Business Commons^™

A Study Of Restaurateurs' Attitudes And Practices In Relation To Obesity, Gary "Lee" Frantz Ph.D., Chanda Walter M.S., Rpht, Kendra K. Kattleman Ph.D., Rd, Ln

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

The dramatic increase in the rate of obesity in the United States is raising new public health concerns. Each year, obesity-related problems cause at least 300,000 deaths and cost around 100 billion dollars. Take a walk down the street, go to a shopping center or sport event, or pick up a newspaper or magazine and the severity of the obesity problem in the United States is becoming a critical problem to solve. About 65% of the U.S. adult population is overweight (35%) or obese (30%), which has doubled in only two decades. Obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart …

2010 M&A Update, Carol M. Sanchez, Christina Seeber, Stephen R. Goldberg

Peer Reviewed Articles

Most of 2009 was slow for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), due to financial turmoil and economic uncertainty that carried over from late 2008. But the deal market rebounded in the fourth quarter of 2009 and 2010 appears to be much better for M&A than 2009. Yet while the global economy shows signs of recovery, and many buyers and sellers are flush with cash, M&A activity may begin slowly in the United States in 2011 due to uncertainty about the business outlook and potential tax changes. In this article, we briefly review M&A activity in the first half of 2010, and …

Factors Impacting Hotel Market Performance, A.J. Singh Ph.D., Raymond S. Schmidgall Ph.D., Seunghyun Kim Ph.D., Zhen Zhang

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

It is generally accepted that hotel development, investment and acquisition follows three basic steps, (Waterman 2001)

1. Identifying market areas that show long term potential for hotel investment

2. Choosing a lodging product that takes advantage of the dynamics of the local supply and demand characteristics.

3. Search and selection of a suitable site.

Whereas hotel investors and market analysts have access to top line performance data, such as Occupancy, Average Daily Rate, RevPar , these represent historic information. As such, these data points are useful in that they provide market trends, which can be used to extrapolate future performance. …

Are Loyalty Program Members More Loyal Than Nonmembers?, Miran Kim Ph.D., Christine Vogt Ph.D., Bonnie Knutson

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

Since the airline industry introduced the first loyalty program in the early 1980s (Lacey and Sneath, 2006), loyalty programs are common in many hospitality sectors including hotels, restaurants, casinos, and rental cars (Baloglu, 2002). As one of many relationship marketing tactics, loyalty programs aim to develop repeat purchases by rewarding customers with added benefits such as recognition, preferred treatment, access to special products and services, and incentives (Kivetz and Simonson, 2002; Sharp and Sharp, 1997). They also aim to foster customers’ loyalty by building closer and longer-term relationships between the company and customers (Meyer-Waarden, 2008; Sharp and Sharp, 1997; Yi …

Exploring E-Service Quality Of Online Hotel Booking Web Sites, Sungsik Yoon, Seunghyun Kim Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

There is no doubt that the internet has become a new and valuable communication channel, collapsing all geographical and physical barriers, and making it a competitive marketing devise in the hospitality and tourism industry (Doolin et al., 2002). It is clear that travelers increasingly prefer interacting with the travel business online to conveniently gather information on destinations, prices, and schedules (Greenspan, 2004). For that reason, many hotels are regarding the internet as a new and efficient marketing environment. For example, one of the main advantages for hotels by using electronic strategies as a distribution system is the cost reduction (O’Connor …

A Case Study Of International Cooperative Learning Between American And Chinese Students, Suosheng Wang, Kun Lai Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

International Cooperative Learning (ICL) possesses a big potential in becoming a good solution to higher education’s challenge of “internationalization.” To explore how ICL should be designed, implemented and what challenges and barriers an ICL course may encounter, the researchers from SYSU, Guangzhou, China and IU, Indianapolis, USA researched ICL by incorporating it into the course of ‘Global Tourism Geography’ and bringing their students together into the same distance-learning ‘classroom’. Such a study is needed for the reason that ICL lacks clear conception and practical operationalization, although it possesses great potentials to be an important solution to challenges caused by “internationalization” …

Applying The Dineserv And Ipa Methods To A Cross Cultural Comparison Of Quality Service Gaps, A. Scott Rood, Joanna Dziadkowiec

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

This is an empirical comparison of methods study, to determine which method (DINESERV or Importance Performance Analysis) will produce the most relevant gap analysis attuned to the needs of restaurant managers (hospitality providers) in Poland and the United States. The aims are: 1) to understand what consumers expect (in advance of their purchase) from a casual dining restaurant; 2) to understand what attributes are more or less important to them; 3) to examine aspects of service delivery (post purchase) and identify the service quality gaps; and, 5) to compare the two main methodologies.

