bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a New Definition of Impact
Authors: Culligan Patrick E.
Published: March 2007

Discussions of impact in the hotel industry are almost always couched in negative terms. When a franchisor expands in a market where it already has franchisees, the automatic assumption is that the existing operators will be hurt. Such is not always the case. Well-chosen expansions have augmented demand for given chains in some markets. In addition to its effect on existing franchisees, impact involves the strategic issues of overall chain expansion, penetration, and market dominance. If chains cannot expand, they will stagnate and lose ground to competing chains that are expanding. Even when incremental impact may be negative, a single numerical threshold that triggers finding of negative impact will not work in all situations because each market is different. Consequently, franchisors and franchisees should work together to create a definition of impact that prevents damage to existing operators but also considers the effects on the franchisor of failing to expand.
Counterfeit Credit Cards —
Authors: Hobson J. S. Perry , Ko Marilyn
Published: March 2007

Credit-card losses from criminal activity in 1992 amounted to approximately US$1.3 billion. Over 60 percent of that loss was through the use of counterfeit credit cards and about 70 percent of the information used in credit-card fraud was illegally obtained by criminals from hotel employees. Manufacturing fake credit cards with real account numbers, as opposed to stealing cards, is the most profitable credit-card crime. Hotel employees are ideal targets for obtaining credit-card information. The following are ways management can reduce a hotel's chances of contributing to credit-card fraud. Tighten security regarding the storage and recording of hotel guests' credit-card information. Use electronic datacapture machines that enter information directly into the computer. Review security procedures and devise operational systems to discover and prevent white-collar crime.
Monte Carlo Simulations and Sceenrio Analyst —
Authors: Sheel Atul
Published: March 2007

Monte Carlo simulation refers to a computer spreadsheet model that can generate answers to "what if" scenarios involving multiple variables (i.e., a manager's possible decisions). The possible outcomes of a decision are recalculated repeatedly, each time using different randomly selected values of "inputs," where the inputs represent the managers' options. Using a hypothetical case study, this article shows how Monte Carlo simulations are applied in four steps. First, define the problem and build the exact relationship between the input and output variables into a computer spreadsheet. Second, identify input variables that are uncertain but crucial and model them as probability distributions. Third, have the computer generate a wide range of possible outcomes, their probabilities, and related trends. Fourth, based on the simulation results and outcome probabilities obtained in the third step, choose the preferred course of action.
Compensation Survey
Authors: Dingman H. Bruce , Dingman David R.
Published: March 2007

A 1995 survey of over 80 general managers of fourand five-star hotels found little growth in base salary compared to a similar survey conducted three years earlier. The responding managers reported a mean annual base salary of $111,000, although average bonuses added another 25 percent to that amount. Well-educated, it took the majority of respondents six to fifteen years to achieve the GM's position. Along the way, half of the responding GMs had relocated between five and ten times. Some of the GMs were ready to leave their jobs, usually for greater opportunity and better pay and benefits, particularly equity or a retirement plan. The most frequent complaint by unhappy GMs is that they are treated poorly by owners or upper management. The GMs are motivated by the prospects of being rewarded for their work through bonuses, but those who are satisfied with their jobs also enjoy being respected and valued as managers.
Technolog Needs and Perception
Authors: Van Hoof Hubert B. , Collins Galen R. , Combrink Thomas E. , Verbeeten Marja J.
Published: March 2007

A survey of managers at 550 U.S. hotels in all market segments found that managers of large hotels generally appreciate technology more than those in small hotels. Part of the reason for that finding may be simply that large hotels have more technology than small hotels and that it's hard to appreciate technology if you don't have it. Compared to small-hotel operators, managers of large hotels generally saw a greater need for technology in their operations. The front office is the area that would benefit most from a technology update, in the view of these managers, and the chief reason they see for installing more equipment is to improve guest satisfaction. Ironically, many of the managers believed guests did not make the best possible use of guest-room technology, but once again those managers generally had less guest-room equipment for guests to use. Perhaps the biggest difficulty in implementing any technological system is staff training. Due to turnover and the press of business, workers often are left to pick up the basics of system operation on their own.
Gettig Quality Out on the Street
Authors: Brownell judi , Jameson Daphne
Published: March 2007

A survey of 143 employees of a medium-size, upscale hotel found that the general manager and supervisors are the chief sources of information on the hotel's standards for service quality. Merely enunciating standards, however, is not enough. Many employees learn what those standards actually mean by watching supervisors and co-workers in action, demonstrating excellent service. Moreover, that process can be lengthy, lasting six months or more for many employees. While most knowledge is transmitted orally or by demonstration, certain groups, including women and persons for whom English is a second language, apparently rely more heavily than others on written materials for information on quality standards. Written materials may also form the basis for employee definition of quality standards. Many of the terms that the subject hotel's employees used to define quality were also found in the hotel's employee documents.
Controlling Action Timnes in Daily Workforce Schedules
Authors: Thompson Gary M.
Published: March 2007

