IT in Tourism report (2500 words)

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes Recent innovative measures across different functions in the Indian hospitality industry: A case study from Accor Hotels Kakoli Sen Tanuja Kaushik

Article information: To cite this document: Kakoli Sen Tanuja Kaushik , (2016),"Recent innovative measures across different functions in the Indian hospitality industry", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 8 Iss 4 pp. 481 - 489 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-04-2016-0023

Downloaded on: 26 September 2016, At: 15:54 (PT) References: this document contains references to 15 other documents. To copy this document: [email protected] The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 34 times since 2016*

Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: (2016),"Innovations in the Indian hospitality industry: an overview", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 8 Iss 4 pp. 408-415 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-05-2016-0026 (2016),"Customer service innovations in the Indian hospitality industry", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 8 Iss 4 pp. 416-431 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-04-2016-0020 (2016),"Enhancing customer experience using technological innovations: A study of the Indian hotel industry", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 8 Iss 4 pp. 469-480 http:// dx.doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-04-2016-0018

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald- srm:451335 []

For Authors If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.

About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Recent innovative measures across different functions in the

Indian hospitality industry A case study from Accor Hotels

Kakoli Sen School of Humanities & Social Science, GD Goenka University, Gurgaon,

India, and

Tanuja Kaushik School of Management, GD Goenka University, Gurgaon, India

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide exploratory insights on recent innovative measures taken across different functions in the Indian hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on data from senior management of a newly developed Pullman Hotel, part of the group of Accor Hotels located in Aero City, Delhi. The study data was collected using structured interviews. Findings – The study explores the various innovative measures adopted in marketing, human resource management and information technology to leverage operations, improve manpower efficiency and maximizing service effectiveness while keeping costs low for long-term sustainability. The study also gives some useful insights on other functions that need to be addressed such as food and beverage, operations, security, guest relations and finance. Research limitations/implications – The study is exploratory in nature though the findings will be of interest to existing and newly opened hotels and to policy makers who need to know about the innovation trends in the hospitality industry. Originality/value – This study reveals some of the recent innovative measures adopted by the Indian hospitality industry.

Keywords Innovations, Accor hotels, Indian hospitality industry

Paper type Viewpoint

Introduction The hospitality industry worldwide is fast evolving in terms of the way it operates, benchmarks and creates both client and employee loyalty. In the hospitality industry, as in most other industries, there is increased pressure to adapt to socio-economic changes and technological advancements. At the same time, there is a need to keep costs down and gain flexibility and innovativeness without compromising on the brand name. Innovativeness implies creating new ideas and insights about existing processes, as well as creating new areas of service by reaching out to customers.

The author would like to thank the senior management at Pullman Hotel, an Accor Hotel Group property for their inputs.

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1755-4217.htm

Recent innovative measures

481

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes Vol. 8 No. 4, 2016

pp. 481-489 © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

1755-4217 DOI 10.1108/WHATT-04-2016-0023

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Current innovation trends in the international hospitality sector Internationally, there are several innovation trends that are gaining momentum. Jayawardena (2013) states that today the customer is far more sophisticated, better travelled, more demanding and less easy to please. His/her expectations have gone beyond basic services and comfort expectations. Customers today expect hoteliers to entertain them and to create a memorable experience that will result in either a return trip or positive Facebook updates and tweets. While technology has eased things for the hotel industry, it has also resulted in new kinds of challenge. Previously, if a guest was unhappy, he would share it with a small number of people physically and the impact would be small; however, with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, every individual can express his or her opinion to a countless number of people with a single click. There is a growing trend of people looking for objective customer reviews on the internet before booking any hotel. Servicing customers and ensuring that they leave happy means that no innovation is permanent and needs to be continuously worked at. In large corporate business hotels, securing a successful future would mean being able to stay on top of innovation, trends and customer expectations.

