bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colleges' Hospitality Programs
Authors: Kent William E. , Lian Karl , Khan, Mahmood A. , Anene John O.
Published: March 2007

A survey of educators' and industry executives' perceptions of hospitality schools were used to rank bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in the United States. No specific criteria were employed. Cornell finished first in every category except that educators ranked Virginia Tech's doctoral program as better than Cornell's, with Purdue's being third. For bachelor's programs, the raters placed Florida International, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, and UNLV after Cornell. For master's-level programs, the raters chose Michigan State, UNLV, and Florida International to follow Cornell.
An Expanded Restaurant Typology
Authors: Muller Christopher C. , Woods Robert H.
Published: March 2007

This overview of the restaurant industry explains the attributes of each restaurant type from the point of view of management and customers. The traditional three-part typology of quick service, midscale, and upscale has been augmented to include moderate upscale and business dining. An examination of different segments' attributes shows why quick-service restaurants have put such pressure on midscale operations (they have many attributes in common), and why even fine-dining restaurants are susceptible to competition from chains (certain attributes that can be standardized substitute for other attributes that cannot).
Second-Chance Scluing
Authors: Quain William J. , LeBruto Stephen M. , French Michael
Published: March 2007

Hoteliers may be overlooking an opportunity to increase revenues with few additional costs. By establishing specific values for business that has already been booked, hotel managers can encourage salespeople to increase the productivity of existing resources through second-chance selling. Working in conjunction with catering, convention services, and other departments, the sales force can become more effective in extracting profit from booked business. If salespeople have clearly established goals and objectives and a second chance to increase their rewards, they may work harder to achieve the goals. Moreover, the group-service departments will no longer have adversarial goal structures and may work in better harmony. The hotel will increase its profits and the meeting guest will be better served.
Diversity Programs in Chain Restaurants
Authors: Woods Robert H. , Sciarini Michael P.
Published: March 2007

A pilot study of 16 food-service companies found mostly ill-defined goals for diversity-management programs, if such programs existed at all. Seven of the ten chains that have or will start a diversity program aim simply to improve employees' awareness of diversity issues. Only two mentioned organizational change as a goal. Similarly, time deadlines and reward systems are vague or nonexistent for most of the companies' diversity efforts. While the results of the study cannot be generalized, they raise the concern that most of these firms are not aware of the importance of fostering diversity in the workplace as a means of offsetting potential shortages in labor markets and encouraging a diverse customer pool. Most existing strategies for managing diversity are hobbled by inherent weaknesses, but a diversity program that adopts the best features of each strategy will create a workplace where all employees feel welcome.
Evalatn a Hotel GM's Performance
Authors: Morey Richard C. , Dittman David A.
Published: March 2007

Because every market is different, evaluating a general manager's performance is complex. By controlling for market differences with a linear programming model, a chain can develop benchmarks for a group of similar hotels and score the hotel managers' levels of efficiency. Using such scores one can identify the practices of the most efficient general managers and then share that information with other GMs. By comparing each manager's use of resources with that of a peer group of managers (similar environment, similar revenues, similar services), an objective benchmark for resources consumed can be determined for each general manager. That efficiency score is the ratio of resources consumed to the actual expenditures. Using the input factors a composite "general manager" is derived as a target for a particular GM.
Investment Values of Lodging Property
Authors: deRoos Jan A. , Rushmore Stephen
Published: March 2007

The traditional approach to valuing lodging properties, using discounted-cash-flow techniques, makes sense because hotels can furnish a history of financial performance. While it is true that the discounted-cash-flow approach yields a reasonable approximation of value, other factors can be applied to refine property valuation. When lenders consider a property's value as potential collateral, for instance, they augment their analysis of a property's value to take into account loan-to-value and debt-service-coverage ratios. Investors, meanwhile, may consider the effects of taxes on cash flow and cash reserves in their estimate of a property's value. The effects of taxes and lender criteria are modeled to show the resulting changes in a property's estimated value. One conclusion that is possible when the effect of taxes is considered is that tax laws tend to boost the return on, and therefore the possible purchase price of, hotel properties.
Don't Shoot the Messenger
Authors: Smith Randell A. , Lesure John D.
Published: March 2007

Perhaps the greatest problem with forecasts is that they are treated as a parlor game. Competing numbers are often presented in news reports without any supporting assumptions. Rather than try to sort out the confusion, many operators simply ignore them. Even when they do pay attention, operators dislike forecasts because they worry that optimistic predictions will attract competitors and negative outlooks will chase away financing and potential franchise customers. The way to construct a forecast is to build a statistically reliable database of information that can be analyzed against new economic and financial information. Those numbers can further be used to develop a short-term outlook for the industry as a whole or various geographic and market segments. Regardless of how reliable the base data are, however, long-term predictions-longer than 6 or 12 months-are just educated guesses.
Investment Values of Lodging Property
Authors: de Roos jan A. , Rushmore Stephen
Published: March 2007

