The Hotel Catering and Tourism Industry - Research Paper Example

Luxurious Hotel Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Literature Review 3 Importance of Business Research 3 Research Methodology 5 Research Question 5 Research Methods- a distinction between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies 5 Hypothesis Design and Testing 8 Data Gathering Methods 8 Sampling techniques 9 Research Limitations 10 Questionnaire Design 10 References 16 Bibliography 17 Introduction Hotel industry is one of the most thriving businesses of the world. According to a study conducted by the International Labour Office, the global hotel industry is expected to grow from its present value of 700 million Dollars to approximately 1.6 billion Dollars. The study also states that the global hotel industry would employ about 200 million individuals who would constitute around 8 percent of the total workforce employed across the globe (International Labour Office, n.d., p.1). The study deals with understanding the level of customer satisfaction in a luxury hotel. Global hospitality major Hilton has been chosen for the study. The choice of the organization assumes significance as it is considered one of the pioneers in the global luxury hotel industry. The hotel major has its foothold in about 76 nations across the world with room strength of approximately 189,000 rooms spread across six continents (Hilton, 2010). Literature Review Importance of Business Research Business research is one of the most important aspects that are considered by the decision making bodies of organizations. Business research enables an organization to gain first hand market analysis of the business market. Business research methods are being increasingly used by firms in formulating strategies in the field of marketing, human resources and supply chain management. Figure 1: Business Research Approach (Source: Cooper, 2006, p.58) The figure shown above depicts the framework of a business research. The fundamental aspect in this issue is to frame an effective research question. This represents a problem or an opportunity. This is followed by undertaking an exploratory research which involves a study of the past information related to the research question. This is followed by framing the management question. The management question is based on the findings that have been gathered after completing the previous steps. The nest step involves an exploratory study on the framed management question. This is done by conducting a primary study on a small sample size. Finally the information gathered from the previous steps would be compiled and analysed to frame the research question. The research question must seek to provide answers to all the aspects with regards to a specific management problem (Cooper, 2006, p. 56-60). The main research question is to find out the level of customer satisfaction with regards to the hospitality major ‘Hilton’. The study would try to analyse the level of customer satisfaction of the guests at Hilton hotel. Alongside, it would also help the management of the organization in answering its management question which lies in improving the value proposition and improving services at the hotel. Research Methodology Management Question How to enhance and improve the hotel’s (Hilton’s) service offering? Research Question Whether the current service offering is satisfying the needs and wants of the customer? Research Methods- a distinction between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies There are various forms of carrying out a primary research. Qualitative and quantitative are two of research methodologies that are commonly used by researchers. Qualitative research is a form of research which is carried out without the use of numerical figures. The main aim of conducting a qualitative research is to develop an in-depth analysis of a particular research question (McLeod, 2001, p.2). Qualitative research is carried out on a comparatively smaller sample size, and also in cases where the researcher aims to study a wide range of variables with an increased emphasis on visual based data sources. Some of the common techniques for carrying out qualitative research are interviews, open ended questionnaires, group interviews etc (Lichtman, 2009, p.10). The strength of qualitative research methods lie in their ability to provide solutions to complicated questions which are often contradictory in nature. This research technique often helps researchers in identifying intangible aspects like gender, ethnicity, roles etc (Family Health International, n.d., p.1). Quantitative research methods on the other hand rely on the use of numerical figures to analyse a research question. Hypothesis testing is an important feature in qualitative research. Questionnaire surveys involving closed ended questions, Likert scale are some of the common methods that are used in carrying out a quantitative research analysis. Data collection techniques for quantitative research are considered to be highly structured in nature. Quantitative research methodology is used to establish a ‘cause and effect’ analysis. The most significant difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods lie in their approach to provide flexibility in answering a research question. The quantitative research methods are considered to be less flexible in their approach while answering a research question. This is mainly because of the reason that the questionnaires