Rob Law, Katsy Jiaxin Lin, Huiyue Ye and Davis Ka Chio Fong
The purpose of this study is to analyze state-of-the-art knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) research in hospitality.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze state-of-the-art knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) research in hospitality.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the theory-context-methods framework to systematically review 100 AI-related articles recently published (i.e. from 2021 to April 2023) in three top-tier hospitality journals, namely, the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management and Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management.
Findings
Findings suggest that studies of AI applications in hospitality are mostly theory-driven, whereas most AI methods research adopts a data-driven approach. State-of-the-art AI applications research exhibits the most interest in service robots. In AI methods research, little attention was paid to the amid-service/experience.
Research limitations/implications
This study reveals inadequacies in theory, context and methods in contemporary AI research. More research from hospitality suppliers’ perspectives and research on generative AI applications are advocated in response to the unveiled research gaps and recent AI developments.
Originality/value
This study classifies the most recent AI research in hospitality into two main streams – AI applications research and AI methods research – and discusses the gaps in each research stream and latest AI developments. The paper then suggests future research directions to guide researchers in advancing AI research in hospitality.
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Sunny Sun, Davis Ka Chio Fong, Rob Law and Shan He
This study aims to review published articles on website evaluation in hospitality and tourism for the period of 2000-2015 to provide a comprehensive updated review, as well as to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to review published articles on website evaluation in hospitality and tourism for the period of 2000-2015 to provide a comprehensive updated review, as well as to offer implications for academic researchers and industry practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis was adopted by this study to review retrieved articles on website evaluation in hospitality and tourism. Articles were then analyzed from consumers’ perspective, suppliers’ perspective, and both consumers and suppliers’ perspectives using a systematic approach.
Findings
Major findings of this study showed that a majority of articles focused on either hospitality or tourism. Moreover, most of the articles generally discussed user interface, marketing effectiveness and website quality. However, these articles did not discuss in detail the implications of website evaluation and ignore the connections between suppliers and consumers to some extent.
Research limitations/implications
This study can be used as a reference for academic researchers to extend previous frameworks and for industry practitioners to reconstruct the traditional organizational chart and implementing e-strategic management strategies, including m-marketing.
Originality/value
This study updates website evaluation development in hospitality and tourism in the new millennium. The findings of this study provide significant implications for hospitality and tourism researchers and practitioners to encourage supplier-consumer engagement.
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Rob Law, Sunny Sun, Davis Ka Chio Fong, Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong and Hui Fu
This paper aims to identify the changes of researched destinations along with the Approved Destination Status scheme to investigate the development of research problems, and to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the changes of researched destinations along with the Approved Destination Status scheme to investigate the development of research problems, and to track the changes of research topics in the context of the development of China’s outbound tourism. The research methods and applied theories are also identified and analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
Three large databases, namely, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar, were selected to search for published articles (i.e. 107 empirical articles and 15 review/policy articles) related to China’s outbound tourism. Thereafter, the retrieved articles were categorized and analyzed. Finally, a theoretical framework was provided for future studies on China’s outbound tourism.
Findings
The major findings indicated that the main topics related to China’s outbound tourism included market segmentation, travel motivation and travel behavior. One or two theories are generally applied to investigate a certain topic. The most common research methods are interviews and a questionnaire survey.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies are suggested to apply more theories to investigate one topic. A single theory can also be applied to investigate different topics. Adopting different and innovative research methods, such as online interaction observation, can also be considered.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature through an in-depth qualitative assessment of China’s outbound tourism literature, comparing researched destinations with the Approved Destination Status policies, and reviewing articles based on research.
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Rob Law, Davis Ka Chio Fong, Irene Cheng Chu Chan and Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong
This paper aims to comprehensively and systematically review the state of customer relationship management (CRM) research on hospitality and propose future research agenda.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to comprehensively and systematically review the state of customer relationship management (CRM) research on hospitality and propose future research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
All hospitality-related CRM articles since its introduction as a concept in 1988 were collected. The retrieved articles were then chronologically and thematically analyzed.
Findings
Hospitality CRM research has rapidly grown from the initial relationship marketing concept into social CRM. Five research foci were identified, including CRM planning and implementation process, organizational support, technology and tools, customer perspectives and characteristics and outcome and impact. Three potential pitfalls were observed in the existing literature. A comprehensive research framework incorporating the five research domains and three key players was proposed.
Practical implications
Hospitality practitioners should take an integrated perspective on the five major domains of CRM and the three key players to ensure that informed decisions can be made.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature through its qualitative and critical assessment of existing hospitality CRM literature, which can guide future research.
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Rob Law, Sirong Chen, Xiaonan Li and Davis Ka Chio Fong
This study aims to analyze review research in hospitality, identifying the structure and most recent developments in current hospitality review studies while providing exploratory…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze review research in hospitality, identifying the structure and most recent developments in current hospitality review studies while providing exploratory insights for future research in this research area.
Design/methodology/approach
Using bibliometric analysis, content analysis and a quantitative systematic literature review, this study provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis of 128 review studies published in leading hospitality journals (International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management and Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management).
Findings
This paper presents a comprehensive and in-depth discussion based on the title, journal source, author contribution, year of publication, sample size, selected period, database selection, methodology, data collection methods, themes, regional selection, keywords, abstracts and results of the hospitality review studies analyzed. The findings provide new insights to advance the theoretical and practical implications of review studies in hospitality.
Research limitations/implications
This research provides critical insights for both hospitality review studies and academic and industry hospitality personnel.
Originality/value
As a pioneering study in research on review studies, the results of this paper focus not only on a systematic overview and assessment of recent hospitality review works but also on the future agenda of hospitality and review studies.
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This study aims to address how the social structure of the hospitality management field has evolved from 1960 to 2016.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address how the social structure of the hospitality management field has evolved from 1960 to 2016.
Design/methodology/approach
The informal social structure of the hospitality management literature was analyzed by collecting authorship data from seven hospitality management journals. Co-authorship analyses via network analysis were conducted.
Findings
According to the findings, throughout the history of hospitality management, international collaboration levels are relatively low. Based on social network analysis, the research community is only loosely connected, and the network of the community does not fit with the small-world network theory. Additional findings indicate that researchers in the hospitality management literature are ranked via degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality. Cliques, which contain at least five researchers, and core researchers are identified.
Practical implications
This study helps both scholars and practitioners improve the informal structure of the field. Scholars must generate strong ties to strengthen cross-fertilization in the field; hence, they collaborate with authors who have strong positions in the field. Specifically, this provides a useful performance analysis. To the extent that institutions and individuals are rewarded for publications, this study demonstrates the performance and connectivity of several key researchers in the field. This finding could be interesting to (post)graduate students. Hospitality managers looking for advisors and consultants could benefit from the findings. Additionally, these are beneficial for journal editors, junior researchers and agencies/institutions.
Originality/value
As one of the first study in the field, this research examines the informal social structure of hospitality management literature in seven journals.