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Understanding the Hospitality Consumer

by Alastair Williams

'Understanding the Hospitality Consumer' presents a unique perspective on consumer behaviour in the hospitality sector. It seeks to focus on the role of consumption in hospitality and to investigate our understanding of its place in the contemporary industry. Taking the view that successful marketing demands focusing on the customer, this text concentrates on understanding and determining customer needs, relevant factors in consumer buying behaviour and the effectiveness of today's marketing techniques.Using industry based case studies and examples 'Understanding the Hospitality Consumer' :* Introduces and explores the role of consumer behaviour theory in the context of hospitality management* Discusses the principles and research of consumer behaviour and illustrates how they are used in the hospitality industry today* Examines the value of consumer behaviour research as applied to the contemporary hospitality industry* Explores the challenges to traditional approaches to consumption posed by the postmodern hospitality consumerThe book's targeted focus and practical application ensures that it is well suited for both students and practising managers in the hospitality field.

Understanding the Hospitality Consumer

by Alastair Williams

'Understanding the Hospitality Consumer' presents a unique perspective on consumer behaviour in the hospitality sector. It seeks to focus on the role of consumption in hospitality and to investigate our understanding of its place in the contemporary industry. Taking the view that successful marketing demands focusing on the customer, this text concentrates on understanding and determining customer needs, relevant factors in consumer buying behaviour and the effectiveness of today's marketing techniques.Using industry based case studies and examples 'Understanding the Hospitality Consumer' :* Introduces and explores the role of consumer behaviour theory in the context of hospitality management* Discusses the principles and research of consumer behaviour and illustrates how they are used in the hospitality industry today* Examines the value of consumer behaviour research as applied to the contemporary hospitality industry* Explores the challenges to traditional approaches to consumption posed by the postmodern hospitality consumerThe book's targeted focus and practical application ensures that it is well suited for both students and practising managers in the hospitality field.

Understanding the High Performance Workplace: The Line Between Motivation and Abuse (SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series)

by Neal M. Ashkanasy Rebecca J. Bennett Mark J. Martinko

This book asks the crucial question: When does high performance supervision become abusive supervision? As more organizations push to adopt high performance work practices (HPWP), the onus increasingly falls on supervisors to do whatever it takes to maximize the productivity of their work teams. In this rigorous, research-based volume, international contributors offer insight into how and when seemingly-beneficial workplace practices cross the line from motivation to abuse. By reviewing critical issues in both high performance work practices and abusive supervision, it illuminates the crossover between these two modes of work, and forges a path for future scholarship.

Understanding the High Performance Workplace: The Line Between Motivation and Abuse (SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series)

by Neal M. Ashkanasy Rebecca J. Bennett Mark J. Martinko

This book asks the crucial question: When does high performance supervision become abusive supervision? As more organizations push to adopt high performance work practices (HPWP), the onus increasingly falls on supervisors to do whatever it takes to maximize the productivity of their work teams. In this rigorous, research-based volume, international contributors offer insight into how and when seemingly-beneficial workplace practices cross the line from motivation to abuse. By reviewing critical issues in both high performance work practices and abusive supervision, it illuminates the crossover between these two modes of work, and forges a path for future scholarship.

Understanding the Great Recession: A Pluralist Approach to US Capitalism in the 21st Century

by Jared M. Ragusett

The Great Recession, including the preceding events and the subsequent recovery period, has been the dominant feature of US capitalism in the 21st century. But what can we learn about economic behavior, policies, and relationships by studying this period of marked general decline? Understanding the Great Recession seeks to answer this question by facilitating an advanced theoretical and practical understanding of the Great Recession, using multiple approaches to economic analysis. This textbook uses the Great Recession as a case study for understanding economic concepts, the conduct of policymaking, and competing schools of economic thought. It introduces readers to multiple perspectives on the crisis, including feminist, institutionalist, Marxian, monetarist, neoclassical, post-Keynesian, and stratification economics, amongst others. Divided into four parts, the textbook begins by introducing readers to the headline events of the crisis, and the major differences between neoclassical and heterodox economics. The second part investigates the lead-up to the crisis, beginning with the long-term restructuring of capitalism following the Great Depression, the housing market bubble, and the transmission of the 2008 financial crisis. The third part investigates the policy responses to the crisis, such as financial reform, monetary policy, and fiscal policy. In the final part, economic performance, the shift toward populism, and policy developments during the recovery are all analyzed. Providing the basis for understanding the long-term trajectory of capitalism today, this book is an invaluable resource for students of economics, public policy, and other related fields.