Travel Marketing Collaboration Effectiveness: What Metric Count, Michael E. Ricco

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

The purpose of this study is to identify a definitive array of inter-organizational, collaborative marketing effectiveness measurements used in practice. The metrics were derived from a factor analysis of literature-based metrics. The industry context of the study was U.S. organizations engaged in the international inbound tourism industry since 2005.

Identifying Perceived Attributes Of Japanese Restaurants, Haeik Park, Jaemin Cha Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

Growth in popularity of Japanese foods among Americans is confirmed by the increasing number of Japanese restaurants in the USA over the past decade (Imai, 2010). Since popularity and demand for Japanese cuisine continues to grow, operators of Japanese restaurants need to understand consumers’ perceived attributes of Japanese restaurants.

Relationships Among Experiential Marketing, Experiential Value, Customer Satisfaction, And Customer Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation Of Korea's Upscale Hotels, Dongsun Kim, Seunghyun Kim Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

No abstract provided.

Forging Theatre And Community: Challenges And Strategies For Serving Two Missions, Dan L. Balfour

Peer Reviewed Articles - Public, Nonprofit, and Health Administration

At the age of personal computers, the Internet, cell phones, video games, and I-pods, how can individuals be enticed to emerge from their electronic silos and actually engage others in meaningful discourse as members of a community with common interests and problems? One organizational response to this challenge is the activities of community-based organizations. Such organizations are widely recognized for their ability to promote and facilitate creative face-to-face human interactions that serve as a counterweight to the forces of individuation and declining trust in public institutions, while playing a niche role in the process of building and sustaining community solidarity. …

Fundraising Strategies Of Nonprofit Organizations: Measuring Roi And Success In A Time Of Economic Crisis, Leslie Jablonski, Jeff Beck

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

The question being explored through this research is whether or not there are particular, newly developed, strategies that have aided organizations in continuing to raise funds during difficult economic times. Particularly, the research focuses on the differing events organizations have used in their attempts to raise money. In addition, it explores the existence of connections between the strategies the organizations in different sectors of the industry use to raise money when the public does not have much to give.

Handwashing Behaviors In Food Service Establishment Restrooms: An Observational Study, Jaemin Cha Ph.D., Carl Borchgrevink Ph.D., Seunghyun Kim Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified poor handwashing as a main factor in foodborne illness outbreaks (ServSafe, 2009). They suggested that failure to wash hands, or inadequate washing of hands, contributes to almost 50% of all foodborne illness outbreaks. We conducted an observational study of diners’ handwashing behaviors in restaurant restrooms in terms of gender, handwashing signage, sink cleanliness conditions, and time. Our goal was to explore predictors of proper handwashing behaviors to promote better handwashing compliance.

Consumer Perception Of Boutique Hotel: A Pilot Study, Jellna Chung, Seunghyun Kim Ph.D.

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

In most situations, consumers purchase or use built-in products and services; however, it is sometimes necessary to customize products to satisfy consumers’ needs and desires. In the hotel industry, for instance, customers have begun to prefer unique experiences. The newest concept in the hotel market today is the boutique (Hartesvelt, 2006). Boutique hotels are upscale, luxury properties that tend to be smaller than conventional hotels, are frequently located in urban areas or city centers, have historical or other interesting aspects, and individually designed for the delivery of personal service (Lim & Endean, 2008). The primary purpose of this study is …

Using Excel To Teach Hospitality Financial Statement Analysis, George R. Conrade

Great Lakes Hospitality & Tourism Educators Conference

This presentation demonstrated the use of Excel to help individuals understand how to prepare and analyze lodging industry financial statements. It focused on an Excel-based interactive exercise that requires a user to prepare some key lodging industry statements, calculate ratios, and then analyze what the numbers mean. It is this last element that is the most important part of financial statement analysis – users must think about what a line account value or a ratio is telling them. It is from this focus on listening to what a number says about an operation that the exercise derives its name – …

