Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting and Lindsey Lee
The purpose of this study is to systematically review and synthesize identity research in the hospitality management literature. A critical revision of identity research in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to systematically review and synthesize identity research in the hospitality management literature. A critical revision of identity research in hospitality organizations, built on major identity constructs in the general management literature, is conducted to create thematic frameworks. This framework yields theoretical and practical future hospitality research agendas.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study adopted a systematic literature review approach to analyze and synthesize identity research in hospitality organizations. A total of 55 articles published since 2000 are included in this review.
Findings
Stemming from general management conceptualizations, identity research in hospitality organizations are categorized into four overarching themes. This review also points to research gaps in epistemological conceptualizations, definitional frameworks and methodology.
Originality/value
The study reviews identity research in hospitality organizations, builds an integrative thematic framework of identity research in hospitality and proposes directions for future research.
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The event management (EM) industry has attempted to elevate the professional status of event professionals. Contributing to these efforts, this study explores the professional…
Abstract
Purpose
The event management (EM) industry has attempted to elevate the professional status of event professionals. Contributing to these efforts, this study explores the professional identity (PID) construction process of event professionals. To facilitate the relevance of the PID construction process before the COVID-19 pandemic, it includes the impact of COVID-19 on event professionals' PID constructions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using narrative inquiry as the methodological approach, the study includes 18 semistructured interviews with event professionals before COVID-19 and additional 14 interviews during COVID-19. A narrative framework was developed to analyze the data.
Findings
The results include five significant themes highlighting the imperative role of agency in PID construction. Before the pandemic, event professionals pointed to self-driven pride and social-driven stigmatization as a part of PID narratives. Before and during the pandemic, profession-driven professional status recognition was significant. During the pandemic, situational reality-driven work skills and community-driven commitment became central to PID narratives.
Practical implications
The findings suggest the need for the EM industry to harness a collective PID. Specifically, given the community-building role professional associations played during the pandemic, associations can take part in leveraging a PID that connects core values.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the EM literature by using PID, a novel construct in EM research, to develop a baseline for event professional PIDs in changing environments; this functions as a platform for the EM profession to create a shared collective identity.
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Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting, Heyao Chandler Yu, Lindsey Lee and Nikki Gonzales
Through the lens of professional identity (PID), this paper aims to examine what matters to women when reflecting on their professions in hospitality. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the lens of professional identity (PID), this paper aims to examine what matters to women when reflecting on their professions in hospitality. The purpose of this examination is to understand to what extent these PIDs are shared among women in hospitality and to include women’s voices into the workforce.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was used. The qualitative step included 24 in-depth interviews with female middle and senior managers in hotel management in the USA. The results of the interviews informed the design of a quantitative survey completed by 330 women hospitality professionals in managerial and non-managerial positions in the USA.
Findings
The qualitative analysis derived three super-ordinate and ten sub-themes. These themes were then quantitatively measured for validity and generalization. The mixing of qualitative and quantitative data indicated the relevance of work environment, social evaluation and perception of work and demonstrating professional competence as a woman in hospitality as significant drivers in establishing women’s hospitality PIDs.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to address women hospitality professionals through the lens of PID. By providing a different gender perspective on hospitality PID, this paper contributes to the expansion of diversity, equity and inclusion research and practices.
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Lindsey Lee, Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting, Ankita Ghosh and Hyounae (Kelly) Min
This study aims to provide important insights in advancing the hospitality workforce by exploring the dimensions of calling. By identifying significant calling dimensions among…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide important insights in advancing the hospitality workforce by exploring the dimensions of calling. By identifying significant calling dimensions among hospitality employees, the study is guided by work as calling theory by also examining the mediating role of employees’ professional identity on intention to leave the industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an exploratory mixed-methods approach. Study 1 included an online qualitative survey to explore the significant dimensions of calling among hospitality employees. Study 2 measured the significance of hospitality calling dimensions on intention to leave the industry, mediated by professional identity.