Understanding the Great Recession: A Pluralist Approach to US Capitalism in the 21st Century

by Jared M. Ragusett

The Great Recession, including the preceding events and the subsequent recovery period, has been the dominant feature of US capitalism in the 21st century. But what can we learn about economic behavior, policies, and relationships by studying this period of marked general decline? Understanding the Great Recession seeks to answer this question by facilitating an advanced theoretical and practical understanding of the Great Recession, using multiple approaches to economic analysis. This textbook uses the Great Recession as a case study for understanding economic concepts, the conduct of policymaking, and competing schools of economic thought. It introduces readers to multiple perspectives on the crisis, including feminist, institutionalist, Marxian, monetarist, neoclassical, post-Keynesian, and stratification economics, amongst others. Divided into four parts, the textbook begins by introducing readers to the headline events of the crisis, and the major differences between neoclassical and heterodox economics. The second part investigates the lead-up to the crisis, beginning with the long-term restructuring of capitalism following the Great Depression, the housing market bubble, and the transmission of the 2008 financial crisis. The third part investigates the policy responses to the crisis, such as financial reform, monetary policy, and fiscal policy. In the final part, economic performance, the shift toward populism, and policy developments during the recovery are all analyzed. Providing the basis for understanding the long-term trajectory of capitalism today, this book is an invaluable resource for students of economics, public policy, and other related fields.

Understanding the Global Spa Industry

by Marc Cohen Gerry Bodeker

The spa industry is currently the fastest growing segment of the hospitality and leisure industry with revenues exceeding those from amusement parks, box office receipts, vacation ownership gross sales and ski resort ticket sales.Understanding the Global Spa Industry is the first book to examine management practices in this industry and offers a groundbreaking and comprehensive approach to global spa management, covering everything from the beginnings of the industry through to contemporary management and social and ethical issues.With contributions from internationally renowned business leaders, practitioners and academics, this unique book is packed with case studies, examples and advice for all those working in, and studying, the international spa industry.Understanding the Global Spa Industry brings an analytic lens to the spa movement, examining past, current and future trends and the potential for shaping wellness and health services in the 21st century.

Understanding the Global Spa Industry: Spa Management

by Marc Cohen Gerry Bodeker

The spa industry is currently the fastest growing segment of the hospitality and leisure industry with revenues exceeding those from amusement parks, box office receipts, vacation ownership gross sales and ski resort ticket sales.Understanding the Global Spa Industry is the first book to examine management practices in this industry and offers a groundbreaking and comprehensive approach to global spa management, covering everything from the beginnings of the industry through to contemporary management and social and ethical issues.With contributions from internationally renowned business leaders, practitioners and academics, this unique book is packed with case studies, examples and advice for all those working in, and studying, the international spa industry.Understanding the Global Spa Industry brings an analytic lens to the spa movement, examining past, current and future trends and the potential for shaping wellness and health services in the 21st century.

Understanding the Global Market: Navigating the International Business Environment

by Bruce D. Keillor

This is an invaluable, applied "how to" guide to understanding the unique characteristics of the international business environment that provides critical information to all managers considering entering an overseas market.The global marketplace is a reality, yet there are virtually no books dedicated to understanding the international business environment. The accessible, practitioner-oriented information in this book provides businesspeople with the tools necessary to accurately analyze the complex global environment and the perspective to be successful in international markets.A resource for business managers as well as for college-level business students, the book covers all major areas of the international business environment, including the cultural aspects of international commerce environments as well as economic, political, and competitive challenges. Additionally, the author explains how a business entity can impact the market environment in which it operates.

