Current Search: Lodging (x)
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Title
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THE EFFECT OF INTERNET BOOKING ON THE CENTRAL FLORIDA LODGING MARKET OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
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Creator
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Smith, Scott, Rompf, Paul, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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This study reviews the effect of Internet bookings on the Central Florida lodging market over the past five years. As the number of lodging accommodations booked directly by the consumer over the Internet continues to increase, the ramifications brought about by this emerging distribution channel have not been fully investigated or interpreted. This study observes how Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings have trended in occupancy and average daily rate in the Central Florida lodging...
Show moreThis study reviews the effect of Internet bookings on the Central Florida lodging market over the past five years. As the number of lodging accommodations booked directly by the consumer over the Internet continues to increase, the ramifications brought about by this emerging distribution channel have not been fully investigated or interpreted. This study observes how Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings have trended in occupancy and average daily rate in the Central Florida lodging market in the past five years. Specifically the author segmented the survey respondents into the lodging product service categories of budget, moderate, upscale and luxury to analyze if there were any observable trends between the categories over the past five years. The author also segmented the respondents into the lodging geographic sub-categories of airport, downtown, suburban and resort/attractions area to determine if there were any observable trends between the sub-classifications over the past five years. Utilizing a descriptive approach, the author determined that each product service category and lodging sub-classification displayed continuous growth in Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings over the five-year period of 1999-2003. The author also observed that each product service category continuously represented a discounted Internet distribution channel rate over the five-year period of 1999-2003. This analysis suggests that lodging properties in the Central Florida market are discounting their Internet-enabled distribution channel rates in comparison to the property's overall average rate. At the same time, these properties appear to be increasing their Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings as a percentage of overall bookings.
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Date Issued
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2004
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Identifier
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CFE0000322, ucf:46302
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000322
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Title
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EXPLORING THE ASSOCIATION OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS, CUSTOMER CHECK-IN SATISFACTION, AND CUSTOMER COMMITMENT IN CONVENTION HOTELS:THE CASE OF THE ROSEN CENTRE HOTEL, A CONVENTION HOTEL.
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Creator
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Deel, Gary, Severt, Denver, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Research regarding self-service technology and its integration into the traditional service environment is relatively limited as it applies to the lodging industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the customer check-in satisfaction and customer commitment impacts of self-service hotel kiosks as implemented in convention hotels by examining perceptions of kiosk users. It has been theorized that customer perceptions of self-service technology attributes are positively related to...
Show moreResearch regarding self-service technology and its integration into the traditional service environment is relatively limited as it applies to the lodging industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the customer check-in satisfaction and customer commitment impacts of self-service hotel kiosks as implemented in convention hotels by examining perceptions of kiosk users. It has been theorized that customer perceptions of self-service technology attributes are positively related to satisfaction and subsequent commitment. A model was employed in this study that had been previously supported outside of the hospitality industry which demonstrated support for a universal standard of investigating self-service technology impacts regardless of environment, but heretofore had not been tested in the convention hotel segment. This was a quantitative case study using survey analysis to examine customer perceptions of self-service technologies at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The results of this study supported a direct association between positive and negatives attributes of SST and corresponding customer check-in satisfaction levels. Secondly, while results supported direct association between customer check-in satisfaction and affective customer commitment, virtually no association was found between satisfaction and instrumental commitment.
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Date Issued
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2010
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Identifier
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CFE0003358, ucf:48455
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003358
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Title
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A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF JOB COMPETENCY EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW HIRES: THE RELATIVE VALUE OF A HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT DEGREE.
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Creator
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Ricci, Peter, Tubbs, LeVester, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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ABSTRACT This study compared lodging managers' job competency expectations for newly hired employees in possession of four-year (baccalaureate) degrees from a college or university. Lodging managers mentally separated new hires into two distinct categories when rating the importance of specific job competencies: 1) new hires in possession of a hospitality management baccalaureate degree, and 2) new hires in possession of a non-hospitality management baccalaureate degree. Lodging managers who...
