Research Topics: Travel

China Hotels

INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem              In China, foreign and domestic hotels are one the country’s important economic source. People from all parts of the world visit China in order to see its famous foreign and domestic hotels and dine in its fine restaurants. In spite of the increasing popularity of China as an urban tourist destination, certain hotel business issues affect the influx of tourist and the revenue acquired from this business. The problem on competition for example, is one of the growing concerns of the foreign and domestic hotel business in China. In addition, customer satisfaction is one of the highly significant priorities in the business. Being the major source of tourism revenue, foreign and domestic hotel business owners in China are applying various strategies that will enhance the experience of visitors coming to the city.             One of the main issues relevant to the need of assessing service quality is the significant transitions that the foreign and domestic hotel business in China must undergo. One of the recognized changes in the hotel business of China was the transformation of its domestic and foreign hotels, where the once conventional hotels were converted into modernized ones. This transition implies the apparent increase of small firms providing tourism services at present, while the foreign and domestic hotel business used to be dominated by a few producers. In other words, the hotel owners in China now have a number of accesses to strategies and factors that amplify business competition. While this tendency has in many ways improved the overall state of foreign and domestic hotel business of the country, hotel owners also encounter difficulties to operate their businesses successfully, making the evaluation of service quality all the more essential. They have also stated that the competition in the domestic and foreign hotel business in China is augmented by new strategies introduced and implemented by various hotels. With the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) as well as other technological facilities, tourists have more options and control over they type of hotels they want to stay. Hence, with the present advancements, foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China are giving more importance to specialized and enhanced forms of services for tourists, especially the service quality of the restaurants in these hotels. Another issue that is related to the need for evaluating service quality is the tendency of consumer behavior to change drastically. This has been observed by several researchers. According to these researchers, the changes in the consumers’ cultural values are among the most influential factors that affect the foreign and domestic hotel business in China. The difference on how consumer responds to products or services given to them is significantly dependent on their cultural origins and values, which naturally affects visitor experience. There are a number of interconnected issues that falls under the foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China. Competition, new strategies and changing consumer trends are among these issues. The main focus however, is on the comparison of the service quality of the foreign and domestic hotels in China. One way of doing so is by means of assessing the visitors’ expectation and satisfaction. Enhancing the quality of foreign and domestic hotel services given to the customer or tourists naturally leads to satisfaction. This essential business element is highly significant in combating the problems and issues cited. Hence, consumer studies in the foreign and domestic hotel business of China are very important.             By means of evaluating service quality and visitor satisfaction, developing new strategies for tourist hotel facilities that will augment customer satisfaction in China can be done. China is a popular tourist destination. Nonetheless, tourism issues affect this industry in one way or another. The local government should then adopt strategies and methods that will prepare the country for tourism. The comparison of China’s foreign and domestic hotels’ service quality and visitor satisfaction will facilitate the achievement of this objective. In this proposal, focus will be given on the tourists’ expectation and satisfaction upon staying in the foreign and domestic hotels in China. Specifically, this proposed study will evaluate the different hotel features offered by the foreign and domestic hotels in China and determine the level of satisfaction among randomly selected tourists within the vicinity. In order to evaluate the service quality, the survey and interview method will be used. This particular study will be of significant value to the foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China as it will provide an overview of the current status of the foreign and domestic hotel industry in China as well as ways on how its foreign and domestic hotels may be enhanced. Statement of the Problem  The foreign and domestic hotel industry in China is placed in a highly competitive business environment. Various strategies and marketing means must then be employed by entrepreneurs in order to enhance the services they provide. China is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With the abundance of historical tourist spots and archaeological sites, China is one of the countries in the world with the highest number of visitors. Nonetheless, considering the changing consumer trends as well other tourism-related issues, China must apply ways on how to enhance its foreign and domestic hotel industry and increase tourists’ satisfactory experience. Studying service quality is then necessary for this issue. This study will then attempt to answer the following inquiries: <li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">How did China respond to the changing trends in the hotel industry? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">How do tourists describe their experience upon staying in the foreign and domestic hotels in China in general? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">What hotel features do they find most satisfying? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">What hotel features in the hotels need improvement? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">In what ways can the facilities, features and services of the foreign and domestic hotels of China be improved? </li> REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The domestic and foreign hotel business is among the fastest growing economic sectors in China. In fact, the domestic and foreign hotel business by itself is recognized as multi-million dollar and still a progressing business in China. The domestic and foreign hotel business is among the major economic forces in the country as its enables growth and creation of job opportunities. The domestic and foreign hotel business has employed over a million workers who were distributed within various hotel establishments, totaling to revenue generation of billions of dollars. From these records, the domestic and foreign hotel business has indeed become one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Important changes in the understanding and management of the service quality of most domestic and foreign hotels have been developed in the past 10 to 15 years. Various researchers, practitioners and policymakers now acknowledge that service quality can be conceptualized from a functional perspective and that appropriate interventions involve the development of alternative measures to cope up. It was also noted that the establishment of a conducive restaurant environment for tourists to enjoy and relax have served effectively in lowering the prevalence of un-satisfaction among tourists. At present, this philosophical shift has extended to various settings, including China. Domestic and foreign hotel owners and entrepreneurs here have recognized that some tourists do not appreciate so much the quality of service that their hotels and restaurants offer. Hence, these tourists may have the tendency to shy away from visiting China and its other great cities because of this bad impression they have. For decades, researchers have tried to discover the elements of service quality among tourist establishments such as foreign and domestic hotels and restaurants. And while they might have been able to identify certain essential elements of service quality, they have yet to determine the elements that common tourists pay particular attention to. However, it has been shown that negligence of service quality produces consequences that foster bad impressions from tourists. Strong evidence suggests that service quality and its negligence engage in a reciprocal relationship that has a short and long term effect on the tourist’s future opinion regarding the service quality of tourist establishments. One of the criteria for identifying if a tourist establishment such as hotels is of high service quality is whether it has an impressive environment with fully operational facilities meant for the relaxation and enjoyment of the tourists and visitors. A deficit in basic services, as well as skills related to making the tourists and guests fully accommodated, significantly impairs a hotel’s ability to encourage more and more tourists to come over to their place. When compared to high quality serviced foreign and domestic hotels, low quality serviced foreign and domestic hotels have lower performance rates, lower income and are less likely to be known all over the place. As a consequence, low quality serviced hotels often experience a lifetime of problems in employment and publicity, and they are likely to become bankrupted even at a developmental stage.             Take for instance the various foreign and domestic hotel establishments in China having difficulty in adapting to the modern standards of service quality. At present, foreign and domestic hotel owners in China are facing an alarming acceleration in the occurrence of disruptive and challenging behaviors among tourists that seriously impede the performance and credibility of their hotels. Also, there has been a rapid increase in percentage of tourists who have failed to be impressed by the hotel and restaurant services of some domestic and foreign Chinese hotels. Unfortunately, many of today’s foreign and domestic hotels all over the world have both problems. Behaviors and tourist impressions such as lack of sanitation, boring environment and unfair tourist price accommodation rates have all been rampant nowadays. True enough, these problems are counterproductive towards the effective performance of foreign and domestic hotels. Serious impressions of tourists such as aggression, argumentativeness, and defiance are even more of a threat to these poorly serviced foreign and domestic hotels, yet common in countries which cannot afford to establish 5 star quality foreign and domestic hotels. Impressions and evaluations of tourists, both positive and negative, affect performance outcomes of hotels at the employee and management level. From a tourist perspective, tourists who displayed their un-satisfaction remarks in staying in poorly serviced foreign and domestic hotels had a 90% chance of not going back or staying again to the same hotel. They reported that such tourists begin to actively dislike the place itself and actually visit less that particular place. Continuing over years, these tourists are not likely to change their minds after a terrible experience staying on a poorly serviced hotel. Similarly, tourists exhibiting ongoing, serious bad impressions well even after so many years of that terrible experience are increasing. Service Quality  Service quality generally pertains to a tourist’s perception over a certain area or destination’s quality of services being offered. People of tourists tend to interpret the services in their surroundings without realizing it. This interpretation is based on the visitors’ needs and preferences that will allow them to function more efficiently. This makes up the visitor’s overall experience or perception. More recently, noted that service quality suggests awareness but not conscious awareness. The service quality is naturally enhanced when tourists could identify with specific environmental characteristics that they need or are important to them. Thus, the perception or experience in terms of service quality of the visitor is significantly related to the environment they wanted to be in. Service quality pertains to the degree of efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy a firm’s customers, employees, and management. Service quality focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services. More often than not, small firms and business establishments such as hotels and restaurants don’t really have the capabilities to directly determine the quality of their services to their clients or customers. Instead, they engage in activities that various schools of management typically associate with service quality management. These activities include the inspection of their products, service development, production and distribution. However, service quality deals with all operations done within companies and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with service quality. