Hotel Ethical Behavior and Tourist Origin as Determinants of Satisfaction

  • Paola ORTIZ-RENDON Institución Universitaria Esumer, Colombia
  • William Camilo SANCHEZ-TORRES Institución Universitaria Esumer, Colombia
  • Alexander ZUÑIGA-COLLAZOS Universidad de San Buenaventura, Colombia

Abstract

The importance of consumer satisfaction has increased in the last decades. This is why its measurement has been considered as the greatest weight indicator for defining consumer preferences and expectations. The objective of this article is to evaluate the relationship among the satisfaction levels of hotel service consumers in Colombia, their gender, place of origin and the connotation of the reviews made online as a result of hotel ethical behaviour. The applied methodology uses the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test to validate the relations between the variables. A regression model is run to better understand the causal relations. Clusters are analyzed under the biphasic cluster procedure and a previously validated ethical behaviour scale is used to classify negative comments. Messages from 356 consumers on the Booking.com platform were analyzed. The results highlight that the place of origin and the comments made online have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. In addition, the level of ethical behaviour of hotels is affected mainly by the expectations about room, price and service provided by hotel employees.

References

[1] Aljasser, A.I. and Sasidhar, B. 2013. Gender effect on customer satisfaction in banking sector: A study of banks in Saudi Arabia. Interdisplinary Journal of Research in Business, 3(5): 9–15. DOI: 10.9734/BJEMT/2015/16858.
[2] Agyeiwaah, E. et al. 2016. Make a customer, not a sale: Tourist satisfaction in Hong Kong. Tourism Management, 57: 68–79. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.05.014.
[3] Ariffin, A.A.M. and Maghzi, A. 2012. A preliminary study on customer expectations of hotel hospitality: Influences of personal and hotel factors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(1):191–198. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.04.012.
[4] Armstrong, R.W. et al. 1997. The importance of cross-cultural expectations in the measurement of service quality perceptions in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 16(2): 181–190. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0278-4319(97)00004-2.
[5] Assaf, A.G. et al. 2015. The effects of customer voice on hotel performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 44: 77–83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.09.009.
[6] Della Corte, V. et al. 2015. Customer satisfaction in tourist destination: The case of tourism offer in the city of Naples. Journal of Investment and Management, 4(1): 39–50. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11648/j.jim.s.2015040101.16.
[7] Creyer, E.H. 1997. The influence of firm behavior on purchase intention: do consumers really care about business ethics?. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 14(6): 421–432. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07363769710185999.
[8] Demirgüneş, B.K. 2015. Ethical behavior of salesperson: the impact of consumer’s perception on trust, satisfaction and repeat purchasing behavior. Turkish Journal of Business Ethics, 8(1): 26–46. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12711/tjbe.2015.8.1.0009.
[9] Dewan, M., and Mahajan, S. 2014. Customer Satisfaction and the moderating effect of Demographics in Public Sector Banks, Journal of Business and Management, 16(3): 29–35. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9790/487X-16322935.
[10] Dholakia, U.M., Bagozzi, R.P. and Pearo, L.K. 2004. A social influence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21(3): 241–263. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2003.12.004.
[11] Díaz, M. 2016. Así se comportó el sector hotelero en Colombia durante 2016, El Espectador, Available at: http://www.elespectador.com/publicaciones/buen-viaje/asi-se-comporto-el-sector-hotelero-colombia-durante-201-articulo-671336 (accesed 25 January 2017)
[12] Erkan, I. and Evans, C. 2016. The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions: An extended approach to information adoption. Computers in Human Behavior, 61: 47–55. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.003.
[13] Everitt, B.B. and Cha, J. 1996. Crossing the threshold. Marketing Reasearch, 8(4): 21–28.
[14] Geetha, M., Singha, P. and Sinha, S. 2017. Relationship between customer sentiment and online customer ratings for hotels - An empirical analysis. Tourism Management, 61: 43–54. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.12.022.
