Loading...
29 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 29
- Social sustainability: the challenges to the restaurant sectorPublication . Maia, Beatriz; Silva, Susana; Melo, AntónioThe guarantee of sustainable development has been a growing concern in various economic sectors, particularly from the economic and environmental perspective. In a post-pandemic scenario, the restaurant industry was one of the most affected worldwide and had to undergo abrupt changes to remain operational. Thus, this study primarily focuses on addressing the challenges faced by Human Resources Management (HRM) in attracting and retaining employees in the restaurant sector. This research aims to understand the challenges faced in retaining and attracting talent to restaurants and to explore the strategies that should be adopted to ensure the restaurant’s social. It used a qualitative methodology, with 10 (5 female and 5 male, with a mean age of 35 years old) semi-structured interviews with professionals who chose to leave this profession, to ensure a concerted view of the current state of the sector in the north of Portugal. Through thematic analysis of the interviews, the results identified the current difficulties in attracting and retaining employees in the sector, as well as some HRM strategies that can address these challenges. These findings emerged from the themes 'Special Features of the Restaurant Sector' and 'Attraction and Retention Strategies.' The first theme contextualizes and characterizes the sector's reality, arising from four categories: activity context, company type, the COVID-19 pandemic, and turnover factors. Meanwhile, the second theme presents the attraction and retention strategies that HRM in restaurant companies should implement, while also exploring some challenges faced in designing and implementing these strategies in practice. Specifically, recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, onboarding, integration and socialization, and career management. In conclusion, social sustainability still has little prominence in the restaurant sector. To become more attractive, the restaurant sector needs to invest in better non-monetary benefits, such as flexible working hours, health insurance, professional recognition, training investment, and career advancement opportunities. This study intends to help companies take measures to improve employee satisfaction and also increase talent retention and new employees’ attraction.
- The COVID-19 aftermath: a multidimensional study on hospitality managers' perceptionsPublication . Silva, Miguel; Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, SandraThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought many constraints to several industries, including tourism and hospitality. Despite its resilience, the socio-economic implications arising from this sanitary crisis have exposed the vulnerabilities and prompted swift reactions from policymakers, stakeholders and managers. This exploratory study aims to determine which dimensions of the hospitality business were most affected by this pandemic and how they responded to this outbreak. Considering dimensions such as "Decision making" "Health Safety" “Operations” “Marketing & Sales”, "Human Resources" and "Customer Relationship Management", this study is supported by semi-structured interviews with hotel managers, putting forward an analysis based on the perceptions and realities of different hotel categories and operational contexts. Aiming to complement previous and ongoing research concerning the coping mechanisms hotel managers have had to implement when confronted with this unprecedented crisis, it succeeds in identifying key strategic areas and concerns, that are relevant for understanding the current situation, as well as preparing future emergencies and crisis affecting the hospitality business, paving the way for future research within this scope
- A operacionalização de eventos gastronómicos na educação/formação em hotelaria e restauraçãoPublication . Campos, Joana; Melo, António; Oliveira, Mónica; Silva, José António; Fonseca, Rui; Quintas, Marta; Fernandes, Patrícia; Correia, RosaO planeamento e organização de eventos gastronómicos apresenta-se como uma oportunidade de simulação na formação em hotelaria e restauração, uma vez que potencia a simbiose entre os contextos teórico e prático que são inerentes a esta área, procurando a semelhança a dinâmicas profissionais futuras. A importância da experiência prática no ensino superior reside, não só para desenvolver competências técnicas e transversais (Monteiro, Almeida & Garcia-Aracil, 2016), mas também para promover oportunidades onde os estudantes possam criar redes de contactos que são posteriormente, mobilizadas na procura de emprego (Alves, 2010). Estas experiência tornam-se particularmente importantes no desenvolvimento de competências relacionadas com a tomada de decisão, fulcral na adaptação aos desafios diários na profissão (Edelheim & Ueda, 2007). As experiências adquiridas pela realização destas atividades, com particular incidência nos eventos gastronómicos, têm sido fatores de promoção da sua aproximação ao mundo do trabalho quer em contextos formais de aprendizagem ou fora deles, e a noção do valor acrescentado que pode levar para a organização, são, de facto, cruciais na obtenção de emprego (Valente, 2014). A realização de eventos gastronómicos com uma componente iminentemente prática acontece através de trabalhos interdisciplinares entre UCs Direção de Operações e Serviços II (da Licenciatura de Gestão de Restauração e Catering, 3º ano) e Técnicas de Restaurante/Bar e Cozinha/Pastelaria (dos TeSP em Serviços de Restauração e Catering e Operações Hoteleiras, 1º ano), na UC Gestão e Organização de Eventos (2º ano) e na UC Gestão de Alimentos e Bebidas da Licenciatura de Gestão de Administração Hoteleira (3º ano).