Workforce-shift scheduling can be a complex task for hospitality managers, because many factors affect schedules. The chief goal is to schedule enough staff to serve customers without overstaffing the operation. In so doing, managers arrange shifts of different lengths, sometimes overlapping. Every change of shift or beginning or end of a break constitutes an "action time." Managers may wish to control the number of action times, either maximizing or minimizing them. Examining a quick-service restaurant, the author applied three mathematical models that accounted for different levels of staffing needs, peaks in staffing needs, length of operating day, shift-length intervals (i.e., in 15-, 30-, 60-minute units), and employee flexibility. By using newly devised mathematical models that contemplate the number of action times, a manager can set schedules to maximize or minimize that number, as appropriate to the operation without unduly inconveniencing the employees. Control of the number of action times can reduce a manager's scheduling burden when consumer demand is stable, while providing sufficient staff in situations of unstable demand.
Trends in Hotel Management Contracts
Authors: Sangree David J. , Hathaway Peter P.
Published: March 2007

An April 1996 survey of 25 hospitality chains, operators, and institutional investors by U S Realty Consultants revealed a continuing trend toward shorter management contracts and more incentive fees in the 1990s, as compared to the 1980s. The survey was conducted to determine what, if any, changes in management-contracts' provisions had occurred over the past ten years (1986 to 1996). Operators surveyed viewed management contracts as carrying greater risk since the 1980s due both to more liberal termination clauses and the fact that a greater share of fees was generated from incentive clauses. A review of 32 management contracts executed over the past ten years confirmed the changes observed by the respondents. The average duration of a management contract fell from seventeen years in the 1 980s to six years in 1990s' contracts. The review also revealed that limited-service hotels carry the largest average managementfee percentages, while upscale hotels have smaller fee percentages but larger overall fees due to higher cash flow. Franchise-fee percentages were unrelated to management fees.
Human-Resources Practices of TQM Hotels
Authors: Partlow Charles G.
Published: March 2007

Aligning human-resources practices with total-quality initiatives requires fundamental changes in the way hotel organizations train, empower, evaluate, and reward individuals and teams. Total quality management is more than simply another operations-improvement program. Instead it must be ingrained in a company's culture at all levels. Interviews with human-resources professionals, general managers, and TQM experts in eight hotel companies that belong to the AH&MA's Committee for Quality reveal that specific HR practices are needed to support a TQM culture. Among the key practices are employee involvement in operating decisions, appropriate measurement and rewards for accomplishments, training for TQM, and a secure, safe working environment. Even though these hotel organizations are recognized for their TQM achievements, respondents identified needed improvements in HR practices regarding selection, promotion, career development, and tracking of measurable outcomes.
The 100-Percent, Unconditional, Money-Back Guarantee
Authors: Evans Michael R. , Clark J. Dana , Knutson Bonnie J.
Published: March 2007

The consensus of a panel of 20 marketing and sales managers with major hotel chains based in North Carolina is that most companies are not ready to implement a 100-percent service guarantee. To date, a handful of national chains offer such a guarantee: Comfort Inn, Howard Johnson, Promus's brands (e.g., Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns), and Sleep Inns. On further questioning, the panel members suggested that the core lodging elements and practices needed to ensure the success of the guarantee policy are service standards and employee training. In addition, properties must maintain strong housekeeping and maintenance practices and make continual quality inspections. On the other hand, the panel discounted the age of the property and its FF&E as a critical factor in the successful implementation of a satisfaction guarantee.
Minimizing Tour Operators' Exposure to Lawsuits
Authors: Abbott Je'Anna , Abbott Steven M.
Published: March 2007

Travel generally and group tours particularly have never been bigger businesses than they are today. But at the same time, never have tourists been more at risk for personal injury from a host of causes, including their own activities. To the tour operator, those risks can add up to a large potential liability if a guest is hurt during a tour. Potential liability arises from three sources. First, if the tour operator maintains control of (or actually owns) the vendor in whose care the guest is injured, the tour operator may be held liable. In most cases, the tour operator is merely packaging the services of independent third-party vendors, so control is rarely an issue. Second, if guests determine that the tour operator's descriptive brochures and collateral material created a false sense of security regarding the trip, those guests could then sue if they are hurt. Tour operators should therefore review their publications to ensure that they do not imply that the guest cannot be hurt while on the tour. Finally, if the tour operator is aware of potential danger in a given destination and fails to warn its customers of possible crime or other threat, that tour operator could be liable for any injury to the guest. As a closing note, tour operators must be aware of the variations in law in different countries. An action that would not be a tort, say, in the United States may be considered as such in another country.
Price-Sensitivity Measurement
Authors: Lewis Robert C. , Shoemaker Stowe
Published: March 2007

