduce their carbon footprint, and why do so many hotel managers remain bystanders in the fight against global warming? To help answer these questions, Dr Eric Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University conducted in-depth interviews with senior hotel executives in Hong Kong. The findings provide novel insights into barriers to carbon reduction by hotels and – perhaps most importantly – strategies to over...
The Healing Power of Trust
PolyU's School of Hotel and Tourism Management | April 27, 2022
In today’s globalized world, more and more hotel firms are expanding their business overseas. Yet success in the international arena may not translate into success at home, warn Dr. Alice H. Y. Hon and Mr. Emmanuel Gamor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With skilled managers from overseas paid 10 times more than local employees, frontline and service-oriented hotel workers are feeling increasingly disillusioned. With service standards falling, how can multinational hotel corporations build harmony between their local and overseas employees? The answer lies in trust, say the resear...
Self-Service Technologies: The Next Frontier in Hotel Service
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | March 29, 2022
Self-service technologies (SSTs) have simplified many aspects of everyday life. However, their relatively recent introduction means that the pros and cons of SST adoption in the hotel industry are still being explored. The potential advantages of SSTs notwithstanding, hotels in China seem to have some reservations, say Professor Kam Hung of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her co-researcher. Without a clear understanding of how preferences for SSTs over human staff are formed, hoteliers are perhaps right to be wary. Moving beyond previous work, this ambitious study integrates indivi...
Could Robots Breathe New “Life” Into the Tourism Industry?
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | January 26, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality industry hard, making employees and travellers alike more wary of close human interaction. Could robots and other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies be the answer? To tackle this controversial question, Professor Seongseop Kim, Dr Youngjoon Choi, and Ph.D. student Mr Frank Badu-Baiden of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their co-researchers conducted a timely online study comparing human- and robot-staffed hotels. The study provides fascinating insights into how the pandemic has changed tourists’ preferences and offe...
