Creating Service with Thai Hospitality: What Does Service Providers Highlight for Hotel Service in Thailand?
Abstract
This study aims to explore service components in Thai hospitality which are prepared and provided by the service providers in order to creating impressive service in the hotel sector in Thailand and are presented to tourists as the core value of Thai hospitality. The mixed methods were employed using interview and questionnaire survey. Samples were the frontline hotel service providers to obtain valuable opinions and various perspectives regarding service and its practice in hotel. Data were collected from 11 interviews and 320 questionnaires. The interview thematic analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were the main analysis of the research. Results showed seven service components which could be the core value in Thai hospitality included professional traits, the senses of service (intangibility), workplace culture and skills, service tangibility, Thai service providers, Thai nurture and practices and hotel ambience. The service components founded in Thailand can support the strong bond between Thai culture, service offerings and service providers. These also can help the hotels to gain more advantage in their businesses and lift up the competitiveness of Thai hospitality in hotel service.
References
[1] Adhikari, A., and Bhattacharya, S. 2016. Appraisal of Literature on Customer Experience in Tourism Sector: Review and Framework. Current Issues in Tourism 19(4): 296–321. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2015.1082538
[2] Ali, F., Amin, M. and Cobanoglu, C. 2016. An Integrated Model of Service Experience, Emotions, Satisfaction, and Price Acceptance: An Empirical Analysis in the Chinese Hospitality Industry. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management 25, no.4, 449–75. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2015.1019172
[3] Bacon, P. and Santos, I. 2021. What Is Shaping The Future Of The Hospitality Industry? Hospitality Net, 2021. Available at: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4103717.html
[4] Berendt, E.A, and Tanita, K. 2011. The ‘Heart’ of Things : A Conceptual Metaphoric Analysis of Heart and Related Body Parts in Thai, Japanese and English. Intercultural Communication Studies, 20(1): 65–78.
[5] Bettencourt, L.A., and Gwinner, K. 1996. Customization of the Service Experience: The Role of the Frontline Employee. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(2): 3–20. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239610113442
[6] Bueno, E. V., et al. 2019. Measuring Customer Experience in Service: A Systematic Review. Service Industries Journal 39(11–12): 779–98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1561873
[7] Burnard, P., and Naiyapatana, W. 2004. Culture and Communication in Thai Nursing: A Report of an Ethnographic Study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 41(7): 755–65. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.03.002
[8] Cohen, E., and Ben-Nun, L. 2009. The Important Dimensions of Wine Tourism Experience from Potential Visitors’ Perception. Tourism and Hospitality Research 9(1): 20–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/thr.2008.42
[9] Costello, A. B., and Osborne, J. W. 2005. Best Practices in Exploratory Factor Analysis: Four Recommendations for Getting the Most from Your Analysis. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation 10(7). DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868
[10] Fakfare, P., Talawanich, S., Pongwat, A. and Chon, K. 2019. Asianness in Hospitality : The Case of Luxury Hotels in Bangkok, Thailand. Asean Journal of Management and Innovation 6(2). DOI10.14456/ajmi.2019.22
[11] Field, A. 2009. Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. 3rd ed. London: Sage Publication.
[12] Grönroos, C., and Gummerus, J. 2014. The Service Revolution and Its Marketing Implications: Service Logic vs Service-Dominant Logic. Managing Service Quality 24(3): 206–29. DOI: 10.1108/MSQ-03-2014-0042
[13] Guzley, R. 1992. Cross-Cultural Management Communication. International Journal of Intercultural Relation 16(4): 455–60.
[14] Hair, J.F., Black, W.B.; Babin, J. and Anderson, R. 2010. Multivariate Data Analysis. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
[15] Helkkula, A. 2011. Characterising the Concept of Service Experience. Journal of Service Management 22(3): 367–89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231111136872
[16] Hinton, P. R., McMurray, I. and Brownlow, C. 2014. SPSS Explained. 2nd ed. Florence, KY, USA: Taylor and Francis.
