Business Commons^™

Why Employees Are Learving And Will Not Return To Work In The Hospitality Industry, Robertico Croes, Kelly Semrad, Manuel Rivera

Rosen Research Review

An important new report by Rosen College researchers should be taken as a wakeup call for the tourism and hospitality industry in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigating Restaurant Worker Well-Being In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Occupational Stress And The Role Of Workplace Support In Retention And Career-Change Intentions., Craig Rapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Health and well-being have become one of the most important topics in organizational research. The Covid-19 pandemic has compounded the stress levels in all sectors across the world. The current environment has created unprecedented levels of employee turnover, in what economist have been calling the "Great Resignation," where individuals are not only quitting but are questioning their career choice and choosing to leave their profession altogether. This research utilized Conservation of Research (COR) theory and the Buffer Hypothesis (the notion that social support protects individuals from the negative impacts of workplace stress) to investigate occupational stress and well-being (i.e., burnout …

The Global Impact Of Covid-19 And Tourism On Conservation Rangers' Guardianship Capabilities, Zachary Bockler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted wildlife rangers with an emphasis on the influences of tourism rates. Two sets of data are used: one is a survey of rangers around the world and the other looks at global governmental tourism data. While coming from a routine activities perspective, the problem of decreased capable guardianship becomes apparent in the form of massively decreased tourism arrivals and troubling ranger perceptions. This data allows for the establishment of tourism trends and changes during COVID. The findings of this thesis link the downturn in tourism with impacts on formal and informal …

Two Essays On The Evolution And Role Of Short Selling Activity In Financial Markets, Wanxi Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

My dissertation studies the evolution and role of short selling activity in financial markets. My first essay examines the cross-sectional and time-series variations in the characteristics of equity lending market in the setting of IPO, where, as suggested by Duffie et al. (2002), search frictions are likely to be high. I find that the initial supply of lendable shares and short interest levels increase with offer size, while initial lending fees decrease with offer size. The initial lending fees are also positively related to the bargaining power of lenders and negatively related to the bargaining power of borrowers. The supply …

The Antecedents Of Program Satisfaction And Program Loyalty For Hotel Reward Programs, Jill Plumer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Hotel reward programs have been in existence for three decades. These programs were originally established as a customer relationship management tool to reward loyal guests for their patronage. Over time, there have been indications that the programs that are intended to inspire loyalty to the company have actually inspired loyalty to the program itself. The aim of this study was to analyze the antecedents of program satisfaction and program loyalty in hotels to determine the relationship between the program attributes and the impact on program loyalty. Switching costs were also analyzed to determine if they played a moderating role in …

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

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

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 …

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, 2020-2023

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 …

Integration Of Video Game Play And Storytelling In Theme Park Environmental Design, Alexandria Marcello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis presents a visual design exploration of video game storytelling in physical themed environments, specifically, theme parks. The theme park industry has only recently begun to tap into the video game market, with seasonal attractions and events in parks, and the first fully video game dedicated land, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan. As theme park companies further seek out the most popular and profitable video game Intellectual Properties (IP), it will be imperative to create the most authentic video game experiences possible. The guest experience will hinge upon the successful adaptation of gameplay; creating the story around …

Journey To The Dragon's Gate: A Study Of Hybrid Ride Systems And How They Enhance Attraction Storytelling, Matthew Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this thesis is to explore a new type of ride design which integrates one or more transitions between formats. Theme Park visitors have come to expect a certain type of immersive experience from attractions. Most rides in the parks are very predictable such as roller coasters which offer loops, drops, speed and quick turns, while dark rides offer a slower pace with the attention on storytelling. The solution to this situation is to combine two ride systems or more into a single ride. The ride system for my attraction begins with a free-floating boat ride navigating its …

Theme Park Queues As Diegetic Worlds: Using Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance As A Case Study For Core Design Elements, Jordan Zauha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis seeks to establish core design elements for use by theme park designers to complement the guidelines established by Ledbetter and his colleagues for theme parks. Building upon Rose Biggin's "strands of enquiry" for examining immersive theatre, the suggested core design elements for immersive theme park queues serve as guidance to craft queues where audiences can actively engage with the queue's storyworld and narrative. Implementation of the core design elements alongside the already established queue design guidelines should assist designers in crafting queues that minimize discomfort and maximize narrative immersion. Theme parks offer location-based narrative landscapes, often contributing to …

A Theoretical Prototype For Narrative And Interactive Development Within A Theme Park Parade, Carson Luter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