Major innovations that have taken place in the area of operational management internationally include fully integrated management systems; electronic check-ins; radio-frequency identification tags used in laundries; and hotel lobbies as fully integrated social media centres, with access to tablets, headphones, touch screens, etc. IPads are the second most demanded device after high-end coffee machines. Guests look for toilet covers that rise automatically, heated seats and open-concept bathrooms and bedrooms. Innovative technology has been the biggest contributor to making hotel operations more streamlined, in addition to enhancing the guest experience. Smartphones and mobile devices are fast becoming the norm in the hotel industry and are used for applications such as currency conversion and payment, as well as accessing the room. There are several websites, such as Yelp and Trip Advisor, who act as virtual concierges and recommend hotels and restaurants to guests. And all this is accessible through apps downloaded on their smartphones. Guests can make reservations and pay for meals using mobile devices. A number of guests now request iPod and iPhone chargers and entertainment docks in rooms. These devices and applications are also changing the traditional revenue-generating landscape for hotel owners and operators. Innovations have also made their way into hotel food and beverage departments through high-end market style self-serve outlets which offer service in style but without labour shortage challenges providing a new business model. Another trend and upcoming innovation is the demand for local beverages in guestroom minibars. Local products, specifically in the areas of wines, spirits and after-dinner beverages are now found in high-end boutique hotels which well-travelled guests expect (Jayawardena et al., 2013). There are more hotels that are going green and providing customers with services delivered differently, such as the development of apps that enable customers to access their rooms/lockers from a smartphone.

The Indian hospitality industry, which has opened up in a big way, is also subject to world class expectations from both Indian and international guests, and, various categories of hotels, whether luxury or budget hotels, are all trying their best to innovate in various areas and attract new guests. While the bigger brands – such as Le Meridian – are introducing incentives for their employees and rewards for the exceptional work they perform in each functional area, they are also involving their employees in various

WHATT 8,4

482

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

recreational activities such as music, dancing, clubbing, learning new skills such as photography, nature walk, etc. These activities provide new stimuli and help to keep employees motivated and engaged. There are other hotel chains who are focussing on hiring the right kind of people, training them and keeping them motivated in multiple ways such as time off surprises, cash for ideas, employee discounts, coffee with seniors, family get-together sessions and more.

At the same time, local brands innovate via new business models and by becoming theme-based hospitality providers. A famous success story is Delhi-based Shalom Hotels that started out as a standalone lounge and quickly developed into a professionally managed company that offers lounges, restaurants, bars, annually released music CDs, music concerts and a chic hotel in Goa called Soul Vacation. Shalom today is a brand in itself because of its innovative ways of positioning and expanding its brand. The houseboat hotels of Kashmir and Kerala have started a trend called “Boatel” that offers luxurious accommodation to travellers at a unique natural location combined with the rustic architecture of the boats used at affordable prices. Rotels, such as the famous Indian luxury trains “Palace on Wheels” and “Deccan Odyssey”, are also expanding the hotels on wheels’ concept. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a unit of Tata Group known mainly for its Taj luxury hotels, has done an innovative experiment by introducing Ginger Hotels which outsources its range of services from cleaning and laundry to computer support and cafeteria service. This sector aims to cater to the key needs of the economically minded traveller and has introduced several new revolutionary concepts, such as mounted TVs to free up space in very compact rooms, to save on cleaning staff, the furniture, flooring and bathroom fixtures are made of easy-to-clean materials and to cut the need for security, guests stash valuables in lockers. The company has come up with an innovative strategy by offering landowners a share of the hotels’ profits to counter the increasingly expensive real estate rates in India. Most bookings are made online and the brand spreads mostly through media reports and word of mouth due to the very reasonable rates, which allows the Taj Group to save on advertising expenses as well. Credit Suisse recognised IHCL as one of the 27 ‘Great Brands of Tomorrow’. Hotels are also creating unique sales points by tying up with external established brands, such as Coffee Café Day, Barista, Ananda Spa and others who have a high familiarity and connect value for guests. There exists competition within the Indian hospitality industry (Sanjeev, 2007) that compels managers to look for striking opportunities and innovations so as keep them sustainable.

