Tourism and Hotel Management

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Open Access
Adding a course to the curriculum? dilemmas and problems
(Routledge, 2006) Collins, A. B.
The "knee-jerk" implementation of curriculum without study, understanding, proper implementation, and follow-up monitor cannot assure a purposeful addition to educational programs. This research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a new course (Co-Op Management Applications, or CMA) added to the curriculum at a higher-education level. Course effectiveness was assessed from all stakeholders' perspectives; students, sector representatives, school administration, and instructors. Data were collected through questionnaires and interview schedules and subjected to quantitative (descriptive) and qualitative (content) analysis. The findings show that a representative "needs assessment, facility analysis, and force field analysis" was not conducted during the course development and implementation. Further, the proper monitor of student assessment was not being conducted. It is apparent that a meaningful work experience was being imparted to the students. Early monitor and evaluation could have potentially assured that the students benefited and achieved the course intentions before going forward.
Open Access
Are we teaching what we should? dilemmas and problems in tourism and hotel management education
(Cognizant Communication Corporation, 2002) Collins, A. B.
There is a growing demand for professionally educated and trained staff in the Tourism and Hotel Management (THM) sector as the whole industry attempts to meet expanded consumer wants and desires. This article examines the relevance of THM education from stakeholders' perspectives, namely, the THM sector, the current and graduate THM students. The following research questions were posed: 1) What are the sector representatives' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of tourism education? 2) What are the current and graduate students' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of tourism education? and 3) What recommendations can be made to improve the system? Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the study. Results showed that there was an expanding need for university recognition of specialization due to new technologies and consumer maturation. Likewise, the need for an improved mix between the academic and practical experience and second language inadequacies were highlighted by joint concerns expressed by the sector representatives and the graduate students.
Open Access
Art museum visitor segments: evidence from Italy on omnivores and highbrow univores
(Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, 2019) Gürel, Eda; Nielsen, A.
This study segments the various types of art museum visitor using two-step cluster analysis. It goes beyond a simple demographic categorization of visitors and investigates why people visit museums, in particular what experiences they seek in museums based on their preferences and participation in various leisure activities. The sample was selected from among visitors to two art museums in Genoa, Italy. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 400 visitors. The resulting 394 useable questionnaires yielded two clusters – Cultural Omnivores and Art Museum Univores – providing evidence for the omnivore/highbrow univore thesis described in the literature. The data suggest that the experiences visitors look for in museums, their preferences regarding various leisure activities, and their attendance at both highbrow and popular cultural events provide an effective means of segmenting art museum visitors. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.
Open Access
Authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness in higher education
(Hacettepe Üniversitesi, 2017) Erkutlu, H.; Chafra, Jamel
This study examines the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness and the mediating roles of psychological ownership and self-concordance on that relationship in higher education. The study sample encompasses 1193 faculty members along with their deans from randomly selected 13 universities in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Kayseri, Antalya, Bursa, Samsun and Gaziantep during 2013-2014 spring semester. Faculty member’s perceptions of psychological ownership, self-concordance and organizational job embeddedness were measured using the Psychological Ownership Scale developed by Van Dyne and Pierce (2004), Perceived Locus of Causality Scale developed by Sheldon and Elliot (1999) and Organization Embeddedness Scale developed by Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, Sablynski, and Erez (2001) respectively. Avolio, Gardner, and Walumbwa’s (2007) Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was used to assess faculty dean’s authentic leadership behaviors. The results revealed a significant and positive relationship between authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness and mediating roles of psychological ownership and self-concordance on that relationship.
Open Access
Benevolent leadership and psychological well-being: the moderating effects of psychological safety and psychological contract breach
(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., 2016) Erkutlu, H.; Chafra, J.
Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between benevolent leadership (BL) and psychological well-being (PWB) as well as to test the moderating roles of psychological safety (PS) and psychological contract breach (PCB) on that relationship. Design/methodology/approach: – Data encompasses 1,009 employees from 23 five-star hotels in Turkey. The moderating roles of PS and PCB on the BL and PWB relationship were tested using the moderated hierarchical regression analysis. Findings: – The moderated hierarchical regression analysis results reveal that there was a significant positive relationship between BL and employee PWB. In addition, the positive relationship between BL and well-being was stronger when PS was higher than when it was lower. On the contrary, high-PCB weakened the positive relationship between BL and PWB. Practical implications: – This study showed that both PS and BL enhance well-being. Managers could promote PS by breaking down the barriers preventing effective communication and discussion. Moreover, the results of this study indicated that the state of the psychological contract is a significant predictor of employees’ well-being. Organizational practices and policies, especially human resource practices, should be carefully designed and implemented as to prevent PCB, an important source of employee dissatisfaction and distrust. Originality/value: – The study provides new insights into the influence that BL may have on PWB and the moderating roles of PS and contract breach in the link between BL and employee well-being. The paper also offers a practical assistance to employees in the hospitality industry and their leaders interested in building trust and enhancing well-being.