- Fostering students' employability in Tourism and Hospitality: a cross-cutting view at the role of HEI and students' perceptionsPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, AntónioFocusing on the importance of employability skills and the different ways they can be developed within Tourism Higher Education (THE) institutions, this paper describes different activities within this scope, reflecting on their affordances and potential implications for students. Selected based on their perceived impact and currency, these activities, which include filed trips, simulations/role-plays and job fairs, were all carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, having involved students, faculty and external stakeholders. Making a case for experiential learning and University-Industry (U-I) collaboration, the paper aims to make a contribution the ongoing debate on the role of HE institutions in enhancing employability by crosscutting different perspectives and sharing insights from the field. Drawing from observation and questionnaires applied to the students, the findings are empirical and practice-based, deeming it necessary to carry out further research and initiatives on the topic.
- Digital marketing in rural hotels in PortugalPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Melo, António; Castro, ConceiçãoThe digital revolution has been changing the paradigm in the tourism sector, namely, in rural tourism, which requires following the new trends in marketing. This article aims to analyse the types of digital marketing channels and dynamics that are more recurrent in rural hotels in Portugal. A quantitative methodology was adopted through an online questionnaire to collect rural hotel managers’ opinions, whose answers were then analysed through statistical tests. The data collected show that most rural hotel managers use digital marketing to improve contact with new customers and promote their unity, mainly through the website, social networks and promotional videos. With this study, we find that these hotel managers have the awareness of the importance of having an online presence because only then can they get closer to all their target audience.
- The main strategies of restaurant revenue management and its applicability in the F&B departmentPublication . Maia, Pedro; Melo, António; Oliveira, MónicaOver the past years, Revenue Management has been used in various sectors, starting in the airlines, passing through the hotel and restaurant sectors, with a focus on the creation and maximization of revenue. In this sense, Restaurant Revenue Management becomes a useful tool for incomes, making establishments more competitive and contributing to business growth and sustainability in catering and restaurants context. The main objective of this study is to research the development and application of Restaurant Revenue Management, through the study of its systems and strategies, tounderstand how restaurant and catering establishments can optimize revenue through the creation and implementation of RRM systems. This research begins with a literature review where we aim to understand the principles and characteristics of Restaurant Revenue Management as a whole, to know the RRM strategies and how to apply them in the hospitality and catering sector. The methodology chosen was quantitative, where questionnaires were prepared and distributed to hotels and restaurants in Portugal. The results demonstrate that major part of the respondents is not familiar with the concept of Restaurant Revenue Management. Most respondents believe that the application of the RRM concept is important for the company's results and for those who are familiar with the concept, they consider that it allows the ideal customer to be defined based on their characteristics and enables decisions to be taken based on knowledge, creating a structure of fixed and variable costs. Purpose: Thus, the general and specific research objectives inherent to the study are: To assess how Restaurant Revenue Management is applied in Portugal in the restaurant and hotel contexts. To recognize what are its characteristics and practices. To understand how Restaurant Revenue Management influences revenues. To realize the advantages and disadvantages identified by the