This article provides a proof of value for two lodging-property investment-value models presented by the authors in the December 1995 Cornell Quarterly (Volume 36, Number 6; pp. 62-69). Those models allow one to study the effects of two distinct lender-underwriting criteria: the loan-to-value ratio and the alternative debt-service-coverage ratio. The proofs verify the accuracy of those models and demonstrate the ability of the models to produce accurate, useful estimates. The proof is structured as a net-present-value problem that solves for value given the other input values (from the previous article).
The Defamation Trap in Employee References
Authors: Clay joan M. , Stephens Elvis C.
Published: March 2007

Defamation occurs when one person knowingly and maliciously gives damaging, false statements about a second person to a third person. In some cases, giving a negative reference could open a manager to the threat of a defamation suit. Because of that threat, some managers are unwilling to offer substantive information about their former employees, rendering reference checks useless. Some courts and legislatures have offered limited immunity from defamation threats for reference-checking communications, but that protection can easily be lost through careless 18-24 comments or procedures. The chief defense against defamation is to present factual information and to label opinion as such.
Hotel Management and Marketing on the Internet
Authors: Murphy Jamie , Forrest Edward J. , Wotring C. Edward , Brymer Robert A.
Published: March 2007

Many hotel managers and hotel-operating companies are attempting to use the internet and worldwide web as an effective management and marketing tool. An exploratory survey finds thousands of hotel-related sites. Most such sites are hotel guides, chain hotels, and individual hotels, in that order. Current WWW hotel sites vary tremendously. Available functions of a web page include: travel information, reservations and payment, special promotions, links to partners, direct consumer feedback, employment opportunities, audio and video ads, gift certificates, shareholder information, newsletters, frequently asked questions, and a list of and links to individual hotels. The costs of establishing and maintaining a web site vary considerably, depending on the site-owner's commitment and objectives. The most effective hotel sites are those that give the consumer the easiest, most rewarding access to relevant and related information. For any web site, there are five important considerations for its successful management: defining the mission, calculating the margins, addressing the mechanics, planning the marketing, and performing the maintenance.
Success Attributes of B&B Operators
Authors: Kaufman Tammie J. , Weaver Pamela A. , Poynter Julia
Published: March 2007

A 1994 study of 124 Virginia innkeepers found that perhaps the most important precursor for success as the operator of a bed-and-breakfast inn is having prior experience in the lodging industry. Other important attributes of success in operating bed-and-breakfast inns were appropriate use of financial data, knowledge of accounting, and family support. The innkeepers were surveyed to determine the attitudes and beliefs they perceived as necessary for success as an operator. The attributes considered most important were correlated with actual descriptions of a group of (self-described) successful operators. The study points up the need for would-be B&B operators to be realistic about the attributes of a successful operator, as well as being able to act on that knowledge. For operators entering the business without hospitality or business experience, the road may be rocky unless they quickly get education and other assistance.
Food Servers' Produc-Liabty Revisited—
Authors: Sherry john E. H.
Published: March 2007

Not too long ago the test for product liability in cases where a foodservice consumer was injured by an undesirable object in his or her food was whether the object was naturally associated with the food consumed (e.g., a pit in a cherry pie). Recently, however, many states (e.g., California) have adopted a "reasonable-expectations" test that allows customers to argue that there is a reasonable expectation that even naturally occurring objects should be removed during preparation of a food item.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Employees
Authors: Young Katherine A.
Published: March 2007

Recent research and scientific developments have strengthened the link between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and health-related illnesses. As such, employers who allow smoking on their premises will likely face an increased risk of lawsuits and workers' compensation claims directed against them. Unlike in the past, when plaintiffs rarely prevailed by claiming that health problems were related to tobacco use or smoke, juries and judges recently have decided in favor of nonsmoking plaintiffs. While workers' compensation insurance may provide employees with the most expeditious way to link workplace ETS with a health problem, the limited remedies of workers' comp may substantially reduce an employee's settlement relative to the recovery available through the courts. One strategy for restaurateurs concerned about potential ETS-based liability is to support wide-area smoking ordinances. Restaurateurs operating under self-or government-imposed smoking bans are less likely to face ETS lawsuits than those who have no policy regarding smoking.
The Hong Kong Tourism Industry in Transitin
Authors: Heung Vincent C.S.
Published: March 2007