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, service quality includes the analysis and management of internal processes. With the increasing competition in the industry as well as the changes observed among consumers, studying service quality is essential not only to keep the industry successful and productive but most importantly to satisfy and meet the needs of the tourists. Specifically, most firms in the industry are applying various strategies on how to improve their services and enhance service quality. Several technologies are being applied by operators so as to take over with some of the businesses’ main activities. Computerized reservation systems for instance, are one of the known advancements in tourism. This in turn, helps in enhancing service quality as it offers them more options and allows a faster access to information.             While there are numerous efforts done to enhance service quality, researchers concluded that there are also several factors that influence service quality. The preferences, attitudes and perceptions of the visitors in terms of service quality are some of the important factors affecting service quality. Other researchers.  Also concluded that the perception on service impacts is also an influential factor of service quality. In general, the researchers noted that the satisfaction and un-satisfaction that tourists experience while using the services in various destinations affect their overall experience. Hence,  stated that this makes this factor a significant dictator or basis for developing standards of service or product quality. China and Hotel Improvement Efforts  China has long been an ancient destination of many tourists from all over the world, who are very eager to see the city’s famed museums and historical sites, especially the Great Wall. During the early times however, a number of problems in tourism has been encountered by China. Pollution, overcrowding and poor domestic and foreign hotel infrastructures are among the country’s major concerns that affected its image among tourists. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the social amenities and hotel infrastructures in China have gone through significant changes. Funds and financial support from both UK and the European Union have made it possible for the nation to establish foreign and domestic hotels such as Beijing hotel and the Grand Hyatt Beijing hotel. The Metro system was also expanded massively. Other private investments also led to the great expansion of hotels and other tourist sites. One of the major developments that China had gone through in terms of tourism was the remodeling of their foreign and domestic hotels. In addition, a great pedestrian area was also constructed. These pedestrian areas are highly beneficial for tourists as these allow them to appreciate the country’s hotel infrastructures while walking calmly along paths of trees. Aside from the developments done for China’s foreign and domestic hotels, some of its major theatres and art galleries that house the world’s most precious artworks have also been renovated. Other famous tourist destinations in the country, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, have also been extensively transformed to resemble their original state for the pleasure and satisfaction of their tourists and visitors worldwide. China and Service Quality It appears that most of the country’s efforts for service quality development had led to great results based on the number of tourists that visited the country during the past couple of years. In one article, China has been described as a country that is busier than ever. Yet, in spite of the crowd, the newly-built foreign and domestic hotels have been helpful in accommodating the great number of visitors that came to the city. As a result, overcrowding of tourists has been prevented during this time, benefiting both Chinese residents and visitors. The article also stated that the energy perceived in the country is good and amazing. This perhaps is attributable to the fact that every tourist in the country felt that they are part of a family; hence, every tourist encountered is genuinely happy to be in China.             Some write ups however had commented on China’s spot security personnel on some foreign and domestic hotels and described the hotels as an army camp. The article author pointed out that in spite of their number, the security personnel do not really hinder tourists or visitors from appreciating the country. In addition, China at that time was without a doubt a country of hope and joy; it has definitely been a worthwhile experience for visitors from all over. The author described his experiences in China’s tourist destinations. In general, the author saw China as a historical country edging towards contemporary backgrounds. Though China and its significant foreign and domestic hotels are important tourist destinations, the pollution and overcrowding appear to be a disadvantage. In spite of these problems, trekking through the country’s remarkable foreign and domestic hotels was truly a worthwhile experience. Staying at the foreign and domestic hotels for instance was an exciting experience for the author as it was just like visiting the downtown sceneries. Though hotels offer different scenic views and environment, the impression of excellence can be perceived. According to the author, staying at the foreign and domestic hotels resulted to excellent visitor experience; some facilities offer less elegance, while others are interesting and influential.             Described how his trip to the foreign and domestic hotels in China was similar to the foreign and domestic hotels in America. The area was very busy and going to this place was tiring. However, once the author reached the hotels, the trip was all worth it. McHenry noted that the foreign and domestic hotels in China were different from all others found within America as it highlighted modern facilities in designated rooms. The artworks inside the hotels were more than a place displaying antiquities as treasure of great tastes were exhibited and made available for inspection. The foreign and domestic hotels were also an inviting tourist location with its great sights, food and shops. This, according to McHenry, was one of the main reasons for tourists to come visit China over and over again. During the author’s visit to China, the country was busy preparing itself for hosting the coming Olympic Games in 2008. Thus, he was able to witness the considerable effort China had done to enhance the country’s hotels, transport systems and roadways. Through this experience, the author no longer doubted how China was greatly spearheaded by tourism. There have been literatures describing visitor experience regarding service quality to various tourist destinations. However, studies of service quality in China are apparently insufficient. This further stresses the need to evaluate the perception of the country’s visitors so as to help enhance its existing foreign and domestic hotels and overcome various tourism issues. Service Quality in relation to Customer Satisfaction and Needs Gone are the days when employees work on their desks for eight hours a day. Today’s employees want to become as productive as possible while in their offices and interact with different individuals and groups in different settings. The technological advancement in wireless technologies has allowed workers and employees to access communication tools in new settings. Because of this rigorous and hectic schedule of employees, it became imperative for them to indulge in relaxing products and services to help them ease the pressure after every day’s work. Foreign and Domestic Hotel Service Quality Service quality among foreign and domestic hotels can be subdivided into three main categories. These are: A. Convenience A particular foreign and domestic hotel’s dedication to service quality can easily lead to the satisfaction of its customers in whatever place it is located. Making a particular foreign and domestic hotel convenient to its customers and visitors is not an easy task, and credit must be given to the management who always pursue the best service quality and craftsmanship in the name of convenience. B. Health / Safety / Sanitation The raw materials and ingredients that are used in the production of beverages and other delicacies must be able to meet the high quality standards and specifications. Even the packaging materials must be also subjected to strict quality standards. In line to the hotel’s policies in food and product safety, appropriate measures must be taken in the preparation of all food and drinks to prevent the possible contamination. Hotels must also implement the principles of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system in order to show their testament to their dedication to service quality. The food and beverages that their customers eat and drink must be prepared using nothing but the original and unparalleled recipes. To achieve a sweet taste, fresh aroma, bright color and clarity, only the purest ingredients must be used. C. Affordability of Services Normally, foreign and domestic hotels base their pricing strategies on several key trends that continuously shape the global marketplace of the foreign and domestic hotel industry. One particular trend is labeled as “premium-tization”. This phenomenon causes the polarization of different markets. This would then trigger the consumers to demand and pay much higher prices for perceived service quality. However, discounting in prices is also simultaneously taking place, therefore squeezing out the middle range. More often than not, hotels and restaurants undergo internationalization which leads to a tighter squeeze for shelf space. This will in turn leave them as winners. It is for this reason why most foreign and domestic hotels value the “premise sector” so much because this would allow consumers can to try their services at low risk and price. MEASURING SERVICE QUALITY A. “Consumer Understanding” The occurrence of consumer research to determine service quality within the economy reflects the growing difficulty in the management of foreign and domestic hotels that require the effective use of valuable resources such as money, materials, equipments, and people. This is the reason why consumer research is being done by most foreign and domestic hotels in order to determine the most effective ways to coordinate these resources through the application of analytical methods derived from fields of studies such as mathematics, science, and engineering. Through this process, problems are solved in different ways and alternative solutions are then relayed to the hotel’s management. The management then selects the appropriate course of action in line with their goals. More often than not, consumer research analysis in foreign and domestic hotels are concerned with complicated issues such as top-level strategy in attracting more customers, hotel resource allocation, designing of hotel facilities and systems, pricing and the analysis of goods and services. B. Balanced Scorecard The balanced scorecard is a strategic management system that allows foreign and domestic hotels to clearly establish and follow their goals and business strategies and put them into action. This approach also enables the foreign and domestic hotels to issue feedbacks around both the internal business processes and external outcomes, and this undoubtedly will help the hotels on their drive to continuously improve in terms of its strategic performance and results. When appropriately implemented, the balanced scorecard will be able to develop strategic planning into the brains of the hotels. The balanced scorecard approach is based on integral concepts of past management ideas such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and measurement-based management and feedback. The balanced scorecard integrates feedback within internal business process outputs, just like in TQM. The only difference is the existence of an additional feedback loop around the results of business strategies. C. Customer Satisfaction A major factor involved in the improvement of foreign and domestic hotels involves the establishment and utilization of performance measures or indicators that in turn measure their customer’s satisfaction. These measures or indicators are measurable characteristics of products and services that foreign and domestic hotels typically utilize in order to study and improve their performance. The indicators that will be chosen should be able to represent the essential factors that are crucial to the improvement of operational and financial performance. Through the analysis of accurate information brought about by the tracking processes, the measures or indicators themselves can possibly be analyzed and improved to support such goals. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