designed for quantitative research consist of closed ended questions. This sort of data entry procedures limits the respondents to specific responses. Quantification of responses generated from such a questionnaire leaves little freedom to the researcher to add flexibility in the research. Qualitative research methods on the other hand show a comparatively greater flexibility in their approach to answer a research question. This provides ample scope to the researcher to find greater adaptability and spontaneity with regards to the interaction between the researcher and the respondent selected for the study. Qualitative research is also characterised by a greater informality with regards to the relationship between the researcher and the respondent. Qualitative research methods generally provide the respondent with greater freedom to express their thought about a specific question. Open ended questionnaires provide the researcher with an ability to ask questions like ‘why’ or ‘how’. This helps the researcher in analysing the psychology of the respondent. The uses of closed ended questions also provide the researcher with a freedom to have a deeper understanding of the respondent’s views with regards to a particular research question. This tends to minimize the respondent errors that arises in case of closed ended questionnaire surveys. The use of an open ended questionnaire provides the respondents with a chance to clear any doubts with regards to the questionnaire on the spot as the researcher is engaged in an open communication with the respondent (Family Health International, n.d., p.2-5). In the context of the present study, an optimum mix of qualitative and quantitative research will be used. Mixed research methodology would enable the organization to get a more comprehensive answer to the research question. The use of a mix of qualitative and quantitative research would bring various parameters on a single common platform. This technique would also help in gathering a larger amount of data and would also tend to limit the respondents errors (CommonWealth of Learning, 2004, p.6-8). The use of such a technique would enable numerical analysis of the data collected from the survey. The research question of the study focuses on the customer satisfaction levels of guests of Hilton. The use of quantitative research method would reveal whether customers are satisfied or dissatisfied with the service offering of Hilton. Qualitative research would reveal a deeper analysis of the factors that may have resulted in the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the customer. This aspect justifies the use of a mixed research framework as it would help in undertaking a ‘cause and effect’ analysis of the research question as well as quantification of the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction among the customers. This would also help in framing a plausible set of recommendations for the organization which would ultimately help the company strategists to implement decisions that would enhance the value proposition of the service provided to the customer. Hypothesis Design and Testing Hypothesis development and testing is one of the most vital aspects of any statistical or business research. A hypothesis is basically an assumption by the researcher about a population parameter which is generally unknown in nature. The first step in hypothesis testing is to frame a suitable set of null and alternate hypothesis whish would be based on the research question. A hypothesis testing also involves acceptation or rejection of the null hypothesis. The main purpose behind the hypothesis testing is to use the data collected from the survey to adjudge the correctness of parameter of the population selected for the study (Bajpai, 2009, p.308). The null and alternate hypothesis for the study are stated below- H0: Customers are highly satisfied with the service offering of Hilton. H1: Customers are dissatisfied with the service offering of Hilton. Data Gathering Methods The interview technique would be a mix of focus group interviews as well as questionnaire survey where questionnaire would be provided to the respondents who would be asked to fill up their responses. The survey would contain two parts, the first part would contain the closed ended questions and the second part would have the open ended questions. A focussed group interview would be used for the open ended questions and a questionnaire survey would be used for gathering data for the closed ended questions. Sampling techniques Sampling techniques involves selecting the respondents among the total population. Sampling assumes importance as the success of any research depends on the ability of the researcher to select the correct set of respondents which are linked to the research question. Sampling techniques are basically of two forms namely probability sampling and non-probability sampling techniques. Sampling is used to refine the total population in an attempt to select a sub set of population. Probability sampling relies on the selection of a random sample. The types of probability sampling are simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, systematic sampling and cluster sampling. The non probabilistic sampling methods involve availability sampling, purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Non-probabilistic sampling methods are used in research studies where the population is not clearly defined. In the context of the