Hong Kong's tourism industry faces unprecedented political uncertainty with the upcoming change of sovereignty in July 1997. While the changes present challenges to investors and industry professionals, opportunities also exist. Most of the challenges are unrelated to the change in political administration, including competition from other destinations and Hong Kong's crowded real-estate market. Far from being a negative factor, the closer relationship with the mainland Chinese government should augment Hong Kong's position as both a destination in its own right and as a gateway for travelers entering and leaving the People's Republic.
The Sanitation Imperative
Authors: Walczak David
Published: March 2007

Sanitary techniques for handling food are well established. Nevertheless, improper food handling still causes the illness—and sometimes death—of countless restaurant patrons. Based on the sanitation abuses observed at a five-star resort, the author suggests the following food-sanitation principles: (1) Be sincere about sanitation (with clear management support); (2) Train employees properly, making sure that theory is translated into practice; (3) Give employees time to be sanitary, allowing sufficient paid time to tidy work stations between shifts; (4) Provide necessary equipment (e.g., disposable tasting spoons, safe scouring pads); and (5) Inspect the kitchen as a health inspector would, and insist on maintaining sanitation standards as if the health inspector were on the premises.
Hotel Management Contracts in the U.S.
Authors: Eyster James J.
Published: March 2007

One of the most effective mechanisms for expanding full-service chain hotels, the management contract saw substantial changes in the early 1990s when the hotel industry ran aground and foundered. Both are alive and well but in changed circumstances. Owners have achieved greater bargaining power in management contracts due to substantial competition by a crowded field of operators. Lenders and asset managers have become parties to the negotiations, generally siding with owners' interests. Courts have ruled that management contracts are agency agreements with the operating company as agent for the owner, greatly circumscribing the operator's rights and sphere of activity. Moreover, the reentry of REITs as substantial hotel investors has reduced the number of properties available for management contract, because REITs are legally required to operate using leases. Nevertheless, operators that are willing to work with the new variety of activist owner still have substantial potential for growth, albeit mostly in reflagging existing properties.
Resort Ecotourism
Authors: Ayala Hana
Published: March 2007

A master plan that combines tourism, conservation, and research offers a mechanism for developing and other countries to preserve their natural and cultural treasures while at the same time attracting appropriate tour ism development. Ironically, at the same time that travelers' interest in cultural and natural heritage is peaking, the threat to that heritage has never been greater. Since conservation for its own sake is not sufficient to preserve a nation's heritage, a plan that integrates ecotourism with inter pretation of a cultural heritage seems to be the wisest course. An even stronger case can be made when research or discovery is part of the preservation package, and travelers can participate in the creation of knowledge. The seven nations of Central America have embarked on a cooperative plan to preserve their heritage while developing their tourism industry, but the conservation facet of the plan could be better integrated with the development aspect. Panama particularly has a golden opportunity to preserve its pristine rain forest, take advantage of tourist interest in the reverted canal zone, and present itself as a research laboratory in connection with a branch of the Smithsonian Institution.
Fundraising in Hospitality Education
Authors: Conroy Philip A. , Lefever Michael M.
Published: March 2007

Fundraising campaigns are an essential aspect of hospitality-education programs. While the dean or director is a key member of a fundraising team, fundraising campaigns also require the assistance of development professionals and committed volunteers. The three steps for initiating a fundraising program are: create a written development plan, compose a case statement, and recruit volunteers. The annual fund is the beginning point for most fundraising campaigns and for most donors, as annual-fund gifts are relatively small and are made regularly. Despite the importance of operating an annual fund, the bulk of donated funds come from major gifts, which must be cultivated. Three solicitation methods are direct mail, telephone calls, and personal meetings.
Financial Executives in U.S. Clubs
Authors: Cichy Ronald F. , Schmidgall Raymond S.
Published: March 2007

Private clubs in the United States require not only the leadership of a strong general manager, but of an excellent chief financial officer. Traditionally club CFOs have been expected to be strong in technical skills. This study finds that the essential leadership qualities of private-club financial executives include strong communication skills, maintaining trust in their employees, developing a vision, and being consistent and firm in decision making. In this particular sample, slightly more than half the responding financial officers were women. While the respondents stressed the importance of strong leadership from a general manager, the financial officers also made clear the importance of their own leadership, particularly in human resources, for which many of them had responsibility (in addition to their financial duties).
Prospects for the Tourism and Hotel Industry in Singapore
Authors: Toh Rex S. , Khan Habibullah , Ng Florence Tze-Chieh
Published: March 2007