China Hotels

INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem In China, foreign and domestic hotels are one the country’s important economic sou...

Secondary Students Perception about HTM Program Study in Hong Kong

Introduction The latter half of the twentieth century has been marked with amazing changes in technology, transportation, and communication and, in varying degrees, a spread of geo-political stability that has accompanied economic affluence for many citizens in industrialized and developing countries throughout the world. These changes have triggered the development of a number of new industries and the substantial evolution of existing industries to address the needs of increasingly prosperous, educated, and sophisticated post-industrial societies. One of these industries, tourism, has quietly emerged to become an important force in many societies and economies in various parts of the world. Though not usually thought of as a single cohesive industry, the growth of tourism since World War II has nonetheless been dramatic. Higher discretionary incomes, smaller family size, changing demographics, lower transportation costs, improved public health standards, infrastructure development, and hospitable environments for tourists in many destinations have made tourism, especially long-distance tourism, an activity within the reach and desires of many members of many nations. Furthermore, developments in marketing, management, vertical and horizontal integration, pricing, and tour packaging, as well as capital investments in physical facilities — “bricks and mortar” — and public infrastructure, have provided tourism with the necessary framework to allow the tremendous growth it has experienced over the past half century. Thus, tourism has indeed emerged as an “industry” which, according to the World Tourism Organization, in 1989 generated approximately 74 million jobs in its direct and service-related industries, such as airlines, hotels, travel services, and publications. Hospitality and Tourism industry becomes the core development in the Hong Kong  industry. With the opening of Disney Land Hong Kong in 2005, many secondary school graduates aim to apply for the study of Hotel & Tourism Management in Hong Kong. At present, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Chinese University offer degree courses for the Hospitality and Tourism Management. City University has started to offer Associate Degree in Leisure Study. In addition, the Hong Kong University works jointly with Strathclyde University, UK to offer a degree course in Hospitality. Because of the growing awareness of tourism as an activity, an industry, and a catalyst for economic growth and development, competition for the tourist and for tourism expenditures has been significant in recent decades. One result has been market segmentation and a considerable broadening of the perceived and actual opportunities available for potential tourists. Thus tourists can choose from “sun and sand” holidays, “adventure travel,” “theatre tours,” “shopping sprees,” summer or winter sports vacations, cultural immersion, historic re-enactments, and various other tourism experiences. All of which are an opportunity to gain education and knowledge. As with many other aspects of modern life, tourism has brought with it benefits and costs, blessings and curses. Reflecting people’s inherent curiosity, hedonism, desire for adventure and excitement, or just a need to change the pace and setting of everyday experiences, tourism has opened the door to many to seek out and fulfil their vacation as well as educational needs. Furthermore, tourist industries have been the willing suppliers of the demanded services. But all of this has not come without dissatisfaction. Perceived difficulties with educational tourism have encouraged planners, researchers, and social critics to rethink the logic of traditional tourist development, to examine the alternatives to mainstream or mass tourism, and to begin formulating better ways to integrate tourism into a broader range of values and social concerns that traditional tourism development has somehow put at risk. Fully understanding the benefits educational tourism, especially in Hong Kong, in terms of their sources, possibilities for mitigation, and implications of “alternatives” will we hope play a major role in correcting the mistakes of the past. Objectives             The overall objective of the study is to investigate the perception of Secondary Students Perception about HTM program Study in Hong Kong.  Basically, this paper aims to study the “What” and “How” this group of fresh secondary students perceive about this study. The findings will be benefit for both educators and students to have a correct image into the industry. To address this objective, the researcher explores the nature of Hotel and Tourism Management in Hong Kong: its benefits and advantages to the students, in the hotel and tourism industry in Hong Kong. Moreover, this study will focus the secondary students in Hong Kong             The objectives of this study will be to: -         To discover the perception of fresh secondary school students towards studying about Hotel and tourism course in Hong Kong -         To discover any underlying dimensions of these perception -         To find out any significant difference of the identified the factors among demographic variables -         To recommend educators both University and Secondary School on giving correct image and better matching of students expectation and institute’s expectation.    Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Secondary Students Perception about HTM Program Study in Hong Kong

