Advanced Research Methods for Tourism and Hospitality pdf

Advanced Research Methods for Tourism
and Hospitality

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LO 1...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Context of advanced research methods............................................................................1
1.2 Critical evaluation of the research process.......................................................................3
1.3 Critical assess the development of research in tourism and hospitality...........................3
LO 2...........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Research philosophies and their application to tourism and hospitality research............5
2.2 Range of sources of information to support and develop research..................................5
Summary................................................................................................................................9
2.3 Different approaches to research....................................................................................10
LO 3.........................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Appropriate research methods in tourism and hospitality..............................................10
Research Objective and Questions.......................................................................................11
Research Questions..............................................................................................................11
3.2 Range of information sources to make effective decisions around the collection of data
..............................................................................................................................................11
3.3 Different approaches to data collection..........................................................................12
LO 4.........................................................................................................................................13
4.1 Evaluate a range of secondary data................................................................................13
4.2 Evaluate complex sets of primary data..........................................................................14
4.3 Qualitative and quantitative data in a complex mixed method approach to research....14
Saunders et al, 2007.................................................................................................................16
LO 5.........................................................................................................................................16
5.1 Issues of reliability and validity in data, and identify solutions.....................................16
5.2 Plan a research project appropriate for the level of study..............................................17
5.3 Research Proposal..........................................................................................................18
Background......................................................................................................................18

Research Aims and Objectives.........................................................................................19
Literature review..............................................................................................................19
Research Methodology.....................................................................................................20
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................21

LO 1
1.1 Context of advanced research methods
Aim of the study
To evaluate the role of delivering quality services to enhance the level of customer
satisfaction within hotel industries: A case study of Holiday Inn Hotel
Background
In today’s globalized world it is becoming most important for hotel industries to adopt
variety of strategies through which they can deliver quality services to their consumers.
Meeting guest’s expectations is the most important concern for the hospitality firms as it
helps them in enhancing their satisfaction level and maintaining high customer loyalty. The
major reason for conducting this study is to find out the importance of service quality. In
addition to this, the importance of customers in the business process has made it most
important to always conduct research about consumers. They are the most important part of
any study and play a vital role in enhancing the sales and profit margin for firms. It has been
proven by past various studies that a hospitality firms who consistently satisfies its customers,
enjoy greater profitability and higher retention level. Moreover, it is becoming the most
important concern for firms to keep their customers satisfied and loyal. In order to enhance
their profitability every firm nowadays work hard to win the hearts of their customers. In case
of having positive perception about any particular brand or hotel consumers will always
choose to go their repeatedly.
According to Assael (2005) keeping all the consumers happy and satisfied is one of
the most crucial activities within the hospitality industry. In the overall hotel industry, front
office staff executive plays an important role to welcome and greet their guests. They are the
one who can make the guests more satisfied with their positive attitude. However,
management team of hotels are adopting various approaches to keep their guests satisfied.
Chumpitaz and Paparoidamis (2004) in his article stated that delivery quality services and
enhancing the level of customer satisfaction is also known as a fundamental factors booting
the performance of the hotel and tourism industries. Hotels with good service quality can
easily enhance the level of profitability (Schiffman and et.al, 2013). According to Salazar,
Costa and Rita (2010) customer loyalty can be easily describe when customers repeatedly
purchase a good service and perceive a favourable attitude towards a goods or service.
Researcher Lin and Sun (2009) founded in his study that loyalty is a behavioural dimension
as it is totally based on the behaviour of customers. In this concern, it has also been
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determined that a repeat purchase is not always the result of psychological commitment
towards the brand. There are numerous travellers, traveling in different countries for different
purpose (Assael, 2005). However, a traveller may stay at a hotel because it is the most
convenient location. All those hotels who effort to improve their market share by discount
prices might have its negative impact on their long term profitability. Thus, they must focus
on the quality of service rather than prices. Quality service is the most effective way through
which hotel can differentiate themselves from its competitors and enhance the customer
loyalty.
For this particular way, hotelier must keep their better relationship with their customers.
With the help of making appropriate relation with customers they are now able to give better
information about their experience towards the quality price etc. However, all the staff
members within a hotel play a most crucial role in keeping their customers satisfied. There is
a positive relationship between the loyal customers and creating relationship with them.
Further, the main basis of this present research is to go through the various attributes through
which hotel industries can make their customers happy and provide them high quality
services. With the increasing number of competitors today each and every organizations
wants to be the first choice of their customers. In order to achieve this, they need to fill the
expectations and desires of the customers. Moreover, customer satisfaction is the main
concern of the business sectors of today due to which the present research area focuses on the
satisfaction level of customers towards the quality services of hotel. Although there are
several factors such as price, product quality etc. that determines customer satisfaction. Also,
providing quality services is one of the major factors when it comes to the management. They
must adopt some of the best strategies to raise the level of consumer loyalty as well as
satisfaction.
Objectives
1. To evaluate the importance of service quality within the hotel operations
2. To identify the meaning the customer satisfaction within in Holiday Inn
3. To explore different attributes through which quality of services can be maintained
4. To recommend various ways to enhance the level of customer satisfaction within the
hospitality industries.
Research Questions
1. How quality services of hotel helps them enhancing the level of customer
satisfaction?
2. What are the different attributes through which quality of services can be maintained?
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1.2 Critical evaluation of the research process
One of the most important tasks for researcher is to go through the importance of the
study which is going to be conducted. However, the current research holds both practical and
academic significance. In this concern, all the existing theories on the customer satisfaction
and service quality were applied in order to test it on the organizational theories. Moreover,
satisfaction level of consumers varies as per their expectations. It is very difficult for
hospitality firms to match the desires of different customers appropriately. Further, it is
important to carry out research across customers in order to identify their perception and
viewpoints about the service quality of hotel. Hence, this research work will add prominently
to the existing literature and also helps other researchers and authors with their piece of work.
On the other hand, this study also holds significance for practical purposes.
Nowadays, majority of hospitality firms are adopting are paying greater attention on their
service quality. However, the knowledge base required for such interferences is not adequate.
They must have proper knowledge and information about the different factors and attributes
of the customer satisfaction as well as service quality. Jayawardena and et.al, (2013) in article
presented that service quality and customer satisfaction is critical for the service survival. It is
very much important to hospitality firms to maintain their quality of business operations in
order to attract new customers and retain existing customers. However, majority of hoteliers
are introducing variety of new services so that they can attract new customers. Satisfaction is
a psychological concept that involves the feelings of individuals from all what he/she
expected. An appropriate outcome has been evaluated from the needs and desires of the
customers. Hocutt, Bowers and Donovan (2006) determines that before visiting any hotel and
using their services customers always have their personal expectation about its performance.
In case of attaining high class services as per their expectations or better than that, it means
that expectations has positive confirmation. On the other hand, if the result is lower than
expectations, hotel gets and negative confirmation. However, in any case the level of
customer satisfaction differs from consumers to consumer as all of them are having their
personal needs and demands. Therefore, this study aimed at adding knowledge base for the
human resource department in developing better comprehension of the linkage between their
quality services and customer satisfaction.
1.3 Critical assess the development of research in tourism and hospitality
Most of the people nowadays are taking interest in different leisure activities. Due to
this factor, Tourism and hospitality industry is becoming one of the fastest growing
industries. It is essential for tourism and hospitality industries to adopt some of the best
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