Haikou restaurant: the entrepreneur's dilemma in the new normal

Learning outcomes: The purpose of this paper is to understand a new restaurant venture's target segment and create a consumer profile for the new restaurant;to design a positioning statement for the new restaurant;to appraise the marketing strategy and suggest improvements in the marketing mix of a new restaurant venture in the new normal;to discuss the augmentation of services by a new restaurant to compete effectively in the market;and to identify and discuss the vital marketing steps for opening a restaurant in the new normal. Case overview/synopsis: Kelvin, an ambitious and budding restaurateur, had high aspirations with great plans. V café was his first running venture. The income from V café was not enough to improve his social position. He wanted to open a new restaurant (Haikou) and earn more. Kelvin was well aware of COVID-19's current condition and its severe implications for the restaurant business. He did not have any experience in marketing a restaurant. So he was puzzled about understanding the target segment, positioning and marketing mix of the proposed restaurant in the new normal. Complexity academic level: The case will cater to business management students pursuing a postgraduate management program. The case can be applied in Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality Management and Services Marketing courses. The prerequisite for this case is a basic understanding of marketing concepts. Supplementary materials: Supplementary materials teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code: CSS 8: Marketing. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic influence students' career expectations in the hotel and tourism industry?

Career expectations contribute to job satisfaction and worker persistence. The tourism industry is characterized by high staff turnover. The industry was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic causing widespread unemployment and transforming working conditions, while radically altering educational conditions for hospitality and tourism students. We assessed how the pandemic influenced students' expectations, comparing undergraduate opinions before and during the pandemic. While Pandemic-Students were more pessimistic about working conditions, they revealed an increased desire to provide personal interactive service and a greater tendency towards entrepreneurialism. These results contrast with previous research; highlighting students' resilience and suggesting a positive vision of pandemic-related opportunities.

An interview study to explore the perceived usefulness of in-house training programs in tourism and hospitality education.

COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of online teaching and learning modes. It has also abruptly changed the traditional teaching and learning methods that originally relied on physical attendance, including student internships. In-house training programs were launched by the university to offer students an alternative to their regular internships. The study is designed to investigate how university students in tourism and hospitality education perceive the usefulness of their in-house training in absence of industry placements. An exploratory methodological approach was adopted by conducting 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews with student interns to understand their experiences during the in-house training. The empirical findings revealed that the in-house program, in its current state, is not to be considered a permanent alternative for tourism and hospitality undergraduate students. The article concludes by presenting implications for educators, policymakers, and education researchers derived from the academic and practical discussions based on the findings.

Workplace Spirituality and Employee Wellbeing in the Hospitality Sector: Examining the Influence of Fear of COVID-19.

Drawing from the job demands-resources theory and the protection motivation theory, this study attempts to examine how the experience of workplace spirituality impacts employee wellbeing during times of remote work. This study also examines how fear of COVID-19 moderates the aforementioned relationship. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from 566 employees working in the hospitality sector in India. Results revealed that the experience of three dimensions of workplace spirituality (meaningful work, sense of community, and alignment with organisational values) had a significant positive influence on employee wellbeing, even during remote work. Fear of COVID-19 had an interesting significant moderating effect, and it was revealed that the higher the fear, the stronger the relationship between the workplace spirituality (in terms of meaningful work, sense of community, and alignment with organisational values) and employee wellbeing. The insights gained from this study will assist both the employees and the managers in devising personalised approaches towards individual wellbeing and the organisation at large during times of pandemics.

Determining the attributes that influence students' online learning satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic.

The inevitable disruptions caused by COVID-19 in the hospitality and tourism education sector have made online learning a necessity rather than an option. This study employs the user experience questionnaire (UEQ) to examine students' online learning experiences specifically in the context of COVID-19. Data collection involved a Qualtrics online survey with a convenience sample of 216 tourism and hospitality students in Macau. Overall, results point to a generally positive appraisal of online attributes, but satisfaction is marginal. Initial principal component factor analysis generated three orthogonal factors of online learning attributes: "Perspicuity and dependability"; "Stimulation and attractiveness"; and "Usability and innovation". Further regression analysis reveals that "Stimulation and attractiveness" is the strongest predictor of the students' satisfaction regarding online learning during the COVID-19 disruptions. This novel finding points to the need for hospitality and tourism education institutions to develop an attractive and motivating visual environment for online course delivery since a stimulating online learning atmosphere is crucial in the context of the pedagogical disruptions caused by COVID-19. Nonetheless, these findings are specific to Chinese students and reflect their learning satisfaction which may differ in other contexts.