One way to determine an optimum price for a product or service is to assess what the customer is willing to pay and then set production methods and costs to achieve a profit based on that price. Traditional pricing methods, including "cost-plus" and "gut feel," operate backwards by setting a price based on the operator's costs or profit goals. Measuring the customer's price sensitivity in a reasonably unbiased way is difficult, however. Moreover, the matter of appropriate pricing is complicated by the fact that consumers use price as an indicator of quality. So, it is not only possible to set a price too high (pricing the item out of the market), but also to set it too low (giving a perception of unacceptably low quality). The statistical technique of price-sensitivity measurement (PSM) works by asking consumers questions that allow them to indicate when a product is "too expensive" or "too cheap." Graphing these numbers shows a range between expensive and cheap-indicating the likely best price range. Proprietors of Taco Bell applied the PSM method in creating their value menu, with considerable success. As an example, the authors developed a price-value range for buyers in the association-meeting market.
Are You in the Book?
Authors: Bell Russell A. , Morey Richard C.
Published: March 2007

As corporate travel departments become more assertive about managing employees' travel behavior, knowing how a hotel can be included in the company's travel directory becomes increasingly important to hoteliers. Since each hotel offers a different bundle of features, hotel operators should find it useful to know the relative value of those features to corporate travel managers. A pilot study of such travel managers tested their preferences of hypothetical combinations of hotel attributes, including negotiated rates, guaranteed rooms, and business amenities. While special rates substantially increase the likelihood of a hotel's being approved, rates are not always the deciding factor. Travel managers seemed to consider trade-offs among various hotel features, with such items as flexible cancellation policy, guaranteed last-room availability, and convenience to the workplace as being notably valuable. The research also found that the type and size of a company influences which factors are particularly salient in a firm's decision to approve a particular hotel.
Perishable-Food-Rescue Programs
Authors: Adams Christopher , Tabacchi Mary
Published: March 2007

Food-donation programs operated in at least 130 cities in the U.S. in 1994. These programs, which vary greatly in size and how they operate, channel leftover prepared food from restaurants and other donors to soup kitchens and rescue shelters. Some food-rescue programs pick up food and transport it to human-service agencies. Others locate leftover food and manage pickups and deliveries, but do not actually move the food. Brokers, in contrast, pick up food in bulk from large donors and deliver it in smaller portions to recipient agencies or hold it for pickup. In the 1990s food donations have shrunk due to restaurants' cutting food costs and waste. The authors' survey found that food-donation programs are ill-equipped to confront this development and must therefore become more flexible in working with restaurants to acquire excess food and to reassure restaurateurs of their businesslike and sanitary handling of the donations.
The "WOW" Efect
Authors: Cohen Barry
Published: March 2007

"Exceed customers' expectations" is a common goal; however, special services that at first exceed guest expectations eventually become the expected level of service. This phenomenon challenges restaurateurs to find ways to keep guests coming back. One restaurant operator who has kept the guests returning is Barry Cohen, whose Old San Francisco restaurant in San Antonio has enjoyed a 28-year run and has since expanded to other locations. A key aspect of Cohen's approach to service excellence is to delight not only customers but also employees and to give employees psychological ownership in the business, if not financial ownership. Constant menu innovation is essential, but new menu items must reflect the individual personality of the restaurant and not merely copy current trends.
Strategic Allianices between Hotels and Restaurants
Authors: Strate Robert W. , Rappole Clinton L.
Published: March 2007

This article reports on why hotel and restaurant companies form strategic alliances and offers a framework for doing so. In many cases it is not financially feasible for a hotel restaurant to be operated as just a support function to the hotel's lodging operations. In fact, the example presented in this article shows how a hotel owner increased overall hotel profits by buying and operating a restaurant franchise. The hotel restaurant must be managed as its own profit center where the goal is to maximize overall property profits. Two ways to accomplish this are to operate a franchised restaurant brand on the premises or lease F&B space to a restaurant company. Among the critical elements to consider when assessing which restaurant-brand concepts will best match a particular hotel property are: the hotel's desired market position and its competition; the feasibility of running the hotel company's own restaurant concept versus buying and operating a franchised brand versus leasing space to a restaurant company; the compatibility of the hotel's corporate culture and goals with those of the restaurant company; the practical aspects of converting existing space into the desired restaurant concept (e.g., physical layout of the facility, site location and characteristics, local labor market); the ongoing value-added support available through the restaurant company (e.g., franchise-fee structure, menu development and new recipes on a regular basis, cooking specifications, training and management support, ability to handle room service and banquets); and the potential for the restaurant to be a selling point that can enhance rooms sales in addition to being a profit center that can be held accountable for achieving established profit goals.
The Principle of the Principal
Authors: Shindler Michael C.
Published: March 2007

