Zhen Lu and Denise Chiang
Limited research exists on the current strategic issues and the strategies utilized by hoteliers of Ontario, Canada. The researchers conducted a pilot study by utilizing an e‐mail…
Abstract
Limited research exists on the current strategic issues and the strategies utilized by hoteliers of Ontario, Canada. The researchers conducted a pilot study by utilizing an e‐mail survey, attempting to identify the current strategic issues and strategies implemented by Ontario hotels. The results showed that the most concerned issues by the Ontario hoteliers are: lacking financial and government support, changing customer needs, increasing power of customer purchasing through the internet and the top Internal environment concern is related to the human resources. The survey findings suggest the imperative requirement for awareness and focus of the changing environmental variables affecting the Ontario lodging industry.
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Aida Idris, Denise See and Paul Coughlan
The topic of employee empowerment and job satisfaction, and its implications for organizational change management, is underexplored in developing countries. Consequently, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The topic of employee empowerment and job satisfaction, and its implications for organizational change management, is underexplored in developing countries. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the two variables in the context of urban Malaysia as an emerging market. Differences in empowerment and job satisfaction in relation to organizational and socio-cultural environments were also assessed. The findings are then discussed in terms of their implications for organizational change management in Malaysia and other emerging countries.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data gathered from 125 local employees working in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the effect of empowerment on job satisfaction was tested using correlation and regression analyses. ANOVA tests were used to determine differences in empowerment and satisfaction among sub-groups divided according to four factors in the organizational and socio-cultural environments, namely, form of ownership, job sector, type of industry and organizational hierarchy.
Findings
The results demonstrate that employee empowerment has a strong positive effect on job satisfaction. However, significant differences in employee empowerment and job satisfaction between higher and lower levels of the organizational hierarchy raise concerns about organizational change diffusion and the sustainability of strategic changes.
Research limitations/implications
Empirical evidences are provided for the generalizability of the theoretical link between employee empowerment and job satisfaction in the urban Malaysian context. Nevertheless, the findings have highlighted the need to further examine specific issues faced by employees in lower levels of the organizational hierarchy which affect their rates of empowerment and satisfaction in a rapidly changing environment.
Practical implications
Implications on power relations between managers and their subordinates are discussed, as well as on succession and goal-sharing during periods of intense organizational change.
Originality/value
By demonstrating the influence of organizational hierarchy on employee empowerment and job satisfaction in a non-western setting, this study has contributed new insights on the role of socio-culture and power relations in organizational change management.
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Andre Albuquerque, Claudia Becerra, Fagner José Coutinho de Melo and Denise Dumke de Medeiros
The aim of this research is to propose a quantitative approach to evaluating the quality of services provided, helping organizations to make strategic decisions by better…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to propose a quantitative approach to evaluating the quality of services provided, helping organizations to make strategic decisions by better understanding the characteristics that satisfy consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach was based on the integration of the Kano model with SERVQUAL, adapted by the satisfaction equations of Albuquerque et al. (2022) and fuzzy systems theory. Through this, it was possible to infer which attributes influence customer satisfaction, identifying the ranges of satisfaction and, with the help of fuzzy, reducing the imprecision of customer perceptions.
Findings
A total of 42% of the attributes were classified as unidimensional, with attribute 11 (Reliability) and attribute 9 (Courtesy) having the highest satisfaction values. Attractive attributes accounted for 38% of the sample, with attribute 29 (Variety of products) and attribute 7 (Location) having the greatest impact on satisfaction. On the other hand, attribute 30 (Order Delay) and attribute 31 (Waiting for payment) caused more dissatisfaction among consumers (ranges −0.6, −0.71, respectively). In addition, Variety of products was the most satisfactory, while Order Delay generated the most dissatisfaction among users.
Originality/value
The originality of this research lies in its contribution to organizations in relation to the services offered by investigating a gap in the studies that use the Kano model, integrated with SERVQUAL, which do not include reverse attributes in their equations and analyses. With the help of fuzzy sets, the subjectivity of the individual can be translated into data for greater clarity of information.
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Andrea Valéria Steil, Denise de Cuffa, Gabriel Horn Iwaya and Roberto Carlos dos Santos Pacheco
This study aims to identify the relation between perceived learning opportunities, behavioral intentions to voluntarily stay or leave technology organizations and employee…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the relation between perceived learning opportunities, behavioral intentions to voluntarily stay or leave technology organizations and employee retention within these organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a survey of 440 employees of a technology organization.
Findings
Learning opportunities perceived by managers and technicians presented significant positive correlations with the intention to stay and significant negative correlations with the intention to leave the organization. No relation was identified between perceived learning opportunities and manager retention. Among technicians, the correlation between perceived learning opportunities and retention was near zero.
Practical implications
If the organization wants to guarantee the intention of professionals to stay in the organization, the “perceived learning opportunities” indicator should have a similar level of importance as other objective indicators, such as performance and achievement.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify relations between perceived learning opportunities and behavioral intention to stay and leave of professionals that work in technology organizations.
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Brian McBreen, John Silson and Denise Bedford
This chapter reviews traditional intelligence work, primarily how intelligence was perceived and conducted in the industrial economy. The review includes economic sectors with…
Abstract
Chapter Summary
This chapter reviews traditional intelligence work, primarily how intelligence was perceived and conducted in the industrial economy. The review includes economic sectors with dedicated intelligence functions such as military, law enforcement, and national security. The review also includes secondary intelligence work in all other economic sectors. Looking across all these examples, the authors present a traditional life cycle model of intelligence work and highlight this traditional view of intelligence’s tactical and reactive approach. The chapter details the historical evolution and common intelligence elements in military, business, law enforcement, judicial forensics, national security, market, financial, medical, digital, and computer forensics.
Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Juan Gabriel Cegarra-Navarro, Denise Bedford, Margo Thomas and Susan Wakabayashi
Purpose: This chapter examines alternative education programs available for Myanmarese migrant youth in Thailand, what these young migrants expect of education, and how these…
Abstract
Purpose: This chapter examines alternative education programs available for Myanmarese migrant youth in Thailand, what these young migrants expect of education, and how these migrant learning centers (MLCs) can help provide more opportunities for migrants.
Methods: This study draws from the data collected through two stages of qualitative research undertaken in Mae Sot, a town that borders Myawaddy, Myanmar in Thailand. Stage one consisted of ethnographic research with the local Myanmarese diaspora when I worked as a volunteer at a community-based organization. In stage two, a series of interviews were conducted with eight faculty members and twenty students enrolled in the secondary school level or vocational training program of three local MLCs.
Findings: The main finding is that even with both inclusive education policies and alternative education options in place, there is still a missing link between the educational attainment of Myanmarese migrant youth and their future prospects. While Thai public education seems to be a pathway to more future opportunities in the host country, it can be a trap when migrant youth cannot make good use of their learned knowledge and Thai language skills in the future due to their irregular status. In contrast with Thai public schools, MLCs offer more than simply education. They also provide scholarship, employment and social welfare assistance to serve the varying needs of young migrants.
Originality: The case of Myanmarese migrants presents a unique study in which the gap between students’ educational attainment and future prospects cannot necessarily be bridged even with a valid work visa scheme in place. Some Myanmarese migrants are displaced individuals who fled from civil wars and without any identification documents. The legal systems enforced by nation-states, such as Thailand, that rely on identification documents to control the flow of population still lack the capacity to adequately address the educational needs and employment opportunities of individuals with irregular status.