[17] Hobson, P.J.S. 1994. Feng Shui: Its Impacts on the Asian Hospitality Industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 6(6): 21–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119410070440
[18] Jaakkola, E., Helkkula, A. and Aarikka-Stenroos, L. 2015. Service Experience Co-Creation: Conceptualization, Implications, and Future Research Directions. Journal of Service Management 26(2): 182–205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2014-0323
[19] Jones Lang LaSalle. 2021. “Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Highlights.” https://www.jll.co.th/en/newsroom/asia-pacific-hotel-investment-to-top-7-billion-dollars-in-2021-growing-to-9-billion-dollars-in-2022
[20] Kim, Jinkyung Jenny, Jin-Soo Lee, Heesup Han. 2023. Tangible and intangible hotel in-room amenities in shaping customer experience and the consequences in the with-corona era. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 35(2): 657-681. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2022-0014
[21] King, C.A. 1995. What Is Hospitality? International Journal of Hospitality Management 14(3): 219–34.
[22] Korjala, V. 2012. Cultural Diversity in Hospitality Management. Turku University of Applied Sciences. Available at: https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/55331/Korjala_Veera.pdf
[23] Ladhari, R., et al. 2011. Culture and Personal Values: How They Influence Perceived Service Quality. Journal of Business Research 64(9): 951–57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2010.11.017
[24] Lajante, M., Ladhari, R. and Massa, E. 2022. Role of affective forecasting in customers’ hotel service experiences. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 34(3): 1062-1083. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2021-0530
[25] Lipkin, M., and Heinonen, C. 2022. Customer Ecosystems: Exploring How Ecosystem Actors Shape Customer Experience. Journal of Services Marketing 36(9): 1–17. DOI: 10.1108/JSM-03-2021-0080
[26] Mccoll-kennedy, J. R, et al. 2015. Co-Creating Service Experience Practices. Journal of Service Management 26 (2): 249–75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2014-0204
[27] McDowall, S., and Choi, Y. 2010. Thailand’s Destination Image through the Eyes of Its Citizens. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration 11(3): 255–74. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2010.498279
[28] Mills, P. K., Chase, R.B. and Margulies, N. 1983. Motivating the Client/Employee System as a Service Production Strategy. Academy of Management Review 5(1): 301–10. DOI:https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1983.4284740
[29] Mooi, E., and Sarstedt, M. 2011. A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics. Springer, New York.
[30] Nankervis, A.R. 2000. Human Resource Management Strategies as Competitive Advantage: A Case Example of the Hospitality Sector in Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim. Research and Practice in Human Resource Management 8(1): 111–13.
[31] Noonan, J. and Vaidya, M. 2011. Developing the Next-Generation Asian Hospitality Leader. SpencerStuart. Available at: https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/developing-the-next-generation-asian-hospitality-leader
[32] Panmunin, W. 1993. What’s Happening to Thai Hospitality ? Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 34(3): 60–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-8804(93)90088-Z
[33] Parasuraman, A., Berry, L.L. and Zeithaml, V.A. 1991. Understanding Customer Expectations of Service. Sloan Management Review 32(3): 39–48.
[34] Pikkemaat, B., and Zehrer, A. 2016. Innovation and Service Experiences in Small Tourism Family Firms. International Journal of Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality Research 10(4): 343–60. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-06-2016-0064
[35] Piuchan, M., and Pang, L. 2015. Service Experience Dimensions in Asian Hospitality : A Case Study of Hotels in Thailand and Hong Kong. In EuroCHRIE Conference 2015, 15–17.
[36] Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N. and Stanic, N. 2019. The Culture of Hospitality: From Anecdote to Evidence. Annals of Tourism Research 79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102789
[37] Reavley, N., and Pallant, J.F. 2009. Development of a Scale to Assess the Meditation Experience. Personality and Individual Differences 47(6): 547–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.05.007
[38] Richards, G., and Wilson, J. 2006. Developing Creativity in Tourist Experiences: A Solution to the Serial Reproduction of Culture? Tourism Management 27(6): 1209–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.06.002
[39] Rittichainuwat, B. N., Qu, H. and Brown, T.J. 2001. Thailand ’ s International Travel Image. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 42(2): 82–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880401422008
[40] Runglertkrengkrai, S., and Engkaninan, S. 1987. The Pattern of Managerial Behaviour in Thai Culture. Asia Pacific Journal of Management 5: 8–15. DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01712571
[41] Sandström, S., Edvardsson, B. Kristensson, P. and Magnusson, P. 2008. Value in Use through Service Experience. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal 18(2): 12–26. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520810859184
[42] Shaw, G., Bailey, A. and Williams, A. 2011. Aspects of Service-Dominant Logic and Its Implications for Tourism Management : Examples from the Hotel Industry. Tourism Management 32(2): 207–14. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.05.020
[43] Sucher, W., and Cheung, C. 2016. Customer Service Styles of Hotel Employees in Thailand: National Culture Based or Culturally Free? In Enhancing Customer Experience in the Service Industry: A Global Perspective, edited by Levent ; Altinay and Surya Poudel, 153–82. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
[44] Ueltschy, L. C., et al. 2009. Is There Really an Asian Connection? Professional Service Quality Perceptions and Customer Satisfaction. Journal of Business Research 62(10): 972–79. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.03.003
[45] Wan, S. and Chon, K. 2010. Asianess’ – An Emerging Concept in Hospitality Management. In Proceedings of Asia Pacific CHRIE Conference, 12–14. Phuket, Thailand.
[46] Wattanacharoensil, W, Kobkitpanichpol, B. and Chon, K. 2014. Asian Hospitality: How Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Service Culture Play a Role. In Development of Regional Tourism by Collaboration between Public Sector and Academics in the Asia Pacific Region, Proceedings of 2014 APTA Conference, 15–18. Hochiminh City, Vietnam: Asia Pacific Tourism Association.
[47] Winsted, K. F. 1997. The Service Experience in Two Cultures: A Behavioral Perspective. Journal of Retailing 73(3): 337–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(97)90022-1
[48] Witkowski, T. H.; and Wolfinbarger, M.F. 2001. The Formality Dimension of Service Quality in Thailand and Japan. Advances in Consumer Research 28, 153–60. https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/8461/volumes/v28/NA-28
[49] eDiplomat. 2022. “Cultural Etiquette:Thailand.” 2022. http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_th.htm
[50] International Hotel Award. 2020. “Asia Pacific 2020 Award Winners.” 2020. https://ihotelawards.com/asia-pacific-2020/
[2] Ali, F., Amin, M. and Cobanoglu, C. 2016. An Integrated Model of Service Experience, Emotions, Satisfaction, and Price Acceptance: An Empirical Analysis in the Chinese Hospitality Industry. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management 25, no.4, 449–75. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2015.1019172
[3] Bacon, P. and Santos, I. 2021. What Is Shaping The Future Of The Hospitality Industry? Hospitality Net, 2021. Available at: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4103717.html
[4] Berendt, E.A, and Tanita, K. 2011. The ‘Heart’ of Things : A Conceptual Metaphoric Analysis of Heart and Related Body Parts in Thai, Japanese and English. Intercultural Communication Studies, 20(1): 65–78.
[5] Bettencourt, L.A., and Gwinner, K. 1996. Customization of the Service Experience: The Role of the Frontline Employee. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(2): 3–20. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239610113442
[6] Bueno, E. V., et al. 2019. Measuring Customer Experience in Service: A Systematic Review. Service Industries Journal 39(11–12): 779–98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1561873
[7] Burnard, P., and Naiyapatana, W. 2004. Culture and Communication in Thai Nursing: A Report of an Ethnographic Study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 41(7): 755–65. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.03.002
[8] Cohen, E., and Ben-Nun, L. 2009. The Important Dimensions of Wine Tourism Experience from Potential Visitors’ Perception. Tourism and Hospitality Research 9(1): 20–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/thr.2008.42
[9] Costello, A. B., and Osborne, J. W. 2005. Best Practices in Exploratory Factor Analysis: Four Recommendations for Getting the Most from Your Analysis. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation 10(7). DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868
[10] Fakfare, P., Talawanich, S., Pongwat, A. and Chon, K. 2019. Asianness in Hospitality : The Case of Luxury Hotels in Bangkok, Thailand. Asean Journal of Management and Innovation 6(2). DOI10.14456/ajmi.2019.22
[11] Field, A. 2009. Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. 3rd ed. London: Sage Publication.