Open Access
‘Bringing everyone on the same journey’: Revisiting inclusion in higher education
(Routledge, 2018-03-15) Collins, Ayşe; Azmat, F.; Rentschler, R.
This study investigates inclusion in higher education, examining learning environments for students with physical disabilities (SWPD) and the challenges faced in promoting inclusive education, using an Australian university as a case study. Drawing from the social model of disability and interviews with 40 stakeholders, our findings suggest that despite marked progress towards inclusive education through reasonable adjustments for all, learning environments remain largely driven by adjustments for individual students, creating organisational and personal challenges. Four key challenges emerged: (1) staff perception about too many resources creating student dependencies; (2) staff training needs; (3) low representation of students with visible disabilities; and (4) moving inclusion beyond education into employment. Our findings emphasise the need to embed employability and skills development in all aspects of teaching and learning while moving towards inclusive education, to enable all students to develop professionally, and reinforcing calls for an inclusive workplace that values and accepts SWPD.
Open Access
Career perceptions of undergraduate tourism students: a case study in Turkey
(Elsevier Ltd, 2007-05) Akış Roney, S.; Öztin, P.
The characteristics of tourism employment and careers have been widely documented. Although the development of the tourism industry can create new employment opportunities, it is often criticised for providing primarily low-skilled and low-paying jobs. If today's students are to become the effective practitioners of tomorrow, it is fundamental to understand their perceptions of tourism employment. This paper focuses on a sample of 450 Turkish students studying tourism at university level in order to analyse their perceptions towards tourism careers. The results showed that, overall, the respondents' perceptions are neither favourable nor unfavourable. The findings also indicated that: willingness to study tourism; willingness to work in tourism after graduation; and work experience; are important factors in shaping their image of tourism careers.
Open Access
Choosing a higher education destination: marketing of where, why and how?
(Routledge, 2022-03-13) Collins, Ayşe; Şimşek, H.; Takır, A.
This study attempts to contribute to marketing services in higher education literature through the relationship between international students’ satisfaction with educational experiences and the necessary adjustments by institutions to augment their services. It also aims to make theoretical contributions by understanding the international students’ satisfaction criteria for university selection and enrolment. The findings of the study offer administrative implications for universities as well, regarding how they could appeal to international students by emphasizing components of institutional branding via online and offline marketing communication tools. Quantitative methodology was employed and data was collected through a survey. Sampling strategy was voluntary participation and 197 international students replied to the survey. Findings indicate that international students use personal contacts and social relations in finding international higher education institutions. Further, international students care about the campus culture (safe or not), the physical infrastructure of the university and library resources provided to students.
Open Access
A conceptual model for public relations in museums
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2010) Gürel, E.; Kavak, B.
Purpose: This paper aims to present a conceptual model for public relations specific to museums. Design/methodology/approach: Based on relevant literature, a contingency model is developed for the public relations practices of museums. Findings: The model offers the market orientation level of the management and the interest level of the publics as the major factors that influence the effectiveness of the public relations programs in museums. The interest level of the publics is offered as a moderating variable. Practical implications: The model suggests that the effectiveness of the public relations programs of museums depends on two major factors. Although the interest level of the publics may seem to be uncontrollable at first glance, its negative impact can be largely controllable by managers by changing their own market orientation level - by adapting the public relations strategy to the targeted public depending on the interest level of that public. Originality/value: The model is specifically designed for museums. It can be accepted as the first public relations model specifically offered for museums. The model here recognises the relationship between marketing and public relations.