application of restaurant revenue management. Methodology: This research focuses on a quantitative methodology, using the questionnaire as a data collection tool. A deductive research approach was used in the scientific research process. The technical procedure used in the investigation phase was bibliographic research, having been collected information in several scientific articles and books on the subject. On a first moment, the collection of relevant documents for the research was made. The script was validated by six academic professionals and five professionals from the sector. After validation, an online questionnaire was conducted using the Google Forms platform. To achieve the maximum possible number of answers, the distribution channel used, to collect the results, was the e- mail. An initial telephone contact was made to confirm availability to answer the questionnaire. After this contact, the questionnaire was sent via e-mail. The questionnaires were conducted in Portuguese, as the study was only intended for entities located in Portugal. During the investigation, 880 questionnaires were sent out and 131 responses were received all completed, in a period between June and August. The instrument used to analyze and process the data collected was Excel. Results: The concept of Restaurant Revenue Management generally is not known among F&B departments, as demonstrated in the answers collected during the distribution of the questionnaire, in which 58.8% do not know the concept and only 41.2% of the respondents are familiar with the subject. Those who know and apply the concept of RRM consider the application of the concept and its respective impact important and crucial for the business. In the answers to the questionnaire about 57.4% consider its application important, while 24.1% considers it very important and 14.8% extremely important. Only 3.7% states that the RRM is not very important. Of the 131 respondents, only 41.2% are familiar with the concept of Restaurant Revenue Management, making a total of 54 responses. Originality: This is original research with the authors perspective constructed based in arguments from other research work to back up the investigation.
- The impact of Covid-19 in restaurants – Take away and delivery, the consumer’s perspectivePublication . Azevedo, Daniel; Melo, AntónioTake-away and delivery where already being used by the restaurant business in Portugal prior to Covid-19 as a way to increase sales and profitability. The early days of the pandemic with an almost complete lockdown had a huge impact in the restaurant sector as all restaurants were suddenly forced to close. That lead to a vast majority of restaurants reinforcing their already existing take-away and delivery operations or starting to operate that way. In order to better understand the relationship between consumers and take-away and delivery services provided by restaurants, a research was conducted to assess the degree of use of these services. The research took place between the 9th and the 25th of April by means of an online survey resulting in 448 valid responses. The majority of the responders (69%) already used these services prior to Covid-19 between 1 and 3 times a week. On the other side, 28% said that they had never used take-away or delivery. During the pandemic, 53% claimed not to use take away and delivery services whilst only 45% said they were using it 1 to 3 times a week. When questioned about their future intents after the pandemic, 72% predicted they will use take-away 1 to 3 times a week. Within the consumers that use take-away and delivery, 22.5% spend less than 10€ per order, 54% from 10 to 20€ and 23.5% spend more than 20€. Preliminary results show that despite the fact these services were already being used prior to Covid-19, frequency of usage is on the rise, foreseeing significant growth for take-away and delivery in the near future. Data also seems to indicate that this phenomenon is not specific of big cities and urban population and could become an overall trend. Restaurants should develop/adapt their menus to cater to the specific needs of these services and invest in consolidating their presence in the take away and delivery markets as it can become one of the most important revenue sources.
