Digital Commons Network^™

Engaging Hotel Staff In Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative, Tingting Zhang, Diego Bufquin

Rosen Research Review

Human trafficking is a serious global issue, within which the hospitality industry is a point of focus for sex trafficking. Despite increases in government- and corporate-mandated anti-human trafficking training, the level of hotel employee engagement with anti-human trafficking initiatives remains poorly researched. In a collaborative effort, researchers at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Associate Professor Tingting (Christina) Zhang and Associate Professor Diego Bufquin, have set about identifying the factors that influence employee engagement with anti-human trafficking initiatives in the hotel industry in order to establish a practical framework for implementing more effective measures.

Trivandi: Creating Spectacular And Meaningful Guest Experiences, Michael B. Duignan

Rosen Research Review

In an insightful interview with James Bulley OBE, CEO of Trivandi, Dr. Michael B. Duignan learns about Trivandi's 'One Team' approach and their aim to push the boundaries in event and venue delivery.

Ucf's Infectious Disease And Travel Health Initiative: Pioneering Resilience For A Healthier Tomorrow, Chait Renduchintala, Frank Badu-Baiden

Rosen Research Review

In a world grappling with the profound challenges posed by infectious diseases and global travel, the University of Central Florida (UCF) stands at the forefront of groundbreaking research and innovation. An exceptional new initiative—the Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative—is set to revolutionize how we approach health resilience, disease outbreak mitigation, traveler safety, and the continuity of essential services. Spearheaded by eminent researchers from UCF's College of Medicine, including Dr. Kenneth A. Alexander, Dr. Griff Parks, Dr. Eric Schrimshaw, and Dr. Taj Azarian, along with Dr. Robertico Croes, principal investigator from the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, this initiative …

Concern Or Control?: Gender Stereotyping And Hospitality Leaders, Bendegul Okumus, Wei Xiong, Shiyun Chen, Fang Fan

Rosen Research Review

Although most managers in the global hospitality industry are still male, an increasing number of women are taking on leadership roles. But how exactly do employees perceive masculine and feminine leadership styles? New research led by UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management's Associate Professor Bendegul Okumus and the research team she works with looks at gender stereotypes and finds that the most successful managers, in the eyes of their staff, have a management style that combines both masculine and feminine leadership traits.

Providing A Clear Foundation For Smart Destinations, Youcheng Wang, Alan Fyall, Ekaterina Sorokina, Peter Lugosi

Rosen Research Review

Smart destinations are a nascent and growing category in destination marketing but suffer from a lack of clarity. What is a 'smart destination'? UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management's Dr. Youcheng Wang and Dr. Alan Fyall led an international team of hospitality management specialists tasked with providing a clear foundation for smart destination researchers and practitioners. Their study, published in the Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, provides significant insight and stokes the fire beneath destination marketing organizations.

Saba Dutch Caribbean: Strategic Tourism Master Plan, A Beautiful Life Awaits, Robertico Croes, Kelly Semrad, Manuel Rivera, Sergio Alvarez

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

This report documents the Saba Strategic Tourism Master Plan, 2023-2028. The report provides directions to help Saba capitalize on new tourism related opportunities and overcome challenges that have emerged post pandemic. The plan is the outcome of a participatory process that includes multiple layers of tourism stakeholders including the residents, government officials, business owners, NGOs, community leaders, local organizations, and tourists. The plan observes that overall, there is a disconnect in the stakeholders’ message regarding the value of Saba. Tourists appreciate the value and beauty of Saba’s natural resources and authentic culture, yet residents undervalue themselves and Saba due to …

Motivating Employees Through Servant Leadership, Fevzi Okumus

Rosen Research Review

Meeting customer expectations is critical for success within the hospitality industry and frontline employees play a key role in delivering customer satisfaction. Leaders who display a servant leadership style put the interests of employees and the organization above their own. To investigate how this leadership style influences employee motivation and behavior, Dr. Fevzi Okumus, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, and his collaborators have put forward and evaluated a model of the interrelationships between servant leadership and employee engagement, job satisfaction, and absenteeism. They found that leaders evidencing this style positively impacted work engagement and absenteeism. Their findings offer important …

Time + Talent + Treasures = Partnerships For Success, Susan Vernon-Devlin, Marcela Defaria

Rosen Research Review

The tools for philanthropy and successful development do not come in a box with instructions. Instead, they are crafted through building positive relationships over time, which unleashes potential in like-minded individuals, enriches the human experience, and propels broad-based prosperity for the many communities positively impacted by the outcomes. At UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, we are working to make a difference and transform lives.