Open Access
Despotic leadership and organizational deviance: the mediating role of organizational identification and the moderating role of value congruence
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018) Erkutlu, H.; Chafra, Jamel
Purpose Drawing on the social exchange theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between despotic leadership and employee’s organizational deviance. Specifically, the authors take a relational approach by introducing employee’s organizational identification as the mediator. The moderating role of value congruence in the relationship between despotic leadership and organizational deviance is also considered. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 15 universities in Turkey. The sample included 1,219 randomly chosen faculty members along with their department chairs. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the proposed model. Findings The results of this study supported the positive effect of despotic leadership on employee’s organizational deviance as well as the mediating effect of employee’s organizational identification. Moreover, when the level of value congruence is high, the relationship between organizational identification and organizational deviance is strong, whereas the effect is weak when the level of value congruence is low. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that educational administrators in the higher education should be sensitive in treating their subordinates, as it will lead to positive interpersonal relationship, which, in turn, will reduce organizational deviance. Moreover, they should pay more attention to the buffering role of value congruence for those subordinates with high distrust and showing organizational deviance. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on workplace deviance by revealing the relational mechanism between despotic leadership and employee organizational deviance. The paper also offers a practical assistance to employees in the higher education and their leaders interested in building trust, increasing leader-employee relationship and reducing organizational deviance.
Open Access
Developing insights into the link between art and tourism through the value co-creation lens
(Emerald, 2020) Gökbulut-Özdemir, Ö.; Fillis, I.; Baş-Collins, Ayşe
Purpose – The aim of the study is to gain insight into the link between art and tourism from a value co-creation perspective. This link is discussed with the help of the arts marketing, art tourism and value co-creation literature. The role of art in tourism and the role of cultural places in arts marketing are also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – Focussing on two cultural heritage sites in Turkey, Zeugma and Göbeklitepe, a qualitative study was undertaken in order to determine the value creation and co-creation processes occurring from the art–tourism contexts based on comparative case study analysis. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with three groups of actors. Motivation, expectation and stakeholder experiences were the main themes explored. Findings – The findings of the study relate to the role of the co-creation process. Marketing art in alternative places creates value in closing the gap between art and society through the use of related fields such as culture and heritage. In terms of cultural value, the paper identifies the reconnection with cultural heritage through contemporary art. This is a way of looking at culture and its concepts in different time and place dimensions which make visitors more engaged with culture and its contemporary reflection through art. Research limitations/implications – Although the research focusses on two Turkish art and tourism cases, future research can be extended to other countries, including the assessment of the longer-term role of similar activities. Practical implications – As art is a subset of culture, the people who are interested in culture and history also have the potential to be interested in art. While art impacts on cultural tourism, cultural heritage and tourism work as arts marketing tools in a co-supporting way. The coming together of art and culture has societal benefits. There are lessons for practice such as the opening of a space for contemporary art in cultural heritage museums in order to promote art to society. The museum audience is an important potential for the future of art from a market generation perspective. Originality/value – The study contribute to arts tourism, arts marketing and value co-creation in theory and practice.
Open Access
Does a school make a difference? perceptions of an ‘effective school’
(Sage Publications Ltd., 2002) Collins, A. B.
This article examines perceptions of an effective school considering relevant literature, teachers’, administrators’ and students’ judgments. It discusses effectiveness as it applies to private school systems operating in Turkey. It gives abridged aspects of the current Turkish Education System: state; and private. This perception, Eastern European, Quasi-Mediterranean, draws commonalities with Western systems lying groundwork for comparisons of universal problems faced by educators. The study employed qualitative case study methods and procedures. Data were collected through interview schedules, document analysis and observation notes. Results show that the subjects perceive ‘effective school’ qualities as being school leadership, school culture/climate and quality human resources. Commonality can be found between the situation presented here and other developing school systems.
Open Access
Does emotional labor affect nurses suffering from workplace violence? A moderated mediation model
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023-03-28) Erkutlu, Hakan; Chafra, Jamel; Uçak, Hatice; Kolutek, Rahşan
Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence based on the social exchange theory. Drawing on the social exchange theory, this paper aims to investigate the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence. Specifically, the authors take a relational approach by introducing positive patient treatment as the mediator. The moderating role of organizational support in the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence is also considered. Design/methodology/approach The data of this study encompasses 536 nurses from 10 university hospitals in Turkey. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the proposed model. Findings The findings of this study support the negative effect of emotional labor on workplace violence and the mediating effect of patient-positive treatment. Moreover, when organizational support is low, the relationship between emotional labor and workplace violence is strong. In contrast, the effect is weak when organizational support is high. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that health-care administrators should offer more training to nurses to help them manage their emotions while interacting with their patients. This leads to positive interpersonal relationships, which, in turn, lowers workplace violence. Moreover, health-care administrators should pay more attention to the buffering role of perceived organizational support for those subordinates with low emotional labor and higher workplace violence. Originality/value The study provides new insights into emotional labor’s influence on workplace violence and the moderating role of organizational support in the link between emotional labor and workplace violence. The paper also offers practical assistance to nurses in the health-care industry interested in building positive patient treatment and trust with their patients and minimizing workplace violence.
