Anjana Singh, Meghna Rishi and Rati Shukla
The built environment
Abstract
Subject area
The built environment
Study level/applicability
This case can be used for undergraduate and post graduate level business and management studies. The topics identified for this case study would be environmental management applicable to green management, corporate sustainability and financial planning, buildings conservation, sustainable constructions and projects and the hospitality industry.
Case overview
Mr Niranjan Khatri is one of the people involved in ITC's successful implementation of green management techniques. The key issue causing concern to management is how they initiate this new concept to the already existing and functional hotels in the country. The second key challenge is managing their stakeholders. Being in the service industry, customer service and convenience is of prime importance and at times they may be in conflict with the sustainability agenda of ITC.
Expected learning outcomes
Students should be able to analyse the importance of environmental management in the hospitality industry; recognize the operational constraints and legal obligations surrounding environmental performance in hospitality and tourism, Interpret environmental theory and work out an implementation plan for implementing environmental management in hotels.
Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Details
Keywords
Finance, accountancy, auditing.
Abstract
Subject area
Finance, accountancy, auditing.
Study level/applicability
Supports information systems audit (ISA), auditing practises and controls, corporate governance and internal controls and financial management modules, business administration and MBA programmes.
Case overview
The case study focuses on the implementation of ISA and information technology in the highly responsible task of executing financial audits The case emphasises on the fact that the advantages of ISA can only be reaped when they are amalgamated with an auditor's scrutiny, sharp eye, extensive knowledge of auditing systems and accounting principles and a rich experience of the auditing function. The suggested synergy also facilitates a reduction of around 60 per cent, in the cost of executing the audits and the man-hours required to complete the audit, as in the case of Jain Chowdhary & Company.
Expected learning outcomes
The case helps students to comprehend the relevance of audit trail. It emphasises on the importance of identifying the source of information and tracking raw data backward. It familiarises the students with the complexities involved in a real audit and emphasises on the role of logic, intelligence, diligence, patience and farsightedness while performing the auditing function. It is important for them to understand how White collar crimes take place in real business economy. This case, hence exposes students to these nuances and can make a student, from a non-commerce background, understand the key elements of efficient auditing. (Elaborate teaching objectives are appended in the teaching note.)
Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Details
Keywords
Meghna Rishi and Sanjaya S. Gaur
This paper attempts to identify the emerging themes that can shed light on the sales and marketing issues and challenges being faced by global hospitality organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper attempts to identify the emerging themes that can shed light on the sales and marketing issues and challenges being faced by global hospitality organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes a multi‐method approach for data collection. A thorough literature review, a focus group and personal interviews were conducted to explore the themes and construct a tentative thematic web. Publicly accessible secondary data in the form of customer reviews were drawn from world's leading web site – Tripadvisor.com. A total of 702 reviews of the customers of luxury hotels from the world's top two tourist destinations – France and USA – were analyzed, using thematic analysis. Customers' perspective is juxtaposed with industry's perspective to offer insights on the sales and marketing issues and challenges being faced by hospitality organizations globally.
Findings
Marketing challenges, namely personalization/customization of services, service management, creating a strong parent brand, under‐utilization of the social media and diverting tourists from heritage properties, are identified as some of the key emerging sales and marketing issues and challenges faced by the global hospitality industry.
Practical implications
Analytically identified themes in this research paper provide valuable insights on issues and challenges related to sales and marketing for the policy makers and practitioners from the hospitality industry. Findings are based on the analyses of real customer data from the world's leading tourist destinations. This makes the paper very valuable for both practitioners in the hospitality industry around the globe as well as for academic researchers working in this area.
Originality/value
This work is unique in nature because the authors did find any scholarly work addressing such an important issue. Use of real customer data and thematic analysis – a widely used qualitative analytic method for a scholarly study – in the hospitality field, enhances its value and contributes to the field by opening up avenues for further scholarly explorations and investigations.
Details
Keywords
Vinnie Jauhari and Meghna Rishi
This paper aims to introduce the theme issue and the reasons for focusing on the strategic question: “What are the challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India?”
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce the theme issue and the reasons for focusing on the strategic question: “What are the challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India?”
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an introduction to the scope of the global hospitality industry and the key issues and challenges, especially as they relate to the industry's development in India.
Findings
The paper profiles the approach adopted by theme issue contributors and their respective contributions to addressing the strategic question.
Practical implications
The theme issue draws extensively on roundtable discussions with senior level practitioners so as to balance the analysis drawn from published sources.
Originality/value
India's hospitality industry is developing rapidly and yet there is limited data relating to these developments. This theme issue draws extensively on practitioner inputs and published sources to provide an authoritative contribution that addresses the Indian context and additionally explores the implications for other developing economies.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to review and summarize the theme issue outcomes in relation to the strategic question: What are the challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India?
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review and summarize the theme issue outcomes in relation to the strategic question: What are the challenges faced by the hospitality industry in India?
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the findings of the theme issue contributors to identify industry developments from a global perspective and to explore the implications for research, policy and practice relating to the industry's development in India.
Findings
This paper reviews the main findings and relates these to the key issues and challenges and the implications for policy makers and industry practitioners.
Practical implications
The theme issue draws extensively on roundtable discussions with senior level practitioners so as to balance the analysis drawn from published sources.