Further, it would be valuable to find out about recent innovations in other areas such as strategic management, financial management, risk management and inflation management where there has been limited research in the Indian hospitality industry ( Jauhari and Sanjeev, 2012).

Methodology The paper is based on interviews conducted with senior management of a newly developed five star, 270 room Accor Hotels Group Pullman hotel in Aero City located in the New Delhi Airport area and presents the various innovative measures adopted by it in its various functional departments chiefly in marketing, human resource management and information technology (IT) to leverage operations, improve manpower efficiency and maximizing service effectiveness while keeping costs low for long-term sustainability. Accor Hotels currently operates 31 hotels and almost 6,000 rooms in India, and, with 8-10 hotel openings every year, it is aiming to reach a leadership position in the South Asian region, i.e. India,

483

Recent innovative measures

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It has some distinct brands such as Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery by Sofitel, The Sebel, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Novotel Suites, Mercure, Ibis and Formulae 1 – which cover the full spectrum, from luxury to low-cost segments. As an international group, it has invested significantly in India, developing hotels in the region. It has adopted a collaborative approach toward hotel development by working closely with hotel owners to grow their operational network. In a typical business model, the hotel owner owns the physical assets, whereas the Accor Hotels offer its brand and also manages day-to-day operations including marketing support. The leadership team also offers support in development planning, design and technical knowhow along with operations and marketing support, encouraging innovation at every step.

Findings The discussion with the senior management revealed that Accor Hotels have adopted a number of innovative measures in the recent past across different functional areas which have been grouped under three different functions, i.e. marketing, IT and human resources.

Innovations in the marketing function To reach out to a wider market, Accor Group has taken several measures to claim a bigger market share. While most hotel chains would tread cautiously and operate in any one sphere of the market segment, Accor group has tried to make its market presence felt in almost all the segments, right from the luxury segment to budget hotels. Schumpeter (1961) suggests that innovations can be of different kinds such as creating a new or improved product, introduction of new product processes, development of new sales markets, development of new supply markets and re-organisation or restricting of the company. While in the luxury segment, it has Sofitel, in the upscale luxury segment and it also operates Pullman and Grand Mercure, one in Mumbai and one of each in Bangalore, as well as MGallery which is yet to be launched. In so doing, it aims to create enough scope for itself in each segment. The next level hotel, Novotel is pitched at higher notch mid-scale market and there are seven Novotel units in Delhi alone. In the budget segment, Accor Group has Ibis and Formulae one hotel. Thus, Accor Hotels is catering to all possible segments of customers. Accor is also venturing into online travel with its own Agency, offering the entire gamut of Accor hotel experience. Kapur and Sen (2012) suggest that generally when individual promoters enter the hospitality sector, most of them come with aspirational value and spend lavishly and have no particular strategy in mind. In contrast, in this case it clearly shows that the group has long term plans in terms of setting up the business in India and is following a clear growth strategy.

Large groups and Airline crews are major earners for hotel companies, and, because most business travel arises from meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, Pullman has developed its infrastructure accordingly. Pullman has a Ballroom with a capacity of 1,500 people in theatre style and 13 meeting rooms of different sizes ranging from 10 to 100, so as to cater to different client requirements. The hotel has already hosted Google and Nestle mega events. The hotel has 270 rooms, though only 90 rooms have been opened to-date because some of the clearances, such as Bullet Proof Coating for the Airport facing rooms, are yet to be finalized. So, while the hotel is yet to be fully functional, new avenues of business are being continuously explored. To illustrate the general approach, Accor’s budget hotel “Ibis” Brand has entered into a partnership with

WHATT 8,4

484

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Indigo airlines to accommodate its airline Crew. This has enabled the property to secure a consistently high occupancy rating within two years of opening, and Ibis has also achieved breakeven in record time. Ibis also offers pet friendly rooms which are catering to a big segment of people that like to travel with pets especially when travelling by road. In a case study of Croatia on innovation activity in the hotel sector, Pivcevic and Pranicevic (2012) conclude that innovation activity increases with hotel size, hotel category, hotel chain operation and in the IT function, which is actually seen in this case, as Pullman is able to introduce a number of innovative measures because it is a sizeable brand with a lot of scope for flexibility and options.