Open Access
The effect of incentives in web surveys: application and ethical considerations
(Sage Publications Ltd., 2003) Cobanoglu, C.; Cobanoglu, N.
Although researchers use internet-based surveys more often than ever in their research, there is little research on the effect of incentives on response rate, speed and cost. This study attempts to fill in some of the blanks by comparing the different incentives offered to respondents of web-based surveys. The results indicate that offering a luggage tag to each respondent and including them in a draw for a bigger value prize (a personal digital assistant) yields the highest response rate. In terms of response speed, there are no significant differences among each incentive group. The most expensive group in terms of costs was the combination of luggage tag and prize draw.
Open Access
Effects of trust and psychological contract violation on authentic leadership and organizational deviance
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2013) Erkutlu, H.; Chafra, J.
Purpose: The aim of this article is to examine the relationships between authentic leadership and organizational deviance and to test the moderating effects of trust and psychological contract violation on that relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from ten state universities in Turkey. The sample included 848 lecturers and their department chairs chosen randomly. Moderated hierarchical regression was used to examine the moderating roles of trust and psychological contract violation on the authentic leadership and organizational deviance relationship. Findings: The results show that authentic leadership is negatively and significantly correlated with organizational deviance. In addition, the results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses support the moderating effects of employee trust and psychological contract violation with regard to the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational deviance. Practical implications: Given that authentic leadership is associated with valued organizational outcomes such as lower workplace deviance, higher followers' commitment, job satisfaction and citizenship behaviors, organizational efforts to foster authentic leadership should prove fruitful. Moreover, focusing on efforts to improve leader-follower relationship and to create a trust-based work environment could increase the likelihood that authentic leadership will lower level of workplace deviance. Originality/value: This study contributes to the research on authentic leadership and workplace deviance by showing that trust and psychological contract are relevant affect-related variables in determining the importance of authentic leadership perception to subordinate workplace deviance. Furthermore, by incorporating trust and psychological contract (for the first time), it is a response to recent calls for integration of authentic leadership, organizational deviance, trust and psychological contract literatures (Gardner et al.; Ilies et al.). These calls have contended that trust and high quality leader-follower relations are fundamental to linking authentic leader behavior to follower behaviors, yet to date empirical evidence does not exist.
Open Access
Employee Self-Perceptions Regarding Workplace Attire in Turkey
(North American Business Press, 2017) Karl, K.; Peluchette, J. V. E.; Collins, A.
This study is one of the first to empirically investigate how Turkish employees' style of workplace dress affects their self-perceptions. Drawing on social identity theory, we predicted that different workplace attire styles would impact employee self-perceptions of creativity, friendliness, competence, trustworthiness, authority, and productivity in Turkey. Utilizing a sample of workers in a state-owned bank and two government agencies, we found that our respondents felt most authoritative, trustworthy, and competent when wearing formal business attire. In contrast, respondents felt least friendly and creative when wearing formal attire and this was true of all respondents, regardless of organizational dress norms.
Open Access
English-medium higher education: dilemma and problems
(Ani Publishing, Ani Yayincilik, 2010) Collins, A. B.
