title: The use of yield management within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia hotels

authors: Alrumaihi, Rumaih

subjects: yield management

abstract: The airline industry has successfully adopted yield management (YM), particularly after the industry was deregulated in the late 1970s. In this study, YM is applicable to the hotel industry as a strategy to maximise profits. Thus, it involves the allocation of resources among various customers in hotel rooms relative to the existing market characteristics. In doing so, YM’s core concept is the provision of the right service to customers at the right prices.
The aim of this study is to examine the practices and perceptions concerning YM as per the understanding and awareness of hotel managers. The study investigates several Saudi hotels of various sizes that use YM, and it identifies revenue management strategies and general practices within the hotel industry.
The investigation took place in seven key areas of the hotel industry: location, occupancy, pricing strategy, price-adjustment strategies, HR management, customer satisfaction and third-party websites. The study involved two steps to achieve its purpose. First, YM practices were investigated in comparison to the seven key areas that influence revenue. Moreover, there was an emphasis on determining whether there was an attempt to manage revenue within the hotel industry. The results from the investigation are presented using a descriptive approach. The second step involved establishing the use of YM as a tool for managing revenue in hotel operations. This shows how revenue management through YM should be conducted. These results are presented using a normative approach.
In the methodology, qualitative research is applied. Through this approach, 13 revenue managers and seven general managers from various Saudi hotels in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Mecca were interviewed. Further, documents and direct observations were used to collect vital data to compare room rates through the use of direct and indirect distribution channels. Here, direct distribution channels involve making direct calls to hotels, as well as the use of official hotel websites. Conversely, indirect distribution channels involve the use of Booking.com and Agoda.com.
These different options were then compared to observe the option that was more efficient in revenue management. From the comparison, the results showed that the practices and perceptions of YM were reasonable in the cities’ hotels. Of particular interest was the fact that respondents were aware of some key principles of YM. Consequently, many of these principles had been adhered to in room revenue management. For instance, stakeholders understood the significance of segmenting potential and current customers into various groups. This is critical, as these groups have different priorities, income levels and goals. As a rule, attention focuses on criteria such as ability and willingness to pay.
The study recommends strategies that can be adopted by Saudi hotels to overcome the misconceptions and perceptions of YM. For instance, the system must be interlinked with location, occupancy, pricing strategy, price-adjustment strategy, HR, customer relations and the Internet. Interlinking the system with these key concepts is essential to maximise profits in the hotel industry. In essence, this paper offers knowledge to further the research on the applicability of the YM concept within the hotel industry in Saudi Arabia.

text: The use of yield management within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia hotels The airline industry has successfully adopted yield management (YM), particularly after the industry was deregulated in the late 1970s. In this study, YM is applicable to the hotel industry as a strategy to maximise profits. Thus, it involves the allocation of resources among various customers in hotel rooms relative to the existing market characteristics. In doing so, YM’s core concept is the provision of the right service to customers at the right prices.
The aim of this study is to examine the practices and perceptions concerning YM as per the understanding and awareness of hotel managers. The study investigates several Saudi hotels of various sizes that use YM, and it identifies revenue management strategies and general practices within the hotel industry.
The investigation took place in seven key areas of the hotel industry: location, occupancy, pricing strategy, price-adjustment strategies, HR management, customer satisfaction and third-party websites. The study involved two steps to achieve its purpose. First, YM practices were investigated in comparison to the seven key areas that influence revenue. Moreover, there was an emphasis on determining whether there was an attempt to manage revenue within the hotel industry. The results from the investigation are presented using a descriptive approach. The second step involved establishing the use of YM as a tool for managing revenue in hotel operations. This shows how revenue management through YM should be conducted. These results are presented using a normative approach.
In the methodology, qualitative research is applied. Through this approach, 13 revenue managers and seven general managers from various Saudi hotels in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Mecca were interviewed. Further, documents and direct observations were used to collect vital data to compare room rates through the use of direct and indirect distribution channels. Here, direct distribution channels involve making direct calls to hotels, as well as the use of official hotel websites. Conversely, indirect distribution channels involve the use of Booking.com and Agoda.com.
These different options were then compared to observe the option that was more efficient in revenue management. From the comparison, the results showed that the practices and perceptions of YM were reasonable in the cities’ hotels. Of particular interest was the fact that respondents were aware of some key principles of YM. Consequently, many of these principles had been adhered to in room revenue management. For instance, stakeholders understood the significance of segmenting potential and current customers into various groups. This is critical, as these groups have different priorities, income levels and goals. As a rule, attention focuses on criteria such as ability and willingness to pay.
The study recommends strategies that can be adopted by Saudi hotels to overcome the misconceptions and perceptions of YM. For instance, the system must be interlinked with location, occupancy, pricing strategy, price-adjustment strategy, HR, customer relations and the Internet. Interlinking the system with these key concepts is essential to maximise profits in the hotel industry. In essence, this paper offers knowledge to further the research on the applicability of the YM concept within the hotel industry in Saudi Arabia.