Three court cases have clarified the relationship between a hotel owner and its management firm. Those cases are Woolley v. Embassy Suites, Pacific Landmark v. Marriott, and Government Guarantee Fund of Finland v. Hyatt. In each case, the owner charged that the manager had in some way defaulted on the terms of the contract and summarily terminated the manager-even though the contract provided for no such termination. Without examining the competing claims of default, the courts held that operating firms are agents of owners. As a point of common law (and statute), agency agreements may be terminated by either party. The open issue is what damages the owner must pay the operator for terminating the agreement. The courts suggested, however, that an agency with interest would be irrevocable. Two of the essential points of such an arrangement are an investment in the property by the management firm itself (not a subsidiary) and a contract provision stating that the agency truly protects some right of the agent and is for the benefit of the agent. To date, no record exists of an operating firm establishing an agency with interest.
The Hong Kong Hilton
Authors: Hsu William , O'Halloran Robert
Published: March 2007

Opened in 1961, the Hong Kong Hilton closed its doors in 1994 to make way for redevelopment of its site into commercial office space. The hotel was closed not because it was unsuccessful or losing money, however. Instead, the decision to close was based on the simple fact that its owner could achieve a higher return on the site from a commercial building than from a hotel. Several factors entered into the decision of Hutchison Whampoa to demolish the landmark property. Among them were the increasing cost of labor, a requirement for retrofitting hotels for sprinklers, zoning restrictions, and the general cost of real estate in central Hong Kong. The Hilton was by no means the only property removed from supply. Hong Kong lost a net of nearly 900 rooms from 1993 through 1995, even though hotel occupancies averaged above 80 percent for the period and well over 2,000 new rooms opened.
Th Rise of Malaysia's Tourism Industry
Authors: Sadi Muhammad Asad , Bartels Frank L.
Published: March 2007

Malaysia's government is focusing more than ever on its tourism industry, which could soon become the nation's number-one source of foreign exchange. In particular, Malaysia hopes to develop its hitherto overlooked eastern peninsula, as well as several of its island destinations. Already tourists come to Malaysia to tour Penang's classic Chinatown area and its rubber plantations. Because of its location, Malaysia poses a challenge to neighboring Singapore's current hegemony as a destination and as a transfer site for tourists visiting Southeast Asia. Singapore is not blind to the challenge, but faces physical limitations as it seeks to reinvent itself. Moreover, Singapore's efforts to increase supply are at the moment not supported by increases in demand. Faced with a potential image as a relatively high-price destination due to a strong currency, Singapore needs to control costs and boost its value perception, as well as reinvigorate its current tourist attractions. Ironically, strategic alliances with Malaysian tourism operations may also strengthen Singapore's hand.
Sonesta International Hotels
Authors: Oshins Michael , Sonnabend Jacqueline
Published: March 2007

A disaster of any kind can have a long-lasting effect on tourism to a particular destination. However, when the disaster is an attack specifically aimed at tourists, the situation is even more dire. Such was the case of Egypt's Sonesta St. George Hotel in November 1997, when terrorists attacked and killed 65 people, most of them tourists. Because the hotel had just opened, its disaster plan was still just a piece of paper. Although hotel staff members had not been trained in the disaster plan, general manager Rob McCarthy handled the situation with aplomb. His first attention was to the survivors of the attack and their families. Next he attended to the needs of employees and gave them full information about all aspects of the situation, holding back nothing. After the tragedy, the owner retained most of the hotel's employees, even though occupancy was decimated. Sonesta then turned its attention to its travel partners, the tour operators, who themselves were experiencing blanket cancellations for all Egyptian trips. Sonesta offered them complete refunds of deposits for all cancellations. For the owner, who was now effectively supporting the hotel's employees, Sonesta deferred or forgave its management fees. Throughout, Sonesta maintained strict control of information flowing from the hotel to quash rumors and to prevent damage to the company's image for a situation over which it had no control.
Critical Incidents
Authors: Chung Beth , Hoffman K. Douglas
Published: March 2007

A study of 373 instances in which guests at all types of restaurants experienced service failures found that the most common error is poorly prepared food. Using the critical-incident technique, researchers asked restaurant guests to recall service failures and to rate how serious they considered those failures. The researchers sorted the incidents into three predetermined categories: failures of the service-delivery system, inappropriate employee responses to customer requests, and unsolicited employee actions. Failures of the service-delivery system comprised the incidents that were at the same time most common, most severe, and best remembered. The subcategory comprising the most serious incidents was that of seating problems, while the subcategory with the most common errors was that of poorly prepared food. The respondents were, however, more tolerant of this type of error than those involving facility cleanliness. Nevertheless, on a scale of 1 to 10, where ten was most serious, no group of errors averaged less than 5, meaning that all failures carry at least some weight.
The Service Imperative
Authors: Hinkin Timothy R. , Tracey J. Bruce
Published: March 2007