Introduction The latter half of the twentieth century has been marked with amazing changes in technology, transportation, and communi...

China Hotels

for INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem              In China, foreign and domestic hotels are one the country’s important economic source. People from all parts of the world visit China in order to see its famous foreign and domestic hotels and dine in its fine restaurants. In spite of the increasing popularity of China as an urban tourist destination, certain hotel business issues affect the influx of tourist and the revenue acquired from this business. The problem on competition for example, is one of the growing concerns of the foreign and domestic hotel business in China. In addition, customer satisfaction is one of the highly significant priorities in the business. Being the major source of tourism revenue, foreign and domestic hotel business owners in China are applying various strategies that will enhance the experience of visitors coming to the city.             One of the main issues relevant to the need of assessing service quality is the significant transitions that the foreign and domestic hotel business in China must undergo. One of the recognized changes in the hotel business of China was the transformation of its domestic and foreign hotels, where the once conventional hotels were converted into modernized ones. This transition implies the apparent increase of small firms providing tourism services at present, while the foreign and domestic hotel business used to be dominated by a few producers. In other words, the hotel owners in China now have a number of accesses to strategies and factors that amplify business competition. While this tendency has in many ways improved the overall state of foreign and domestic hotel business of the country, hotel owners also encounter difficulties to operate their businesses successfully, making the evaluation of service quality all the more essential. They have also stated that the competition in the domestic and foreign hotel business in China is augmented by new strategies introduced and implemented by various hotels. With the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) as well as other technological facilities, tourists have more options and control over they type of hotels they want to stay. Hence, with the present advancements, foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China are giving more importance to specialized and enhanced forms of services for tourists, especially the service quality of the restaurants in these hotels. Another issue that is related to the need for evaluating service quality is the tendency of consumer behavior to change drastically. This has been observed by several researchers. According to these researchers, the changes in the consumers’ cultural values are among the most influential factors that affect the foreign and domestic hotel business in China. The difference on how consumer responds to products or services given to them is significantly dependent on their cultural origins and values, which naturally affects visitor experience. There are a number of interconnected issues that falls under the foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China. Competition, new strategies and changing consumer trends are among these issues. The main focus however, is on the comparison of the service quality of the foreign and domestic hotels in China. One way of doing so is by means of assessing the visitors’ expectation and satisfaction. Enhancing the quality of foreign and domestic hotel services given to the customer or tourists naturally leads to satisfaction. This essential business element is highly significant in combating the problems and issues cited. Hence, consumer studies in the foreign and domestic hotel business of China are very important.             By means of evaluating service quality and visitor satisfaction, developing new strategies for tourist hotel facilities that will augment customer satisfaction in China can be done. China is a popular tourist destination. Nonetheless, tourism issues affect this industry in one way or another. The local government should then adopt strategies and methods that will prepare the country for tourism. The comparison of China’s foreign and domestic hotels’ service quality and visitor satisfaction will facilitate the achievement of this objective. In this proposal, focus will be given on the tourists’ expectation and satisfaction upon staying in the foreign and domestic hotels in China. Specifically, this proposed study will evaluate the different hotel features offered by the foreign and domestic hotels in China and determine the level of satisfaction among randomly selected tourists within the vicinity. In order to evaluate the service quality, the survey and interview method will be used. This particular study will be of significant value to the foreign and domestic hotel businesses in China as it will provide an overview of the current status of the foreign and domestic hotel industry in China as well as ways on how its foreign and domestic hotels may be enhanced. Statement of the Problem The foreign and domestic hotel industry in China is placed in a highly competitive business environment. Various strategies and marketing means must then be employed by entrepreneurs in order to enhance the services they provide. China is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With the abundance of historical tourist spots and archaeological sites, China is one of the countries in the world with the highest number of visitors. Nonetheless, considering the changing consumer trends as well other tourism-related issues, China must apply ways on how to enhance its foreign and domestic hotel industry and increase tourists’ satisfactory experience. Studying service quality is then necessary for this issue. This study will then attempt to answer the following inquiries: <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> How did China respond to the changing trends in the hotel industry? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> How do tourists describe their experience upon staying in the foreign and domestic hotels in China in general? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> What hotel features do they find most satisfying? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> What hotel features in the hotels need improvement? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> In what ways can the facilities, features and services of the foreign and domestic hotels of China be improved? </li> REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The domestic and foreign hotel business is among the fastest growing economic sectors in China. In fact, the domestic and foreign hotel business by itself is recognized as multi-million dollar and still a progressing business in China. The domestic and foreign hotel business is among the major economic forces in the country as its enables growth and creation of job opportunities. The domestic and foreign hotel business has employed over a million workers who were distributed within various hotel establishments, totaling to revenue generation of billions of dollars. From these records, the domestic and foreign hotel business has indeed become one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Important changes in the understanding and management of the service quality of most domestic and foreign hotels have been developed in the past 10 to 15 years. Various researchers, practitioners and policymakers now acknowledge that service quality can be conceptualized from a functional perspective and that appropriate interventions involve the development of alternative measures to cope up. It was also noted that the establishment of a conducive restaurant environment for tourists to enjoy and relax have served effectively in lowering the prevalence of un-satisfaction among tourists. At present, this philosophical shift has extended to various settings, including China. Domestic and foreign hotel owners and entrepreneurs here have recognized that some tourists do not appreciate so much the quality of service that their hotels and restaurants offer. Hence, these tourists may have the tendency to shy away from visiting China and its other great cities because of this bad impression they have. For decades, researchers have tried to discover the elements of service quality among tourist establishments such as foreign and domestic hotels and restaurants. And while they might have been able to identify certain essential elements of service quality, they have yet to determine the elements that common tourists pay particular attention to. However, it has been shown that negligence of service quality produces consequences that foster bad impressions from tourists. Strong evidence suggests that service quality and its negligence engage in a reciprocal relationship that has a short and long term effect on the tourist’s future opinion regarding the service quality of tourist establishments. One of the criteria for identifying if a tourist establishment such as hotels is of high service quality is whether it has an impressive environment with fully operational facilities meant for the relaxation and enjoyment of the tourists and visitors. A deficit in basic services, as well as skills related to making the tourists and guests fully accommodated, significantly impairs a hotel’s ability to encourage more and more tourists to come over to their place. When compared to high quality serviced foreign and domestic hotels, low quality serviced foreign and domestic hotels have lower performance rates, lower income and are less likely to be known all over the place. As a consequence, low quality serviced hotels often experience a lifetime of problems in employment and publicity, and they are likely to become bankrupted even at a developmental stage.             