Saturday, March 21, 2020

Service Innovation in Hospitality Industry free essay sample

By shifting focus from „Goods-Dominant Logic? to „Service-Dominant Logic? , Service Science presents a new perspective on value creation and service experience. In this new perspective, value is co-created by various roles, experienced and evaluated by customers. However, the problem is how to implement theories in a specific industry. Focusing on hotel industry, this paper aims to illustrate how service evolves with the development of technology and theory based on the case study of InfoQuest, which is an IT company mainly providing SaberKnot. InfoQuest redefines several economic roles (hotels, IT system provider, local businesses and customers) and relationships among them (from a linear model to a netlike model) where it injects Hotel Industry with new vitality. Both competitive advantages and potential problems that might arise from the service innovation are subsequently discussed. At last, a further analysis is made on the China market in order to show the possibility of that business entering into China. We will write a custom essay sample on Service Innovation in Hospitality Industry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I Acknowledgements Acknowledgements are given to all the people who supported me with the dissertation. First, I am deeply indebted to my supervisors Mr. Lars Haglund and Mr. Erik Sundstro for their m, stimulating suggestions and helpful cooperation in the time of writing this dissertation. I should also express my gratitude to InfoQuest where I worked during the time of writing this thesis. Special thanks should be made to Mr. Ronald U. Telson, Mr. Christer Hellholm, Ms. Lena Bryske, and other colleagues who provided a lot of useful information and valuable ideas and suggestions. Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without the love and patience of my family and my friends. For many of travelers in their vacation, visit or business trip, hotels are places they stay when out of home. As a mature industry, hotels industry now includes all types of lodging from luxurious 5-star hotels to youth hostels. Besides room services, most hotels also offer a variety of accessorial services, including but not limited to food, beverage, laundry and valet services. Additionally, the high level hotels can offer conference rooms, swimming pools, beauty salons, fitness centers and many other facilities to both business and leisure travelers. Information technology (IT) is defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) as the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. Compared to hotel industry, Information technology came out rather recently, but has developed into one of the biggest industries with influences to most other industries. In hotel industry, the possibility to supply qualified IT services is regarded as one of the prerequisites for, at least, top level hotels. Service Science is an emerging discipline that focuses on fundamental science, models, theories and applications to drive innovation, competition, and quality of life through service(s) (Bitner, Brown, Goul and Urban, 2006). Through shifting from Goods-Dominant Logic to Service-Dominant Logic, Service Science focuses on â€Å"operant resources† rather than -1- â€Å"operand resources†, which implies all economies are service economies. It maintains that services (including goods and services) co-created by stakeholders and customers can only be experienced and evaluated by customers. . 2 Objectives and structure InfoQuest Group AB (InfoQuest) is a company specializes in the IT segment with the purpose to bring its customers and partners innovative solutions. With the help of Information Technology, the company introduces a service innovation into hotel industry, which is the gravity of the research. The service innovation redefines several economic roles (hotels, IT sys tem provider, local businesses and customers) and relationships among them (from a linear model to a netlike model). This thesis aims to examine (1) the competitive advantages and potential problems that might be brought by this service innovation and (2) the possibility to transplant such the new business model created by InfoQuest in Europe to China market, taking into account service theory. The structure of the dissertation can be described as follow: ? Service literature review ? which first provides a summary of Service Science and service innovation and then compares Goods-Dominant Logic with Service-Dominant Logic; ? Corporation description which introduces InfoQuest and its main product SaberKnot, in particular its technical principles and commercial principles; ? Service innovation in hotel industry ? Roles redefinition; ? Value co-creation; ? Competitive advantages; ? Potential problems; ? Market opportunity analysis in China ? China market introduction; ? Typical local businesses; ? Opportunities; -2- ? Difficulties and risks; ? Conclusion. 1. 3 Methodology This thesis focuses on resear ch of service innovation in hotel industry. In order to carry out an in-depth investigation, this thesis adopts case study as the research design. A company named InfoQuest and its flagship product SaberKnot show us a possible way to innovate service in hotel industry, which is the case of this thesis. I choose InfoQuest as the case is because its new netlike business model involves both the shifting from Goods-Dominant Logic to Service-Dominant Logic and service innovation in hotel industry, which can confirm and supplement existed theory. ? Data collection The research methods used in this thesis mainly include documents review, secondary analysis, participant observation, official statistics, etc. Bryman and Bell (2007) pointed out the importance of literature review, most obvious reason of which is to know what is already known in the research area. From academic literature review, we can see advantages in the shifting from Goods-Dominant Logic to Service-Dominant Logic and theories of service innovation. There are quite a lot researches related to service theory and service innovation, so my study starts from a literature review to build up a theoretical basis, which covers the fields of service definition, Service-Dominant Logic, Goods-Dominant Logic, service innovation, etc. Literature resources include academic papers, books, and web pages, which provide me with existing research achievements in this field. However, most of these literatures do not focus on service innovation in a specific industry, and no primary data can be acquired from literature review. According to Bryman and Bell (2007), â€Å"the basic case study entails the detailed and intensive analysis of single case. † From their opinion, a case can be an organization, a location, a person, or an event, etc. They also mentioned that qualitative methods, such as participant observation and unstructured interviewing, are very helpful methods in case study. The information of InfoQuest and SaberKnot is collected from several channels, including internal documents, participant observation, communication with colleagues, etc. In addition, the raw -3- materials used in China market analysis are mainly collected from official statistics. Most tables are quoted from website of National Tourism Administration of The People? s China, and website of National Bureau of Statistics of China. Other statistics and policies are referred to websites of local governments or organizations. Some information from companies? ebsites is also used to make competitor analysis. According to Vargo and Lusch (2007), â€Å"the value network member that is the prime integrator is in a stronger competitive position†. In our case, no prime â€Å"integrator† exists, but it does need a prime or core player who leads members in the network to go forward. The dominant position makes core player to own more influence in the network, which is the reason why participants contend for it. It is not a big issue if everything goes well in the network, but the threat is how to deal with the faults, if any, emerging in this loosely organized system, which will become crucial. For example, if a shop in the network being complained by customers several times, who should take the responsibility to decide whether to keep the shop any longer for its own-remedy or to kick it out immediately? In addition, other issues following the service innovation include how much power the prime player is supposed to possess, how to supervise the use of power, etc. Among the four types of participants, customers are not suitable to act as prime player in terms of leading power, although being

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Vietnam War Brigadier General Robin Olds

Vietnam War Brigadier General Robin Olds Born July 14, 1922, in Honolulu, HI, Robin Olds was the son of then-Captain Robert Olds and his wife Eloise. The oldest of four, Olds spent the majority of his childhood at Langley Field in Virginia where his father was stationed as an aide to Brigadier General Billy Mitchell. While there he also associated with key officers in the US Army Air Service such as Major Carl Spaatz. In 1925, Olds accompanied his father to Mitchells famed court-martial. Dressed in a child-size air service uniform, he watched his father testify on Mitchells behalf. Five years later, Olds flew for the first time when his father took him aloft. Deciding on a military career at an early age, Olds attended Hampton High School where he became a standout in football. Declining a series of football scholarships, he elected to take a year of study at Millard Preparatory School in 1939 prior to applying to West Point. Learning of the outbreak of World War II while at Millard, he attempted to leave school and enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force. This was blocked by his father who forced him to stay at Millard. Completing the course of study, Olds was accepted to West Point and entered the service in July 1940. A football star at West Point, he was named an All-American in 1942 and later was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Learning to Fly Selecting service in the US Army Air Forces, Olds completed his primary flight training in the summer of 1942 at the Spartan School of Aviation in Tulsa, OK. Returning north, he passed through advanced training at Stewart Field in New York. Receiving his wings from General Henry Hap Arnold, Olds graduated from West Point on June 1, 1943, after completing the academys accelerated wartime curriculum. Commissioned as a second lieutenant, he received an assignment to report to the West Coast for training on P-38 Lightnings. This done, Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Groups 434th Fighter Squadron with orders for Britain. Fighting Over Europe Arriving in Britain in May 1944, Olds squadron quickly entered combat as part of the Allied air offensive prior to the invasion of Normandy. Dubbing his aircraft Scat II, Olds worked closely with his crew chief to learn about aircraft maintenance. Promoted to captain on July 24, he scored his first two kills the following month when he downed a pair of Focke Wulf Fw 190s during a bombing raid over Montmirail, France. On August 25, during an escort mission to Wismar, Germany, Olds shot down three Messerschmitt Bf 109s to become the squadrons first ace. In mid-September, the 434th began converting to the P-51 Mustang. This required some adjustment on Olds part as the single-engine Mustang handled differently than the twin-engine Lightning. After downing a Bf 109 over Berlin, Olds completed his initial combat tour in November and was given two months leave in the United States. Returning to Europe in January 1945, he was promoted to major the following month. On March 25, he received command of the 434th. Slowly increasing his score through the spring, Olds scored his final kill of the conflict on April 7 when he destroyed a Bf 109 during a B-24 Liberator a raid over LÃ ¼neburg. With the end of the war in Europe in May, Olds tally stood at 12 kills as well as 11.5 destroyed on the ground. Returning to the US, Olds was assigned to West Point to serve as an assistant football coach to Earl Red Blaik. Postwar Years Olds time at West Point proved brief as many older officers resented his rapid rise in rank during the war. In February 1946, Olds obtained a transfer to the 412th Fighter Group and trained on the P-80 Shooting Star. Through the remainder of the year, he flew as part of a jet demonstration team with Lieutenant Colonel John C. Pappy Herbst. Seen as a rising star, Olds was selected for a US Air Force-Royal Air Force exchange program in 1948. Traveling to Britain, he commanded No. 1 Squadron at RAF Tangmere and flew the Gloster Meteor. With the end of this assignment in late 1949, Olds became the operations officer for the F-86 Sabre-equipped 94th Fighter Squadron at March Field in California. Olds next was given command of the Air Defense Commands 71st Fighter Squadron based at the Greater Pittsburgh Airport. He remained in this role for much of the Korean War despite repeated requests for combat duty. Increasingly unhappy with the USAF, despite promotions to lieutenant colonel (1951) and colonel (1953), he debated retiring but was talked out of it by his friend Major General Frederic H. Smith, Jr. Shifting to Smiths Eastern Air Defense Command, Olds languished in several staff assignments until receiving an assignment to the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Landstuhl Air Base, Germany in 1955. Remaining abroad for three years, he later oversaw the Weapons Proficiency Center at Wheelus Air Base, Libya. Made Deputy Chief, Air Defense Division at the Pentagon in 1958, Olds produced as series of prophetic papers calling for improved air-to-air combat training and the increased production of conventional munitions. After assisting in generating the funding for the classified SR-71 Blackbird program, Olds attended the National War College in 1962-1963. Following graduation, he commanded the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters. During this time, he brought over former Tuskegee Airman Colonel Daniel Chappie James, Jr. to Britain to serve on his staff. Olds left the 81st in 1965 after forming an aerial demonstration team without command authorization. Vietnam War After brief service in South Carolina, Olds was given command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. As his new unit flew the F-4 Phantom II, Olds completed an accelerated training course on the aircraft before departing to take part in the Vietnam War. Appointed to instill aggressiveness into the 8th TFW, Olds immediately placed himself on the flight schedule as a rookie pilot upon arriving in Thailand. He encouraged his men to train him well so that he could be an effective leader for them. Later that year, James joined Olds with the 8th TFW and two became known among the men as Blackman and Robin. Increasing concerned about F-105 Thunderchief losses to North Vietnamese MiGs during bombing missions, Olds designed Operation Bolo in late 1966. This called for 8th TFW F-4s to mimic F-105 operations in an effort to draw enemy aircraft into combat. Implemented in January 1967, the operation saw American aircraft down seven MiG-21s, with Olds shooting down one. The MiG losses were the highest suffered in one day by the North Vietnamese during the war. A stunning success, Operation Bolo effectively eliminated the MiG threat for most of the spring of 1967. After bagging another MiG-21 on May 4, Olds shot down two MiG-17s on the 20th to raise his total to 16. Over the next few months, Olds continued to personally lead his men into combat. In an effort to raise morale in the 8th TFW, he began growing a famed handlebar mustache. Copied by his men, they referred to them as bulletproof mustaches. During this time, he avoided shooting down a fifth MiG as he had been alerted that should he become an ace over Vietnam, he would be relieved of command and brought home to conduct publicity events for the Air Force. On August 11, Olds conducted a strike on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi. For his performance, he was awarded the Air Force Cross. Later Career Leaving the 8th TFW in September 1967, Olds was made Commandant of Cadets at the US Air Force Academy. Promoted to brigadier general on June 1, 1968, he worked to restore pride in the school after a large cheating scandal had blackened its reputation. In February 1971, Olds became director of aerospace safety in the Office of the Inspector General. That fall, he was sent back to Southeast Asia to report on the combat readiness of USAF units in the region. While there, he toured bases and flew several unauthorized combat missions. Returning to the US, Olds wrote a scathing report in which he offered deep concerns in regard to a lack of air-to-air combat training. The following year, his fears were proven true when the USAF incurred a 1:1 kill-loss ratio during Operation Linebacker. In an effort to aid the situation, Olds offered to take a reduction in rank to colonel so that he could return to Vietnam. When this offer was refused, he elected to leave the service on June 1, 1973. Retiring to Steamboat Springs, CO, he was active in public affairs. Enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001, Olds later died on June 14, 2007. Olds ashes were interred at the US Air Force Academy. Selected Sources Robin Olds: BiographyAce Pilots: Major Robin Olds in World War IIUS Air Force: Legendary Fighter Pilot Robin Olds Dies