The Spirit Of Family Business: A Comparative Analysis Of Anglo, Germanic And Nordic Nations, Vipin Gupta, Nancy M. Levenburg, Lynda Moore, Jaideep Motwani, Thomas V. Schwarz

Peer Reviewed Articles

Using GLOBE classification and findings, this paper compares the family characteristics and work cultures of family businesses in Anglo, Germanic, and Nordic cultures. Results indicate differing patterns in terms of the involvement of the family in the family business and other key organizational dimensions. While all three regions share their weak family orientation, the Nordic and Germanic regions share stronger future orientation and uncertainty avoidance. The Anglo and Germanic regions share stronger performance orientation and the Nordic region stands out for its low power distance and low assertiveness. Overall, the characteristics of family businesses in the three regions may be …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Attitudes Toward Women Managers In China, Chile, And The United States, Carol M. Sanchez, Robert Scherer, Rajshekhar G. Javalgi, Lorena Pradenas Rojas, Victor Parada Daza, Chi-En Hwang, Wu Yan

Peer Reviewed Articles

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine if stereotypical perceptions of women as managers existed among men and women in three cultural settings: the U.S., China and Chile. Based on the extant literature, hypotheses were developed and tested.

Design/Methodology Approach : Participants in our study were students enrolled in degree programs. The data was collected from the U.S., China and Chile. Using the women as mangers scale (WAMS), the study explores attitudinal dimensions. Further, gender and country effects were identified at both multivariate and univariate levels.

Findings: The findings show that stereotypical perceptions of women as mangers exist …

Beyond The Veneer Of Strategic Philanthropy, Patricia Patrizi, Elizabeth Heid Thompson

The Foundation Review

· “Strategic philanthropy” has become a dominant theme among foundations in the past few decades.

· While many foundations have developed strategic plans, few have made the internal changes necessary to actually behave strategically.

· Four challenges to strategic philanthropy are identified, including strategies developed in isolation from grantees that execute them and misaligned foundation structures, processes, and cultures that do not support strategic endeavors.

· In order to get beyond the veneer of strategic philanthropy, foundation leaders need to be clearer about their own role in creating change, develop the strategic capacities to do so, and then apply those …

Learning From An Adaptive-Consultative Approach: One Foundation’S Experience In Creating Systems Change In Education, Srikanth Gopalakrishnan, Hallie Preskill

The Foundation Review

· This article describes a creative relationship between the Ball Foundation and the Rowland Unified School District. The approach was adopted by the Ball Foundation when they observed that grantees who had a closer relationship with them were more successful than those who had a more traditional relationship with them.

· Based on the concept of “adaptive leadership,” the relationship allows for flexibility and a more collaborative approach between the foundation and grantee.

· This approach requires both the funder and the grantee to be committed to learning and adapting strategies as needed to respond to both results and changing …

I'M Not Rockefeller: Implications For Major Foundations Seeking To Engage Ultra- High-Net-Worth Donors, Katherina M. Rosqueta, Kathleen Noonan, Miriam Shark

The Foundation Review

· This article describes how a group of 33 ultrahigh- net-worth philanthropists (UHNWPs) approach their giving.

· A few key areas dominated their giving priorities: education; health; poverty and social welfare; and children/youth initiatives each were a priority for more than a quarter of participants – with education expressed as an interest of 55 percent.

· A third of the 24 who responded to the question spent less than 10 percent of their full working time devoted to philanthropy, and 13 dedicated less than 20 percent of their working time.

· UHNWPs view their peers as their most trusted information …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Exposing Real World Philanthropy To The Next Generation Of Social Work Leaders, Yoko Crume, Edgar Villanueva

The Foundation Review

· This article describes a method for instructing social work students in the art of enhanced collaboration with foundations, shifting the focus from “writing a winning proposal” and “finding alternative funding sources” to “developing collaborative partnerships for sustainable community development and social change.”

· The program consists of four major steps: charitable foundation review and case presentation, self-guided review of real-world proposals, mock grant proposal development, and side-by-side proposal review.