Take for instance the various foreign and domestic hotel establishments in China having difficulty in adapting to the modern standards of service quality. At present, foreign and domestic hotel owners in China are facing an alarming acceleration in the occurrence of disruptive and challenging behaviors among tourists that seriously impede the performance and credibility of their hotels. Also, there has been a rapid increase in percentage of tourists who have failed to be impressed by the hotel and restaurant services of some domestic and foreign Chinese hotels. Unfortunately, many of today’s foreign and domestic hotels all over the world have both problems. Behaviors and tourist impressions such as lack of sanitation, boring environment and unfair tourist price accommodation rates have all been rampant nowadays. True enough, these problems are counterproductive towards the effective performance of foreign and domestic hotels. Serious impressions of tourists such as aggression, argumentativeness, and defiance are even more of a threat to these poorly serviced foreign and domestic hotels, yet common in countries which cannot afford to establish 5 star quality foreign and domestic hotels. Impressions and evaluations of tourists, both positive and negative, affect performance outcomes of hotels at the employee and management level. From a tourist perspective, tourists who displayed their un-satisfaction remarks in staying in poorly serviced foreign and domestic hotels had a 90% chance of not going back or staying again to the same hotel. They reported that such tourists begin to actively dislike the place itself and actually visit less that particular place. Continuing over years, these tourists are not likely to change their minds after a terrible experience staying on a poorly serviced hotel. Similarly, tourists exhibiting ongoing, serious bad impressions well even after so many years of that terrible experience are increasing. Service Quality Service quality generally pertains to a tourist’s perception over a certain area or destination’s quality of services being offered, people of tourists tend to interpret the services in their surroundings without realizing it. This interpretation is based on the visitors’ needs and preferences that will allow them to function more efficiently. This makes up the visitor’s overall experience or perception. More recently, noted that service quality suggests awareness but not conscious awareness. The service quality is naturally enhanced when tourists could identify with specific environmental characteristics that they need or are important to them. Thus, the perception or experience in terms of service quality of the visitor is significantly related to the environment they wanted to be in. Service quality pertains to the degree of efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy a firm’s customers, employees, and management. Service quality focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services. More often than not, small firms and business establishments such as hotels and restaurants don’t really have the capabilities to directly determine the quality of their services to their clients or customers. Instead, they engage in activities that various schools of management typically associate with service quality management. These activities include the inspection of their products, service development, production and distribution. However, service quality deals with all operations done within companies and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with service quality. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, service quality includes the analysis and management of internal processes. With the increasing competition in the industry as well as the changes observed among consumers, studying service quality is essential not only to keep the industry successful and productive but most importantly to satisfy and meet the needs of the tourists. Specifically, most firms in the industry are applying various strategies on how to improve their services and enhance service quality. Several technologies are being applied by operators so as to take over with some of the businesses’ main activities. Computerized reservation systems for instance, are one of the known advancements in tourism. This in turn, helps in enhancing service quality as it offers them more options and allows a faster access to information.             While there are numerous efforts done to enhance service quality, researchers concluded that there are also several factors that influence service quality. The preferences, attitudes and perceptions of the visitors in terms of service quality are some of the important factors affecting service quality. Other researchers such as also concluded that the perception on service impacts is also an influential factor of service quality. In general, the researchers noted that the satisfaction and un-satisfaction that tourists experience while using the services in various destinations affect their overall experience. Hence, he stated that this makes this factor a significant dictator or basis for developing standards of service or product quality.  China and Hotel Improvement Efforts China has long been an ancient destination of many tourists from all over the world, who are very eager to see the city’s famed museums and historical sites, especially the Great Wall. During the early times however, a number of problems in tourism has been encountered by China. Pollution, overcrowding and poor domestic and foreign hotel infrastructures are among the country’s major concerns that affected its image among tourists. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the social amenities and hotel infrastructures in China have gone through significant changes. Funds and financial support from both UK and the European Union have made it possible for the nation to establish foreign and domestic hotels such as Beijing hotel and the Grand Hyatt Beijing hotel. The Metro system was also expanded massively. Other private investments also led to the great expansion of hotels and other tourist sites. One of the major developments that China had gone through in terms of tourism was the remodeling of their foreign and domestic hotels. In addition, a great pedestrian area was also constructed. These pedestrian areas are highly beneficial for tourists as these allow them to appreciate the country’s hotel infrastructures while walking calmly along paths of trees. Aside from the developments done for China’s foreign and domestic hotels, some of its major theatres and art galleries that house the world’s most precious artworks have also been renovated. Other famous tourist destinations in the country, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, have also been extensively transformed to resemble their original state for the pleasure and satisfaction of their tourists and visitors worldwide China and Service Quality It appears that most of the country’s efforts for service quality development had led to great results based on the number of tourists that visited the country during the past couple of years. In one article, China has been described as a country that is busier than ever. Yet, in spite of the crowd, the newly-built foreign and domestic hotels have been helpful in accommodating the great number of visitors that came to the city. As a result, overcrowding of tourists has been prevented during this time, benefiting both Chinese residents and visitors. The article also stated that the energy perceived in the country is good and amazing. This perhaps is attributable to the fact that every tourist in the country felt that they are part of a family; hence, every tourist encountered is genuinely happy to be in China.             