Findings
Study 1 identified transcendent summons, passion and purposeful life as significant dimensions of hospitality calling. Study 2 examined calling as a second-order construct with the aforementioned dimensions and proposed calling increases professional identity and decreases intention to leave the industry. However, professional identity did not significantly influence the intention to leave the industry.
Originality/value
This study brings value to the calling literature by exploring the calling dimensions unique to the hospitality workforce. Findings also highlight that subjective professional identity alone cannot lower employees’ intention to leave the industry. Organizational and industry support focusing on transcendent summons, passion and purposeful life are recommended.
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Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting and Alana Dillette
The purpose of this study is to explore the development and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in hospitality and tourism organizations through the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the development and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in hospitality and tourism organizations through the lens of structuration theory.
Design/methodology/approach
This study deployed a three-stage Delphi technique involving DEI experts in hospitality and tourism organizations to build a consensus. Specifically, individual agency, development and implementation of DEI practices and best DEI practices were explored through the Delphi technique.
Findings
The findings of this study feature a framework for DEI practices and the intersection between individual agency and organizational structure. The results of this study further showcase the theoretical importance of structuration theory in understanding how organizations develop and implement DEI practices.
Originality/value
This study reveals unique perspectives on DEI within hospitality and tourism organizations, pointing to the imperative need for leadership in initiating, developing and implementing change. This study also extends previous research by highlighting how DEI practices are initiated, developed and implemented through individual agency and organizational structure.
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This paper aims to use an organizational ethnography perspective to explore how subsidiary hotel properties of a multinational hotel corporation experience planned organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use an organizational ethnography perspective to explore how subsidiary hotel properties of a multinational hotel corporation experience planned organizational identity (OI) change instituted by headquarters.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a multi-site approach to collect ethnographic data on organizational change from six hotel subsidiaries in California, USA. Over three years, multiple sources of data were collected including: 31 interviews with hotel subsidiary leaders; more than 100 participant observation hours including job shadows, conferences and meetings; and photographs and internal communication materials.
Findings
Multinational hospitality companies face struggles between corporate standardization and subsidiary localization. This paper reveals that when headquarters plan changes focused on employees at their subsidiaries, the ways the latter initially accept and resist change are significantly impacted by the organizational memory and history of subsidiary leaders. However, as time progressed, properties with strong financial performance continued to operationalize new identity initiatives while properties with poorer profit margins played a balancing act between headquarters’ visionary identity and subsidiary ownership’s revenue expectations. Additionally, the situational realities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all properties which amplified practical and emotional challenges of organizational ethnography in hospitality research.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to hospitality literature by introducing an under-researched concept, OI change and advances understanding of the struggles in managing multinational company change. More importantly, this paper is a stepping stone for future hospitality management to embark on organizational ethnography.
研究目的
本研究运用了组织民族志的视角来探索跨国公司旗下酒店如何经历由总部主导的计划性组织身份改变。
研究设计/方法/途径
本研究通过多点民族志方法收集了美国加州六个附属酒店关于组织变化的数据。在三年中本研究收集了多种渠道的数据, 包括:1) 31份关于酒店领导层的访谈资料; 2)100多个小时对职业见习和会议等的观察数据; 3)图片和内部沟通资料。
研究发现
跨国公司面临来自集团总部标准化和附属子公司本土化的挑战。本研究发现当总部计划对附属公司的员工进行改革的时候, 员工初始的接受或者反对会显著受到组织记忆和附属公司领导层历史的影响。然而, 随时间变化, 财务业绩较强的附属公司会继续奉行新的组织身份计划, 然而财务业绩较差的公司会采取平衡的策略来调节总部期待的愿景身份以及附属公司本身的收益预期。此外, 新冠疫情导致的所有产业停滞的局面也增大了运用组织民族志在酒店管理研究的实践和情绪方面的挑战。
研究原创性/价值
本文通过引入新的概念——组织身份变革, 以及通过推进关于管理跨国公司组织变化挑战的理解对酒店研究领域做出了贡献。更加重要的是, 本研究为今后的酒店管理研究领域的组织民族志学的研究创造了跳板。