Regression models based on economic data indicate that Singapore's tourist authorities' optimistic expectations for tourist arrivals may be on target. The models show a strong effect on tourism from rising income in neighboring regions, while currency-exchange rates may have little impact. The models forecast some 10 million visitors to Singapore in 2000, a projection that is in line with the targets set by Singapore tourism officials. A calculation of the projected number of hotel beds in 2000 shows that the nation could accommodate up to 13 million visitors. While a huge number of tourists might strain local resources and overwhelm the relatively small population, the authors believe Singapore can sustain 10 million visitors without negative repercussions.
Loyalty: A Strategic Commitment
Authors: Bowen John T. , Shoemaker Stowe
Published: March 2007

A study of 892 luxury-hotel guests, most of whom travel frequently and primarily on business, supports the idea that relationship marketing can benefit luxury-hotel marketing. The authors developed a model of service relationships based on focus groups and customer-loyalty studies. This study primarily tested benefits that hotels could offer guests to foster loyalty. Benefits that garnered strong support were room upgrades, flexible check in and check out, personalized services, and expedited registration; being able to request a specific room; and employees who take guests' problems seriously. Trust is also an antecedent of loyalty; hotels can foster trust by ensuring guest safety, providing consistent service, seeing that employees follow through on guest requests, being truthful, and communicating accurately. Unfortunately, the respondents felt that their hotels fell short on the benefits that foster loyalty and the attributes that foster trust.
The Weighted Application Blank
Authors: Kaak Scott R. , Feild Hubert S. , Giles William F. , Norris Dwight R.
Published: March 2007

Data captured by common, standardized job-application forms can be used to predict employee success within a company. The procedure, called weighted application blank (WAB), involves first selecting an employee characteristic to be measured (in this case job tenure), identifying which questions predict the desired employee behavior, determining the questions' relative predictive power, assigning weighted values to each relevant question, and scoring each applicant's completed job-application form according to the scoring key developed. Hiring decisions may then be made according to applicants' weighted scores based on the criterion or criteria being measured. It is possible to determine for a given job-application form the total score below which a prospective employee might be a bad risk for the company and above which the applicant is likely to be a successful employee. In this study the authors show how using WAB might save a hotel firm $13,100 in annual turnover costs and could reduce employee turnover from 104 per year to 55.
U.S. Lodging Managers and the Internet
Authors: Van Hoof Hubert B. , Combrink Thomas E.
Published: March 2007

A survey of 454 U.S. hotel managers found that their chief perception of the internet is that it will someday be an effective marketing and communications tool, although it isn't now particularly useful for anything. The managers in particular saw little application of the internet as a tool for training. Indeed, although the managers themselves used the internet, they considered it less important for their employees than for themselves. Ironically, respondents with greater exposure to the internet rated its present usefulness lower than those with no internet experience. On the other hand, those same experienced users gave the internet's future prospects a much higher rating than did the tyros. Likewise, managers from small properties gave dimmer reviews to the internet's current value than did managers from large properties. One overriding concern shown by many respondents is for the security of data transmitted via the internet.
Antitrust Regulations and Trade Shows—
Authors: Abbott Je'Anna , Lanza Joseph
Published: March 2007

The antitrust regulations contained in the Sherman Act apply to trade-show promoters, whether the promoter is an individual, a single company, or an association. The antitrust regulations fall into two categories: restraint of trade and monopolization. Successful restraint-of-trade complaints might involve practices or rules designed to exclude some exhibitors from the show based on competitive or business-related criteria. On the other hand, restrictions based on available space that are even-handedly imposed are generally acceptable. Antitrust monopolization involves two conditions: attempts to monopolize and actual possession of a monopoly. The intent to monopolize by engaging in certain conduct is unlawful, yet difficult to prove in court. Moreover, to prevail in court there also must be evidence of control of a large market share and the likelihood of successfully monopolizing that market. Again, any exclusionary rules that favor some exhibitor over another or that influence a show's standing in the relevant marketplace at the expense of other shows should be avoided. Finally, control of an essential facility-that is, a show that exhibitors believe they “must” participate in to stay competitive-raises questions about how the show's resources and access to them may be fairly allocated by the show promoter without raising antitrust concerns.
Restaurant Revenue Management
Authors: Kimes Sheryl E. , Chase Richard B. , Choi Summee , Lee Philip Y , Ngonzi Elizabeth N
Published: March 2007

