Abstract: The fast growing hospitality companies have been increasingly linked to the service sectors (Metcalfe et al, 1999) and the service sector is among the most vibrant in economic growth. As a result, it has become necessary for companies to match-up by continuously looking for ways and processes of improving quality and reputation through the involvement of employees in concept development. Most hotel companies believed that by counting on their human resource and improving efficiency among the services and the products which are offered, could meet the needs and expectations of employees and this aspect needed to be given attention. The bone of contention is the extent to which employees could be empowered and given the opportunity to perform within their working environment. The purpose of this study is to understand the stages at which employees are involved in innovation processes in 5 & 4 star hotels in London. It is clear that there is the need for more research in to employees’ involvement in innovative processes in hospitality companies in general. 5 & 4 star hotels in central London will be selected and focus on. The 5 star hotels have been selected in London because firstly, it in an area that attracts a large number of personalities ranging from stakeholders managers, customers and employees alike and emerging from different market segments. And secondly, the nature of 5 star hotels attracts diverse categories of employees with different levels of experience, skills, innovative ideas and commitment to work. The aim of this chapter is to review how hospitality innovation processes are carried out in various hospitality companies. How the various companies applied the 15 stage innovation model. It will discuss how the various companies used the stages whiles identifying the role played by employees in each case. Case study design of qualitative research was employed in carrying out this study. The employees of five star hotels in London central have been interviewed and sampled using purposive judgment sampling. The notion of employees’ involvement in innovation process is about 90% comparatively to managers of just about 10%. Initially, the taut of management being involved more than 10% was very high. But the research has shown that the opposite is rather true. The findings has also shown that, firms do not have formal research and development departments instead they turn to rely on creative entrepreneur and living innovation personnel or generating innovation culture, in which new ideas are encourage. It is therefore, not unusual for the hotels studied, to exist within a research department. While both characteristics of the cases studied in the hotels revealed that about 90% of the stages involved team work with employees inclusive, the idea generation still rests in the hands of line management
Keywords: hospitality companies, service sectors economic growth, market segments, creative entrepreneur.
Title: Innovation Processes in Hospitality Companies (A Case Study of E –Zone at Four Seasons Hotel)
Author: Faustina Mary Aku Otsyina, Victor Dedume
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
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