· Student proposals were rated similarly by the instructor and the foundation program officer, even though different criteria were used, suggesting that well-written proposals are also likely to clearly address …

Finding The Fix: Embracing Philanthropy’S Role In Transforming An Urban Education Landscape, Kristen L. Mcdonald

The Foundation Review

· Education funders have historically used a “demonstration project” approach to funding, designed to lever change by demonstrating a new program and providing technical assistance to foster broader adoption.

· Despite demonstrating success with many of its grants, the Skillman Foundation’s education reform initiatives were derailed and undone by the instability of the district leadership, political landscape shifts, and disintegrating neighborhoods.

· A complete turnaround model must address the many issues facing a failing school, including culture, curriculum, school leadership, professional development, and classroom instruction. The stability of the central administration must also be considered.

· The new look at …

Expanding Organizational Advocacy Capacity: Reflections From The Field, Annette Gardner, Sara Geierstanger, Lori Miller Nascimento, Claire Brindis

The Foundation Review

· Organizational advocacy capacity is an increasingly important area of inquiry, raising questions about the opportunities (and limits) for achieving and sustaining policy change.

· The California Endowment implemented the Clinic Consortia Policy and Advocacy Program to expand grantee advocacy capacity to support the policy and operational needs of California’s community clinics.

· In-person meetings with decision-makers and developing working relationships were among the key advocacy activities undertaken by 19 grantees. Grantees secured several policy wins through a variety of strategies, including mobilizing member clinics to be potent advocates.

· The “return on investment analysis” indicates that grantees secured policymaker …

Developing Foundation-University-Grantee Collaboratives As A Model For High-Impact Philanthropy, Michelle B. Nayfack, Priscilla Wohlstetter

The Foundation Review

· This article reports on results from the Weingart Foundation’s Urban School Districts Reform Initiative. The goal of the initiative was to improve urban education, and ultimately raise student achievement, by supporting sustainable reforms in school districts educating high numbers of low-income students.

· The Weingart Foundation determined the scale and scope of the effort, and set forth specific goals and timelines; the districts were invited to propose projects that were organic and integrated into their own strategic plans.

· Based on research conducted by an intermediary, potential grantees were identified; six grantees were interviewed about their strategic plan priorities …

Embedded Foundations: Advancing Community Change And Empowerment, Paula Allen-Meares, Larry Gant, Trina Shanks

The Foundation Review

· Embedded funders are foundations that have made long-term commitments to the communities in which they are located or work.

· Foundations have a long history in funding community development, often with few concrete results.

· Political conditions, the increasing divide between rich and poor, inaccessibility of education, lack of housing, and continued segregation and racial discrimination are issues that need be addressed concurrently and resources need to be drawn from a variety of sources, particularly the neighborhoods themselves. This complexity has created an impetus for embedded philanthropy.

· Embedded funders work participatively with the community and frame evaluations in …

International Programming, Local Development, And Youth: An Experience In Northeast Brazil, Frances Hansford, Andrés Thompson

The Foundation Review

· The W. K. Kellogg Foundation funded a 10-year program of local development work in selected geographic areas in Northeast Brazil from 1997 – 2007.

· This article reports on program achievements and difficulties, and examines the ways in which the practices of the foundation facilitated and obstructed advances in the local development initiatives.

· Two main strategies were used: direct funding granted to organizations in the targeted regions and the creation of a comprehensive support system (e.g., youth projects funds, capacity-building in leadership and evaluation, and transfer of expertise from organizations).

· A team of foundation staff and consultants …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Teresa R. Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Community Philanthropy: How The Delta Region Revives, Embraces, And Promotes The Spirit Of Giving, Charlotte L. Williams, Sherece West, Joanna Klak

The Foundation Review

· Community philanthropy is the giving of time, talent, and treasure that when invested locally is characteristic of positive change and lasting development.

· This article reports on a survey of 31 small Arkansas communities of 5,000 to 15,000 in population using open-ended descriptive questions. Responses were compared across communities to assess variation in giving/fundraising, civic engagement, and leadership.

· Data confirm that giving/fundraising was substantial, particularly in communities with populations of 8,000 or less.

· Findings show that people are giving not only their money, but also their services, time, and skills – especially in times of emergency response. …