In principle, restaurant operators should be able to apply the time-based philosophy of revenue management to restaurant meals. To do so, however, requires a revision in the way most restaurateurs traditionally have viewed sales. Most restaurants track item contribution margin, sales per server, revenue per day part, or similar operating ratios. A different type of measure, revenue per available seat-hour, integrates the duration of the meal as a factor in the revenue calculation. Certain elements of current-day restaurant practice, such as differential pricing (e.g., early bird specials, AARP discounts), promoting special events (such as wine tastings on off nights), and managing table turnover carry the seeds of revenue management, but few restaurants have established the necessary strategic approach to assemble those tactics into a coherent revenue-management strategy. This article seeks only to establish a framework for such a strategy, and not to set a practical road map for its execution.
Reach Out and Touch Your Customers
Authors: Lynn Michael , Le Joseph-Mykal , Sherwyn David S.
Published: March 2007

This study of 105 dining parties at a casual chain restaurant found that a male server received significantly larger tips when he touched the shoulder of the person paying the bill than when he did not touch the customer. This touch effect on tips was essentially the same whether the touch was for two or four seconds, and whether the customer being touched was male or female. The age of the customer, however, did have a significant effect on the extent to which the touch increased the server's tips. Young customers responded more positively to the touch than did older diners. Nevertheless, the older diners who were touched did increase their tips compared to like-aged diners who weren't touched at all. Restaurant managers' personal objections to promoting touching seem to be misguided in light of these and other experimental data, and their fears of legal repercussions from touching customers are groundless.
Lessons from Liebeck
Authors: Rutherford Denney G.
Published: March 2007

Debate about blame and contributory negligence raged when a jury in New Mexico awarded Stella Liebeck $160,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages after she spilled a cup of McDonald's coffee in her lap. The coffee was served from a drive-through window at a temperature exceeding 180°F (82°C) and caused third-degree burns. Even though similar burn accidents (and settlements) had preceded this celebrated case, McDonald's (and possibly other QSRs) had apparently not sufficiently reduced the service temperature of its coffee from the industry standard of 185°F. A two-year study of a convenience sample of QSR restaurants (including McDonald's) in the U.S. Pacific northwest region following the Liebeck verdict found a mean coffee temperature of 167°F (75°C) and a range of 132° to 195°F (55° to 90°C). Moreover, some restaurants offered oral or written warnings, albeit not universally.
Is Germany's Traditional Restaurant a Dying Breed?
Authors: Spies Rupert , Weiss Gretel
Published: March 2007

A longitudinal study of the multiunit food-service market in Germany shows the diminishing market share for the traditional, full-service German restaurant. The German trade journal food-service has since 1982 tracked a broad spectrum of businesses, ranging from quick-service restaurants and convenience stores in gas stations to national and international chain restaurants, airport food courts and airline food-service providers, department-store restaurants, and party service operations. The publication's data demonstrate the emergence of ethnic restaurants, particularly Italian; an increase in spending for food consumed away from home; a shift in patronage from traditional, full-service restaurants to market domination by quick-service restaurants, particularly McDonald's; and a dramatic increase in popularity of meals priced at the 10 Deutsche Mark level (approximately US$5.55). At the head of the 1996 list of restaurant-chain performers in Germany (by sales), were McDonald's, Nordsee, Burger King, Mdvenpick, and Tricon (chiefly as Pizza Hut).
Labor Scheduling, Part 1
Authors: Thompson Gary M.
Published: March 2007

This paper focuses on forecasting demand for services, the first of a four-part series on developing effective workforce schedules. Serving customers well, at a reasonable cost, requires the proper number and mix of employees. Scheduling too many employees means high labor costs, while scheduling too few workers can mean poor service that drives away business. Forecasting customer demand involves eight steps: determine the nature of the work, identify those factors that generate the work (i.e., the labor drivers), determine whether the labor drivers are time variant or time invariant, determine the time interval for tracking the time-variant labor drivers, forecast the time-variant labor drivers, smooth those forecasts, track the error in those forecasts, and define the allowable window for controllable work. Balancing employees' skills and availability, plus governmental regulations, company policies, and contractual obligations regarding work schedules, can be a manager's nightmare.
Revenue Enhancement, Part 1
Authors: Quain Bill , Sansbury Michael , LeBruto Stephen M.
Published: March 2007

Revenue enhancement-comprising strategies for increasing the amount of money a business makes-requires that a business solve a guest's problems in such a way that the guest pays to have those needs satisfied and is pleased at the outcome. Involving creative approaches to serving guests, revenue enhancement implies a management commitment to seek guests who are willing and able to pay for solutions to their problems. Revenue enhancement can be as simple as letting guests know what services are available or asking them about their needs so that one can match up desired services to those offered by a hotel or restaurant, or it can be as complicated as applying computer-based yield-management algorithms. In addition to encouraging guests to spend their money, managers committed to revenue enhancement must set up incentives that allow their employees to share in the additional profits brought about by the extra services that the employees offer. Developing new services, repackaging existing services, and shifting peak demand to off-peak times are all tactics that can enhance revenue. This is the first in a series discussing specifically how hotels and restaurants can apply revenue-enhancing strategies.
The Location Effect
Authors: Ferreira Raymond R.
Published: March 2007