Soft Skills In Stem, Mariana Sorroza Aguilar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Those working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are delivering world-changing solutions to the problems we face and are saving lives every day. Some of them do surgeries, some design airplanes and cars, others study the wildlife around us, and others create processes to facilitate the manufacturing of devices we use often. In order to do this, the engineers, scientists, doctors, and other professionals in STEM disciplines need to possess hard skills. Hard skills are often called technical skills and are measurable abilities and skills that are needed to perform tasks effectively. The tasks done share something in …

Understanding The Interactions Between Conservation Agencies And Rangers: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Christina M. Burton

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Research describing conservation agencies has generally been exploratory and limited in the use of theory. Similarly, organizational theories can provide an understanding for how organizations change and adapt to their given environments, but they have not been applied to conservation agencies with unique challenges and strains from other public bureaucracies or private corporations. In expanding this body of literature, not only were these theories applied conservation agencies, but they were also explored in what Powell and Colyvas (2008, p. 276) called "microfoundations" of organizations, which focuses on the interplay between individuals and organizations. To explore this, a convergent mixed-methods design …

What Makes Travelers Choose Japan Over Other Destinations: The Application Of Customer-Based Brand Equity Theory And Tourism Xenophilia, Midori Yamazaki

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Customer-based brand equity (CBBE) has been extensively applied to examine a variety of travelers' behavioral intentions and tourism destination choices. However, from the perspective of competition among destinations, the use of the overall destination brand equity (ODBE) dimension is still in its experimental stage. The objective of this research is to determine the impact of destination brand awareness (DBA), image (DBI), quality (DBQ), and value (DBV) on ODBE. Specifically, this study focuses on the case of Japan tourism from the view of American travelers. Moreover, this study aims to incorporate tourism xenophilia (TXI), which is an emerging concept in tourism …

It Is Time To Change The Way We Change, Thane Keller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Seventy percent of organizational change initiatives fail. Among organizations where change and adaptation are necessary for survival, the U.S. military stands at the top. The disparity between desired health and fitness behaviors and actual behaviors is a glaring reminder that change is difficult to implement and that current change systems struggle. Merit-based systems offer a solution by rewarding and reinforcing good behavior to generate lasting change. This paper evaluates Kotter's Change Model and Nudge Theory and found them insufficient because they do not sufficiently address reinforcement learning or the temporal tie between behaviors and rewards for reinforcement. This paper then …

The Future Of Destination Marketing Organizations In The Insight Era, Arthur Huang, Efren De La Mora Velasco, Adam Haney, Sergio Alvarez

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

There has been a growing interest in examining the implementation of insight-era technologies (e.g., AI, social media) and big data for sustainable tourism development. However, actionable guidelines to promote a holistic adaptation and the effective functioning of destination marketing/management organizations (DMOs) in the increasingly data-infused world are still needed. This perspective paper posits a research-based framework that DMOs can use to become more responsive and efficient in their marketing and planning efforts in the current AI-infused world. Four propositions are presented to support DMOs' transition to the insight-era: (a) DMOs' organizational adaptations and workforce development and training, (b) active engagement …

Micro-Clustering: Bringing Innovation To Agritourism, Robin Back

Rosen Research Review

What’s better than simply drinking wine in a vineyard? Maybe a beautiful destination where the whole family can enjoy a day together, tasting wine, enjoying a variety of activities, and watching the kids play. Dr. Robin Back at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and his collaborators have examined a case example that presents a new business model for wine tourism—micro-clustering with diverse forms of ownership on two adjacent wine farms. The team reveals how a single South African agribusiness achieved success, and raises the possibility of other similar businesses doing the same.

Developing A Scale To Measure Destination Gender, Tingting Zhang

Rosen Research Review

Whether they depict the rugged landscape of the American West or the seductive charm of a South Asian beach, photographs and their accompanying text are powerful drivers of tourism demand. But what lies behind our response to such tourism tropes? Rosen College researchers have produced a new study which reappraises destination marketing through a gender-based lens. Led by Dr. Tingting Zhang, the study has developed and validated a cross-cultural scale to determine ‘destination gender’, or whether a location should be thought of as having masculine or feminine gender traits and appeal.