As is true of many facets of the hospitality industry, the meeting business combines both tangible products and intangible services. A study of the factors that affected meeting planners' and participants' ratings of a meeting's success returned a list of 50 factors in nine categories. Although meeting planners and meeting participants consider a number of different factors in their assessment of a meeting's success, the two groups have many criteria in common. Top on everyone's list were security-related items and the staff's performance. While security must be a given, the staff members' competence and appropriate staffing levels are critical to a meeting's success. Also high on the common list were sensory attributes of the meeting rooms and quality of the guest rooms. One item on which planners and participants diverged was food and beverage quality; participants considered it a priority, while planners thought it less so. It is also important to note that sensory attributes of the meeting room—such as climate control, lighting, and comfort—may have more effect on customer satisfaction than the physical attributes, such as pinnable walls and breakout rooms.
Labor Scheduling, Part 2
Authors: Thompson Gary M.
Published: March 2007

This paper, second in a series, focuses on using forecasts of customer demand for service to estimate the number of employees needed to provide that service. There are three basic approaches to translating demand forecasts into employee requirements: using productivity standards, using service standards, and using economic standards. As described in this paper, the staffing levels determined by using the economic standard provide the best economic performance. The aim of using an economic standard is to deliver the service most economically. Although productivity and service standards can sometimes match the performance of an economic standard, they do so only in narrow ranges of business volume.
Budgeting and Forecasting
Authors: Schmidgall Raymond S. , DeFranco Agnes L.
Published: March 2007

This study of 171 hotel financial executives shows that budgeting is an important part of hotels' financial planning. The majority of hoteliers set tentative financial goals prior to preparing their budgets. Most hoteliers use budgets as a way to compare actual performance to desired results (i.e., financial control), and as a planning tool. At the majority of hotels, a cooperative effort among departments produces the budget. Less than half of all respondents prepared long-term operations budgets, and even fewer revised their budgets during the year. Chain-affiliated hotels seem to be more exacting about producing and following budgets than are independent properties, but a hotel's level of income also plays a role in that regard. Revenue-forecasting techniques varied by department within individual hotels, with the most commonly used techniques being “expected units sold by expected average price per unit,”“number of guests by expected spending per guest,” and “last year's actual revenues adjusted subjectively.”
Revenue Enhancement, Part 2
Authors: Quain Bill , Sansbury Michael , Abernethy Ted
Published: March 2007

Customers need help identifying their “problems” and finding solutions. If managers can satisfy patrons' needs (i.e., problems) creatively, managers can greatly increase an operation's profits. The first step is to put together a team of creative employees who will develop ideas for making more money. The team will brainstorm ideas and develop a plan for implementing them. For example, 10 of this paper's 20 suggested money-making opportunities are these: examine your discounts, train your front-desk clerks to sell, book a room at checkout, recommend your own restaurants, centralize your dining reservations, maximize profit from the minibar, offer commissions, get in on the college-sports market, provide incentives, and make use of guest histories. Some of the suggestions may not work for every hotel, but they should inspire the creative team to generate other possibilities for making more money.
Luxury and the Hotel Brand
Authors: Bernstein Laurence
Published: March 2007

Focus groups conducted by Canada's nascent Metropolitan hotel chain found that business travelers viewed many hotel attributes as merely matters of convenience or good value, rather than true luxury. The study also found that experienced travelers have become blase about many hotel amenities, even those that are luxurious. On the other hand, young travelers remained excited about the prospect of luxury on their trips, but many recognized only intrinsic luxuries (e.g., windows that open), as against extrinsic luxury (e.g., over-the-top food service). The focus-group study leads to the conclusion that luxury is in the eye of the beholder, and hotels need to give their guests clues about what is luxury, so that they will approach their stay with the appropriate mind-set. Metropolitan trains its guest-contact employees at its two properties to discuss with guests their purpose of travel, the better to mesh hotel services with guests' desires.
Clean Air at Night
Authors: Field Arthur
Published: March 2007

