Browsing by Author "Wen, Han"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A reflection on the Great Resignation in the hospitality and tourism industry
    (Emerald Publishing, 2022-08-12) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han; Huang, Wei-Jue; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Purpose This paper aims to provide a critical reflection on the Great Resignation in the hospitality and tourism industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this paper reviews the causes and effects of the Great Resignation, addresses the labor shortage in this industry and proposes strategies that can help manage the challenges. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a critical analysis of emerging phenomena, related literature and researchers’ experiences and insights. Findings The Great Resignation has presented unprecedented challenges for the hospitality and tourism industry. A closer examination reveals that the pandemic has served as a catalyst rather than a leading cause of this trend. Workforce issues are becoming increasingly complex under contemporary influences, including internal elements such as new explications at work and external factors like the gig economy and technology implementation. Practical implications This study provides practical implications on how Hospitality and Tourism practitioners can respond to the Great Resignation on micro, meso and macro levels. The practical implications revolve around employees’ changing needs and preferences in the wave of Great Resignation, as well as the necessity for employers’ reflection and improvement. Originality/value This study marks an initial attempt to provide a critical assessment of a contemporary issue involving the Great Resignation. This paper extends its discussion through an advanced analysis of the issue, offers suggestions to manage current obstacles related to labor issues in hospitality and tourism, and illuminates future research directions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Are we missing the boat? Examining managers’ perspectives on employee wellbeing in the foodservice industry
    (Edward Elgar, 2021-05-01) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han
    The purpose of this research note was to examine managers’ perspectives on employee wellbeing in the foodservice industry. Particularly, this study conducted 14 semi-structured individual interviews with upper-level managers of various organizations within the foodservice industry. Thematic analyses were employed to analyze the data. The overall findings addressed the essence of considering employee wellbeing in the industry. Particularly, this study revealed managers’ interpretation of employee wellbeing, identified major influences on employee wellbeing, reported the current measures, and presented the major challenges facing most organizations regarding improving employee wellbeing. From a theoretical point of view, this study used a qualitative approach and reflected managers’ perspectives on the concept of employee wellbeing. Building on those findings, this study provides practical implications, which mainly involves using a forward-thinking, top-down approach to enhance employee wellbeing, and highlights the roles of organizational support and organizational culture. Based on the findings, this study also discusses future research directions and limitations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Consumers' dining behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Application of the Protection Motivation Theory and the Safety Signal Framework
    (Elsevier, 2022) Wen, Han; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
    With the long-lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critically important that restaurateurs understand predictors of consumers' dining behaviors to better foster strategies to recover their revenue during the re-opening stage. Based on the Safety Signal Framework and the Protection Motivation Theory, this study developed and tested a model investigating the combined effects of restaurateurs' measures and consumers' protective motivations on their dine-out frequencies and dine-in likelihoods. Consistent with propositions of the Protection Motivation Theory, the results confirmed that both the threat and coping appraisals influenced consumers’ dining behaviors. The coping appraisal process is affected by “access to servicescape,” “servicescape,” and “communication.” Additionally, the results of the gap analysis revealed four safety signaling strategies perceived as effective by consumers but with a low implementation rate in the restaurant industry. Theoretical and practical implications were provided to restaurateurs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Does robotic service improve restaurant consumer experiences? An application of the value-co-creation framework
    (Taylor & Francis, 2023) Jain, Namrata Rajendra Kumar; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han; Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
    One recent application of technology In the foodservice industry involves robotic services in restaurants, mainly because it reduces labor costs and increases efficiencies. Driven by the value co-creation framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of robot service on restaurant customer experiences and satisfaction. The sample includes a total of 1381 reviews posted from January 2015 to January 2020. This study used the software Leximancer to analyze the data and identified the following themes: Food, Robot, Quality, Ordering and Delivery Serivces. The findings further indicated that robotic services play an essential role in creating positive dining experiences and are more likely to lead to higher satisfaction levels. Based on the results, this study discussed how robotic services might contribute to customers’ value co-creating process and affect their evaluation of the dining experiences. This study, however, is delimited to English reviews and North American restaurants.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evaluating food safety education in hospitality management programs through the lenses of situated learning theory: Insights from industry leaders and educators
