The objective of this article is to determine the factors that influence the outsourcing of leisure services in the hotel business. First, this work studies the relationship between the specificity of the hotel leisure activity and the activity’s performance depending on whether it is outsourced or retained in house. Second, the article analyzes the extent to which the perceived advantages can extend the strategy of outsourcing hotel leisure services. Third, the work analyzes the influence of outsourcing hotel leisure services on organizational performance. The results obtained indicate that there is a positive relationship between specificity and performance of the activity when it is carried out in house. They also show that the advantages that give this strategy greater potential for further use are related to greater concentration on core competences. On the other hand, it was shown that hotels that have outsourced leisure services have better organizational performance, especially nonfinancial.
Abreu Hernández, P. P. (2001a). La animación turística. Cómo pueden diferenciarse los servicios hoteleros: 1 parte [Tourist entertainment. How hotel services are differentiated: Part 1]. Retrieved December 10,2003, from http://www.region.com.ar/animacion
2.
Abreu Hernández, P. P. (2001b). La función del animador turístico. Cómo pueden diferenciarse los servicios hoteleros: 2 parte [The function of the social director. How hotel services are differentiated: Part 2]. Retrieved December 10, 2003, from http://www.region.com.ar/animacion
3.
Amit, R., & Schoemaker, P. J. (1993). Strategic assets and organizational rent. Strategic Management Journal, 14(1), 33-46.
4.
Barney, J. B. (1986). Strategic factor markets: Expectations, luck and business strategy. Management Science, 32(4), 1231-1241.
5.
Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
6.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173-1182.
7.
Bettis, R. A., Bradley, S., & Hamel, G. (1992). Outsourcing and industrial decline. Academy of Management Executive, 6(1), 7-22.
8.
Blumberg, D. F. (1998). Strategic assessment of outsourcing and downsizing in the service market. Managing Service Quality, 8(1), 5-18.
9.
Camisón, C. (1996). La empresa turística un análisis estratégico [The tourism company: A strategic analysis]. In A. Pedreño & V. Monfort (Eds.), Introducción a la economía del turismo en España (pp. 217-245). Madrid, Spain: Editorial Civitas.
10.
Canarian Government Department of Tourism (2003). Plazas hoteleras y extrahoteleras de la comnunidad autónoma de Canarias [Hotel and non-hotel beds in the Canariuan autonomous community]. Retrieved November 15, 2002, from http://www.gobcan.es/turismo/dgouit/estadisticas/plazas
11.
Canarian Statistical Institute (2002a). Bases de datos. Directorio de unidades economicas. Hoteles y pensiones [Databases. Directory of economic units. Hotels and pensions]. Available from http://www.istac.rcanaria.es
12.
Canarian Statistical Institute. (2002b). Entrada de pasajeros [Incoming passengers]. Retrieved July 20, 2004, from http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac
13.
Cerra, J., Dorado, J., Estepa, D., & García, P. (1997). Gestión de la producción de alojamientos y restauración [Accommodation and restaurant production management]. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Síntesis.
14.
Chi, T. (1994). Trading in strategic resources: Necessary conditions, transaction cost problems, and choice of exchange structure. Strategic Management Journal, 15(4), 271-290.
15.
Conner, K. R., & Prahalad, C. K. (1996). A resource-based theory of the firm: Knowledge versus opportunism. Organization Science, 7(5), 477-501.
16.
Day, G., & Wensley, R. (1988). Assessing advantage: A framework for diagnosing competitive superiority. Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 1-20.
17.
Dess, G. G., Rasheed, A., Mclaughlin, K., & Priem, R. (1995). The new corporate architecture. Academy of Management Executive, 9(3), 7-20.
18.
Dyer, J., & Singh, H. (1998). The relational view: Cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(4), 660-679.
19.
Einhorn, H. J., & Hogarth, R. M. (1981). Behavioral decision theory: Processes of judgment and choice. Annual Review of Psychology, 32, 53-88.
20.
Espino-Rodríguez, T. F, & Padrón-Robaina, V. (2004). Outsourcing and its impact on operational objectives and performance: A study of hotels in the Canary Islands. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(3), 287-306.
21.
Ferrán Aranaz, M. (1996). SPSS para WINDOWS. Programación y análisis estadístico [SPSS for WINDOWS. Programming and statistical analysis]. Madrid, Spain: McGraw-Hill.
22.