[15] Grigoroudis, E., and Siskos, Y. 2010. Customer Satisfaction Evaluation: Methods for Measuring and Implementing Service Quality, Chapter 1. Introduction, New York: Springer U.S, ISBN: 9781441916396, 308 pp.
[16] Knani, M., 2014. Ethics in the hospitality industry: review and research agenda. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(3): 1–8. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n3p1
[17] Kotler, P., Bowen, J., and Makens, J. 1997. Mercadotecnia para hotelería y turismo, Mexico: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 9688809446, 9789688809440, 705 pp.
[18] Kozak, M. 2001. Comparative assessment of tourist satisfaction with destinations across two nationalities. Tourism Management, 22: 391–401. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(00)00064-9.
[19] Ladhari, R., and Michaud, M. 2015. EWOM effects on hotel booking intentions, attitudes, trust, and website perceptions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 46: 36–45. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2015.01.010.
[20] Lagace, R., Dahlstrom, R., and Gassenheimer, J.1991. The relevance of ethical salesperson behavior on relationship quality: the pharmaceutical industry. The journal of personal selling and sales management, 11(4): 39–47. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08853134.1991.10753888.
[21] Li, H., Ye, Q. and Law, R. 2013. Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: An Application of Online Review Analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(7): 784–802. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2012.708351.
[22] Lin, S.H. 2012. Effects of ethical sales behavior considered through transaction cost theory: to whom is the customer loyal?. The Journal of International Management Studies, 7(1): 31–40. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12816/0002265.
[23] Liu, Y., et al. 2017. Big data for big insights: Investigating language-specific drivers of hotel satisfaction with 412,784 user-generated reviews. Tourism Management, 59: 554–563. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.08.012.
[24] Martínez, J., Majó, J. and Casadesús, M. 2006. El uso de las tecnologías de la información en el sector hotelero, In Turitec 2006: VI Congreso nacional turismo y tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, 1–13 pp.
[25] Mauri, A.G. and Minazzi, R. 2013. Web reviews influence on expectations and purchasing intentions of hotel potential customers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34(1): 99–107. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.02.012.
[26] Mellinas, J.P., Martínez María-Dolores, S.M. and Bernal García, J.J. 2016. Effects of the Booking.com scoring system. Tourism Management, 57: 80–83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.05.015.
[27] Mittal, V., and Kamakura, W.A. 2001. Satisfaction, repurchase intent, and repurchase behavior: investigating the moderating effect of customer characteristics. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(1): 131–142. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.38.1.131.18832.
[28] Musekiwa, A., Njanike, K. and Mukucha, P. 2011. Gender Effects on Customer Satisfaction in Banking Industry a case of Commercial Banks in Bindura, Zimbabwe. Journal of Business Management and Economics, 2(1): 040–044.
[29] Ortiz-Rendon, P., and Sanchez-Torres, C. 2015. La netnografía como fuente de inspiración estratégica para el turismo. Cuadernos Latinoamericanos de Administración, XII (21): 61–74. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18270/cuaderlam.v11i21.1620.
[30] Oyewole, P. 2001. Consumers Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Satisfaction with Services in the Airline Industry. Services Marketing Quareterly, 23(2): 61–80. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J396v23n02_04.
[31] Ozkara, B.Y., Ozmen, M., and Kim, J.W. 2016. Exploring the relationship between information satisfaction and flow in the context of consumers’ online search. Computers in Human Behavior, 63: 844–859. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.038.
[32] Park, D.H. and Kim, S. 2008. The effects of consumer knowledge on message processing of electronic word-of-mouth via online consumer reviews. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 7(4): 399–410. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2007.12.001.
[33] Picazo-Vela, S. 2009. The effect of online reviews on customer satisfaction: An expectation disconfirmation approach, In AMCIS 2009 Doctoral Consortium, 1–9 pp.
[34] Pizam, A., and Sussmann, S. 1995. Does nationality affect tourist behavior?. Annals of Tourism Research, 22(4): 901–917.