Understanding the Global Market: Navigating the International Business Environment

by Bruce D. Keillor

This is an invaluable, applied "how to" guide to understanding the unique characteristics of the international business environment that provides critical information to all managers considering entering an overseas market.The global marketplace is a reality, yet there are virtually no books dedicated to understanding the international business environment. The accessible, practitioner-oriented information in this book provides businesspeople with the tools necessary to accurately analyze the complex global environment and the perspective to be successful in international markets.A resource for business managers as well as for college-level business students, the book covers all major areas of the international business environment, including the cultural aspects of international commerce environments as well as economic, political, and competitive challenges. Additionally, the author explains how a business entity can impact the market environment in which it operates.

Understanding the Financial Score (Synthesis Lectures on Technology, Management, & Entrepreneurship)

by Henry E. Riggs

Financial statements and information drawn from them confront us daily: in the media, in corporate annual reports, in the treasurer’s reports for clubs or religious groups, in documents provided to employees and managers, as one considers alternative investments, in documents provided by homeowners’ association and government agencies Various readers of a company’s “financial score” make decisions based on financial information: the company’s managers devise actions to improve operations; investors buy or sell the corporation’s securities; creditors decide how much to lend; customers judge the reliability of this supplier; potential employees decide whether to invest their careers in the company. If you are training to be an accountant, find another book. This book’s objective is to increase your ability to draw useful information from financial statements, and thus to make better decisions—in both your personal life and your professional life. Studying this book should help you be a better manager. That is both its objective and its perspective. The book starts at square one; it assumes no prior knowledge on your part. To increase your financial literacy, you will learn the common nomenclature (but not esoteric jargon) used by accountants and financial experts. You will be equipped to ask insightful questions of experts, to engage them and your colleagues in thoughtful debates about financial and accounting issues, and to make better decisions. Table of Contents: The Balance Sheet / The Income Statement / Valuation / Timing / Capital Structure / Cash Flow / Evaluating with Ratios / Cost Accounting / Budgeting and Forecasting / Rules and Integrity / Appendix: Scorekeeping at Not-for-Profits

Understanding the Finance of Welfare: What Welfare Costs and How to Pay for It (2nd Edition) (PDF) (Understanding Welfare: Social Issues, Policy and Practice)

by Howard Glennerster

The challenge of meeting the growing cost of welfare is one of the most pressing issues facing governments of our time. Glennerster’s authoritative Understanding the cost of welfare assesses what welfare costs and how it is funded sector-by-sector. The book is written in a clear, accessible style, ideally suited to both teaching and study, and the general reader. This substantially revised third edition includes: •Discussion of the many funding issues now facing welfare states, such as demographic change, tax resistance, slow growth and austerity programmes •The theory and practice of devolved tax and budgetary responsibilities between UK nations and in comparison with other countries •New chapters on pensions and post-16 education •More regular and extensive comparative analysis Divided into 3 sections, covering Principles, Service funding, and The Future, the book Includes questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading, making it an easy-to-use, essential resource for both undergraduate and post-graduate students of Social Policy, Sociology, Politics and Public Administration.

Understanding the EU as a Good Global Actor: Ambitions, Values and Metrics (Elgar Studies in European Law and Policy)


This timely book investigates the EU’s multi-faceted development as a global actor, unpacking its legal mission to be a ‘good’ actor as well as exploring the complexities of fulfilling this objective. It elicits critical reflections on the question of ‘goodness’ in EU external relations from descriptive, analytical and normative perspectives, and examines which metrics of actorness are useful in tackling this subject.Featuring contributions from more than 20 leading EU scholars and emerging voices, the book develops four themes through which it advances a research agenda for the study of the EU as a good global actor. The book begins by unpacking the complexities of the EU as a global trade actor, before discussing ‘good’ trade governance and a deeper trade agenda, the issue of data governance in digital trade and in other regulatory frameworks, and finally the institutional dimension of EU actorness.Understanding the EU as a Good Global Actor will be a crucial read for scholars and students in EU law and politics, particularly those with an interest in EU governance, trade and external relations. It will also prove useful for policy makers both within and outside the EU.

Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mind: Opening the Black Box (International Studies in Entrepreneurship #24)

by Alan L. Carsrud Malin Brännback

Interest in the functioning of the human mind can certainly be traced to Plato and Aristotle who often dealt with issues of perceptions and motivations. While the Greeks may have contemplated the human condition, the modern study of the human mind can be traced back to Sigmund Freud (1900) and the psychoanalytic movement. He began the exploration of both conscious and unconscious factors that propelled humans to engage in a variety of behaviors. While Freud’s focus may have been on repressed sexuality our focus in this volume lies elsewhere. We are concerned herein with the expression of the cognitions, motivations, passions, intentions, perceptions, and emotions associated with entrepreneurial behaviors. We are attempting in this volume to expand on the work of why entrepreneurs think d- ferently from other people (Baron, 1998, 2004). During the decade of the 1990s the eld of entrepreneurship research seemingly abandoned the study of the entrepreneur. This was the result of earlier research not being able to demonstrate some unique entrepreneurial personality, trait, or char- teristic (Brockhaus and Horwitz, 1986). It was both a naïve and simplistic search for the “holy grail” of what made entrepreneurs the way they are. However, many of the researchers in this volume have never gave up the belief that a better und- standing of the mind of the entrepreneur would give us a better understanding of the processes that lead to the creation of new ventures.

Understanding the Energy Transition: Civil society, territory and inequality in Italy

by Natalia Magnani Giovanni Carrosio

The transformation of the dominant model of centralized energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energies is at the center of the public and scientific debate, as well as the subject of national and European policies, as it is connected to highly topical issues such as climate change, emissions reduction and natural disasters, security of supply and sustainability of the current economic development model.Up to now this topic has been mainly addressed by the economic and engineering sciences, with a research focus on the hardware rather than on the human and social software.However, energy systems, and the possibilities of change, are not only economic or technological but involve also patterns of social life, representations, organizational models and relational structures. In order to generate the social preconditions for the transition to a low-emission society, focused on a growing production of energy from renewable sources and on a greater sustainability of consumption, it is therefore urgent to reaffirm the centrality of a sociological approach to energy.This book focused on three core research areas which are crucial to understand what is at stake with the energy transition: conflicts over the construction and location of renewable energy production plants; collective action on renewable sources that promote a new model of energy system in which consumers are also producers; and the social-territorial impact of energy policies.

Understanding the Dynamics of Nuclear Power and the Reduction of CO2 Emissions: A System Dynamics Approach

by Hassan Qudrat-Ullah

This books explains a strategy that a country can meet its CO2 emission reduction targets (e.g., as are in Paris Agreement) with a dominant share of nuclear power with a balanced energy supply mix. The book starts with an introduction to the subject of energy policy, mechanisms, and CO2 emissions, and the complexity of the CO2 reduction goal. It introduces the system dynamics approach as a solution modeling approach for dealing with the complexity of CO2 reducing policies and mechanisms. The book presents the dynamic model and its key parameters and then elaborates the structural and behavioral validity of the dynamic model. The book gives an intensive review to do that comparative analysis involving China, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Pakistan. The last half of the book focuses on the case in Pakistan. The author reviews Pakistan’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution and other key sources from Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy and related institutions. Using Pakistan’s case data, the author applies the system dynamics modeling approach whereby a dynamic model, capable of representing the important interactions among various sectors of the electricity supply sector of Pakistan. This book is intended to be of use to policymakers, managers and practitioners, teachers, researchers, and students of design and assessment of policymaking for the complex, dynamic energy systems