Given some hotel guests' rising concern about secondary smoke, hotel chains have set aside a percentage of so-called non-smoking hotel rooms. However, a survey of 20 U.S.-based chains found that only one actually keeps reservation statistics about smoking-room requests and refusals. Most chains mandate a minimum percentage of non-smoking rooms in their properties, but leave it up to the local managers to determine the actual percentage. Also left to the local property is mollifying the guest who has been promised a smoking or non-smoking room but finds none available at check-in. A survey of 364 individual hotels found an average of 55 percent of rooms set aside for non-smokers' use. However, about two-thirds of the hotels would put a smoker in a non-smoking room, if smoking rooms were all full. A survey of 917 travelers found that frequent business travelers are more likely to be non-smokers than smokers, and those frequent travelers are most likely to make a specific room request. Nearly three-quarters of non-smokers said they always state their room preference, while not even half of smokers always did so. Moreover, the availability of non-smoking rooms was important in the selection of a hotel for over 80 percent of the non-smoking respondents. Half of the respondents said they would be unlikely to do business again with a hotel that fails to fulfill their request for a non-smoking room.
Revenue Enhancement, Part 3
Authors: Quain William J. , Sansbury Michael , Quinn Dennis
Published: March 2007

The basic concept of yield management is determining which business will bring in the most revenue on a given date. This requires keeping records of past business as an indication of future business-for example, the likelihood of selling out on a given date, guests' lengths of stay, and the number of rooms a given client plans to book. Shifting some demand from busy dates to slack times can increase revenue, as can eliminating discount categories for sellout dates. Hoteliers can also manipulate groups' minimumstay requirements rather than dicker on room rate alone to maximize revenue. Selling fewer rooms to a group at a great discount at a slack time, for instance, might net greater revenue than selling more rooms at a small discount at a busy time-if the group displaces potential rack-rate business.
The Brand-Personality Scale
Authors: Siguaw Judy A. , Mattila Anna , Austin Jon R.
Published: March 2007

A study of a convenience sample of 247 students at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration measured the extent to which respondents differentiated among the personalities of nine restaurants in three segments (quick service, casual dining, and upscale). The study was based on Jennifer L. Aaker's brand-personality scale, which posits five overall personality dimensions comprising 42 traits. The overall dimensions are competence, sincerity, excitement, sophistication, and ruggedness. Respondents rated each of the nine restaurants on Aaker's 42 traits. On balance, the students did not perceive large differences among the restaurants' overall personalities, although certain restaurants were seen as distinctive on individual dimensions. For instance, McDonald's was seen as being more competent and exciting than either Burger King or Wendy's. Chili's was rated as the most rugged of the three casual-dining restaurants, while TGI Friday's was considered to be more exciting than Chili's or Applebee's. Ironically, the students reported the least personality differentiation among the upscale restaurants (all local establishments), even though the chef's or owner's personality usually informs such restaurants. Overall, upscale restaurants were perceived to be more sophisticated than the casual-dining or QSR outlets, while the casual-dining restaurants were seen as more sincere.
Turning the Tables
Authors: Robson Stephani K.A.
Published: March 2007

Environmental psychology can be applied to create restaurant settings that encourage and support high customer volume. That is, a restaurant's physical environment can be designed to encourage both fast table turns and high customer satisfaction using basic psychological principles. For example, high-traffic restaurants need to be arousing (i.e., affecting several senses at once) and should allow guests to control at least some aspects of their environment, such as with movable seating, while striking a balance between overand understimulation. Environmental elements that make the dining area seem busy and active can encourage high volume. Such elements include music (fast tempo and moderate loudness), lighting (bright; subtle spot lights; colored or flashing lights), table placement (easy to see other diners, always a busy appearance), and furnishings and finishes (interesting yet not-quite-comfortable seating, easy to clean between table turns). The use of color and scent (both indoors and out) can also both attract patrons and enhance the dining experience.
Restoring The Homestead's Historic Spa
Authors: Monteson Patty , Singer Judy
Published: March 2007

Health Fitness Dynamics, a spa consulting firm, helped to restore the historic Homestead Spa in Hot Springs, Virginia. As part of the reconstruction effort HFD decided to modernize the spa's concept by allowing coed use of facilities. While the building was gutted, the spa remained open by moving some facilities to nearby guest rooms. Key to the building program was a concept that allowed treatment rooms to be used by groups or individuals, as needed, by opening or closing doors. HFD also conducted pre-opening training to introduce the new facility and new treatment concepts to the three dozen spa employees, many of whom had been on staff for well over a decade. Employees responded favorably, with a result of favorable guest comments and financial results that exceeded management's expectations.
Best Practices in Marketing
Authors: Siguaw Judy A. , Enz Cathy A.
Published: March 2007

Here are 20 ways to focus more closely on satisfying hotel guests—thereby making more money for the property.
Building Customer Loyalty—
Authors: Dubé Laurette , Renaghan Leo M.
Published: March 2007

