Olga Gjerald, Trude Furunes and Gro Ellen Mathisen
The purpose of this study is to identify new psychosocial risk factors in the assessment of job demands and job resources in hospitality employment and to initiate the development…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify new psychosocial risk factors in the assessment of job demands and job resources in hospitality employment and to initiate the development of a psychosocial hospitality risk indicator (PHRI). The argument is underpinned by the findings from an exploratory study of health and safety representatives (HSE) in the hospitality sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Using focus-group interviews with 15 HSE representatives from 13 hospitality companies in lodging, housekeeping, and food and beverage segments, this research explored perceived psychosocial risks in different hospitality jobs through the lens of the JD-R (job demands-job resources) model.
Findings
This study suggests that factors such as conditioned flexibility, technological requirements, multicultural workforce interactions, lack of support from customers and lack of emotion ventilation represent new risk factors in the psychosocial work environment if not properly managed. A list of items to assess these new psychosocial risks is provided, and a model of different knowledge sources for the further development of the PHRI is suggested.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to identify new psychosocial risks in hospitality employment through the lens of a health and safety work perspective. A key theoretical contribution of this research is the extension of the JD-R model with new variables representing service-specific job demands and resources and the development of items for future risk assessment in hospitality jobs.
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Hanne Andreassen, Olga Gjerald and Kai Victor MyrnesHansen
Societies are experiencing a rapidly ageing population, which puts pressure on health services and institutions for the elderly. Ageing baby boomers have unique characteristics…
Abstract
Purpose
Societies are experiencing a rapidly ageing population, which puts pressure on health services and institutions for the elderly. Ageing baby boomers have unique characteristics compared to previous generations, yet very little is known about these consumers' expectations of institutional food. The importance and issues with institutional food are well-recognized, and new approaches to improving institutional food offerings are warranted. The purpose of this study was to identify various segments of ageing consumers based on individual characteristics (entitlement, subjective food knowledge, disconfirmation sensitivity and age) and investigate differences in expectations between the groups.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey (n = 300) of ageing consumers (50–80 years old). A two-step cluster analysis was used to identify meaningful clusters.
Findings
A four-cluster solution was reached, with clusters (1) “Uninvolved oldies”, (2) “Humble old foodies”, (3) “Entitled youngsters” and (4) “Food experts”. This study found significant differences in expectations of institutional food between the clusters.
Practical implications
Recommendations for public policy implications for each segment are provided. This study contributes to preparing healthcare services and institutions to meet the institutional food expectations of various types of ageing consumers.
Originality/value
This paper measures ageing consumers' normative expectations of institutional food and concludes that expectations of food quality, freedom of choice, servicescape and sustainability differ by segments of ageing consumers.
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Tom Baum, Deirdre Curran, Anastasios Hadjisolomou, Olga Gjerald, Tone Therese Linge, Kate Inyoung Yoo and Anke Winchenbach
Tourism and hospitality employment have long faced widely recognised challenges with regard to employment, its workforce and the workplace environment, issues that have been…
Abstract
Tourism and hospitality employment have long faced widely recognised challenges with regard to employment, its workforce and the workplace environment, issues that have been addressed by generations of policymakers and practitioners without evident success or solution. These wicked problems are frequently characterised by inherent paradoxes and, therefore, accepting the tenets of paradox theory provides the basis for recognising the need to accept contradictions as a reality which a search for solutions will not resolve. This chapter presents six examples of wicked problems in tourism and hospitality employment, which are underpinned by paradoxes as proxies for the much wider range of intractable problems that beset policy-making and practice in this vital area of tourism and hospitality. The chapter concludes by suggesting ways in which wicked problems can be accommodated, and stakeholders can learn to understand and live with paradoxes.
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Olga Gjerald and Torvald Øgaard
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a measure of employee basic assumptions about guests and co‐workers in the hospitality industry.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a measure of employee basic assumptions about guests and co‐workers in the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from two independent samples using self‐administrated questionnaires and analysed using correlational and reliability analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and one‐way ANOVA.
Findings
The analyses identified two dimensions of basic assumptions about guests, control and affect. Assumptions about co‐workers also consisted of two main dimensions termed responsibility and competence. The results showed that assumptions about guest control positively correlated with subjective job performance; assumptions about guest affect and co‐worker competence positively correlated with organisational commitment and job satisfaction; and assumptions about co‐worker responsibility positively correlated with intentions to stay with the organisation.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are based on a limited sample of service employees. Even though hospitality employees' basic assumptions about guests and co‐workers are validated in a service context, the suggested conceptualisation still needs a more comprehensive validation. Assumptions about competitors may be important determinants of hospitality employees' behaviour towards guests, and such assumptions should be analysed in future studies.
Originality/value
The present study is the first to investigate simultaneously assumptions about guests and co‐workers in a hospitality environment and the effect that such assumptions have on outcome variables. Altogether, the study demonstrates that basic assumptions may be a viable construct for HR management. They are easily identifiable and related to employee job satisfaction, job performance, organisational commitment, and staff turnover intentions.
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Christof Pforr, Markus Pillmayer, Marion Joppe, Nicolai Scherle and Harald Pechlaner
It is widely agreed that transformation processes that are triggered by crisis events can challenge conventional behavioural norms and stimulate new ideas and innovations that can…
Abstract
It is widely agreed that transformation processes that are triggered by crisis events can challenge conventional behavioural norms and stimulate new ideas and innovations that can assist in the preparations for future challenges. This impetus for transformation processes not only applies to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has also been seen in many other instances, such as the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 or the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which have sparked significant socio-political change processes often with a global reach. The multitude of wicked tourism policy problems discussed in our book often occur in parallel, are of growing complexities, are often not well understood and indistinguishable from one another and exert pressure on the resilience of vulnerable political, economic and community-based systems. These circumstances often present as tipping points which can trigger necessary long-term transformations. However, this process of long-term change must be well planned and strategically implemented. Thus, future transformative destination management should be built on a holistic approach, underpinned by adaptive political leadership in which tourism is not only seen as a driver for economic growth and employment, but as a strategy which successfully integrates social, cultural and ecological goals.
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Christof Pforr, Markus Pillmayer, Marion Joppe, Nicolai Scherle and Harald Pechlaner
According to Head (2008), wicked problems are not just wicked problems in the sense of complex challenges, but situations that are confusing, unique, diffuse, without clear…
Abstract
According to Head (2008), wicked problems are not just wicked problems in the sense of complex challenges, but situations that are confusing, unique, diffuse, without clear responsibilities or accountabilities, and difficult to resolve. These problems stand out for their uncertain nature, lack of clear solutions and possible irreversible consequences of attempted interventions. Recognising the pertinence of wicked problems in contemporary public policy discourse, this chapter aims to explore and better understand political decision-makers’ handling of these issues, in a tourism-specific context. The discourse on wicked problems, in accordance with 10 characteristics outlined by Rittel and Webber (1973), remains relevant when examining policy responses to mega trends, such as indigenous disparities, sustainability, digital transformation and demographic change. Against this backdrop and positioned within current academic discourse, this introductory chapter briefly foreshadows the volume’s various contributions by academics from around the world who present a wide range of wicked problems in tourism from their respective perspectives and contexts.