While theme park parades have developed with technology and guest demands, there is an opportunity to continue innovating the medium with additional guest interactivity. This thesis tracks experiential comparatives that provide iterative components to be utilized for a new theme park parade concept; parade "show stops" that allow for guests to approach the parade floats up-close, participatory entertainment offerings with live actor-driven branching narratives, roleplay and gameplay-driven interactive experiences, and theme park parades that follow a direct linear narrative. What follows is a theme park parade design concept, accompanied by a production and operational plan, that combines the existing spectacle …

Creating Themed Accessible Spaces Through Hospitality Design, Sidney Wolf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis summarizes available literature about the individual requirements and specific design attributes needed to understand, apply, develop, and design a themed hotel with an emphasis in accessibility and inclusivity. This thesis contains a visual project and design guide that focuses on creating a themed space that offers modern means of accessibility for mobility aids, or for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or partially sighted. The guide summarizes literature on existing codes and explores other resources to adapt them to create an inclusive narrative environment. The visual project applies the material found in the guide and produces …

Sensory Overload: Creating Autism-Friendly Areas In Theme Parks Through Universal Design Principles, Lindsey Leffel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis project explores the application of Universal Design principles to the development of purpose-built rest and play spaces within United States theme parks that provide places of refuge for children with autism and their families. The goal is to offer ideas on how to create spaces where families and individuals can take a break from the over-stimulation of the traditional theme park environment in an area that has been specifically designed with their sensory needs in mind. Though the target demographic for these spaces is children with autism and their families, the ideas offered to create space will not …

Breaking The Mold: Haunted Attraction Mazes; A Study In Reducing Predictability & Increasing Intensity, Within Unconventional Halloween Attraction Experiences, Amy Avalos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Every enchanted Fall season, a segment of the public flocks to a multitude of haunted Halloween attractions across the U.S., to experience fear as a form of amusement and entertainment. Psychologists continue to research the physiological and cognitive behaviors that are associated with fear and the "fight or flight" responses that are triggered when individuals are engaged in a heighten sense of danger. However, as guests traverse through these haunted attraction experiences, it's commonplace for guests to enter into these typical modes of "fight or flight" behaviors very quickly. Once this response kicks in, the guests' instinct is to scramble …

Covid-19 And Tourism: Analyzing The Effects Of Covid-19 Statistics And Media Coverage On Attitudes Toward Tourism, Maksim Godovykh, Jorge Ridderstaat, Carissa Baker, Alan Fyall

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

COVID-19 has significantly influenced tourism, including tourists’ and residents’ attitudes toward tourism. At the same time, attitudes and consumer confidence are important for economic recovery in the tourism sector. This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s attitudes toward tourism by analyzing time-series data on the number of COVID-19 positive cases, vaccinations, news sentiment, a total number of daily mentions of tourism, and the share of voice for positive and negative sentiment toward tourism. The applied data analysis techniques include descriptive analysis, visual representation of data, data decomposition into trend and cycle components, unit root tests, Granger …

The State Of The Hospitality Industry 2021 Employment Report: Covid-19 Labor Force Legacy, Robertico R. Croes, Kelly Semrad, Manuel A. Rivera

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic's ongoing impact on the U.S. hospitality industry. The report details the primary economic issues the industry faces as well as provides a unique workforce analysis that anticipates continued labor shortages as the country moves towards an endemic. The research was conducted using a national survey with almost 1,000 U.S. hospitality workers. The survey includes questions pertaining to COVID-19 related hospitality employee topics such as: the impact COVID-19 had on hospitality jobs, employees' intentions to leave the industry, employees likelihood to accept or look for a hospitality job, employees' perceived …

An Empirical Modeling Of Transformation Process Through Trip Experiences, Asli D.A. Tasci, Maksim Godovykh

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Transformative experience has been the buzzword in recent years. Tourism and hospitality experiences in natural, historical, cultural, and authentic spaces are some of them. However, to this date, specific dimensions of transformation or its process have not been empirically identified. This study reviewed the literature on transformation, used open-ended questions to collect free-elicited responses on the meanings of transformation, collected expert opinion, and developed a 101-item scale reflecting different dimensions and the steps of the transformation process. The scale was validated with a sequential scale validation procedure; Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were used …

Wish You Were Here, Exhibit Brochure, Judy Kuhns, Stephen Ford

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: August-December 2021

Featured items: Postcards from 1907-1915 during The Golden Age of Postcards, materials on loan from Special Collections, books from the Rosen Library Collection, and souvenirs. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Stephen Ford

See more items from this exhibit

Wish You Were Here, Exhibit Sign, Judy Kuhns, Stephen Ford

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: August-December 2021

Featured items: Postcards from 1907-1915 during The Golden Age of Postcards, materials on loan from Special Collections, books from the Rosen Library Collection, and souvenirs. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Stephen Ford