The surge of visitors to Atlanta for the 1996 summer Olympic games brought different amounts and types of business to private clubs, depending chiefly on each club's location. The downtown city clubs, located near the Olympic venues, forecasted more business, while suburban country clubs anticipated a drop-off in business. The expectations of both sets of clubs-favorable and unfavorable-were essentially fulfilled. Dinner business at the downtown clubs exceeded the managers' optimistic forecasts, while the golf and food-service receipts at the suburban clubs generally did not even meet those clubs' scaled-back expectations.
Customer-Satisfaction Measurement
Authors: Yüksel Atila , Rimmington Mike
Published: March 2007

A study of more than 400 restaurant patrons allowed a comparison of the validity and reliability of six approaches to measuring customer satisfaction. Four different questionnaires asked respondents about their expectations and the restaurant's performance in conjunction with those expectations. Some of the questionnaires also asked diners to rate the relative importance of certain restaurant attributes. The results indicated that an approach based on measuring “performance only” achieved the most validity and reliability. In contrast, attempting to measure customer satisfaction as a difference score between customers' prior expectations and the restaurant's perceived performance was the least reliable measure of satisfaction. Furthermore, the study identified substantial operational difficulties in administering gap-based surveys in a restaurant-notably, the problem of having to test for expectations before the meal and then test again for performance afterward. The findings of the study also suggest that weighting a performance or disconfirmation score by its importance does not bring about any substantial increase in predictive ability, although the information thus derived may be otherwise useful.
Consumer's Value Judgments
Authors: Mattila Anna
Published: March 2007

The broad goal of this study was to learn about the service-evaluation process used by business executives who are luxury-hotel customers. The specific focus was on consumers' assessments based on what they value, rather than trying to measure customer satisfaction. Specifically, the study used a conjoint-analysis approach to investigate the trade-offs that luxury hotel customers from Singapore are willing to make between physical environment and personal service. The results suggest that, overall, the physical environment may play a prominent role in determining customers' value perceptions of luxury hotels, more so than highly personalized services (such as butler service and personal recognition by the hotel's employees). Moreover, when scenarios contrasted a luxury hotel's physical environment against its service components, business travelers rated pleasant, functional spaces significantly higher than elevated levels of personalized service. This indicates that a full range of marketing and organizational objectives for business travelers can be approached through careful management of the hotel's environment.
Surfers and Searchers
Authors: Murphy Jamie
Published: March 2007

Little empirical research has been completed on how different types of visitors react to web-site designs. At one end of the web-user dichotomy is the searcher, who is seeking specific information. At the other end is the surfer, who is clicking from link to link mainly for amusement. A major factor in web-page design is the location and size of graphic images. According to some theories, forcing a visitor to scroll around large images to find text links might reduce the number of clicks on a web site's links. An experiment tested that concept by manipulating a web page's appearance-changing the size, number, and location of images in relationship to text links (to additional pages on the site). While the research found no significant relationship between web-visitor clicking behavior and the various image conditions, the study's methodology establishes a solid empirical approach to assessing the activities of web-site visitors by counting clicks.
A Framework for Restaurant Information Technology
Authors: Ansel Daryl , Dyer Chris
Published: March 2007

Some three decades after computers first automated restaurants' backoffice systems and two decades after point-of-sale systems made their appearance, information technology (IT) has finally become sufficiently sophisticated that it can be an integrated tool for management decision making and control of restaurant operations. Not coincidentally, restaurant chains themselves have finally grown large enough to support the heavy investment that IT can require. Rather than upgrade systems piecemeal, however, restaurant operators and managers would do well to gauge IT investments against a framework that takes into account all aspects of the restaurant's operation, including revenue-management and guestsatisfaction functions. Such a framework is presented in this article, with consideration given to the following aspects of restaurant management: production systems (including demand forecasting), scheduling (both in the kitchen and dining room), process control (including managing meal duration and kitchen production), and enterprise-resource planning (extended back-office functions).
James C. Hurst
Authors: Morrill Weston H.
Published: March 2007

This article is composed of a very pleasant reminiscence between Weston H. Morrill and James C. Hurst, two long-time friends and colleagues who worked together for several years during a very exciting and productive time at Colorado State University. They wrote of those experiences and described the powerful zeitgeist in a previous article. The current article is based on a transcript of a 2½-hour interview that took place in Washington, D.C., on November 18, 1997, with additional discussions in San Francisco on August 15, 1998, as well as e-mail consultations at various times. To meet space requirements and to enhance the flow of the written article, the interview has been edited and many parts have been omitted out of necessity.
A Primer on Rational Suicide and Other Forms of Hastened Death
Authors: Werth James L. , Holdwick Daniel J.
Published: March 2007