[35] Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N., and Stanic, N. 2015. Ensuring positive feedback: Factors that influence customer satisfaction in the contemporary hospitality industry. Tourism Management, 51: 13–21. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.04.002.
[36] Román, S. 2003. The Impact of Ethical Sales Behaviour on Customer Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty to the Company: An Empirical Study in the Financial Services Industry. Journal of Marketing Management, 19(9–10): 915–939. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/026725703770558268
[37] Román, S., and Ruiz, S. 2005. Relationship outcomes of perceived ethical sales behavior: the customer’s perspective. Journal of Business Research, 58(4): 439–445. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.07.002.
[38] Salleh, M.Z.M., et al. 2016. Gender Differences Among Hotel Guest Towards Dissatisfaction with Hotel Services in Kuala Lumpur. Procedia Economics and Finance, 37(16): 27–32. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(16)30088-0.
[39] Sarstedt, M., and Mooi, E. 2014. A Concise Guide to Market Research, Second Edition, London: Springer, ISBN: 978-3-642-53964-0, Available at: https://books.google.ro/books?id=r5QqBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=A+Concise+Guide+to+Market+Research+2014&hl=ro&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0w5256pHZAhVNbFAKHQGuDVUQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=A%20Concise%20Guide%20to%20Market%20Research%202014&f=false
[40] Serra Cantallops, A., and Salvi, F. 2014. New consumer behavior: A review of research on eWOM and hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36: 41–51. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.08.007.
[41] Solomon, M. 2013. Comportamiento del consumidor, Mexico: Pearson Education, ISBN: 6073217102, 9786073217101, 615 pp.
[42] Su, A.Y.L. 2004. Customer satisfaction measurement practice in Taiwan hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(4): 397–408. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2004.02.002
[43] Torres, E.N., Singh, D., and Robertson-Ring, A. 2015. Consumer reviews and the creation of booking transaction value: Lessons from the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 50:77–83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2015.07.012.
[44] Vicente, P.M., John, C.C., and Anita, Z. 2011. Under- standing customer delight: An application of travel blog analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 50(5): 535–545. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287510379162.
[45] Westbrook, R.A. 1987. Product / Consumption-Based Affective Responses and Postpurchase Processes. Journal of Marketing Research, 24: 258–271. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3151636.
[46] Wong Chak Keung, S. 2000. Tourists’ perceptions of hotel frontline employees’ questionable job-related behaviour. Tourism Management, 21(2): 121–134. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00042-4.
[47] Xu, X., and Li, Y. 2016. The antecedents of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction toward various types of hotels: A text mining approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 55: 57–69, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2016.03.003.
[48] Yelkur, R., and Chakrabarty, S. 2006. Gender Differences in Service Quality Expectations in the Fast Food Industry. Services Marketing Quarterly, 27(4): 141–151. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J396v27n04_08.
[49] Zhao, R. et al. 2015. The Influence of Online Reviews to Online Hotel Booking Intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(6): 34. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.12.011.
[50] Zhou, L. et al. 2014. Refreshing hotel satisfaction studies by reconfiguring customer review data. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 38: 1–10. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.12.004.
***World Tourism Organization. 2001. Ethics and social responsibility. Global code of ethics for tourism, Available at: http://ethics.unwto.org/content/global-code-ethics-tourism (accessed 1 July 2017)
Published
2017-12-31
How to Cite
ORTIZ-RENDON, Paola; SANCHEZ-TORRES, William Camilo; ZUÑIGA-COLLAZOS, Alexander. Hotel Ethical Behavior and Tourist Origin as Determinants of Satisfaction. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 8, n. 8, p. 1457-1468, dec. 2017. ISSN 2068-7729. Available at: <https://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/1872>. Date accessed: 18 apr. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v8.8(24).01.