Show moreABSTRACT This study compared lodging managers' job competency expectations for newly hired employees in possession of four-year (baccalaureate) degrees from a college or university. Lodging managers mentally separated new hires into two distinct categories when rating the importance of specific job competencies: 1) new hires in possession of a hospitality management baccalaureate degree, and 2) new hires in possession of a non-hospitality management baccalaureate degree. Lodging managers who were current members of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association (CFHLA) at the time of the survey participated and all were employed in the central Florida area at the time of the study. In the fall of 2004, lodging managers (N=156) were sent an electronic mail correspondence requesting participation. Usable responses were received from 137 lodging managers for a response rate of 87.82%. The survey instrument was developed from a literature review of hospitality job competencies and was refined to 3 content areas: knowledge, ability, and attitude. Research questions were designed to identify differences, if any, in lodging manager new hire expectations based upon several criteria: a) type of baccalaureate degree held by the new hire (hospitality management versus other field), b) gender of the manager, c) number of years the manager had worked in the lodging industry, d) whether or not the manager possessed a baccalaureate degree at the time of the survey, e) if the manager possessed a baccalaureate degree, whether the degree was hospitality or non-hospitality specific, and, f) the type of lodging facility employing the manager at the time of questionnaire completion. These comparisons were made between the two groups of new-hires with baccalaureate hospitality degrees and new-hires with non-hospitality baccalaureate degrees. Consistently, lodging managers rated higher expectations for new-hires when the newly hired employees possessed a baccalaureate degree in hospitality or lodging management versus a non-hospitality discipline. Ramifications of these findings are discussed pursuant to higher education hospitality programs, the lodging industry, and human resource professionals recruiting future lodging managers. Future research is suggested utilizing a wider regional, national, and/or international sample.
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Date Issued
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2005
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Identifier
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CFE0000343, ucf:46304
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000343
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Title
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The Relationship Between Perceived Personal Fairness, Social Fairness, Hotel Cancellation Policies and Consumer Patronage.
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Creator
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Smith, Scott, Parsa, Haragopal, Chen, Po-Ju, Nusair, Khaldoon, Robinson, Edward, Schwartz, Zvi, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The objective of the study was to examine the relationships between the concepts of personal fairness and social fairness and hotel cancellation policies. These relationships will be explored using the framework of Prospect Theory in terms of consumer patronage (willingness-to-purchase and word-of-mouth).This study includes a brief history of the development of the lodging industry in the United States from inns and taverns to the modern hotel industry that is a critical sector of the...
Show moreThe objective of the study was to examine the relationships between the concepts of personal fairness and social fairness and hotel cancellation policies. These relationships will be explored using the framework of Prospect Theory in terms of consumer patronage (willingness-to-purchase and word-of-mouth).This study includes a brief history of the development of the lodging industry in the United States from inns and taverns to the modern hotel industry that is a critical sector of the hospitality and tourism economy. Current statistics are provided regarding the U.S. and Central Florida hotel industry in order to provide both a national and local economic perspective. The study also provides relevant statistics regarding U.S. domestic traveller information.The included literature review consists of concepts of mental accounting theory, economic utility theory, prospect theory, personal fairness, social fairness, and consumer patronage. The study also discusses how the lodging industry is unique in its implementation of reservation cancellation policies when compared against other industries. Research regarding merchandise return policies is also discussed here. The study was designed to investigate three separate components of both personal and social fairness. The first component investigated the effects of hotel rate price increases and discounts on personal fairness when compared against an existing reference price. The second component studied the perceptions of social fairness on three established hotel cancellation policies. The third component introduces a treatment of distributive and procedural fairness violations as a moderator to observe the effects on consumer patronage for the same three hotel cancellation policies. The data were collected from 415 hotel guests staying in Central Florida hotels near the Orlando international airport using an experimental method which provided different written scenarios regarding hotel pricing and three different hotel cancellation policies. The data was then analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's Post Hoc test to provide results that allowed the comparison of effects on each in terms of consumer patronage. The study results indicated that that price increases against established reference prices had a significant negative effect on consumer patronage whereas discounts of the same magnitude had a significant effect only in the middle range. Included smaller and large discounts did not have a significant effect on consumer patronage outside of the middle range. The study results also indicated that there was significant difference in consumer patronage between an Open cancellation policy and a 48 Hour Cancellation Policy. There is a significant difference in consumer patronage when a No Refund policy is compared against both the Open Cancellation Policy and the 48 Hour Cancellation Policy. The study results also show that a violation of either Distributive Fairness or Procedural Fairness has a significant negative effect on consumer patronage for both an Open Cancellation policy and 48 Hour Cancellation Policy. However, when Distributive Fairness or Procedural Fairness violations are introduced as a moderator, there is no significant effect on a No Refund Cancellation Policy.The study and its ensuing results are of importance to the academic community in that it provides additional scholarly support to both Prospect Theory and the theory of mental accounting and the roles that each plays in consumer behavior. From an industry practitioner perspective, the current results provide insight into hotel consumer's attitudes regarding rate increases/ discounts and the implementation of the three different hotel cancelation policies. The results can be utilized to provide justification and guidance in altering or establishing hotel cancellation policies that hotel consumers consider to be fair.