This article provides an overview of the major mental health issues involved in the debate over rational suicide and other forms of hastened death. In doing so, it covers the arguments for including counseling psychologists and other mental health professionals in discussions about hastened death; highlights the relevant empirical research associated with the topic, with special attention given to the studies involving psychologists and areas needing more investigation; and reviews the implications for practice and training and provides direction for those counseling psychologists who are working with persons who may be rational in their decisions to hasten death.
Directions and Redirections in Chicano Psychology
Authors: Casas J. Manuel
Published: March 2007

This reaction provides a general overview of the articles on Chicana(o) mental health issues. Summaries of the respective articles are provided. Selective aspects of each article are highlighted and serve as the basis for making critical comments and recommendations relative to the topics addressed in the articles. Out of a desire to provoke thought regarding other topics that merit attention, an overview of two research topics is provided—one that exemplifies how the research reviewed in the articles can be applied in innovative mental health settings and one that, I believe, directs attention to a new perspective relative to understanding Chicana(o) mental health. In addition to these two topics other topics that beg to be studied are identified.
Treatment of Eating Disorders in Women
Authors: Stein Richard I. , Saelens Brian E. , Dounchis Jennifer Zoler , Lewczyk Caroline M. , Swenson Anne K. , Wilfley Denise E.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews the most recent treatment literature for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder and serves as a guide for recommended readings and therapist resources. The primary focus is on empirically tested treatment modalities; for each of these approaches reviewed, the theoretical background, nature of the intervention, and existing empirical support are summarized. The article also presents less researched, albeit promising, approaches to eating disorder treatment, describing the rationale and available research. A focus on multicultural issues, including the paucity of eating disorder treatment research among participants of color, and suggestions for building research and enhancing treatment effectiveness with ethnic minority clients, is incorporated throughout. Recommendations concerning pressing research needs are made, and a summary of clinical recommendations for each disorder is formulated.
Perceived Sexist Events and Feminist Identity Development Attitudes
Authors: Moradi Bonnie , Subich Linda Mezydlo
Published: March 2007

Data from 104 undergraduate and 83 faculty/staff women indicated that perceived sexist events, measured by the Schedule of Sexist Events Scale (SSE), along with Passive Acceptance (PA), Revelation (R), and Embeddedness-Emanation (EE) attitudes, measured by the Feminist Identity Development Scale (FIDS), each related positively to women's psychological distress, measured by the General Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). When social desirability, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) were entered as covariates in a multiple regression analysis, however, only recent perceived sexist events and PA accounted for unique variance in distress. In addition, PA tentatively was supported as a moderator of the relation between recent perceived sexist events and distress. Finally, PA scores related negatively, and R, EE, and Active Commitment scores related positively to perceived sexist events; beyond covariates, only PA and R scores accounted for unique variance in lifetime perceived sexist events, and only R scores accounted for unique variance in recent perceived sexist events.
Social Policy and the Dual-Career Family: Bringing the Social Context Into Counseling
Authors: Walker Lynn S. , Rozée-Koker Patricia , Wallston Barbara Strudler
Published: March 2007

Although most counselors who work with dual-career families are not involved in formal policy analysis and development, their clients are inevitably affected by a broad array of social policies. Values analysis is presented as a tool for counselors to explore the impact of policies on the family. We argue that predominant social values—independence of families, minimal government intervention, separation of home and workplace, and the sex-typed division of labor—lead to policies that create dilemmas for dual-career families. We present and illustrate a counseling process that traces dual-career family dilemmas to discrepancies between family values and the values underlying social policies that affect the family. An alternative set of values based on community and human development is presented as a framework for evaluating current social policies and guiding the formulation of new policies.
Professional Practice of Counseling Psychology in Various Settings
Authors: Kagan Norman , Armsworth Mary W. , Altmaier Elizabeth M. , Dowd E. Thomas , Hansen Jo-Ida C. , Mills David H. , Schlossberg Nancy , Sprinthall Norman A. , Tanney Mary Faith , Vasquez Melba J.T.
Published: March 2007

Counseling psychology has traditionally been associated with particular practice settings. The past 25 years, however, have shown an increase in the diversity of settings in which the counseling psychologists' unique perspective is applicable and valued. This report examines the evolution of counseling psychology's perspective and several arenas in which counseling psychologists currently practice. Implications for our expansion into various settings and for accreditation and practice standards are explored. Recommendations for implementation of suggested changes are presented.
Mentoring and Adult Career Development
Authors: Carden Ann D.
Published: March 2007

