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This paper aims to assess the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on customer satisfaction in Jamaican hotels.

An online survey approach was used with 213 hotel guests in Jamaica.

The study found that there was a significant relationship between ICT adoption and hotel guest satisfaction.

It is hoped that other researchers will refine the proposed research model.

It is believed that the findings of the study can be used to guide hotel managers regarding the ICT components with the greatest influence on customer satisfaction, which by extension can lead to improved hotel performance.

These findings can assist policy makers at the national level in formulating optimal strategies to improve the Jamaican hotel industry.

The paper proposes a research model, which can provide useful insights to hotel administrators regarding increasing the ability to satisfy customers.

This paper aims to develop and apply a measurement instrument to identify a comparative metric that identifies operational sustainability maturity across sectors and countries.

Using structured interviews to complete the operations sustainability maturity model (OSMM) in financial services organisations, data were compared to show differences for developed and developing countries.

The preliminary findings indicate that there is no significant difference in the sustainability maturity index between countries. However, size and profitability are strong indicators of sustainability maturity.

These findings represent preliminary findings drawn from the financial services sector in a limited number of countries. Expansion of the data set will give greater confidence of results.

The OSMM is an empirical tool used to collect data that allows statistical evaluation of sustainable strategies used by firms in various sectors and in different countries.

Sustainability is of critical importance in the economic development of all countries. The OSMM embraces fiscal, operational and environmental considerations. The research gives new insights to alternative strategic imperatives.

With increased awareness of organisational sustainability, academics have developed a number of tools, approaches and strategies to ensure commercial viability. However, few corporations have successfully institutionalised ongoing sustainability. OSMM is unique. Its wider application to embrace additional industry sectors and countries will bring new insight to strategic intent.

Agency theory suggests that divergences will occur when a principal, e.g. client, and agent e.g. a project manager, interests are different in the execution of a project. The purpose of this paper is to explore if the agency theory can explain the subtleties integral to the behaviours and relationships between players delivering a public-private-partnership (PPP) in the context of an international development (ID) project. The intra-/interpersonal dynamics include governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private commercial service providers. The authors develop a conceptual framework and provide evidence from a case study of the testing of a Road Safety Toolkit in Kenya to explore several propositions.

Extant literature identified application of the agency theory, and the development of a conceptual framework. A case study describing an ID project was used to validate the propositions prior to the expansion of a research instrument for data collection in the field.

Through the lens of the agency theory and the limitations imposed by exploring a series of propositions, several insightful conclusions have been derived from the case. ID projects have particular nuisances that make them unique when compared to the majority of commercial applications. An added dimension and level of complexity is a consequence of the PPP incorporating government, NGOs and private corporations. The case exemplified the need for PPP ID projects to build on partner networks to influence and disseminate outcomes. Some agency problems were far less prominent than would normally be seen in a commercial project.

The methodologies presented in this paper need to be adapted and practiced in different kinds of ID projects in order to get confirmatory analytical results. The limitations imposed by the use of the single case, whilst drawing insightful conclusions, would necessitate greater testing in the field.

Although the problems of the agency theory are well researched in the operations management literature, there is limited application to ID projects and no previous research within the context of a PPP. Therefore, this work is important for greater understanding of the specific issues associated with project delivery of an ID.

Conflicting goals between principals and agents are common for organisations, which in turn affect inter-relationships on an international footing. The agency theory has had little attention in the project management field, yet is fundamental to relationships and communication.

There has been little research that explores the agency theory in the context of a PPP involving governments, NGOs and private commercial service providers, executed as an ID project. This work, therefore, exhibits new and novel findings.

This paper aims to empirically explore the TOE (technology-organisation-environment) factors influencing small to medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') adoption of enterprise applications (EA).

Direct interviews were used to collect data from a random sample of SMEs located in the northwest of England. Using partial least squares (PLS) technique, 102 responses were analysed.

Results indicate that technology, organisation and environment contexts impact SMEs' adoption of EA. This suggests that the TOE model is indeed a robust tool to predict the adoption of EA by SMEs.

Although this study focused on examining factors that influence SMEs' adoption of a set of systems such as CRM and e-procurement, it fails to differentiate between factors influencing each of these applications. The model used in this study can be used by software vendors not only in developing marketing strategies that can target potential SMEs, but also to develop strategies to increase the adoption of EA among SMEs.

This model could be used by software vendors to determine which SMEs they should target with their products. It can also be used by policy makers to develop strategies to increase the rate of EA adoption among SMEs.

This paper provides a model that can predict SMEs' adoption of EA. SMEs, adoption, enterprise applications, enterprise systems, ICT, PLS, technology-organisation-environment framework, TOE

This paper aims to profile the WHATT theme issue “Tourism business development and logistics in the Caribbean: Will there be a symbiotic relationship?” by drawing on reflections from the theme editors and theme issue outcomes.

Structured questions are used to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.

The paper draws on academic and practitioner perspectives to examine the interrelatedness between tourism development and logistics in the Caribbean and concludes that there is much common ground.

This paper outlines challenges and new approaches to the management of tourism business development and logistics in the Caribbean.

The present paper profiles the main developments that need to occur to maximize benefits for the people and economies of the Caribbean region.