Innovations in the information technology function In today’s world, hotel guests expect and adapt quickly to technological change. They are also comfortable with a lifestyle that offers them seamless online interaction. Brewer et al. (2008) conducted a study to assess the current use of technology by the hospitality industry and to project future trends and found overwhelming agreement that IT is important for increasing employee efficiency (79.9 per cent), increasing customer satisfaction (82.4 per cent) and generating revenue (71.3 per cent). Respondents also agreed that customers care most about access to Wi-Fi services (82 per cent). With so many business travellers, as well as those who want to surf the internet or check personal e-mail accounts, this has become a sought-after service in many hotels/resorts. Other amenities deemed important by hoteliers were in-room entertainment systems and on-site airline check-in kiosks.

At Pullman, almost everything that can be done to make the hotel as efficient as possible has been implemented. Registrations are paperless, documentation is minimal. In the food and beverages section, there is a “Web Valet” app in development, and the mobile app will contain all the required information. Anything that is required can be ordered through the app and will be delivered in the room. For visitors, Accor Group Hotel Pullman has a connectivity centre which is open to all where visitors can work on their Apple Mac Stations and even print out documents. This may soon become the trend where every hotel will want its walk-in customers to keep coming back for the convenience it offers. Accor Group also has a Loyalty Points scheme which is called Online Le Club. This has resulted in a steady stream of walk-in business based on Lounge meetings at the Pullman, prompting higher sales at the coffee shop.

The hospitality sector has invested and upgraded its IT in the form of revenue optimisation system software through which wastage can easily be checked and sales tracking and catering management software that provides analysis of its sales activities and helps to monitor and develop new strategies. However, we have seen that IT becomes out-dated in less than six months. By the time software is tested and a system developed, approved and adapted by any industry for its functional use in any one or all departments which undeniably is a long process, a newer and better version is available and operators who did not adopt the old version but implemented the new version immediately gain a lead. It seems that this situation will continue until the industry develops a process of competent in-house software development, one that is immediately upgradable and one that can be seamlessly adapted to reflect the needs of functional areas without causing major system paralysis.

485

Recent innovative measures

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Innovations in the human resources function One of the most critical aspects of innovation and new service development in the hospitality sector is its employees who determine the success or failure of all innovations. Employees must invest time, effort and perform consistency to create and maintain the personality of a hospitality organisation. Kingir and Mesci, (2010) observe that employees consider appreciation, fair pay and fair working hours as the major factors that affect their motivation at the workplace. According to Solnet and Hood (2008), the Gen Y hospitality employees’ organisational commitment is directly related to the level of commitment they perceive the organisation has in them personally. Gen Y according to the authors have grown up in relative affluence, are connected to the world through technology, have not witnessed high unemployment situations and have an abundance of opportunities. Hence, holding them back in their jobs and keeping them motivated can be a challenge. Gen Y also has this innate habit of being socially networked. In view of this, Accor Hotels has introduced several innovative practices for its employees to help them network, feel a part of the Accor Hotels family – worldwide and to facilitate job security, growth and work–life balance. The app which is called “Yammer”, and it enables each employee to connect with other Accor Employees worldwide. The app works like a standard social media app and helps employees to connect with each other by enabling them to share posts and pictures, comments, likes, make friends and chat.