Understanding the Dynamics of New Normal for Supply Chains: Post COVID Opportunities and Challenges (Understanding Complex Systems)

by Hassan Qudrat-Ullah

This book provides research results and shares experiences in the area of supply chain management. It addresses topics such as risk reduction of lesser marginal profits, disrupted supply chain management, and potential points of business failure. This book explores the “new normal” of the business supply chain. The didactic approach informs global enterprises on how to deal with the most significant issues in the current supply chain management. The book shows an in-depth analysis of post-COVID opportunities and challenges and acts as an initiative for readers to understand the risks, opportunities, and concerns resulting from the pandemic situation and is a key driver for business management among industry professionals and enterprises. Readers will learn new insights and procedures to better manage multitier supply chains, predictability, and estimation of binding capacity. The book details modeling and technology-based customer demand and response management solutions. New techniques, methods, and perspectives dealing with the estimation, acceleration or deceleration, and flexibility of logistics capacity are particularly emphasized throughout the manuscript. Real-world cases dealing with various aspects of the new normal for supply chains are analyzed. The book is useful for industry professionals and enterprise firms in business management to effectively understand risks, opportunities, and concerning the pandemic situation.

Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Multilingualism in Professional Contexts: Advances in Language-Sensitive Management Research


This book provides readers with the latest research on the dynamics of language and language diversity in professional contexts. Bringing together novel findings from a range of disciplines, it challenges practitioners and management scholars to question the conventional understanding of language as a tool that can be managed by language policies that ‘standardize’ language.Each of the contributions is designed to recognize the strides that have been made in the past two decades in research on language and languages in organizational settings while addressing remaining blind spots and emerging issues. Particular attention is given to multilingualism, sociolinguistic approaches to language in the workplace, migration challenges, critical perspectives on the power of language use and the management of organizations as dialogical, discursive spaces. Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Multilingualism in Professional Contexts offers new insights into familiar and less familiar issues for international business scholars, sociolinguists, management practitioners and business communication scholars and experts, and brings understanding to the central role that language usage and linguistic diversity play in organisational processes.

Understanding the Dynamics of Global Inequality: Social Exclusion, Power Shift, and Structural Changes

by Alexander Lenger Florian Schumacher

Despite the fact that the globalization process tends to reinforce existing inequality structures and generate new areas of inequality on multiple levels, systematic analyses on this very important field remain scarce. Hence, this book approaches the complex question of inequality not only from different regional perspectives, covering Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin and Northern America, but also from different disciplinary perspectives, namely cultural anthropology, economics, ethnology, geography, international relations, sociology, and political sciences.The contributions are subdivided into three essential fields of research: Part I analyzes the socio-economic dimension of global exclusion, highlighting in particular the impacts of internationalization and globalization processes on national social structures against the background of theoretical concepts of social inequality. Part II addresses the political dimension of global inequalities. Since the decline of the Soviet Union new regional powers like Brazil, China, India and South Africa have emerged, creating power shifts in international relations that are the primary focus of the second part. Lastly, Part III examines the structural and transnational dimension of inequality patterns, which can be concretized in the rise of globalized national elites and the emergence of multinational networks that transcend the geographical and imaginative borders of nation states.

Understanding the Digital Transformation of Socio-Economic-Technological Systems: Dedicated to the 120th Anniversary of Economic Education at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #951)

by Tatiana Kudryavtseva Mohammed Ali Berawi Tessaleno Campos Devezas Sergey Evgenievich Barykin

This book is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of economic education at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU). It gathers the best and most recent research materials of scientists from SPbPU’s Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade and their colleagues from other universities.This book reflects many years of experience, unique results and interesting discoveries made by collaborative teams exploring the following issues: engineering economics, sustainable development and other topics related to the digitalization of enterprises, industries and systems; digital transformation of the service market in the face of global challenges; automation of enterprise control systems, digital and data management solutions for business; socio-economic development and territorial management in the era of Industry 4.0, etc. This book offers various views on challenges faced by today's economy and industry that are undoubtedly relevant to readers of almost all categories: from students to practitioners and scientists, but mostly for researchers.

Understanding the Determinants of Economic Informality in Paraguay: A Kaleidoscope of Measures

by Michael J. Pisani Fernando G. Ovando Rivarola

For several years, the government of Paraguay has sought to address the issue of informality, both as a response to poverty reduction and a means to expand its tax base. While effort has been undertaken to describe informality, the government lacks the capacity and perhaps the will to analyze the phenomenon through a robust empirical lens. Hence, little is known about the informal economy beyond anecdotes, personal interactions, and description. This book is the first to comprehensively, rigorously, and empirically study the determinants of informality in Paraguay. This book is of vital interest to those studying the Paraguayan economy, development economics, Latin American economics, and informality.