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Date Issued
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2012
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Identifier
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CFE0004269, ucf:49508
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004269
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Title
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ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCT AND SERVICE ATTRIBUTES AND CONSUMERS' WILLINGNESS TO PAY IN THE VACATION OWNERSHIP INDUSTRY USING THE KANO MODEL AND CONJOINT ANALYSIS.
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Creator
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Gregory, Amy, Parsa, HG, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The ongoing pursuit of understanding how consumers' expectations can be achieved or exceeded has long been an area of interest for academics and practitioners alike. A multitude of measures of satisfaction have been developed, applied, and adopted with the end goal of understanding how satisfied individuals, or groups of individuals, are with a given product, service, or specific attribute of a product. And, while both academic and practical research has identified and focused on explicit...
Show moreThe ongoing pursuit of understanding how consumers' expectations can be achieved or exceeded has long been an area of interest for academics and practitioners alike. A multitude of measures of satisfaction have been developed, applied, and adopted with the end goal of understanding how satisfied individuals, or groups of individuals, are with a given product, service, or specific attribute of a product. And, while both academic and practical research has identified and focused on explicit attributes relevant to particular products or services, the general consensus appears to support the thinking that higher satisfaction is better. But this may not hold true when one considers that not all attributes are equal in terms of their effect on overall customer satisfaction or that different customer segments may value product attributes differently. From this premise, the current research proposes a model that may be used to classify product and process attributes within the services industry, and augments the traditional method of data analysis in an effort to improve the efficacy of the information gathered. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on a modified Kano Model, a research model that has been widely applied across a variety of industries and products. Responses from 3,231 consumers were collected in a nationwide survey conducted in the United States. A random sampling method was used with the intention of achieving sufficient heterogeneity among the study participants. This study provides a comprehensive review of literature related to the Kano Model that has also been summarized in a tabular form (Table 3), providing the readers with a robust synthesis of literature (1984-2010) to include authors, publication dates, sources, titles, research contexts, etc. Further, since the Kano Model was initially developed more than 20 years ago in 1984 with a focus on manufacturing and durable goods, this study introduces a Modified Kano Model that may be better suited for evaluation of attributes related to services. In the Modified Kano Model, the attributes of the original Kano Model (Attractive Quality, One-Dimensional Quality, Must-be Quality, Reverse Quality, and Indifferent Quality) have been modified to better reflect the intangibility and other distinctive characteristics of services. The revised attribute categories have been titled as Desirable Attributes, Positive Attributes, Critical Attributes, Negative Attributes, and Zone of Indifference. The study also provides an extensive discussion of conjoint analysis techniques, historical evolution, and a review of application of conjoint analysis across various industries; including research within and beyond the hospitality industry. Essentially this study delivers a primer on conjoint methodology. Related to the conjoint analysis components for this research, this study employs Sawtooth Software as the platform for the web-based questionnaire, as well as the data analysis. Sawtooth Software's products are the most widely used conjoint analysis systems in the world providing a variety of solutions from traditional full profile conjoint analysis to more advanced adaptive choice conjoint analysis techniques. This study employs the Choice-Based Conjoint technique; one of the most commonly used techniques in academic research. Choice-based conjoint provides respondents a series of set choices from which they express preferences for specific attribute combinations. Choice-based conjoint analysis is widely used due to its ability to simulate consumer behavior in the marketplace more precisely. Through the use of the Modified Kano Model and choice-based conjoint analysis, this study assessed the role of process and product attributes in consumers' willingness to pay for and utilize products in the vacation ownership industry. The current study has identified product and process attributes that are preferred by the customer, categorized the attributes according to their anticipated effect on customer satisfaction, and quantified customer preferences of each in order to establish customer attribute preferences within the vacation ownership industry. In a two-pronged approach, this study explored two distinct aspects of the consumer's vacation ownership experience: the purchase process and the use of the lodging product. Since it has been shown that the Kano Model is effective in categorizing attributes according to the anticipated effect on customer satisfaction in a manufacturing environment, a modified version of this model was extended to a service sector, the vacation ownership industry. This Modified Kano Model was used to determine consumers' preferences for the vacation ownership product during its use, as well as throughout the purchase process. In addition, the Kano methodology was augmented through the use of Fong's test of statistical significance and Conjoint Analysis in an effort to improve the quality of the information gathered, and advance the efficiency and applicability of the instrument. This study identified attributes of the vacation ownership product that are positively related to customer satisfaction. Specifically, the following attributes were categorized by the respondents as being positively related to their product satisfaction: 1) a sales executive to guide the prospective purchaser through the sales process, 2) a purchase incentive, 3) resort-like hotel services, i.e., concierge, 4) affiliation with an exchange company, 5) resort amenities, i.e., fitness center, 6) ability