Hospitality Management Publications
repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/84
2024-03-29T09:32:39ZTourism and hospitality policy strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness: lessons for Malawi
repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/128
Tourism and hospitality policy strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness: lessons for Malawi
Sepula, Michael Benett; Korir, Jacqueline C.
This paper discusses tourism and hospitality policy strengths and weaknesses in Malawi and the efforts taken to address and enhance its effectiveness to contribute to the successful growth of the industry in the country. It is argued that to realise the maximum benefits from tourism, scholars advocate for a robust and practical approach to tourism and hospitality policy development and implementation embracing the support of all stakeholders. The findings may help policy-makers and other stakeholders in Malawi to appreciate the importance of embracing strategies that can inform the process of tourism and hospitality policy development and implementation and be well equipped to successfully develop and implement such policies and strategies towards a vibrant tourism and hospitality industry in Malawi. This paper utilised adocument analytical approach and reviewed relevant literature on various national policies governing tourism and hospitality has been undertaken, gaining insights into how they are formulated and implemented in various parts of the world and the challenges met in the process.
The information gathered has informed the status of the Malawi National Policy formulation and implementation since the period the sector was elevated as one of the key economic priority areas in alleviating poverty. The paper, however, recommends further research to a thoroughly investigate the tourism policies in the country in order to gain insights into how core challenges facing the tourism and hospitality are being tackled across all levels.
2019-01-01T00:00:00ZPredicting customer satisfaction using a two level service expectation framework: empirical evidence from star rated hotels in Malawi.
repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/127
Predicting customer satisfaction using a two level service expectation framework: empirical evidence from star rated hotels in Malawi.
Sepula, Michael Benett
Hospitality is the fastest-growing, experience-intensive service industry and becoming the biggest export service sector worldwide. Several countries including Malawi, have several star-rated hotels which possess some anticipated degree of comfort and service quality in those hotels. It is anticipated that customers evaluate the service performance of a hotel against their expectations and experiences, eventually deriving satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to establish whether service expectations can measure or predict customer satisfaction. Using an explanatory and descriptive design, this study focused on eleven hotels of star ratings situated in Lilongwe and Blantyre cities in Malawi. Two hundred and three hotel guests took part in the study. Data collection was done with the aid of survey questionnaire; the SPSS version 23.0 software and AMOS software version 22.0 were used for data analysis. Initially, paired samples t-test was used to compare mean scores for desired service expectations across fourteen pairs of hotel services with mean scores for adequate service expectations. The paired samples t-test results indicated that the Zone of Tolerance (ZoT), measured as the difference between the desired and adequate service mean scores, were positive and significantly different in all the 14 pairs. The study engaged the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to ascertain the relationships between service expectations and customer contentment as latent variables of the hypothesised model. Both the unidimensionality test and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to establish the factor structure of the measurement variables in the model. The hypothesis that service expectations do not significantly predict customer satisfaction was rejected (β= 0.793; t=7.969; p<0.05). The study concluded that there were high customer perceptions of services consistent with their expectations; which in turn, significantly predict customer satisfaction in star-rated hotels. The study recommends that managers of star-rated hotel ought to closely monitor and constantly improve hotel service attributes that raise customers’ expectations to enhance customer satisfaction among current hotel guests and possibly aid more customer recruitment.
2019-12-01T00:00:00ZHotel rating system dimensions as determinants of service expectations and customer satisfaction in star-rated hotels in selected cities in Malawi
repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/126
Hotel rating system dimensions as determinants of service expectations and customer satisfaction in star-rated hotels in selected cities in Malawi
Sepula, Michael Benett
Over the years, countries continue to introduce hotel rating systems to indicate to customers the level of comfort and service quality expected in different hotel categories. Previous studies on conventional hotel rating systems mainly focused on the structures and characteristics of the hotel rating criteria. In 2010, for instance, the Government of Malawi introduced hotel rating system as a mark of quality and an indicator of standard of services offered in hotels as compared to the international ones. However, there is paucity of information on whether customers use the ratings consistent with their expectations and satisfaction levels.