Qiddiya: The Capital Of Entertainment In Saudi Arabia, Manuel Rivera

Rosen Research Review

Located only 45km away from Riyadh, Qiddiya is a city that is destined to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia, providing thousands of jobs, millions of dollars of revenue and a pathway to the future for a whole generation of young Saudis. Dr. Manuel Rivera interviews the CEO of Qiddiya, Philippe Gas, to discuss where his passion for hospitality originated, the bright future of Qiddiya, and their partnership with UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Employing A Network Perspective To Study Hazardous Events In Tourism: Tourism Connections, Island Preferences, And Tourism Market Concentrations In The Hawaiian Islands (2015-2021), Frida Bahja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to employ a network perspective to detect fluctuations in tourism (at the level of tourism areas and by inbound tourism markets) that co-occur with hazardous events. Specifically, the study focuses on the Air Travel Tourism (ATT) network of the Hawaiian Islands and its changes with the incidence of nine hazardous events from 2015 to 2021. The three main aspects of the ATT network, which include tourism connections, island preferences, and concentrations of inbound tourism markets were analyzed for a total of eighty-four monthly and seven annual network models. The results suggest that the network …

The Impact Of Social Capital On U.S. Based Destination Marketing Organizations And Interorganizational Relationships, Jeremy Fairley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Previous literature echoes the notion that destination marketing organizations (DMOs) play a critical role in ensuring a desired tourism development scenario. To date, the performance measurement of destination marketing organizations is paralleled to financial indicators or operations, ignoring the presence and quality of relationships among DMOs and tourism stakeholders. Based on the premise of social capital theory, it is argued that social capital and the inter-organizational relationships between DMOs and tourism stakeholders can influence the success of tourism efforts in a destination, which in return is a contributing factor to the DMOs success as an organization. Furthermore, broader literature indicates …

Preparing The Hospitality And Tourism Workforce For The Future Of Work, Arthur Huang

Rosen Research Review

The economic restructuring necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic has ignited a fundamental transformation of the US workforce driven by powerful digital technologies. No sector has been hit harder than the hospitality and tourism industry (H&T), and no industry has more to gain from reinvention. H&T employs about 32% of the US labor force; however, workers’ wages, benefits, and career support are among the lowest of all industries. Moreover, research shows that numerous jobs in H&T are susceptible to automation due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The fears related to job loss resulting from applying advanced technology, such as AI, …

Managers From Hell In The Hospitality Industry, Fevzi Okumus

Rosen Research Review

The majority of employees are disaffected with their work and not engaged in their place of employment. This is a surprising but statistically validated fact revealed in a Gallup poll, and it has prompted Rosen College researchers to investigate how far it applies to hospitality. In what is thought to be the first study to look at the problem in the industry, research by Dr. Fevzi Okumus and his two former Ph.D. students reveal what hospitality employees have to say about "managers from Hell," and what this means for the sector.

Automation Anxieties: Perceptions About Technological Automation And The Future Of Pharmacy Work, Cameron W. Piercy, Angela N. Gist-Mackey

Human-Machine Communication

This study uses a sample of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians (N = 240) who differ in skill, education, and income to replicate and extend past findings about socioeconomic disparities in the perceptions of automation. Specifically, this study applies the skills-biased technical change hypothesis, an economic theory that low-skill jobs are the most likely to be affected by increased automation (Acemoglu & Restrepo, 2019), to the mental models of pharmacy workers. We formalize the hypothesis that anxiety about automation leads to perceptions that jobs will change in the future and automation will increase. We also posit anxiety about overpayment related to …

The Influence Of Post-Visit Emotions On Destination Loyalty, Maksim Godovykh, Asli D. A. Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: The influence of different factors including emotional states on loyalty has been previously discussed in the literature. However, the influence of post-visit emotions evoked by emotional stimuli on tourist loyalty lacks empirical attention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of post-visit emotional stimuli on destination loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach: The study applied an online scenario-based experimental design to identify the impact of positive and negative affective pictorial stimuli on destination loyalty. A sample of 500 adult US residents who visited Orlando within the past 12 months was recruited to take part in the experiment. One-way ANOVA was …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Economic Downturn On Central Florida Nonprofits, Tiffany C. Chinwuba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on society, both in lifestyle and commerce, especially in Central Florida where the economy is centralized around tourism. While local and state governmental agencies are distributing aid to meet the needs caused by high unemployment, the nonprofit sector mobilized to help fill the gap in assistance by providing resources and services. However prior research into the nonprofit sector finds that prolonged economic downturn may eventually affect the nonprofit force by reduced funding to programs as it did during the 2008 economic recessions. Hence, many nonprofit organizations may be at risk of insolvency in the coming …