[12] Grönroos, C., and Gummerus, J. 2014. The Service Revolution and Its Marketing Implications: Service Logic vs Service-Dominant Logic. Managing Service Quality 24(3): 206–29. DOI: 10.1108/MSQ-03-2014-0042
[13] Guzley, R. 1992. Cross-Cultural Management Communication. International Journal of Intercultural Relation 16(4): 455–60.
[14] Hair, J.F., Black, W.B.; Babin, J. and Anderson, R. 2010. Multivariate Data Analysis. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
[15] Helkkula, A. 2011. Characterising the Concept of Service Experience. Journal of Service Management 22(3): 367–89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231111136872
[16] Hinton, P. R., McMurray, I. and Brownlow, C. 2014. SPSS Explained. 2nd ed. Florence, KY, USA: Taylor and Francis.
[17] Hobson, P.J.S. 1994. Feng Shui: Its Impacts on the Asian Hospitality Industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 6(6): 21–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119410070440
[18] Jaakkola, E., Helkkula, A. and Aarikka-Stenroos, L. 2015. Service Experience Co-Creation: Conceptualization, Implications, and Future Research Directions. Journal of Service Management 26(2): 182–205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2014-0323
[19] Jones Lang LaSalle. 2021. “Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Highlights.” https://www.jll.co.th/en/newsroom/asia-pacific-hotel-investment-to-top-7-billion-dollars-in-2021-growing-to-9-billion-dollars-in-2022
[20] Kim, Jinkyung Jenny, Jin-Soo Lee, Heesup Han. 2023. Tangible and intangible hotel in-room amenities in shaping customer experience and the consequences in the with-corona era. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 35(2): 657-681. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2022-0014
[21] King, C.A. 1995. What Is Hospitality? International Journal of Hospitality Management 14(3): 219–34.
[22] Korjala, V. 2012. Cultural Diversity in Hospitality Management. Turku University of Applied Sciences. Available at: https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/55331/Korjala_Veera.pdf
[23] Ladhari, R., et al. 2011. Culture and Personal Values: How They Influence Perceived Service Quality. Journal of Business Research 64(9): 951–57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2010.11.017
[24] Lajante, M., Ladhari, R. and Massa, E. 2022. Role of affective forecasting in customers’ hotel service experiences. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 34(3): 1062-1083. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2021-0530
[25] Lipkin, M., and Heinonen, C. 2022. Customer Ecosystems: Exploring How Ecosystem Actors Shape Customer Experience. Journal of Services Marketing 36(9): 1–17. DOI: 10.1108/JSM-03-2021-0080
[26] Mccoll-kennedy, J. R, et al. 2015. Co-Creating Service Experience Practices. Journal of Service Management 26 (2): 249–75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2014-0204
[27] McDowall, S., and Choi, Y. 2010. Thailand’s Destination Image through the Eyes of Its Citizens. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration 11(3): 255–74. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2010.498279
[28] Mills, P. K., Chase, R.B. and Margulies, N. 1983. Motivating the Client/Employee System as a Service Production Strategy. Academy of Management Review 5(1): 301–10. DOI:https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1983.4284740
[29] Mooi, E., and Sarstedt, M. 2011. A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics. Springer, New York.
[30] Nankervis, A.R. 2000. Human Resource Management Strategies as Competitive Advantage: A Case Example of the Hospitality Sector in Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim. Research and Practice in Human Resource Management 8(1): 111–13.
[31] Noonan, J. and Vaidya, M. 2011. Developing the Next-Generation Asian Hospitality Leader. SpencerStuart. Available at: https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/developing-the-next-generation-asian-hospitality-leader
[32] Panmunin, W. 1993. What’s Happening to Thai Hospitality ? Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 34(3): 60–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-8804(93)90088-Z
[33] Parasuraman, A., Berry, L.L. and Zeithaml, V.A. 1991. Understanding Customer Expectations of Service. Sloan Management Review 32(3): 39–48.