Understanding the Crisis in Greece: From Boom to Bust

by M. Mitsopoulos Theodore Pelagidis

As the tensions in the Greek economy take centre stage in the international headlines, this book examines the failed policies and political corruption that have bankrupted the nation. The authors comment on recent bailouts and haircuts and explore the uncertain future of Greece in the Eurozone.

Understanding the Creative Economy and the Future of Employment

by Jorge Eduardo Fernandez-Pol Charles Harvie

The motivation of this book is simple, yet fundamental: No complete understanding of the modern economy is possible without a thorough grounding in the field of innovation as an economic activity.The book, as its title emphasizes, aims at helping readers to gain a comprehension of two inextricably linked issues: challenging innovation and the future of human work. To this end, the book integrates a triad of topics: innovation as an economic activity, modus operandi of an innovation-driven economy, and the persistent progression toward automation of human jobs.The main message conveyed by this book is that a creative economy will converge to an economy governed by smart machines aka robots, but will produce benefits if addressed in a rational manner.As to the salient features of this book, Accessibility: Accessible to readers with only cursory knowledge (if any) in economicsStyle: Adherence to a discursive, non-mathematical styleBrevity: Covers material in a succinct, easily understandable manner, drawing upon real world examplesAppendices: Each chapter is supplemented with appendices that elaborate upon pertinent real world examples and applicationsSelf-contained: All the key concepts are defined and exemplified within the bookApplicability: Uses examples that resonate with a wide audience of readers concerned about the advance of robotsNon-mathematical diagrams: Provides accessible and readily understandable figures/graphsProtective stance: Contains a rational response to the march of the robots which is useful for workers of all ages

Understanding the Course of Social Reality: The Necessity of Institutional and Ethical Transformations of Utopian Flavour (SpringerBriefs in Sociology)

by Angelo Fusari

This book offers a comparison between our earthly society and the society of a hypothetical twin planet with the aim to understand and deal with some of the main problems of our global society, as well as to advance interaction with some extra-terrestrial society no less advanced than ours that sooner or later will be discovered. The underlying premise of the book is that the contemporary world finds itself in what may well be the most confused age of human history. Growing technological changes and innovation make it difficult to understand the course of social reality, while the intensification of the relations between different regions of the Earth and the power achieved by financial capital on a world scale amplify the dimensions and visibility of disequilibria and iniquities, and sharpen frustration and sentiments of insecurity. Social thought, as it has developed at the service of a quasi-stationary world, lacks the ability to understand and govern the tumultuous economic and social processes in progress.The most efficacious way to meet this fleeting social reality is to scientifically highlight basic institutions and values and their steady changes caused by the accumulation of creative and choice processes. In doing so, long-run trends can be explored in order to understand and manage the disequilibrating-reequilibrating motion characterizing the life of dynamic societies. This book shows the ‘necessity’ of institutional and ethical transformations utilizing an utopian flavour.

Understanding the Consumer (PDF)

by Dr Isabelle Szmigin

Understanding the Consumer brings together marketing theory and practice in a truly consumer-centric approach. It challenges the lip service usually paid to this concept and demonstrates that a fundamental understanding of the consumer is critical to the future of effective marketing. Drawing on cutting-edge developments in the literature it reconceptualizes how consumers respond and act in the marketplace with particular attention to: - relationships with suppliers, products and brands - their innovative, creative and resistant behaviour - the complexity and unpredictability of their consumption behaviour - their increasing need to get closer to production. The book challenges existing functionally driven marketing thinking and shows how a more holistic approach to the marketplace will drive better theory and practice. It combines a jargon-free approach to the subject with an illustration of the relevant theory using practical, topical examples from the marketplace as well as drawing on other business related disciplines including sociology and economics to support its arguments.

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