Three Papers Examining The Impact Of Non-Financial And Supplier Diversity Disclosures On Investors' Judgments And Decisions., Andria Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Sustainability reporting is standard practice for large and mid-cap global companies. Sustainability reports are voluntary in nature and are used by companies to report on their sustainability activities to investors and other stakeholders. The supplier diversity disclosure is common amongst sustainability reports; however, current standards provide limited guidance on the information that is pertinent to the users of the information. Supplier diversity and inclusion is an important strategic business initiative, and yet the topic has garnered little attention in academic research. To further examine this topic, I conduct three studies examining the topic using multiple methods. The first study presents …

Impact Of Error Management Culture On Organizational Performance, Management-Team Performance And Creativity In The Hospitality Industry, Priyanko Guchait, Yu Qin, Juan Madera, Nan Hua, Xingyu Wang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational error management culture impacts organizational performance, management-team performance, and creativity in the hospitality industry. In addition, this study examined the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior between error management culture and outcomes. Data were collected from general managers of 148 hotels in China using survey questionnaires. Results indicated that general managers' perceptions of organizational error management culture had a significant impact on all outcome variables. Additionally, the study found the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior.

The "If-Then" Rules Matter More? The Roles Of Regulatory Focus And Leader–Member Exchange, You-De Dai, Wen-Long Zhuang, Annie Ko, Fevzi Okumus

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aimed to explore the impact of regulatory focus on employees' effort behavior and social loafing in the context of international tourist hotels. The moderating effect of leader–member exchange on this causal relationship was also examined. Data were analyzed using a regression model of 708 valid responses obtained from frontline employees working in five-star international hotels. The results reveal that regulatory focus is positively related to effort behavior and partially supports social loafing. Leader–member exchange moderates the relationship between promotion focus and effort behavior as well as between prevention focus and effort behavior. These findings provide managerial implications for …

Darden Restaurants: The Role Of College Education In The Hospitality Industry, Rick Cardenas, Elizabeth Yost

Rosen Research Review

Rick Cardenas' first job was waiting tables at his local Red Lobster restaurant. Now he is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants under brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. Here, he explains to Rosen College's Elizabeth Yost how his own career developed and discusses the importance of a college education in the hospitality industry.

The Breakers: How To Make It In Luxury Hospitality Management, Tricia Taylor, Danielle Orchard

Rosen Research Review

There is no doubt that from the outside, the Italian Renaissance-style resort The Breakers Palm Beach, looks luxurious and comfortable. Executive Vice President & General Manager Tricia Taylor gives us the inside scoop on what it means to manage such a unique hotel and why she still loves her role 24 years in. She explains to Rosen Colleges' Sr. Director for Advancement, Danielle Orchard, why she is looking to Rosen College for future star employees.

The Role Of Organizational Culture For Creating Understanding And Trust Through Internal Crisis Communication, Albena Björck, Petra Barthelmess

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Understanding and trust are major goals of the internal communication in general. In a crisis situation with its inherent uncertainty and lack of time their importance is elevated to a new level. The crisis communication theory lacks a cultural contextualization and a long-standing tradition for including the influence of organizational culture. The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of corporate culture as a key factor for internal crisis communication and its effectiveness. It investigates how the visible and less visible levels of culture manifest themselves in the internal crisis communication practice and identifies organizational culture patterns that …

Antecedents Of Tendency To Help The Victims Of Human Trafficking From The Perspective Of High-Contact Service Employees In The Lodging Industry, Melissa Farboudi Jahromi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

International Labor Organization estimated that 40.3 million people were victims of human trafficking in 2016. The high rate of human trafficking has drawn policymakers' attention to this issue and made them enforce anti-trafficking laws and regulations. However, their legal measures have not been based on solid empirical evidence due to the lack of academic research on human trafficking. The scant research available on human trafficking has been mainly descriptive or an investigation of sex trafficking cases to provide help to survivors. Thus, there is a need for research to explore human trafficking as a human rights issue through various perspectives …