- ICT skills in hospitalityPublication . Silva, Susana; Aires, Cátia; Silva, Cândida; Melo, AntónioGlobalization and advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have contributed to the computerization of society, but also to the improvement of working conditions in diverse areas of activity. Hospitality have not been an exception to this reality and increasingly is seen a proliferation of ICT in these areas of activity and the consequent need for training and specialization by these professionals. Thus, this research aims to understand the level of preponderance of ICT in the hotel activity and to characterize the use of ICT in hotel activities. Thus, a quantitative study was conducted with the dissemination of an online survey to hospitality companies during November 2017 to January 2018. Our sample has 51 hotel companies from different categories and several tourism regions in Portugal. The respondents were 15 (29,5%) female and 36 (70,5%) male with mean age of 45,7 (SD=12,1) years. In our sample, 43 (84%) had a formalized Room Division department, 38 (74,5%) had F&B department, and 32 (62,7%) had sales and marketing department. The results suggested that, for each department, the need of digital skills is related to the specific features of the Department. For the majority of the departments, the seniority of the activity is related to the need of an advanced level of digital skills, for example in the room division department, the front office manager needed a medium (n=26, 58%) or advanced (n=17, 38%) level of digital skills but, for 40% (n=15) of the participants, the housekeeper, to order online the amenities, needed a basic of digital skills. In the F&B department Food and Beverage, the Head Chef for the task of procurement, through an online system, the goods needed for an event, 75% (n=28) of the participants referred that requires a medium-advanced level of digital skills. To the Barman, for promoting, in the Instagram, the image of a new cocktail available, we observed that 13 (38%) participants referred the need of basic level of digital skills. Only in the sales and marketing department, all the functions required an advanced level of digital skills, the sales manager, for the several tasks needed medium-advanced level of skills (n=27, 85%), 85% (n=27) of the revenue managers also needed an medium-advanced level of digital skills, and 47% (n=15) of the participants referred that sales promoter needed an advanced level of digital skills. In conclusion, this paper discusses the ICT skills needed to develop the several activities in each department of a hotel, as well as in managing the different issues of each department, namely in the relationship with costumers and guests, before, during and after the reservation, using ICT to promote hotel ecologic sustainability, managing social networks and promoting the hotel online.
- "Rota dos Sabores" – simulation-based learning in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering education and trainingPublication . Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, SandraCurrent society and the labour market value and demand that people have the ability to work in teams and be creative, innovative and adaptable to new situations. Having become increasingly important in education, these skills are particularly relevant within the tourism, hospitality and catering fields, which traditionally rely heavily on practical teaching and learning approaches, focusing on real-world issues and skills that reflect the professional scenarios and challenges of future graduates. Drawing from these premises, this paper will describe ‘Rota dos Sabores’, a student-organized gastronomic event taking place in the last semester of the degree in Catering and Restaurant Management. Aiming to enhance students’ creativity, teamwork, collaborative skills, and their ability to adapt to new situations, this event combines both soft and technical skills (e.g., event organisation and management), at the same time it helps students broaden their international gastronomic culture, being leveraged by structured practical training and work simulation approaches. Based on desk research, observation and content analysis (resulting from questionnaires applied to the students and event participants), this paper aims to frame the activities carried out, crosscutting different perspectives as to establish the importance of collaboration and teamwork in shaping the future careers of hospitality graduates. In addition to describing the different event stages and its implementation, the authors will reflect on students’ overall performance and feedback as crucial components of teaching and learning experiences. As a result, this paper is expected to contribute to the development of new training and inform future simulation-based activities in this area.
- CEDH - a lifelong learning program to improve hotel managers pathsPublication . Melo, António; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, CarlaDue to the growth of the industry, hospitality professionals, and most particularly hotel managers, are increasingly being challenged to develop new skills and adapt to operational challenges, new trends of services, facing the ever-changing labour market, requiring them to be more flexible, creative, resilient and focused on recovery (the latter having become paramount in the post-COVID era). Following the end of regulated access to the profession of Hotel Manager, in 2013, the Portuguese Hotel Managers Association (ADHP), created a short specialization course in Hotel Management (CEDH), to contribute to the valorisation of the function of Hotel Director and promote lifelong learning (LLL). By combining academic expertise (through the involvement of experts and higher education professors) and practical know-how (through the participation of highly skilled and experienced professionals), CEDH aims to improve lifelong learning within the scope of Portuguese hospitality. Framed by a literature review, the data was collected through a survey with closed and open questions, aiming to identify: i) overall strengths and weaknesses; ii) suggestions for improvement; and iii) perceived impact in participants career path. In addition to describing the rationale behind the program and its implementation, this paper will address the affordances and potential of lifelong learning in hospitality education, based on participants’ initial expectations and final perceptions. It is expected to further advance recent research in LLL practices in hospitality education, as well as provide a plan of action to be reflected on the program’s next editions, as well as on other similar initiatives and projects.
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »