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: Accountability in the retail and distribution sectors of the New Zealand electricity industry

authors: Hooks, Jill

abstract: Since the mid-1980s organisation of the electricity industry in New Zealand has been radically reformed. The public sector reforms implemented by successive governments between 1984 and 1999 aimed to reduce or eliminate government involvement in business activities and to create competition within industries, some of which might otherwise be natural monopolies. A “light-handed” regulatory regime was introduced to monitor and control the electricity industry. To date, this regime has rejected the use of price controls and associated methods in favour of market-based methods involving competition and transparent accountability. Corporate annual reports are therefore one of the prime ways in which organisations meet their accountability obligations. 

This research describes and explains the development of a disclosure index and the results of its application to the 1999 annual reports of the 33 electricity retail and distribution companies. The index was developed with the support of a panel representing 15 stakeholder groups. The disclosure index is a complex measure. It emphasises accountability through the provision of both financial and non-financial information to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is designed to assess the comprehensiveness (both in extent and quality) of annual report disclosures. It also incorporates a best-practice model of annual reporting for electricity retail and distribution companies. 

The use of the disclosure index highlights an information gap between stakeholder expectations of information disclosure and the current level of disclosure in electricity company annual reports. Out of a maximum possible Index score of 100, the average score is 56 with a range from 15 to 72. Key areas of inadequate disclosure from an accountability perspective relate to performance measures (financial and non-financial), segmental information, asset valuation details, and cost of electricity purchased/generated. The research also identified a need for trust-owned companies to be as accountable as public companies. In this respect, copies of the annual report in its entirety should be available to interested parties on request. The concern is to make electricity companies and their activities more transparent by providing sufficient, understandable and easily accessible financial and non-financial information to allow stakeholders to fairly assess performance. The annual report is an appropriate vehicle for providing this information as it is a comprehensive document available to the public on a routine basis. Improved disclosure to meet best-practice levels would contribute significantly to the effective information sharing between companies and stakeholder groups - thus improving the accountability of each entity. Feedback from the research provides each company with indications of the parts of their reports which need attention if they wish to improve the quality of their reporting.

text: Accountability in the retail and distribution sectors of the New Zealand electricity industry Since the mid-1980s organisation of the electricity industry in New Zealand has been radically reformed. The public sector reforms implemented by successive governments between 1984 and 1999 aimed to reduce or eliminate government involvement in business activities and to create competition within industries, some of which might otherwise be natural monopolies. A “light-handed” regulatory regime was introduced to monitor and control the electricity industry. To date, this regime has rejected the use of price controls and associated methods in favour of market-based methods involving competition and transparent accountability. Corporate annual reports are therefore one of the prime ways in which organisations meet their accountability obligations. 

This research describes and explains the development of a disclosure index and the results of its application to the 1999 annual reports of the 33 electricity retail and distribution companies. The index was developed with the support of a panel representing 15 stakeholder groups. The disclosure index is a complex measure. It emphasises accountability through the provision of both financial and non-financial information to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is designed to assess the comprehensiveness (both in extent and quality) of annual report disclosures. It also incorporates a best-practice model of annual reporting for electricity retail and distribution companies. 

The use of the disclosure index highlights an information gap between stakeholder expectations of information disclosure and the current level of disclosure in electricity company annual reports. Out of a maximum possible Index score of 100, the average score is 56 with a range from 15 to 72. Key areas of inadequate disclosure from an accountability perspective relate to performance measures (financial and non-financial), segmental information, asset valuation details, and cost of electricity purchased/generated. The research also identified a need for trust-owned companies to be as accountable as public companies. In this respect, copies of the annual report in its entirety should be available to interested parties on request. The concern is to make electricity companies and their activities more transparent by providing sufficient, understandable and easily accessible financial and non-financial information to allow stakeholders to fairly assess performance. The annual report is an appropriate vehicle for providing this information as it is a comprehensive document available to the public on a routine basis. Improved disclosure to meet best-practice levels would contribute significantly to the effective information sharing between companies and stakeholder groups - thus improving the accountability of each entity. Feedback from the research provides each company with indications of the parts of their reports which need attention if they wish to improve the quality of their reporting.

year: 2000

title: Ko te Kōauau: Its historical journey, aspects of construction, socio-cultural relevance, and performance

authors: Komene, Jo'el

subjects: Koauau

abstract: In recent years there has been a revival of interest in traditional Māori musical instruments, including the Kōauau (sometimes called a  flute ). Most of the information on record is from Pākehā perspectives of music and culture. This thesis studies Kōauau in a Māori framework, giving weight to traditional Māori knowledge and practices, while bringing together much scattered information. The research links the origins/whakapapa of the Kōauau to the gods and their natural world, especially Hineraukatauri. The thesis analyses the materials used for Kōauau, the circumstances under which materials were acquired, their significance, design and methods of construction, and the tools employed in making Kōauau. The study discusses techniques for playing Kōauau, including its range of sounds, occasions on which they were played, and for what purposes they were used. Reference is made to the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, with the suggestion that more knowledge can be drawn from pakiwaitara and pūrākau. As part of the research, several Kōauau available in the Auckland Museum were examined, showing that close inspection of these taonga significantly extended the information on them held by the Museum. Despite the constraints of the research in terms of time and other resources, the thesis makes an important contribution to knowledge, by collating widely distributed documentation into a concise form, by placing the Kōauau into a Māori perspective, emphasizing the spiritual dimensions of the instrument in its origins and its function, and by indicating what kinds of further research will assist in strengthening the revival of the Kōauau.

text: Ko te Kōauau: Its historical journey, aspects of construction, socio-cultural relevance, and performance In recent years there has been a revival of interest in traditional Māori musical instruments, including the Kōauau (sometimes called a  flute ). Most of the information on record is from Pākehā perspectives of music and culture. This thesis studies Kōauau in a Māori framework, giving weight to traditional Māori knowledge and practices, while bringing together much scattered information. The research links the origins/whakapapa of the Kōauau to the gods and their natural world, especially Hineraukatauri. The thesis analyses the materials used for Kōauau, the circumstances under which materials were acquired, their significance, design and methods of construction, and the tools employed in making Kōauau. The study discusses techniques for playing Kōauau, including its range of sounds, occasions on which they were played, and for what purposes they were used. Reference is made to the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, with the suggestion that more knowledge can be drawn from pakiwaitara and pūrākau. As part of the research, several Kōauau available in the Auckland Museum were examined, showing that close inspection of these taonga significantly extended the information on them held by the Museum. Despite the constraints of the research in terms of time and other resources, the thesis makes an important contribution to knowledge, by collating widely distributed documentation into a concise form, by placing the Kōauau into a Māori perspective, emphasizing the spiritual dimensions of the instrument in its origins and its function, and by indicating what kinds of further research will assist in strengthening the revival of the Kōauau.

year: 2008