Furthermore, little research has empirically investigated the underlying relationship between hotel rating system dimensions and customer satisfaction. Hence, the objective of this study was to establish the effect of the basic registration standard and grading standard as dimensions of hotel rating system on service expectations and customer satisfaction. The study was anchored on Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) and Servicescape theories. It was hypothesised that there is a relationship between hotel rating system dimensions, service expectations and customer satisfaction. Using an explanatory and descriptive survey design and pragmatist paradigm, the study focused on 11 star-rated hotels in Lilongwe and Blantyre cities in Malawi and targeted 225 hotel guests, 11 hotel managers and 8 hotel grading assessors. A total of 216 respondents comprising of 203 hotel guests, 10 hotel managers and 3 assessors, participated in the study. Multiple sampling techniques were adopted, whereby, census sampling was used to select the star rated hotels and managers, and simple random sampling and convenience sampling techniques were used to select hotel guests and the assessors
respectively. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires for the hotel guests and semi-structured interviews for managers and assessors. The data collected from the hotel guests was analysed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20.0) alongside Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS 22.0). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to establish the relationships between hotel rating system dimensions, service expectations and customer satisfaction as latent variables of the hypothesised model. The underlying model factor structure was established using a unidimensionality test. Model fit indices of the structural model revealed that the model was perfect (χ2 /df = 1.524; GFI = .958; CFI = .986; RMSEA = .043, p> 0.05). Furthermore, both the basic registration standard and the grading standard were found to significantly affect customer satisfaction (β= 0.356; t=4.000; p<0.05); (β = 0.434; t=3.280; p<0.05), respectively. Grading standard was found to significantly affect service expectations (β= 0.817; t=6.633; p<0.05). However, basic registration standard did not
significantly affect service expectations (β = 0.061; t=0.471; p>0.05). Moreover, the research findings revealed both the basic registration standard and grading standard accounted for 86% (R2 = .86) of the proportion of variance in customer satisfaction. The study concluded that both basic registration standard and grading standard are determinants of customer satisfaction in star rated hotels in Malawi; with grading standard being a more powerful determinant of both service expectations and customer satisfaction. The study provides a missing link in the presumed relationship existing between hotel rating systems, service expectations and customer satisfaction, thereby, contributing to knowledge on the importance of hotel rating systems and
relationships they share with service expectations and customer satisfaction. Hence, hotel managers need to allocate adequate resources and dedicate efforts to improving hotel rating system dimensions on regular basis for they provide an array of attributes that hotels use to enhance customer satisfaction. Future research should investigate various star rated serviced accommodation countrywide to minimise generalisability concerns related to the findings
2019-07-01T00:00:00ZAssessing determinants of consumer perceptions of service quality, its improvement and image in Malawian lodges: focussing on employees’ expectations and perceptions
repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/125
Assessing determinants of consumer perceptions of service quality, its improvement and image in Malawian lodges: focussing on employees’ expectations and perceptions
Sepula, Michael Benett
Service quality in the hospitality industry continues to gain considerable debate and research attention on many fronts. The debate has emphasised the customers‟ view of defining service quality as they perceive it to be more than the provider. Yet many scholars agree that in service provision, there is also the presence of the provider and the customer. Do employees‟ expectations and perceptions validate the determinants of customer‟s perceptions of service quality? The present study assesses the determinants of consumer service quality in Malawian lodges but focussing on employee‟s expectations and perceptions. The study explores
employees‟ feelings about the image of the lodges and any service quality improvements
used by the lodges.
The study has utilised a questionnaire based on SERVQUAL to gather information for analysis using SPSS 18.0 and was administered in nine different lodges in Mzuzu City in the Northern Region of Malawi, involving employees working in different sections of the lodges.
A total of 40 employees were interviewed and showed a large proportion of male respondents. The study cannot claim to be conclusive for it is limited to a small sample from one city.
The findings show that employees felt that their lodges are friendly, supported by employees‟ ranking of professionalism and skills as one important factor why customers choose to stay at the lodges. Secondly, the findings show that employees‟ expectations and perceptions were high in the assurance dimension which deals with employees‟ knowledge, courtesy and their ability to convey trust and customer confidence. The findings show that employees‟ perceptions in all five features (reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness) of the service quality were clearly lower than their expectations.
This is an important study of service quality in lodges in Malawi; it contributes to the literature and therefore, provides a comparative study of service quality with similar studies done in different parts of the world.
2011-09-01T00:00:00Z