Mentoring has become a buzz word among educational, professional, and corporate consultants charged with the task of socializing students into their professional identities (Bogat & Redner, 1985; Collins, Barrett, & Citrin, 1985; Obleton, 1984; O'Neil & Wrightsman, 1988) or securing the loyalties and optimizing the resources of talented young corporate employees (Hennecke, 1983; Klauss, 1981; Vernon-Gerstenfeld & Burke, 1985; Zey, 1984). Popular as well as academic audiences have been deluged with articles, books, presentations, and workshops touting the benefits and cautioning against the hazards of mentoring as a means to personal enhancement and/or career advancement. Counseling psychologists, in their roles as career counselors and educators, organizational consultants, and researchers need to understand the implications of this growing movement for the institutions and individuals they serve. This integrative review of theoretical and empirical literature on mentoring seeks to promote such an understanding.
Major Social Theories of Aging and their Implications for Counseling Concepts and Practice
Authors: Fry P. S.
Published: March 2007

The article discusses the counseling implications and applications of a number of social theories of aging. It explores the effects of some of the rather distinct perspectives on aging that have emerged, beginning with the conceptualizations, research studies, and criticisms of disengagement theory, activity theory, and role theory, leading up to continuity theory and the liberation perspective. The social theory approaches to aging and the resulting empirical studies examined here have affinities with some of the existing perspectives of counseling concepts and counseling practice. The focus is on counseling perspectives aimed at helping elderly individuals maintain a satisfactory state of psychological well-being. Particular attention is given to the reciprocal influences among social systems, individual resources, and counselor effects in helping elderly clients cope with differential demands, internal pressures, and external constraints of the social environment. An integrative framework proposing conceptual links among individual resources, social resources, and life satisfactions in old age is presented. The discussion is devoted to persuading counseling psychologists and mental health practitioners that individuals age differently and by differing processes. The issues of heterogeneity in the aging processes, the modifiability of these processes, and choices in constructing alternative futures for older persons make it possible for counseling researchers and counseling psychologists to consider aging individuals as synergistic products of ecological, biological, psychosocial, and cultural factors.
Recommendations for the Inclusion of Training about Persons with HIV Disease in Counseling Psychology Graduate Programs
Authors: Werth James L.
Published: March 2007

Historically, exposing future mental health professionals to diversity has primarily meant preparation for different racial and ethnic groups. Recently, however, thanks in large measure to the efforts of counseling psychologists, there has been an increasing interest in acknowledging the special needs of other underrepresented groups, such as the elderly, gay men and lesbians, and persons with disabilities. This article presents a rationale for including training about persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in psychology graduate programs. Some of the reasons why students need training about HIV include the prevalence of the disease, ethical obligations, and competency considerations. A specific way to introduce students to the many issues related to HIV disease is to include persons with HIV disease in courses on providing services for diverse populations. Specific information that should be covered includes the epidemiology of HIV disease, confidentiality concerns, the issue of rational suicide, the students 'personal prejudices, HIV disease basic, HIV-related semantics, neurological conditions, and psychosocial factors and stressors.
Facilitating Adolescent Optimal Development
Authors: Kaczmarek Peggy G. , Riva Maria T.
Published: March 2007

Competencies and training models for working with adolescents have not been well defined. The literature related to adolescents has focused on at-risk populations, with little attention to healthy and optimal development. Numerous and as yet primarily untapped opportunities are available for counseling psychologists to facilitate adolescent optimal development. This article proposes a training model that incorporates competencies for working with adolescents with the goal of helping them thrive. Information is presented concerning changes in service delivery, current training practices, and methods to infuse information about adolescent optimal development into the curriculum.
Counseling Psychology and Welfare Reform
Authors: Edwards Scott A. , Rachal K. Chris , Dixon David N.
Published: March 2007

The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRA) of 1996 marked the beginning of reforms in the welfare system that promise to affect more than 20 million people in the next 5 years. Although many agree that reform was needed, efforts may be based on misconceptions about welfare recipients. The transition from welfare to work may be problematic for many, as they face individual factors (e.g., psychological disorders) and contextual variables (e.g., lack of well-paying jobs). Counseling psychology traditionally has rested on the foundations of the vocational guidance, psychological testing, psychotherapy, and mental hygiene movements. The context of welfare reform offers unique opportunities and obvious responsibilities for the profession. This article discusses the philosophies and values of counseling psychology in the context of realities and misconceptions of the past welfare system and implications of the PRA. Recommendations for points of entry for counseling psychologists are made.