[34] Pikkemaat, B., and Zehrer, A. 2016. Innovation and Service Experiences in Small Tourism Family Firms. International Journal of Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality Research 10(4): 343–60. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-06-2016-0064
[35] Piuchan, M., and Pang, L. 2015. Service Experience Dimensions in Asian Hospitality : A Case Study of Hotels in Thailand and Hong Kong. In EuroCHRIE Conference 2015, 15–17.
[36] Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N. and Stanic, N. 2019. The Culture of Hospitality: From Anecdote to Evidence. Annals of Tourism Research 79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102789
[37] Reavley, N., and Pallant, J.F. 2009. Development of a Scale to Assess the Meditation Experience. Personality and Individual Differences 47(6): 547–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.05.007
[38] Richards, G., and Wilson, J. 2006. Developing Creativity in Tourist Experiences: A Solution to the Serial Reproduction of Culture? Tourism Management 27(6): 1209–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.06.002
[39] Rittichainuwat, B. N., Qu, H. and Brown, T.J. 2001. Thailand ’ s International Travel Image. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 42(2): 82–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880401422008
[40] Runglertkrengkrai, S., and Engkaninan, S. 1987. The Pattern of Managerial Behaviour in Thai Culture. Asia Pacific Journal of Management 5: 8–15. DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01712571
[41] Sandström, S., Edvardsson, B. Kristensson, P. and Magnusson, P. 2008. Value in Use through Service Experience. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal 18(2): 12–26. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520810859184
[42] Shaw, G., Bailey, A. and Williams, A. 2011. Aspects of Service-Dominant Logic and Its Implications for Tourism Management : Examples from the Hotel Industry. Tourism Management 32(2): 207–14. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.05.020
[43] Sucher, W., and Cheung, C. 2016. Customer Service Styles of Hotel Employees in Thailand: National Culture Based or Culturally Free? In Enhancing Customer Experience in the Service Industry: A Global Perspective, edited by Levent ; Altinay and Surya Poudel, 153–82. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
[44] Ueltschy, L. C., et al. 2009. Is There Really an Asian Connection? Professional Service Quality Perceptions and Customer Satisfaction. Journal of Business Research 62(10): 972–79. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.03.003
[45] Wan, S. and Chon, K. 2010. Asianess’ – An Emerging Concept in Hospitality Management. In Proceedings of Asia Pacific CHRIE Conference, 12–14. Phuket, Thailand.
[46] Wattanacharoensil, W, Kobkitpanichpol, B. and Chon, K. 2014. Asian Hospitality: How Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Service Culture Play a Role. In Development of Regional Tourism by Collaboration between Public Sector and Academics in the Asia Pacific Region, Proceedings of 2014 APTA Conference, 15–18. Hochiminh City, Vietnam: Asia Pacific Tourism Association.
[47] Winsted, K. F. 1997. The Service Experience in Two Cultures: A Behavioral Perspective. Journal of Retailing 73(3): 337–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(97)90022-1
[48] Witkowski, T. H.; and Wolfinbarger, M.F. 2001. The Formality Dimension of Service Quality in Thailand and Japan. Advances in Consumer Research 28, 153–60. https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/8461/volumes/v28/NA-28
[49] eDiplomat. 2022. “Cultural Etiquette:Thailand.” 2022. http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_th.htm
[50] International Hotel Award. 2020. “Asia Pacific 2020 Award Winners.” 2020. https://ihotelawards.com/asia-pacific-2020/
Published
2023-12-29
How to Cite
PIUCHAN, Manisa.
Creating Service with Thai Hospitality: What Does Service Providers Highlight for Hotel Service in Thailand?.
Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 14, n. 8, p. 3034 - 3048, dec. 2023.
ISSN 2068-7729.
Available at: <https://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/8269>. Date accessed: 26 dec. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v14.8(72).05.
Section
Article
Copyright© 2024 The Author(s). Published by ASERS Publishing 2024. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of CC-BY 4.0 license.