present study on hotel major Hilton a probabilistic sampling method would be used. This is because the population for the study is clearly defined; moreover the use of such a technique would ensure participation of varied types of respondents which would be useful to answer the research question. Simple random sampling would be used in the study to answer the research question. Simple random sampling techniques are based on the premise wherein each sample is a subset of the total population. It also ensures that every sample has an equal probability of being selected as a part of the sample selected for the study (Columbia CNMTL, n.d.). In the context of the present study a sample size of 30 respondents has been selected. The sample would be randomly drawn from a population that represents individuals who have used Hilton’s services. Research Limitations The research study has been carried out with extreme care to ensure minimal defect but still the research study suffers from certain limitations. Firstly respondent errors may arise due to incorrect response provided by the respondents. This may lead to distortions in the final result. Secondly the study has been conducted in a single geographical area and hence may not reflect the views of the entire society at large. Finally selection of a wrong sample may lead to large scale fluctuation in the final result which may affect the quality and the purpose of the research study. Questionnaire Design The study uses a questionnaire to analyse and gather data about the research question. The questionnaire for the study contains both open as well as closed ended questions. The use of open and closed ended questions would allow the use of both qualitative as well as quantitative research methods in answering the research question. The questionnaire also makes use of a Liker Scale in which the respondents are asked to rate various parameters of the hotel on a scale of 1 to 7. The Likert Scale is a single dimensional scale that would provide the extent of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with regards to various parameters of the hotel (Changing Minds.org, 2010). Questionnaire Name: Gender: Age: Designation: Annual Income: Marital Status: Nationality: Part A 1. How frequently do you stay at Luxurious Hotels? a. Once a month b. Every Six Months c. Once in a year 2. What is the main purpose behind your stay at Luxurious Hotels? a. Official Reasons b. Personal Reasons c. Other Reasons 3. What are the main factors that affect your choice of a particular hotel? a. Service quality b. Brand Image c. Price 4. What is your perception about the brand image of Hilton? a. Excellent b. Average c. Poor 5. On a scale of 1-5 please rate the following components based on your stay at hotel Hilton. (1 Represents Very Poor rating, 2-Poor Rating, 3-Below Average, 4. Average, 5. Good, 6. Very Good, 7. Excellent.) Quality Aspect/Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Service Offering Cleanliness Behaviour of staff Ambience Innovations at the hotel Safety and Security Guest Access Quality of Food and Beverages Reception Service Part B 1. What is the importance of service quality in the selection of a particular hotel? 2. Do you feel the brand image of a hotel is affected by its service quality? 3. Do you feel that the price charged by Hilton meets the service standards which are provided at the hotel? 4. How much would you rate Hilton on the aspects of service quality as compared to other hotels of the same standard? 5. Comment on the loyalty programs of Hilton? 6. Do you feel Hilton meets all the statutory obligations that are set out for luxurious hotels? 7. Do you notice any difference in the quality standards of Hilton in different locations? Thank You for your Co-operation and Patience. References Bajpai, N. 2009. Business Statistics. Pearson Education India. Changing Minds.org. 2010. Likert Scale. [Online]. Available at: http://changingminds.org/explanations/research/measurement/likert_scale.htm [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. Columbia CNMTL. No Date. Samples and Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/qmss/samples_and_sampling/types_of_sampling.html [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. CommonWealth of Learning. 2004. Mixed Research Methods. [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.col.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/A5.pdf [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. Cooper. 2006. Business Research Methods. Tata McGraw Hill. Family Health International. No Date. Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.fhi.org/nr/rdonlyres/etl7vogszehu5s4stpzb3tyqlpp7rojv4waq37elpbyei3tgmc4ty6dunbccfzxtaj2rvbaubzmz4f/overview1.pdf [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. Hilton. 2010. About Hilton. [Online]. Available at: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/brand/about.jhtml [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. International Labour Office. No Date. FACTS ON The Hotel, Catering and Tourism Industry. [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_067564.pdf [Accessed on October 21, 2010]. Lichtman, M. 2009. Qualitative Research in Education: A Users Guide. SAGE. McLeod, J. 2001. Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy. SAGE. Bibliography Kalton, G. 1983. Introduction to survey sampling. SAGE. Malhotra, N.K. 2010. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. Pearson Education. Read More