year: 2013

title: "We're like the sex CPR dummies": Negotiating (hetero)sex in a university residential setting

authors: Brown, Juliana

subjects: sex(uality)

abstract: Moving from high school and the family home to living in a communal university residence can be a significant transition, especially in regard to sexual activity and knowledge. The influence of variable sexuality education programmes, family context, and personal experiences, means that young students come to university with a wide range of sexual knowledge and experiences. The purpose of this
thesis is to represent the current narratives about sexuality and heterosex that are both prevalent and important for university students living in the residential community setting.
This research utilised a qualitative approach, with participants who were living in a University of Waikato Halls of Residence taking part in a men-only, or a women-only, focus group. Semi-structured group interviews were also conducted with key informants who work and live in residential halls. Multiple themes were explicated from the focus groups and group interviews, with some discourses overlapping groups (e.g. all groups discussed contraception) and some discourses being distinct to particular groups (e.g. women talked about sexual coercion).
One key finding was the dominant narratives that impact young women’s sexual pleasure. Following on from this were the ramifications of the sexual double standard for young women when living in a community setting. An additional key point of attention was the prominence of problematic sexual narratives when transitioning to the ‘adulthood’ of living in university halls. While participants were primarily happy with residential halls, information was shared regarding
how residential staff can impact on student living and contentment. Above all, it seemed that the year in residential halls appeared to be a year of liminality, or transition between ‘youth’ and ‘adult’. The findings from this research suggest a need for further investigation into sexuality discourses that profoundly impact young women and men, as well as the novel experiences of residential living.

text: "We're like the sex CPR dummies": Negotiating (hetero)sex in a university residential setting Moving from high school and the family home to living in a communal university residence can be a significant transition, especially in regard to sexual activity and knowledge. The influence of variable sexuality education programmes, family context, and personal experiences, means that young students come to university with a wide range of sexual knowledge and experiences. The purpose of this
thesis is to represent the current narratives about sexuality and heterosex that are both prevalent and important for university students living in the residential community setting.
This research utilised a qualitative approach, with participants who were living in a University of Waikato Halls of Residence taking part in a men-only, or a women-only, focus group. Semi-structured group interviews were also conducted with key informants who work and live in residential halls. Multiple themes were explicated from the focus groups and group interviews, with some discourses overlapping groups (e.g. all groups discussed contraception) and some discourses being distinct to particular groups (e.g. women talked about sexual coercion).
One key finding was the dominant narratives that impact young women’s sexual pleasure. Following on from this were the ramifications of the sexual double standard for young women when living in a community setting. An additional key point of attention was the prominence of problematic sexual narratives when transitioning to the ‘adulthood’ of living in university halls. While participants were primarily happy with residential halls, information was shared regarding
how residential staff can impact on student living and contentment. Above all, it seemed that the year in residential halls appeared to be a year of liminality, or transition between ‘youth’ and ‘adult’. The findings from this research suggest a need for further investigation into sexuality discourses that profoundly impact young women and men, as well as the novel experiences of residential living.

year: 2016

title: Editorial: Culturally responsive research and pedagogy

authors: Kostogriz, Alex

abstract: This special and extra issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique had its origins in an international symposium held in the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato in November, 2010. The Faculty had already established a tradition of hosting conferences on the theme of language, education and diversity, which had been organised in 2003 and 2007 with input from the Departments of Arts and Language Education, Applied Linguistics and representatives from tainui iwi, and in recognition of the University of Waikato’s strengths in respect of bicultural and multicultural education. In 2010, the thematic focus shifted from a specific focus on language to a broader.

text: Editorial: Culturally responsive research and pedagogy This special and extra issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique had its origins in an international symposium held in the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato in November, 2010. The Faculty had already established a tradition of hosting conferences on the theme of language, education and diversity, which had been organised in 2003 and 2007 with input from the Departments of Arts and Language Education, Applied Linguistics and representatives from tainui iwi, and in recognition of the University of Waikato’s strengths in respect of bicultural and multicultural education. In 2010, the thematic focus shifted from a specific focus on language to a broader.

year: 2011