See more items from this exhibit

Covid-19: A 'Perfect Storm' For The Hospitality Sector, Arthur Huang

Rosen Research Review

Fear of infection, strict stay-at-home-orders (SAHOs), and mandated business closures have all combined to severely disrupt supply and demand for many businesses. As a result, COVID-19 devastated the hospitality industry in a way unlike any other. Dr. Arthur Huang of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and his colleagues assessed the effects of state and local intervention policies on the hospitality industry through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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, …

Rising From The Ashes Of Covid-19 Will Need A Sharp Focus On The Numbers, Manuel Rivera, Murat Kizildag, Robertico Croes

Rosen Research Review

If there is one sector that cannot move 'online', it is accommodation, and SLEs (small lodging establishments) have taken a merciless beating from COVID-19. Typically family-owned and managed, they have relatively high capital costs and overheads which means that even when revenues stop coming in, those liabilities still have to be met. This study by Dr. Manuel Rivera, Dr. Murat Kizildag, and Dr. Robertico Croes, of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, shows how a detailed break-even analysis can inform a business’s strategy for survival within the important SLE sector.

How Could Robots Improve The Customer Experience At A Theme Park, Ady Milman, Dr. Asli Tasci, Tingting Zhang

Rosen Research Review

Technology is moving fast, and accordingly, robots are being successfully integrated into several hospitality organizations to improve customer experiences. Theme parks could benefit from robots, to provide efficient and cost-effective services. Yet, there is a lack of research investigating customer perceptions of robots in theme parks. Dr. Ady Milman, Dr. Asli Tasci, and Dr. Tingting Zhang, from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, conducted the first investigation into how certain robotic qualities influence customer’s perceptions of and loyalty to the theme park. Their research could inform the future integration of robot technology into theme parks.

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.

The Power Of E-Commerce In The Hotel Industry, Nan Hua, Wei Wei, Ahmet Ozturk

Rosen Research Review

With continuous developments in information technology leading to increasingly sophisticated and fickle customers, the hotel industry is under pressure to invest in e-commerce capabilities. But is it a worthwhile investment or are loyalty programs enough to drive profitable repeat visits? Dr. Nan Hua, Dr. Wei Wei, and Dr. Ahmet Ozturk from the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, investigate the synergy between e-commerce, customer loyalty programs, and hotel operating performance.

Households' Net Financial Wealth As A Determinant Of Tourism Demand Cycles: Evidence From Us Travel To Selected Caribbean Destinations, Jorge Ridderstaat

Rosen Research Review

Dr. Jorge Ridderstaat from Rosen College of Hospitality Management introduces the concept of net financial wealth as a determinant of tourism demand. His investigation provides theoretical propositions for policymakers by studying how cycles of household net finances affect tourism demand. He focuses on three destinations: Aruba, Barbados, and Jamaica. The findings reveal that the influence of net financial wealth on tourism demand is context-based and is specific to households, cycles, and countries, across both time and probability dimensions.

Dick Pope Sr. Institute For Tourism Studies, Rosen College Of Hospitality Management

Rosen Research Review

The Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies is based at at the University of Central Florida.

Rosen College Hosts Five Important Journals In The Hospitality & Tourism Field, Rosen College Of Hospitality Management

Rosen Research Review

This page highlights five hospitality journals founded and/or edited by Rosen College of Hospitality Management faculty members.

Rosen Library And Stars: Shining A Light On The Past And Illuminating The Future Of Hospitality & Tourism Industry Research, Susan Vernon-Devlin, Tim Bottorff

Rosen Research Review

The Rosen College Library's print and electronic collections are rich and tailored to the college’s unique programs and degrees, but that’s just the start of what makes it unique. From access to materials both old and new, to reference support for researchers, to partnerships with industry organizations, to conducive spaces for work and study, the Rosen College Library is an integral part of the Rosen College's research mission and success.

From Bloom To Bust: Harmful Algae Blooms And Their Impacts On The Waterfront Economy, Sergio Alvarez

Rosen Research Review

The true costs of harmful algae blooms (HABs) and the mechanics that determine their socio-economic impacts are for the most part unknown. Florida’s 2017–2019 red tide (Karenia brevis) bloom is a historical case study of the ever-growing threats to coastal welfare posed by HABs. A new research project at Rosen College of Hospitality Management has this at its heart. The central objective of the project is the identification of direct, indirect, and induced socioeconomic impacts caused by the 2017–2019 K. brevis bloom in Florida.