For the most part the industry's top-performing hotels are delivering what guests are looking for, but there's considerable room for doing things differently—and better— in the areas of property and marketing management.
Dimensions of the Glass Ceiling in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: Knutson Bonnie J. , Schmidgall Raymond S.
Published: March 2007

Studies about the glass ceiling, which describes the invisible barrier that asseems to restrict women and people of color from promotion to firms' top echelons, are primarily descriptive or anecdotal. Focusing specifically on women, this study surveyed 234 women executives in the hospitality industry. The study used factor analysis to discover the underlying dimensions that can support or hinder women's advancement to executive positions. Findings suggest that there are four dimensions comprising qualities essential to promotion, eight dimensions relating to women's personal strategies, and four dimensions relating to company strategies regarding advancing women's professional careers. The four essential qualities are: an appropriate personality, street smarts, political savvy, and intelligence (although the last factor has the weakest influence on promotions). Strategies that women have found effective for advancement include: being proactive in leadership and professional development, making sacrifices, developing support systems (including mentors), and being willing to make changes (including moving to new locations or employers). The corporate factors involve these four aspects: formal policies, such as identifying talented people and preparing people for promotion; maintaining an appropriate corporate culture (that is, one that accepts women as leaders); rejecting negative stereotypes; and supporting and encouraging women in their quest for promotion. While the components relating to advancing women can be identified, the hospitality industry offers many promotional paths-and the factors are weighted differently for each individual. That is, there are many paths to the top.
Factors, Trends, and Topics in the Evolution of Counseling Psychology Training
Authors: Goodyear Rodney K. , Cortese Jill R. , Guzzardo Christine R. , Allison Russell D. , Claiborn Charles D. , Packard Ted
Published: March 2007

During all of its history, the specialty of counseling psychology has evolved constantly in response to changes in the context in which it exists. As the specialty has changed, so too has training. This article discusses six forces that have affected the content and process of counseling psychology training and will continue to do so: market forces, practitioner-educator dialogues, expectations and directives from within the profession, social and political forces, technological innovations, and the cultural context of counseling psychology. We briefly discuss prescriptive authority as a topic that will affect professional training, then conclude by introducing five particular topics that will be covered in the other articles in this issue. All will affect counseling psychology training into at least the near future.
Chicanas/os and Mental Health Services
Authors: Prieto Loreto R. , McNeill Brian W. , Walls Rebecca G. , Gómez Sylvia P.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews recent literature pertaining to Chicanas/os’ utilization of conventional mental health services, their counselor preferences, and the psychological testing and assessment of Chicanas/os. Chicanas/os likely underutilize mental health services, instead preferring family or nontraditional helpers for assistance. However, both Chicanas/os’ level of identification with their indigenous culture as well as their level of acculturation to the majority culture appear to affect their use of services and counselor preferences. Despite longstanding concerns ranging from language barriers to clinician bias in interpreting test results, the literature continues to lack validation studies that specifically support the use of many major psychological tests with Chicanas/os. Unfortunately, these instruments continue to be routinely used clinically to assess Chicana/o clientele, even though the literature cautions that these instruments may generate an inaccurate picture of Chicanas/os’ psychological functioning. Recommendations for counseling practice and future research concerning Chicanas/os are offered.
Assessment of Eating Disorders in Women
Authors: Kashubeck-West Susan , Mintz Laurie B. , Saunders Kendra J.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews current eating disorder self-report and interview measures and makes recommendations for choosing assessment devices for practice and research. The authors also incorporate overviews of related measures, such as body satisfaction and restrained eating. The presentation of women with eating disorders on measures of general psychological functioning (such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) is also discussed. Implications and recommendations for practice are presented, as are recommendations for future research. The lack of validation of, and urgent need for, eating disorder assessment measures with ethnic minority women is discussed throughout.
Cultural Commitment and the Counseling Preferences and Counselor Perceptions of Native American Women
Authors: Bichsel Ruth J. , Mallinckrodt Brent
Published: March 2007

Native American women (N = 218) living on a reservation were surveyed to assess their preferences for counselor sex, ethnicity, cultural awareness, counseling style, and commitment to Native American and Anglo-American cultures. Women generally preferred a counselor with the following attributes: female, ethnically similar, culturally sensitive, and used a nondirective counseling style. All these preferences, except for counseling style, were generally stronger for personal versus vocational problems and were stronger for women with high commitment to Native American culture. Written analogue portrayals depicted counselors in four combinations (Native American vs. Anglo, culturally sensitive vs. insensitive). The Native American/sensitive counselor was rated highest, with the Anglo/insensitive counselor rated lowest. The Anglo/sensitive counselor was preferred to the Native/insensitive counselor by women who strongly identified with Native American culture.
A Reflection on the Status of Racial/Ethnic Minority Research
Authors: Casas J. Manuel
Published: March 2007

