TQM, managerial factors and performance in the Spanish hotel industry
| Pages | 228-244 |
| Date | 14 March 2008 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570810847590 |
| Published date | 14 March 2008 |
| Author | Enrique Claver‐Cortés,Jorge Pereira‐Moliner,Juan José Tarí,José F. Molina‐Azorín |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
TQM, managerial factors
and performance in the Spanish
hotel industry
Enrique Claver-Corte
´s, Jorge Pereira-Moliner, Juan Jose
´Tarı
´and
Jose
´F. Molina-Azorı
´n
Department of Business and Management,
University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
Abstract
Purpose – Several important managerial factors, such as training, information and communication
technologies and information systems (ICT/IS), and environmental management, can be related to total
quality management (TQM) in the hotel industry. This paper aims to analyse how TQM is associated
with these factors and to verify whether more TQM-committed hotels achieve higher performance.
Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were collected from a sample of 301
three-to-five-star Spanish hotels. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify the different TQM
commitment levels, after which a regression analysis tested the TQM-performance link.
Findings – Managerial factors are significantly further developed in hotels with a stronger TQM
commitment, which also have higher performances. TQM does not seem to influence all the
performance variables measured.
Practical implications – Hotels showing a stronger commitment to TQM develop more advanced
management systems and achieve higher performance levels. Therefore, hoteliers should invest in
TQM, as this could help them to become more competitive.
Originality/value – The link between TQM and managerial factors, along with the relationship
between TQM and performance, has been expanded in the literature on TQM in the hotel industry.
Keywords Total quality management, Managers, Performancemeasurement (quality),
Hotel and cateringindustry, Spain
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Total quality management (TQM) is a management system which may impact on firm
performance in both manufacturing and service organisations. There are certain differences
between both types of industries, due to which this relationship might not take place in
service firms: the customer is a participant in the service process; the service firm must
approach quality differently because of its highly customised output; and the intangible
nature of services often makes it difficult to measure the quality of services objectively (Huq
and Stolen, 1998). Nevertheless, judging by the references found in the literature, TQM has
been equally applied to manufacturing and service firms, which means that they both can
adopt it successfully (Huq and Stolen, 1998; Brah et al., 2000; Prajogo, 2005).
The literatureidentifies common practicesleading to successfulTQM implementation,
namely: leadership, quality planning, people management, customer focus, process
management, supplier management, information and analysis, and organisational
concernabout social and environmentalissues (Deming, 1982; Mizuno,1988; Saraph et al.,
1989; Flynn et al., 1994;Ahire et al., 1996; Prajogo and Sohal, 2006). Amongthese factors,
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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IMDS
108,2
228
Received 11 May 2007
Revised 24 July 2007
Accepted 29 August 2007
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 108 No. 2, 2008
pp. 228-244
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/02635570810847590
such managerial factors as training, information and communication technologies and
information systems (ICT/IS), and environmental management commitment are
particularly important to the hotel industry (Geller, 1985; Brotherton, 2004).
Training turns out to be one of the key factors within a TQM context (Schonberger,
1994) and, more specifically, as far as service quality in the hotel industry is concerned
(Nankervis and Deb rah, 1995; Ottenbacher et al., 2006; Varela and Garcı
´a,2006). Similarly,
ICT/IS play a relevant rolein quality improvement (Marler, 1998; Martı
´nez-Lorente et al.,
2004) and can contribute to enhance hotel customer satisfaction. The development of
environmental management practices is favoured by TQM too (Curkovic, 2003). Finally,
quality would serveas the basis for the development of a competitivestrategy and TQM
might impact on performance in service organisations (Brah et al., 2000) and, more
specifically, in the hotel industry (Camiso
´n, 1996).
TQM practices have been analysed in relation to both manufacturing and service
firms, but the number of studies devoted to service organisations is smaller
(Sureshchandar et al., 2001; Gustafsson et al., 2003). Moreover, although several
authors have examined the practices of TQM-committed hotels (Camiso
´n, 1996;
Partlow, 1996), the link between TQM and some of the managerial factors mentioned
above has not been examined as deeply in the hotel industry literature as in the TQM
literature. Accordingly, more research on such issues is needed to fill this gap in the
empirical literature on the hotel industry.
The aim of this paper is to test the relationships between TQM and a number of
managerialfactors (training, ICT/ISand environmental management),and between TQM
and hotel firm performance. The contributions madein this paper can be summarised as
follows: it expandsthe theoretical links between keymanagerial factors and TQM in the
hotel industry; it shows hoteliers that behaviours characterised by a greater proactivity
toward TQM are often associated with a stronger commitment to those managerial
factors at the establishment; and shows the extent to which TQM influences hotel firm
performance.
The paper is organised as follows. After reviewing the link between TQM and the
issues mentioned above, the research design is described. The explanation of the
results and discussion sections follow. The conclusions drawn from the research study
closes the paper.
Literature review
As noted above, TQM commitment may be associated with such factors as training,
ICT/IS and environmental management, and may impact on firm performance too.
Training
Literature hasacknowledged the importance ofhuman aspects within TQM frameworks
(Schonberger,1994). Employees need training to identifyand solve problems, to improve
work methods and to takeresponsibility for quality (Marler,1998). In other words, being
trained in quality-related issues allowsemployees to improve their quality levels.
Therefore, training has acquired a strategic value for hotels (Partlow, 1996; Tihanyi et al.,
2000; Boudreau et al., 2001), since service quality depends on employee customer care
effectiveness (Tsaur and Lin, 2004). Additionally, TQM-committed hotels consider training
efforts on quality a key practice to enhance both their staff’s skill level and their degree of
commitment to excellence in service (Partlow, 1996; Haynes and Fryer, 2000; Costa, 2004).
TQM in Spanish
hotel industry
229
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