Originality/value
India's hospitality industry is developing rapidly and yet there is limited data relating to these developments. This theme issue draws extensively on practitioner inputs and published sources to provide an authoritative contribution that addresses the Indian context and additionally explores the implications for other developing economies.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to identify the emerging challenges that are faced by branded budget hotels in India. The paper aims to do this by exploring the expectations as well…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the emerging challenges that are faced by branded budget hotels in India. The paper aims to do this by exploring the expectations as well as challenges faced by the customers and hospitality managers of branded budgets hotels in India.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a multi-method approach, data were collected through literature review, eight in-depth interviews and 422 customer reviews. Thematic analysis using the hybrid approach brings out the challenges faced by hospitality managers of branded budget hotels in India.
Findings
Hospitality managers face the following challenges – dipping gross operating profits, higher global distribution systems productivity for international hotel brands, location constraints, high royalty structures for management contracts, regulatory issues, business poaching and unorganized growth, bureaucracy among vendors and contactors and lack of trained manpower. Customer expectations include poor check-in/check-out services, inefficient service management, inconsiderate personnel, poor management of feedback and instances of theft.
Originality/value
This work adds to the body of knowledge using real customer data and thematic analysis. The authors have not come across any scholarly work, especially in the Indian context, which looks at two stakeholders of the branded budget hotel industry. Hence, recommendations from this work are valuable for hospitality managers as well as researchers.
Details
Keywords
Meghna Rishi, Vinnie Jauhari and Gaurav Joshi
This paper aims to identify emerging themes that can help in understanding the preferences of Indian consumers, in the transition generation (25-44 years) (Sinha, 2011), toward…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify emerging themes that can help in understanding the preferences of Indian consumers, in the transition generation (25-44 years) (Sinha, 2011), toward sustainability in the luxury lodging industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a multi-method approach for data collection. Thorough literature review and personal interviews with marketers were conducted to explore the themes and construct tentative thematic webs. In total, 42 customer inputs were drawn through focus groups and personal interviews to validate the themes. Customer perspective, marketers’ perspective and findings from literature were juxtaposed to understand the themes.
Findings
“Influence of Parents, Children and Travel agents”, “Rewards for green behaviour” and “frequent communication around sustainability efforts” have been identified as some of the key motivations for consumers to choose sustainability. Some deterrents have been identified as “limited awareness about sustainability issues in Tier II cities”, “detachment with the hotel’s operations”, “higher prices” and “unchecked wasteful/acquisitive consumption”.
Practical implications
Findings from this research work have implications for the practitioners and policy-makers because establishing an understanding of the factors that deter and motivate consumers for engaging in green behavior is important for designing meaningful marketing strategies.
Originality/value
Findings are based on the analysis of data from customer inputs and industry inputs. Themes in this research work have been analytically identified, and this study has made significant academic contributions to the marketing literature. It also provides valuable insights for the practitioners.
Details
Keywords
Anjana Singh and Sandeep Munjal
This paper aims to explore the challenges in adopting and executing technology within the hospitality industry in India. The paper recognizes the upcoming trends and their impact…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the challenges in adopting and executing technology within the hospitality industry in India. The paper recognizes the upcoming trends and their impact on the expansion of the industry. Technology plays an integral role in strategic decision making, yet the service industry has only been able to utilize the technology superficially but has not been able to integrate its functions with other business operations. This paper seeks to explore the issues in taking on and implementing new technologies in the hotel organization globally and in India.
Design/methodology/approach
Personal interviews were conducted with general managers of global chains of hotel organizations in India to gain an insight into the challenges faced by the hotels globally and at the unit level in adopting and applying the technologies in their business operations. The research also provides information on future trends in technology that might lead towards the enhancement of the service delivery process.
Findings
This research helps in identifying the key internal and external challenges that the hospitality industry faces in adopting new innovative strategic IT solutions, hence leading to reluctance towards investment in IT. This research further amalgamates the key findings and presents a framework titled “Strategic importance of technology and challenges for hospitality industry”.
Practical implications
The paper recommends practical solutions for policy makers and practitioners that can be applied globally.
Originality/value
The research addresses the real life problems impacting the hospitality industry across the globe and has collected inputs from hotel experts or executives of international chains in India.
Details
Keywords
Gunjan M. Sanjeev, Kanika Gupta and Rumki Bandyopadhyay
The purpose of this paper is to provide a practitioners' perspective on financial challenges prevalent in the Indian hospitality industry. The paper also makes an attempt to give…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a practitioners' perspective on financial challenges prevalent in the Indian hospitality industry. The paper also makes an attempt to give useful insights into possible solutions to the issues raised.
Design/methodology/approach
The study assimilates data from senior finance professionals from a spectrum of hotels in India. The study involves the collection of primary data through structured interviews.
Findings
The study highlights that some of the financial challenges faced by the Indian hospitality industry include high financing costs, multiplicity of taxes charged, licensing and legal issues, working capital issues and eroding margins. The study also gives some useful insights to the possible solutions to the challenges identified.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides some very useful qualitative analysis of the contemporary challenges and their possible solutions prevalent in the Indian hospitality sector. The findings will be useful for hoteliers, policy makers and researchers to deliberate on the issues raised. However, it does not involve any quantitative analysis.
Originality/value
This study makes a sincere attempt to bring forth some real life issues, challenges and solutions which would be a good value addition to the existing literature.