This article provides a nonexhaustive and critical review of selective research on client-counselor variables to exemplify the type and status and/or quality of work conducted on racial/ethnic minorities. In addition, specific and generic methodological and professional recommendations for improving the quality of research across topics and variables are proposed.
On Myopia, Rhetoric, and Reality in Counseling Psychology
Authors: Watkins C. Edward
Published: March 2007

This article considers two basic issues about counseling psychology: (1) that a specialty whose predominant focus is on developmental/educational and preventive interventions for relatively "normal" or mildly distressed individuals may become increasingly irrelevant and unmarketable in our current mental health system and (2) that aparadox seems to exist between the contemporary practice of counseling psychology and the literature that defines the specialty. The need to remedy this paradox and adopt an expanded model of counsel psychology is considered.
Counseling Psychology and Neuropsychology
Authors: Larson Paul C. , Agresti Albert A.
Published: March 2007

This article introduces a special issue of The Counseling Psychologist on the increasing involvement of counseling psychologists in neuropsychology. The rationale for this special issue is based on the dual premises that preparing counseling psychologists in neuropsychology is consistent with the historical emphases of the specialty and that changing professional responsibilities require the acquisition of new knowledge and skills to enable counseling psychologists to continue their involvement in traditional settings and clinical activities. The experience of counseling psychologists actively involved in providing neuropsychological services within traditional counseling psychology employment settings and clinical actvities leads them to argue that to meet changing professional responsibilities and expectations counseling psychologists need to develop minimal competency in neuropsychology.
Identifying and Solving Impediments to the Social and Counseling Psychology Interface
Authors: Heesacker Martin , Carroll Tracey A.
Published: March 2007

After 30 years of scholarship, experts on the interface of counseling and social psychology are raising serious and important questions regarding its scientific and practical effectiveness and its future. Written by psychologists actively researching at the interface, this group of articles provides a conceptualization of the interface, employs that conceptualization to identify and understand impediments to effective collaboration, and proposes solutions.
A Guide to Conducting Consensual Qualitative Research
Authors: Hill Clara E. , Thompson Barbara J. , Williams Elizabeth Nutt
Published: March 2007

The authors discuss the components of consensual qualitative research (CQR) using open-ended questions to gather data, using words to describe phenomena, studying a few cases intensively, recognizing the importance of context, using an inductive analytic process, using a team and making decisions by consensus, using auditors, and verifying results by systematically checking against the raw data. The three steps for conducting CQR are developing and coding domains, constructing core ideas, and developing categories to describe consistencies across cases (cross analysis). Criteria for evaluating CQR are trustworthiness of the method, coherence of the results, representativeness of the results to the sample, testimonial validity, applicability of the results, and replicability across samples. Finally, the authors discuss implications for research, practice, and training.
Polishing a Pearl and a Diamond
Authors: Fretz Bruce R.
Published: March 2007

Developments in The Counseling Psychologist during the years 1985 to 1990 are reviewed, including the goals, rationales, and some historical perspectives for these developments. Some limited goals, mostly regarding the structure of the journal, were essentially fully attained; there was much more limited goal attainment regarding the introduction of some new features. The final section includes personal perspectives on the perils and pleasures of editorship.
Trainee Impairment
Authors: Forrest Linda , Elman Nancy , Gizara Sharon , Vacha-Haase Tammi
Published: March 2007

This article reviews the professional literature on the topic of evaluating the competence of trainees in professional psychology training programs including program policies, procedures, and actual practice for identifying, remediating, and, in extreme cases, dismissing trainees who are judged unable to provide competent, professional care. This review covers the literature on the following major issues related to trainee performance: (a) problems with definitions of impairment, (b) established professional standards for supervision and evaluation of trainees based on accreditation guidelines and ethical standards, (c) methodological critiques of empirical studies on trainee impairment, (d) issues related to evaluation and identification of trainees who are making inadequate progress toward professional competence, (e) issues related to remediation, (f) dismissal and due process, and (g) relevant legal cases and considerations. The review of these topics provides the platform for an extensive list of recommendations directed toward faculty and supervisors responsible for professional psychology training programs and internships.
Predicting Drug Arrest Rates: Conflict and Social Disorganization Perspectives
Authors: Mosher Clayton
Published: March 2007

Using 1989 data on illegal drug possession and trafficking arrests and socioeconomic data from the 1990 census, this article presents a series of models of drug arrest rates for a sample of U.S. cities. Comparing predictions derived from social disorganization and conflict theories, the models demonstrate that the racial composition of these cities, even while controlling for economic deprivation variables, is the strongest predictor of drug arrest rates. In addition, and also consistent with conflict theory, a measure of police force strength exerts a significant positive effect on trafficking arrest rates.