To date, most of the research investigating the relationship between service quality and tip has been conducted in the US. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between tipping and service quality in a country where no norm exists about a specific amount of tip to be given. Two studies conducted in different Swiss restaurants show that there is no relationship between service quality and the tip amount. However, both studies show that satisfaction with the food price predicts the tip amount given to restaurant waiters. These intriguing results are discussed in light of the Hofstede model of cultural values as well as the tipping system.
Marketing, and specifically distribution, is becoming more complicated and challenging for hoteliers in all markets. This research evaluates the effectiveness of marketing and distribution tactics as perceived by four and five star hotel managers in Thailand. A questionnaire distributed to 350 respondents reveals that the most effective marketing tactics are related to brand.com, particularly to ensure the online booking engine is effective and visible on all pages and, more specifically, to clearly communicate information on room types; ensure real-time rates and best rate guarantee are available. With regard to Online Travel Agents (OTAs), the most effective marketing tactics are to provide attractive photos, accurate information, and rate and room availability parity. Marketing tactics related to social media and e-mails are revealed to be less effective.
Wellness tourism is estimated to be a US (dollar) 439 billion market and projected to grow to US (dollar) 678.5 billion by 2017 (Global Wellness Institute, 2014). Given the growth of wellness tourism destinations and facilities, it was determined that student perceptions on the importance and priority of key factors related to wellness tourism and associated the economic and social cultural aspects would contribute to better understanding future demand of wellness tourism. A survey conducted in spring 2013 showed that to support the development of wellness tourism the following four items are both important and should be treated as top priority. The four items are: “to inspire self-empowerment to pursue a healthier lifestyle”; “to increase affordable wellness offers”; “to promote prevention as a solution to reduce healthcare costs”; and “to create jobs in the local community”. The implications and related research ideas are discussed. Future research should be focused on the links between wellness and long term reduction in health care costs.
This paper presents research undertaken in three Institutes of Higher Education (HE) delivering degrees in business, hospitality and tourism management. The aim was to take a critical look at technology-enhanced learning as a vector for pedagogical innovation. Qualitative research was undertaken in order to have in-depth feedback from educators (n=16) identified as champions relative to the use of technology in their own courses. The interviews were coded and subsequently analysed in line with four dominant themes: use of digital tools and technology; changes in course delivery; success stories of adding value; and finally lessons learned. The findings were surprising in that even the champions were relatively traditional in their practice. Of importance is the confirmation that educators require additional support in terms of the use of technology in instructional design as well as in pedagogical innovation and it is at the institutional level that this change must operate.
Our study examines the antecedents of organization citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE). In particular, we examined the relation between the five factor model personality traits and the tri-dimensional model of OCBE (eco-initiatives, eco-civic engagement and eco-helping). In a sample of undergraduates in Switzerland, openness to experience predicted eco-helping, conscientiousness predicted eco-initiatives and, extraversion predicted eco-civic engagement. Contrary to our expectations, agreeableness is not associated with OCBE dimensions.
The proliferation of smartphone ownership and mobile travel bookings has persuaded hoteliers to develop mobile strategies and develop applications (apps). To investigate the customer perception of these apps, a two-stage methodology was applied that identifies the available features and functions on 20 hotel chain apps. Next, the importance and performance of these 51 identified features and functions are then rated and analysed using the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) framework. Most of the features and functions under “Reservation Information” and “Hotel Information” are commonly available, and are rated high in importance and performance, which is located in Quadrant two, “Keep up the good work”.“At Hotel Functions” are not commonly available, but rated important by customers, thus placed in Quadrant one, “Concentrate here”. Thus, IPA highlights specific, exclusive opportunities for hotels to engage via apps with customers during their stay.
We explore the benefits of operator splitting algorithms in the context of computational fluid dynamics. In particular, we exploit their capacity in handling free surface flows and a large variety of physical phenomena in a flexible way. A mathematical and computational framework is presented for the numerical simulation of free surface flows, where the operator splitting strategy allows to separate inertial effects from the other effects. The characteristics method on a fine structured grid is put forward to accurately approximate the inertial effects while continuous piecewise polynomial finite element subordinated to a coarser subdivision made of simplices is advocated for the other effects. In addition, the splitting strategy also allows to be modular and change the rheological model for the fluid in a straightforward manner.We will emphasize this flexibility by treating Newtonian flows, viscoelastic flows and multi-phase immiscible incompressible Newtonian flows based on multiple densities. The numerical framework is thoroughly presented; the test case of the filling of a cylindrical tube, with potential die swell in an extrusion process is taken as the main illustration of the advantages of operator splitting.
Un quartier durable est défini comme une zone urbaine incluant des concepts modernes et écologiques. L’impact de tels concepts sur les habitants de ces quartiers n’est cependant pas toujours clair. Dans l’étude de cas présentée dans cet article, l’équipe de la HES-SO Valais Wallis s’est concentrée sur l’influence de la perception des services énergétiques sur la satisfaction générale d’habiter dans un tel quartier.
English Language Learner enrollment and technology use continue to increase at postsecondary institutions. In addition to navigating increased academic demands, these students must negotiate identity in an unfamiliar culture. Reliance on technology may provide support or limit acculturation. Our discussion seeks to engage around the results of a survey given to students in the United States and Switzerland to answer the question: How could technology help to facilitate transformation for international students?
This qualitative study examines the experiences of faculty members who are required to document their teaching practice in a portfolio, first as a tool for professional development, and two years later as a tool for performance evaluation for the emergence of evidence of transformative learning, which is demonstrated in evidence of teaching practice and documented through the portfolio process. The data collection for the research was completed in various stages. The first stage involved the document review of teaching portfolios prepared for the first time in 2013. Next, the researcher reviewed the portfolios of the same faculty members who were required to submit an updated portfolio in 2015 to be used for performance evaluation. After the two-stage document analysis, 10 faculty members were interviewed to further explore the learning that occurred from the start of the process over the two-year period to confirm and expand on the data from the document reviews, in addition to examining the impact of the interview and feedback stages of the process. The findings reveal that many of the faculty found this process of documenting and reflecting on their teaching a disorienting dilemma. For some this triggered the opportunity for transformative learning as evidenced in the differences between the two portfolios over two years, and as discussed in the interviews. This work aligns with the conference theme in the area of intersections between development and evaluation in an institution that does not have the traditional tenure system in place for faculty.