Accor Group believe in Gender parity and via a “He for She” initiative, Pullman aims to reduce and prevent stereotyping at work. For example, it used to be the case that women mostly worked in the front office function but now there is a gender balance in this area. Women now work in the airport services department, where they welcome guests who have booked a limousine and ensure their smooth check in. Traditionally, the guest relations officer was always a female but those stereotypes are breaking down and both male and female officers are appointed to the same jobs and no gender distinction is made. In a study of the hospitality sector in Kenya, in which Wasike and Ndivo (2015) suggest that there is a disconnect between the perspectives held by hotel management and employees concerning the motivational needs of the former, Accor Hotels seem to have bridged the gap. While money is not the only tool used to motivate people, it is of course important, especially when it can be earned in different ways. Pullman Hotel not only offers a 15-35 per cent salary increase to deserving candidates but also distributes the service charge among all employees up to manager level. The salary scales are also either at par or higher than those being offered in the market by other operators. Solnet and Hood (2008) found that Gen Y’s job satisfaction will be derived from intrinsic factors, where the opportunity to take ownership and responsibility for a variety of work tasks and meaningful projects with proper support, training and developmental opportunities is of high importance. As the Accor Group has property in all segments there is a high level of demand for skilled manpower related to each of these segments. Pullman offers immense scope and opportunity to absorb its own people as they become more and more experienced and able to assume responsibilities across different segments of hotels. So, employees have myriad options for internal job postings because of promotions and transfers. Pullman has also introduced the first “8 weekly offs a month” which translates into a five-day working week. These measures are a big attraction to people working in the hospitality industry

WHATT 8,4

486

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

which has always been associated with long working hours, low growth possibilities and limited holiday.

When recruiting candidates, Pullman looks more for the right attitude than high aptitude, essentially for people who can be trained well. With a tag line “Feel Welcome”, at the newly opened Pullman, all the training is provided in-house. There is specific training called “Live Genius” where participants brainstorm on “How do I make my guest’s life easier today”? The staff are also trained to offer at least two solutions to guests so that they can make an informed choice. Staff are encouraged to seek help from experts or their colleagues in specific departments if they do not have a solution to offer rather than giving an incorrect solution. Accor group is in the process of actively sensitizing its own people by leading talks about carbon foot printing and seeks to ensure that their own property CO2 emissions are in check. Sensitization and training of staff in these areas starts right from the induction stage.

Among the top few reasons why employees remain committed to the organisation are salaries, the role they play, the brand they represent, the growth opportunities and the way they are treated in the organisation. Pullman will need to keep the above in mind and consistently make its employees feel proud of themselves and the brand they are associated with, along with offering future growth.

Conclusion and managerial implications The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that India could have the world’s third largest economy by 2040, which has implications for investment, travel and consumer spending and tremendous growth for the tourism and hospitality sector (Jauhari and Sanjeev, 2012). Between 2010 and 2019, the demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow annually by 8.2 per cent, which will place India in third position in the world. Viewed in this context, it would seem to be an intelligent move by the Accor Group to develop its property portfolio in multiple categories. In so doing, they are able to provide luxury brands and also meet the needs of budget conscious travellers. By providing broad-based choice to customers, they can opt for the category that suits their purpose and remain brand loyal, if they opt to upgrade from a lower-price to a higher-price category. However, this is a strategy that only a very large chain can adopt. Break-even is not an immediate concern for such hotels, they can afford the luxury of a very gradual but strong brand building exercise. The innovative measures taken by Pullman, a newly developed hotel in the Aero City is not a one off; it is an international trend that is now widely used by international hotel operators. Having entered the Indian market recently, Pullman is able to take advantage of market intelligence reports and, located close to the Airport, customer profiling is relatively straight forward.