to trade for hotel program benefits, and 7) a vacation counselor to assist with vacation planning. In the Modified Kano Model they are described as Positive Attributes based on the relationship to product satisfaction. Perhaps equally as important as understanding the positive effect of attributes is understanding which attributes have no incremental effect on product satisfaction. In this study, the majority of the respondents categorized the availability of a finance package and the presence of onsite activities as attributes that neither added to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the product. These attributes are termed as Zone of Indifference in the Modified Kano Model since they neither add to nor detract from overall product satisfaction. In an effort to quantify consumer preference for particular attributes, this study employed conjoint analysis to test the presence/absence of the study attributes in a series of simulations. Two fixed choice sets and a "none option" were also employed to improve the reliability of the results. The result of the conjoint simulation revealed that willingness to pay for the vacation ownership product varied based on product features, and it also varied across respondents. Possibly the most imperative outcome of this research is that this study uncovered attribute preferences that have a significant influence on satisfaction or price paid for the vacation ownership product. The findings of the research were consistent with previous literature in that it was found that attributes of the product could be classified using the Modified Kano Model, and that consumers are satisfied with the product purchased. However, this research goes beyond previous studies in that it specifies the anticipated effect on satisfaction and consumer willingness to pay at the attribute level for both the purchase and use of the vacation ownership product. Further, while this research identified that consumers' basic needs are being met and the industry is delivering on expectations related to attributes that contribute to overall satisfaction, it also uncovered opportunities for product development and pricing strategies that may assist in attracting new customers and expanding the vacation ownership segment of the lodging industry. In addition to an explicit discussion of the results, this dissertation provides specific practical implications based on the findings. This research could be considered unique as it is a comprehensive view into customer satisfaction and willingness to pay related to both the purchase and the consumption of a vacation product. As a result, an additional contribution could be the establishment of a benchmark for future studies.
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Date Issued
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2011
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Identifier
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CFE0003968, ucf:48707
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003968
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Title
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Dual Branding: An Investigative Look into Dual Branding's Position within the Concept of Brand Alliance in the Hotel Industry.
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Creator
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Ronzoni, Giulio, Fyall, Alan, Torres Areizaga, Edwin, Singh, Dipendra, Weinland, Jeffrey, Smith, Scott, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate, in an exploratory way, the state of the art of the application of brand alliances, with a particular focus on the practice of dual branding, in the field of lodging. More precisely, this research aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of industry adoption of, and customer satisfaction with, intra-company dual branding strategies in the US lodging industry.The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of dual...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation was to investigate, in an exploratory way, the state of the art of the application of brand alliances, with a particular focus on the practice of dual branding, in the field of lodging. More precisely, this research aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of industry adoption of, and customer satisfaction with, intra-company dual branding strategies in the US lodging industry.The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of dual branding in the field of the lodging industry, a phenomenon that is still insufficiently explored in the literature. In fact, the scarcity of literature pertaining to the lodging industry has forced this study to consider the research related to other segments and industries where dual branding strategies have been studied. Therefore, this study intended to expand the existing body of knowledge, advancing the theory of brand alliance from an industry and consumer perspective, as well as adapt, refine, and utilize a scale suitable for the measurement of dual branded hotels' customer satisfaction. This dissertation used an exploratory sequential mixed method approach. In the first qualitative phase, face-to-face and telephone interviews with operational hotel managers, corporate hotel managers, real estate development and management companies' managers, owners, and presidents, as well as hotel and lodging associations' professionals have been conducted. In addition to relevant and significant findings and results obtained through the hotel industry professionals interviewed, themes, constructs, and variables useful in the refinement and adaptation of a dual branding customer satisfaction scale were attained. Consequently, the second quantitative phase consisted of an online administration of a scenario-based questionnaire to dual branded hotels' customers of a dual branded lodging property aimed at identifying and evaluating the determinants of customer satisfaction.The ultimate purpose of this research has been to understand the main issues of implementation of dual branding practices and strategies in the lodging context. In particular, it has been to highlight and provide managerial, theoretical, methodological, and practical implications and recommendations for the US lodging industry, in the adoption of intra-company dual branding strategies. The suggestions offered in the study are relevantly timed to what is happening within the lodging industry, offering implications for both academia and industry.
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Date Issued
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2019
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Identifier
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CFE0007716, ucf:52411
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007716