2016, Vol.40, No.4

Journal of Tourism Sciences 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 2.7

pISSN : 1226-0533 / eISSN : 2713-6388
https://journal.kci.go.kr/JTS

Many hospitality firms strive to improve service performance through teams, in order to respond to rapidly changing circumstances. However, team efficiency may be impaired when evaluation and compensation of respective team members’ contributions is deemed unfair. Despite their importance, the contributions of individuals to team service performance have lacked attention in academia. This study introduced a service team performance model, in which direct and team contributions by the individual to service performance are identified. The service team construct was manipulated using all possible combinations in a field setting. Through weighted least squares (WLS) analysis of data collected from 186 respondents, we found that individual performance in service teams differ significantly in terms of direct and indirect contributions. Therefore, the need to consider interaction effects among team members when evaluating service performance was motivated. Furthermore, the learning effects, rest effects, and frequency of customer visits were found to affect service quality. This study contributed to the dynamics in service team formulation and service performance, and also provided a meaningful implication for human resource managers in hospitality and tourism industries. This was done by suggesting a holistic approach to employee evaluation.

This study adapted multidimensional scale analysis to explore how consumers position dessert cafe brands according to brand personality. A position strategy that establishes competitive advantage is critical for the marketing success of a franchise brand. This study has produced perceptual maps showing the locations of dessert cafe brands. Data were collected from a sample of 240 dessert cafe consumers in Busan. A self-completion questionnaire was used to measure brand similarity, brand personality and brand preference. The results of multidimensional scaling analysis show that Sealbing & Kong Kkomul, Mango Six & To The Different, Wicked Snow & Baekseol Gongju were highly competitive with each other as can be seen by their close proximity in the perceptual map. The vector map for all respondents indicated that Baekseol Gongju and Wiched Snow had the strongest positioning based on ‘attractive’ and ‘active’ characteristics. On the other hand, the vector map for female respondents indicated that Sealbing and Kong Kkomul had the strongest positioning according to brand personality based on ‘young’, ‘successful’, ‘professional’. This study provides a useful implication for competitiveness among seven brands.

This study intends to evaluate the impacts of coffee-shop ambience and service as it relates to customer pleasure and satisfaction. It also attempts to investigate how variations in employing ambience stimuli such as lighting, music, and crowding might influence the customers’ ambience-perceptions. Data shows that several elements of coffee-shop ambience stimuli affect ambience perceptions. Lighting brightness of a medium or high intensity tends to produce greater positive perceptions of ambience compared to that of dimly lit locations. The level of positive ambience perception correlated with the order of high, medium, and low music volumes. The faster the music tempo, the greater the positive ambience perception. Higher crowding enhances positive ambience perception. Data also indicates that positive perceptions of ambience and service enhance the customers’ perceived pleasure. In addition, perceived pleasure increases customer satisfaction. Positive perception of coffee-shop service results in the direct effect of enhancing customer satisfaction, However, a direct impact of ambience perception on satisfaction is shown to be absent.