Problem statement: "Non-English speaking" countries have no choice but to learn English in order to survive in the international market. Establishing English-medium higher education institutions is one of the educational policies that has been adopted by countries like Turkey, in order to provide a greater advantage for the country in the international market. The purpose of the study: This research was conducted at an English-medium university located in a non-English speaking country in order to assess its effectiveness at the university level from the perspective of students and instructors. The research surveyed the perspectives of the students and instructors based on their rate of foreign language proficiency and their attitudes toward English-medium education. Their recommendations were also gathered to help improve the system. Methods: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for data collection and analysis. The research was conducted using a random sampling from a population of 1011 students and 117 instructors. A balanced percentage (10%) of the student and the instructor population, from each faculty, was included in the study. Data was gathered through two sets of questionnaires consisting of closed and open-ended questions. Multiple choice and the Likert Scale format (1 to 5) were used for the closeended questions. Both the instructor’s and student’s questionnaires were prepared in their mother tongue in order to obtain more detailed information. The data was subjected to a quantitative (descriptive) and qualitative (content) analysis Results: The results show that students feel disadvantaged during their college years, due to a self-perceived low language proficiency. Both the students and the instructors believe that if the system is improved it will provide great benefits to the whole university student population, not only in Turkey but in all EU Countries. Conclusions and recommendations: In order to reconcile the instructor’s misgivings, as well as enhance student performance, a middle ground should be found at which students can reach their potential. Therefore, it is recommended that special text be prepared for English-medium educational programs, or for any other language being used in a nonnative environment. It should integrate subject matter, English text, and native language supplemental explanations. Lectures, class discussion, and testing should continue in English, thus retaining the prime advantages of immersion learning techniques. In this way, a student will find ease in continuing to read and communicate concepts in a foreign language. Further, Turkey should expand its language education by promoting the acquisition of a second language in order to have a head start on its own ascension into the global community, modeling itself on the EU aspirations for a majority of their citizens to speak two foreign languages.
Open Access
Entertaining international visitors — the hybrid nature of tourism shows
(Routledge, 2008) Ryan, C.; Collins, A. B.
Given that a post-modern perspective of tourism has introduced a new gaze of the destination as a construction of both visitor perception and supplier commodification, the language of cultural compression and place displacement has become commonplace. It has almost become a cliche to argue that tourism deconstructs history, fact and fantasy to re-assemble a hybrid that nonetheless can generate an experiential authenticity. Yet the tourism academic literature has been comparatively silent about the construction of theatre entertainment for visitors outside of a critique of indigenous peoples' cultural performance. This paper examines the ways in which a Japanese venture based upon Dutch architecture seeks to entertain an audience that is a mix of domestic and international visitors through an evening theatre entertainment titled An Eastern Odyssey. The nature of plot and presentation is examined in an effort to develop a set of reference points to illustrate how a cast comprising primarily non-Japanese performers develops a story with a mix of reference points as diverse as Gilbert and Sullivan to Star Wars via the Japanese tradition of Kabuki in order to overcome language differences and incomprehensibilities. It is argued that constructed reference points produce a show that communicates over cultural distances by reference to a hybrid of popular cultures. Yet, this hybrid is itself a package distanced from the cultures of its audiences by bridgeable nuances to develop a touristic dramatology of fantasy and spectacle. Within a trilogy of fantasies, production, the nature of Huis Ten Bosch and arguably a financial fantasy, An Eastern Odyssey becomes itself a metaphor for much post-modern tourism.
Open Access
The ethical ideologies of tourism marketers
(Pergamon Press, 2006-04) Yaman, R. H.; Gurel, E.
This article reports on the findings of the first phase of a wide-ranging study that aims to determine whether tourism managers from different cultures differ in ethical decisionmaking. It examines the ethical ideologies and perceptions of social responsibility of those in charge of organizations operating within the systems in Australia and Turkey. A mail survey was undertaken with a sample of marketing executives of tourism organizations in these countries. Respondents were queried about their ethical ideologies and perceptions of social responsibility and the influence of those on organizational effectiveness. The variation is explained by cultural differences and selected demographic characteristics of the executives and their organizations.
Open Access
Ethical leadership and workplace bullying in higher education
(Hacettepe Üniversitesi, 2014) Erkutlu, H.; Chafra, Jamel
This study examines the relationship between ethical leadership and workplace bullying and the mediating roles of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment on that relationship in higher education. The sample of this study is composed of 591 faculty members along with their deans from 9 private universities chosen by random method in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Kayseri, Konya and Gaziantep in 2011-2012 spring semester. Faculty members’ perceptions of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment were measured using the scale developed by Kahn (1990) and psychological contract fulfillment scale developed by Robinson and Morrison (1995). Brown, Treviño, and Harrison’s (2005) ethical leadership scale and Einarsen and Hoel’s (2001) the Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised scale were used to assess faculty member’s perception of the ethical leadership and workplace bullying respectively. The results revealed a significant negative relationship between ethical leadership and bullying and mediating roles of psychological safety and psychological contract fulfillment on that relationship.