    (Elsevier, 2023-11) Wen, Han; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Vo, Le Bich Ngoc; Tourism, Event, & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Food safety is essential in hospitality management education, but there has been great concern about students' knowledge, attitude, and practices about food safety. Guided by the situated learning theory, this study evaluated contemporary food safety education in U.S. colleges and identified needs for future improvement. This paper reports the findings of two studies: the first interviewed 20 industry leaders in hospitality management, and the second interviewed 10 food safety educators. The results showed that, despite its importance, food safety education in colleges had heavily relied on commercialized programs such as ServSafe®, and taking these courses is unmotivating for students. Moreover, practitioners acknowledge the importance of food safety, but their implementation of food safety training can be limited by organizational size and staffing issues. Based on the theory and the findings, this study provided suggestions for improving food safety education in U.S. higher education institutions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Examining the impact of psychological capital on workplace outcomes of ethnic minority foodservice employees
    (Elsevier, 2021-04-01) Wen, Han; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie
    The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of psychological capital on workplace outcomes of ethnic minority employees in the foodservice industry. Guided by the social exchange theory and the equity theory, this study developed and tested a survey instrument and collected 407 valid responses through an online survey. Results of the structural equation model analysis confirmed the positive impact of psychological capital on work engagement and workplace happiness, and their further impacts on job satisfaction and commitment. The results of multi-group comparisons showed differences between salaried and hourly employees. For individuals holding salaried positions, it was work engagement, rather than psychological capital, that affected their workplace happiness. For hourly employees, although psychological capital influenced their work engagement and workplace happiness, their work engagement and work happiness remain unrelated. Based on the findings, this study offered practical implications on how to enhance psychological capital for ethnic minority employees.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring Ethnic Minority Workers’ Perceptions of Employee Well-Being in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: An Exploratory Study
    (Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally, 2020-06-17) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han
    The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic minority workers’ perceptions of employee well-being in tourism and hospitality. Based on tourism and human resource management literature, this study adopted a mixed-methods research design. Particularly, fourteen interviews were conducted, and a total of 414 employees in the tourism industry were surveyed. A series of statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, were performed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 26.0. The results confirmed the multi-dimensional nature of employee well-being, which is constituted of four dimensions, namely, professional/personal development, work-life balance, workplace happiness, and work benefits. The findings also revealed that the participation in corporate-sponsored wellness programs might affect how employees perceive their well-being at work. Based on the findings, this study further discussed both theoretical and practical implications.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    How do ethnic minority foodservice workers perceive employee well-being? An exploratory study
    (Elsevier, 2021-03-01) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han
    Ethnic minority workers play an essential role in the hospitality workforce, especially in the foodservice industry. Nevertheless, very few studies have focused on this population and explored their needs and work motivations in-depth. Guided by the self-determination theory, the purpose of this study was to examine how ethnic minority foodservice workers perceive employee well-being and investigate the effects of employee well-being on workplace outcomes. This study first interviewed twenty foodservice employees and then conducted a national survey comprising 411 responses from ethnic minority employees. The results revealed the following four dimensions of ethnic minority workers' perceived employee well-being: workplace experience, workplace happiness, creativity and knowledge, and self-actualization. Employee well-being is also found positively related to the sample's organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Based on the findings, this study provided both theoretical and practical implications.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Using the extended parallel process model (EPPM) to explore US consumers’ dining behaviors during COVID-19
    (Emerald Publishing, 2023-02-09) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Wen, Han; Tourism, Event & Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine consumers' dining behaviors and explore their decision-making process when dining out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Based on the extended parallel process model (EPPM) and the related literature, a conceptual model was developed and tested. This study conducted an online survey with 351 responses. In addition, a series of statistical analyses, including descriptive analyses and path analyses, were conducted to analyze the associations among key constructs in the proposed model. Findings The findings of this study confirmed the pragmatic utility of applying EPPM in a hospitality management context. The findings of this study also outline the different nature between the participants' enactment of self-protective measures and dining out activities. Lastly, while consumers are hesitant about dining out, the results showed that consumers' dining behaviors are directly related to their personality trait of sensation-seeking. Research limitations/implications This study was delimited to a cross-sectional design and self-reported data. Such information may provide insights into individuals' decision-making and behaviors related to dining in a COVID-19 context. In addition, this study only includes US samples, while future studies can extend this study by including samples from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Originality/value This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, which derives from tourism and hospitality management and public health. As a result, the findings of this study not only identify the major influencers affecting consumers' dining behavior but also help contextualize a public health model and contribute to the tourism and hospitality management literature.