Some write ups however had commented on China’s spot security personnel on some foreign and domestic hotels and described the hotels as an army camp. The article author pointed out that in spite of their number, the security personnel do not really hinder tourists or visitors from appreciating the country. In addition, China at that time was without a doubt a country of hope and joy; it has definitely been a worthwhile experience for visitors from all over. In an article, the author described his experiences in China’s tourist destinations. In general, the author saw China as a historical country edging towards contemporary backgrounds. Though China and its significant foreign and domestic hotels are important tourist destinations, the pollution and overcrowding appear to be a disadvantage. In spite of these problems, trekking through the country’s remarkable foreign and domestic hotels was truly a worthwhile experience. Staying at the foreign and domestic hotels for instance was an exciting experience for the author as it was just like visiting the downtown sceneries. Though hotels offer different scenic views and environment, the impression of excellence can be perceived. According to the author, staying at the foreign and domestic hotels resulted to excellent visitor experience; some facilities offer less elegance, while others are interesting and influential.             Described how his trip to the foreign and domestic hotels in China was similar to the foreign and domestic hotels in America. The area was very busy and going to this place was tiring. However, once the author reached the hotels, the trip was all worth it. McHenry noted that the foreign and domestic hotels in China were different from all others found within America as it highlighted modern facilities in designated rooms. The artworks inside the hotels were more than a place displaying antiquities as treasure of great tastes were exhibited and made available for inspection. The foreign and domestic hotels were also an inviting tourist location with its great sights, food and shops. This, according to McHenry, was one of the main reasons for tourists to come visit China over and over again. During the author’s visit to China, the country was busy preparing itself for hosting the coming Olympic Games in 2008. Thus, he was able to witness the considerable effort China had done to enhance the country’s hotels, transport systems and roadways. Through this experience, the author no longer doubted how China was greatly spearheaded by tourism. There have been literatures describing visitor experience regarding service quality to various tourist destinations. However, studies of service quality in China are apparently insufficient. This further stresses the need to evaluate the perception of the country’s visitors so as to help enhance its existing foreign and domestic hotels and overcome various tourism issues. Service Quality in relation to Customer Satisfaction and Needs Gone are the days when employees work on their desks for eight hours a day. Today’s employees want to become as productive as possible while in their offices and interact with different individuals and groups in different settings. The technological advancement in wireless technologies has allowed workers and employees to access communication tools in new settings. Because of this rigorous and hectic schedule of employees, it became imperative for them to indulge in relaxing products and services to help them ease the pressure after every day’s work. Foreign and Domestic Hotel Service Quality Service quality among foreign and domestic hotels can be subdivided into three main categories. These are: A. Convenience A particular foreign and domestic hotel’s dedication to service quality can easily lead to the satisfaction of its customers in whatever place it is located. Making a particular foreign and domestic hotel convenient to its customers and visitors is not an easy task, and credit must be given to the management who always pursue the best service quality and craftsmanship in the name of convenience. B. Health / Safety / Sanitation The raw materials and ingredients that are used in the production of beverages and other delicacies must be able to meet the high quality standards and specifications. Even the packaging materials must be also subjected to strict quality standards. In line to the hotel’s policies in food and product safety, appropriate measures must be taken in the preparation of all food and drinks to prevent the possible contamination. Hotels must also implement the principles of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system in order to show their testament to their dedication to service quality. The food and beverages that their customers eat and drink must be prepared using nothing but the original and unparalleled recipes. To achieve a sweet taste, fresh aroma, bright color and clarity, only the purest ingredients must be used. C. Affordability of Services Normally, foreign and domestic hotels base their pricing strategies on several key trends that continuously shape the global marketplace of the foreign and domestic hotel industry. One particular trend is labeled as “premium-tization”. This phenomenon causes the polarization of different markets. This would then trigger the consumers to demand and pay much higher prices for perceived service quality. However, discounting in prices is also simultaneously taking place, therefore squeezing out the middle range. More often than not, hotels and restaurants undergo internationalization which leads to a tighter squeeze for shelf space. This will in turn leave them as winners. It is for this reason why most foreign and domestic hotels value the “premise sector” so much because this would allow consumers can to try their services at low risk and price. MEASURING SERVICE QUALITY A. “Consumer Understanding” The occurrence of consumer research to determine service quality within the economy reflects the growing difficulty in the management of foreign and domestic hotels that require the effective use of valuable resources such as money, materials, equipments, and people. This is the reason why consumer research is being done by most foreign and domestic hotels in order to determine the most effective ways to coordinate these resources through the application of analytical methods derived from fields of studies such as mathematics, science, and engineering. Through this process, problems are solved in different ways and alternative solutions are then relayed to the hotel’s management. The management then selects the appropriate course of action in line with their goals. More often than not, consumer research analysis in foreign and domestic hotels are concerned with complicated issues such as top-level strategy in attracting more customers, hotel resource allocation, designing of hotel facilities and systems, pricing and the analysis of goods and services. B. Balanced Scorecard The balanced scorecard is a strategic management system that allows foreign and domestic hotels to clearly establish and follow their goals and business strategies and put them into action. This approach also enables the foreign and domestic hotels to issue feedbacks around both the internal business processes and external outcomes, and this undoubtedly will help the hotels on their drive to continuously improve in terms of its strategic performance and results. When appropriately implemented, the balanced scorecard will be able to develop strategic planning into the brains of the hotels. The balanced scorecard approach is based on integral concepts of past management ideas such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and measurement-based management and feedback. The balanced scorecard integrates feedback within internal business process outputs, just like in TQM. The only difference is the existence of an additional feedback loop around the results of business strategies. C. Customer Satisfaction A major factor involved in the improvement of foreign and domestic hotels involves the establishment and utilization of performance measures or indicators that in turn measure their customer’s satisfaction. These measures or indicators are measurable characteristics of products and services that foreign and domestic hotels typically utilize in order to study and improve their performance. The indicators that will be chosen should be able to represent the essential factors that are crucial to the improvement of operational and financial performance. Through the analysis of accurate information brought about by the tracking processes, the measures or indicators themselves can possibly be analyzed and improved to support such goals.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

China Hotels

for INTRODUCTION Background of the Problem In China, foreign and domestic hotels are one the country’s important...

My Old Home and New Year Sacrifice

This paper will discuss the two short stories written by Lu Xun entitled “My Old Home” and “New Year Sacrifice”. It will specifically address the fate and perspective of Chinese peasants. It will also analyze the social background and the outlook with regards to a typical Chinese peasants and characters mentioned in the story.             In the short story entitled “My Old Home”, the main characters went back to the place and his childhood house to help his relatives in packing up family belongings that will be carried to the a new house. During the course of the story we can see that the main character has become quite wealthy and in this visit to his old hometown, various characters were met and introduced in the story. The main character is reintroduced to a Mrs. Yang who is a close friend and neighbor of the family and his childhood bestfriend named Jun-tu. In the course of his reminiscence the reader is presented with the situation that the main character had an friendly and strong bond of relationship to his friend Jun-tu but as he met his best friend again, Jun-tu is not the same boy that he used to be. In their meeting Jun-tu had a face that represents sadness, resentment and poverty. He is not only burdened because of earning a living but he was also burdened by agrarian problems mentioned in the story. During these meetings, Hung-erh, the main character’s nephew and Shui-sheng (Jun-tu’s son) became close friend but this friendship was cut short because the family of the main character leaves the village.             In this short but emotional story we can point out certain aspects and topics that concern the peasantry and rural society in China. This story presents a clear-cut division between the rich and the poor, between the landed gentry and the poor and landless farmers. A social and economic hierarchy is evident in this society. The main character and Jun-tu represents the two extremes in a Chinese rural society where Jun-tu represents the poor and landless farmers and laborers.  This apparent division is clearly illustrated symbolically when Jun-tu taught and tutored his friend with when it comes to topics that concerns the land and farming (like the incident with the bird traps and the zha) while Jun-tu is being employed as a part time laborer in the household of the main character. Jun-tu taught the main character many and varied things that were not familiar to him and this started the friendship between them. However, this friendship was cut short when Jun-tu had to go home and they never met again until the time the main character went back to his village. During their childhood, social class and the economic standing in life was unimportant in the eyes of the children. They did not see that both of them came from two vastly different world.             Although they were friends during their childhood, society and tradition still dictates people of lower class to bow down and to affix the word ”master” when talking to people who are of higher class. When Jun-tu did these things when they met again, the main character was shocked and shuddered at the greeting and the practice but he cannot stop and eliminate these practices.             In this story we can infer about the conditions of a simple and poor peasant exemplified by Jun-tu. The description of his hands, face, eyes and built are enough evidence that the life of a simple peasant was hard, arduous and burdensome and he even asked for certain items like incense burner, candlesticks, tables and chairs to augment and to improve his house.             In the story we can also read about the growing friendship between Hung-erh and Shui-sheng that was cut short because the family was to be relocated. The main character then commented on the “barrier” that grew between him and Jun-tu and how this economic and societal barrier ahas also affected the friendship between his nephew and the son of his friend. This barrier would remain in effect and would separate the two portion of society. It will be a hindrance and an obstacle that would prevent each party from reaching out to one another. This deterrent cause by the economic forces that is based in wealth and landownership has a strong impact on the lives of the masses and poor laborers represented by Jun-tu and Shui-sheng. They become distant, and resentful to the people who are rich and well to do. Besides distant and resentful attitudes, the landed gentry and wealth also cultivate a feeling of apathy and indifference focused on the poor. This same barrier provides for the condition why poor peasants are forever tied to being tillers of the land and why landowners and rich families continue to get rich. This barrier and obstacle also perpetuates and continue this vicious cycle of poverty and separation.             The second short story is entitled “The New Year’s Sacrifice” which tells about the story of a woman simply named Hsiang Lun’s wife. Hsiang Lun’s wife was a former maidservant for the narrator’s uncle. The story progresses from the point where the woman was hired, kidnapped by her cruel mother-in-law to be remarried and then rehired  again after her husband and son died and her brother-in-law threw her out of the house. Aside from these the narrator stated that Hsiang Lun’s wife became a beggar when the family decided that she was useless in doing household works.             In this story we can see the economic and emotional exploitation of young women in a rural family where their labor and the economic advantages that they bring are skillfully used by their husband’s family. This is illustrated when Hsiang Lun’s wife were married and remarried to men who are ten years younger than she is, this practice is advantageous for the husband’s family since the new wife can help in household jobs and field works. The husband’s family can be greatly helped by the extra help and manpower that is needed in harvesting and cooking. This is further emphasized when her mother in law came to take her to be remarried and to be able to collect the dowry for the woman.             Women inside old Chinese society were not only exploited but they exist in a condition where they cannot voice out and say their opinion and outlooks regarding certain matters such as their marital life. They are mute when it comes to determining their fate and future course in life. They cannot go against the flow of what is dictated by the society and by the family that they are married to. This is exemplified when the mother-in-law decided to arrange a marriage between Hsiang Lun’s wife and a certain man living in the mountains. Even if she protested, shouted out her objections and injured herself, she was eventually remarried. After her husband and only son were killed, she was thrown out of her house because a brother in law decided to live in her house. There was no objection and protest on the part of Hsiang Lun’s wife because she knew that in the Chinese society, she has no power and influence against the family of the husband, the brother in law meanwhile was downright cruel when he unceremoniously threw the woman from her house. When all benefits and profits from a woman in an old Chinese society are exhausted, the woman serves no purpose and is promptly disposed.             On the short story we can see that there is an atmosphere of apathy and indifference that exist between people when the old Chinese society is viewed. In this society an atmosphere or outlook of indifference is presented when they the people of the village made fun of the story regarding the event about the son of Hsiang Lun’s wife. Although at first they were receptive and sympathetic to the story regarding the son, they soon became bored in it, made fun with it, and imitated it and added sarcasm and criticism to a story that needs sympathy and understanding. The village did not also provided attention and care to the woman when she became beggar and literally forgetting her although she had become a part of the village during her younger years.             The story and the events that were mentioned in it happened during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. The reader is presented with Chinese traditional practices and traditions such as using candlesticks, making sacrificial offerings and offering prayers and other precious objects to the gods. It also presents us with the outlook and the old Chinese perspective with regards to life after death. Hsiang Lun’s wife became worried when she heard that she would be cut into two in Hell because her two husbands would fight over her and because of the advice of a fellow maidservant, she went to the temple to perform a ritual to cleanse her soul and to atone for her sins. It is plausible therefore to conclude that the typical Chinese rural peasants believed in superstitious beliefs and perform superstitious customs and traditions even if learning and knowledge is presented to them Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

My Old Home and New Year Sacrifice

This paper will discuss the two short stories written by Lu Xun entitled “My Old Home” and “New Year Sacrifice”. It will spec...

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

It was a cold and awfully quiet February last 2003 in Hong Kong. The once crowded streets, where shoppers, employees, students, and tourists had converged and roamed around, had been emptied out and become deserted. One of the world’s busiest cities, once brimming with life, commerce and energy, had become shrouded by a profound sense of grief and melancholy due to the outbreak of SARS.    One particular afternoon, as I was walking towards home after school, I chanced upon an elderly man who slipped and collapsed right in front of me.  Were it in other days, I would not have hesitated to assist him.  But this was a time of SARS: a time of doubt, calamity, and danger.  We are kept yardsticks away from people at the fears that one of them may be afflicted with the disease.  My mind was conditioned to see the old man as a carrier and thus I had difficulty in choosing to lend a helping hand.  In the midst of this indecision, a woman stepped up forward and, without any repercussions, had reached to pull him up.  The woman had on an unmistakable expression of courage and determination that remained etched in my mind, along with the memory of burning shame and gnawing guilt for having been a coward in the face of need.  It was so much easier to turn away than to make the least effort or muster the slightest courage, especially when there was no apparent reason for me to do so except a call of my conscience. The woman was very much a stranger as I am, but what made the difference was the effort she made to assist the elderly man.  Somehow, this makes the woman step above me.  She would exude the same bravery the late Dr. Joanna Tse Yuen-Man had when she died of the same disease she had been working in the frontline to help find a treatment.  While the woman did not perform a daring feat such as directly attending to SARS patients, the woman similarly was fired by that same determination of helping against all odds.  In that matter, the woman is as great as Dr. Tse was.  Ultimately, as I recognize this deep sense of regret of having not done anything that particular afternoon encounter, I would undoubtedly consider this as a mistake I would eagerly want to correct should I be given a chance to turn back time.  The truth remains that mistakes are, by nature, accomplished and finished in the past.  However, this does not imply that we cannot do anything else.  In Dubliners, James Joyce wrote that “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”  Mistakes exist not only as failed actions, but also as a means towards learning so that we may not commit the same act again in the future.  In this manner, mistakes are stepping stones that allow us to be better persons and so we may do the right decisions the next time.  In this situation, I have made the mistake of not helping the elderly man when he lost his step and fell down.  I have made a mistake for prioritizing my selfish fears and trepidations despite the fact that my hands were gloved and I could certainly step up to help him.  It would not take so long and so much effort in my part at all.  Needless to say I have failed to muster the strength and bravery needed.  However, this very act will allow me to have the strength and bravery in the next predicaments to come.  The next time I would be able to do things right the way I want them to be.  In that merest mistake I am able to mature and grow to act more responsibly.  Today, in my student years, I choose to make this a career.  As the Dean-appointed Student leader I am able to unmake the mistake by performing the initiative and my innate responsibility as a human being to help others fearlessly and without hesitations. When conflicts between students should rise, I do not try to brush them off to avoid trouble. Rather, I choose to confront it and sort it out.  If life shrinks or expands according to how courageous we are as Anais Nin said, I hope to be committed to an expansive life. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

It was a cold and awfully quiet February last 2003 in Hong Kong. The once crowded streets, where shoppers, employees, students, and to...

Doing Business in UK

Introduction             United Kingdom, UK, will be a good location for a business in the hospitality industry specifically the hotel sector. The UK hospitality industry which includes hotels, restaurants, tourism, travel services, and gambling, employs about 2 million people and contributes around 4% of UK’s GDP, making the industry an important source of wealth and job across the United Kingdom. According to British Tourism Authority, there are over 22,000 hotels, motels, inns and guesthouses all over UK. The hotel sector in UK has distinct categories such as luxury, business, resort, townhouse, and budget properties each with own characteristics.              A large Irish hotel will have a good expansion opportunity in UK. Because of the high recognition of the people in the hotel industry, there will be no shortage in the workforce. Also, tourism is a significant industry in the country; in 1999 over 25 ½ million visitors came to the UK and this number is forecasted to grow every year which will give opportunity for the hotel to attract more potential customers. Moreover, advancements in technology in UK such as hotel facilities and the internet will help boosts profitability in the UK market. Doing Business in UK             As a business that originated from Ireland, the hotel will definitely undergo some changes as it opens a business in UK but will not have a herd time adapting to the business environment and culture in UK. However, since UK and Ireland are just neighboring countries with Northern Ireland a part of UK, the business culture, lifestyle, and habits of the people in Ireland are not very different from the people of UK aside from the fact that UK and Ireland are both European country. UK’s basic cultural, ethical and business value and business values is important to any organization, especially in a business service like a hotel, in conducting business.             A hotel business may include the food and beverage business, services and accommodations, resort, entertainment and gaming which are attractive to the UK market aside from the attractiveness to tourists of the places in UK such as London and Edinburgh as well as famous destinations in UK like the Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle. Also, there are many international companies and businesses in UK so business travelers are likely to be part of the market of a hotel industry. People of UK are renowned for their politeness and courtesy; they are also traditionally reserved and avoid display of emotions. In UK, punctuality is very essential and they strictly follow established rules and practices, thus decision-making is a slow and systematic process. While in Ireland, employees should be informed first of how their tardiness can harm the organization, before they become punctual. Most UK companies have relatively flat organizational structure and the principal decision-making unit is the board of directors while in Ireland, there is a lack of bureaucratic structure. Teamwork is very important but the feeling of individual accountability for implementation and error exists. The bosses in UK take the role of a coach, supportive and courageous to his subordinates. Partnerships and unincorporated bodies type of companies from overseas can not register in UK; the country only allows foreign investors with company structures such as limited by shares, limited by guarantee, private unlimited company and public limited company. Unemployment rate in UK has increased by 0.3 % during the last quarter of 2005, which means that if a company like a hotel will settle in UK, it will demand for labor and will provide job opportunities to the people of UK. In UK, an employer has responsibilities to employees like stakeholder pension provision, trade union recognition, data protection, health and safety provision, minimum ret breaks and rest periods. All businesses in UK comply with working time limits of 48 hours a week providing a minimum rest break of 20 minutes per six hours. Since a hotel usually employs working students 16 to 18 years old, this age bracket must only work 40 hours with a minimum rest break of 30 minutes every 4.5 hours. In Ireland, the same rules regarding working hours apply with Ireland’s Protection of Young Persons Act 1996. Majority of employees are not allowed to work more than the limited working time set by the UK law. Moreover, UK employees must be paid at least the national minimum wage. The minimum wage for adults 22 years or older is £5.05 per hour while young workers 16 to 17 years old are paid £3.00 per hour. Development rate of £4.25 per hour is applied to workers 18-21 years old and to new employees during their first six months at work. Employees in UK may work permanent full-time, part-time or contractual. Employment contract can be verbal or written but it is advisable to make the contract written which includes the terms and conditions, job description and staff rules.             UK is a known developed country with good transportation infrastructure important to a hotel business. UK has developed roads that provide easy access to major cities within UK and in other parts of Europe. However, when employees will move from Ireland to UK, they will experience a higher cost of living and more of a social structure in UK than in Ireland. Recommendation When investing in a country, investors see to it that the country where they will expand their business has good transportation, distribution system and infrastructures, factors which are important in doing business to provide the business ease of transaction to customers and suppliers, communication reliability and other facilities. It is also needed to look on some personal factors that are relevant to attract and retain employees and professional workers. In UK, a hotel business would be likely to succeed due to UK’s attractive market and having met the factors necessary for the expansion of a hotel business. UK had met the factors for labor, infrastructure and access to market. However, a hotel from Ireland should expect to spend project costs and living expenses in UK a little higher than what they spent back in Ireland. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Doing Business in UK

Introduction United Kingdom, UK, will be a good location for a business in the hospitality industry specifically the hot...