While there are several innovative measures taken by Pullman, there seems to be more emphasis on the functional areas of marketing, IT and human resources. As yet, there are fewer innovative measures adopted in relation to other departmental functions, such as rooms, F and B, operations, security and guest relations. And innovations in the security function will surely attract more international guests. There are several new potential growth areas such as agricultural tourism, ecotourism, medical tourism that can could assist with business development and the creation of a wider partner network to offer more scope and flexibility is something that the hotel will need to actively work on. Further, as yet, the hotel does not seem to have taken any remarkably innovative

487

Recent innovative measures

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

steps in its accounting and finance function and the literature suggests that this is an effective way of controlling costs. Finally, Sanjeev et al. (2012) suggest that financing, especially high operating costs and difficulty in raising finance, is the key issue that needs to be addressed by the hospitality industry.

Currently, the hospitality industry in India is on the cusp of unprecedented growth, and vitality and all hotels, big or small, are looking for ways to innovate in different functional areas. While there is spiralling competition in the hospitality industry, there is a need for creativity in the innovation of products, services, systems and work processes to retain those innovations and remain viable in the long run. In the period between the 1960s to 1980s, there were different waves of competition in this sector linked to pricing pressures, quality pressures, flexibility pressure and in contemporary trading conditions, it is possible that technology may be an enabler rather than an innovation in itself. While innovation does not necessarily guarantee success, it is considered to be a requirement in adapting to the changing environment and all hotels who intend to stay in business will have to keep all their stakeholders in mind as they actively consider future innovations.

References Brewer, P., Kim, J., Schrier, T.R. and Farrish, J. (2008), Current and future technology use in the

hospitality industry, American Hotel and Lodging, Association & University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Jauhari, V. and Sanjeev, G.M. (2012), “Responding to the emerging strategic and financial issues in the Indian hospitality industry”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 4 No. 5, pp. 478-485.

Jayawardena, C. (2013), “The Canadian hotel industry: innovative solutions to secure the industry’s future”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 219-230.

Jayawardena, C., Lawlor, F., Grieco, J.C., Savard, M. and Tarnowski, M. (2013), “Challenges and innovations in hotel operations in Canada”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 177-189.

Kapur, A. and Sen, K. (2012), “Key issues in setting up a hotel in India: a practitioner perspective”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 4 No. 5, pp. 428-437.

Kingir, S. and Mesci, M. (2010), “Factors that affect hotel employees motivation, the case of Bodrum”, Serbian Journal of Management, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 59-76.

Pivcevic and Pranicevic (2012), “Economic research”, Ekonomska Istrazivanja, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 337-363.

Sanjeev, G. (2007), “Measuring efficiency of the hotel and restaurant sector: the case of India”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 378-387.

Sanjeev, G.M., Gupta, K. and Bandyopadhyay, R. (2012), “Financial challenges in the Indian hospitality industry”, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 163-173.

Schumpeter, J.A. (1961), “The theory of economic development”, in Nemeth, P., Friedrich, N. and Clarke, A. (Eds), Innovation in Special Hotels: As a Key to Success, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, Management Knowledge and Learning International Conference, Zadar, Croatia.

Solnet, D. and Hood, A. (2008), “Generation Y as hospitality employees: framing a research agenda”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 59-68.

WHATT 8,4

488

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)

Wasike, C. and Ndivo, R. (2015), “Efficacy of motivation strategies in addressing employee motivation needs in Kenya’s hotel sector”, African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 1-10.

Further reading Accor Hotels website, available from: www.accorhotels.com (assessed 15 April 2016). Nieves, M.S. (2015), “Management innovation in the hotel industry”, Tourism Management,

Vol. 46, pp. 51-58. Thomas, M., Ewa Mottier, M. and Lewis Robert, A. (2015), “Motivational factors and the

hospitality industry: a case study examining the effects of changes in the working Environment”. Journal of Business Case Studies, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 123-132.

Corresponding author Kakoli Sen can be contacted at: [email protected]

For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website: www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm Or contact us for further details: [email protected]

489

Recent innovative measures

D ow

nl oa

de d

by M

on as

h U

ni ve

rs it

y A

t 15

:5 4

26 S

ep te

m be

r 20

16 (

P T

)