Ford, D., & Farmer, D. (1986). Make or buy—A key strategic issue. Long Range Planning, 19(5), 54-62.
23.
George, D., & Mallery, P. (1995). SPSS/PC+ step by step: A simple guide and reference. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
24.
Grant, R. M. (1991). The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: Implications for strategy formulation. California Management Review, 33(2), 114-135.
25.
Greaver, M. F., II (1999). Strategic outsourcing: A structured approach to outsourcing decisions and initiatives. New York: Amacon.
26.
Hambrik, D. C., & Mason, P. A. (1984). Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9(2), 193-206.
27.
Hamel, G., & Prahalad, C. K. (1989). Strategic intent. HarvardBusinessReview, 67(3), 67-76.
28.
Johnson, M. (1997). Outsourcing... in brief. Oxford, UK: Butterworth Heinemann.
29.
Klein, B., Crawford, R., & Alchian, A. (1978). Vertical integration, appropriate rents and the competitive contracting process. Journal of Law and Economics, 21(2), 297-326.
30.
Kotabe, M., & Murray, J. (1990). Linking product and process innovations and models of international sourcing in global competition: A case of foreign multinational firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 21(3), 383-408.
31.
Loh, L., & Venkatraman, N. (1992). Determinants of information technology outsourcing: A cross sectional analysis. Journal of Management Information Systems, 9(1), 7-24.
32.
Melchior, M., & Gil-Padilla, A. (2004). La actividad turística Española en 2003 [Spanish tourism activity in 2003]. Madrid, Spain: Asociación Española de Expertos Científicos en Turismo.
33.
Montaneir-Montejano, J. (1991). Estructura del mercado turístico [Structure of the tourist market]. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Síntesis.
34.
Ono, Y. (2003). Outsourcing business services and the role of central administrative office. Journal of Urban Economics, 53(3), 377-395.
35.
Outsourcing Institute. (1995). It’s no longer about saving money. Available from http://www.outsourcinginstitute.com
36.
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
37.
Perry, M. (1992). Flexible production, externalisation and the interpretation of business service growth. Services Industries Journal, 12(1), 1-16.
38.
Phillips, P. A. (1996). Strategic planning and business performance in the quoted UK hotel sector: Results of an exploratory study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 15(4), 347-362.
39.
Poppo, L., & Zenger, T. (1998). Testing alternative theories of the firm: Transaction cost, knowledge-based, and measurement explanations for make-or-buy decisions in information services. Strategic Management Journal, 19(9), 853-877.
40.
Prahalad, C. K., & Hamel, G. (1990). The core competence of the corporation. Harvard Business Review, 68(3), 79-93.
41.
Quinn, J. B. (1999). Strategic outsourcing: Leveraging knowledge capabilities. Sloan Management Review, 40(4), 9-21.
42.
Quinn, J. B., & Hilmer, F. G. (1994). Strategic outsourcing. Sloan Management Review, 35(4), 43-55.
43.
Reed, R., & Defillippi, R. (1990). Causal ambiguity, barriers to imitation, and sustainable competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review, 15(1), 88-102.
44.
Reich, R., & Manking, E. G. (1986). Joint venture with Japan give away or future. Harvard Business Review, 64(2), 78-90.
45.
Rueda, B. (1995). Outsourcing, de la accióntáctica a la iniciativa estratégica [Outsourcing, from the tactical action to the strategic initiative]. Harvard Deusto Business Review, 65(1), 85-92.
46.
Rumelt, R. P. (1984). Toward a strategic theory of the firm. In R. B. Lamb (Ed.), Competitive strategic management (pp. 556-570). New York: Prentice Hall.
47.
Saunders, C., Gelbet, M., & Qing, H. (1997). Achieving success in information systems outsourcing. California Management Review, 39(2), 63-79.
48.
Spanish National Statistical Institute. (2004). Directorio del INE: Establecimientos y plazas por categorías hoteleras y distribución de plazas hoteleras por comunidades autónomas [Directory of establishments and beds by hotel category and the distribution of hotel beds by autonomous communities]. Retrieved July 20, 2004, from http://ine.es/inebase/cgi/um
49.
Teece, D. J. (1986). Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration licensing and public policy. Research Policy, 15(6), 285-305.
50.
Teng, J., Cheon, M., & Grover, V. (1995). Decisions to outsource information systems functions: Testing a strategy-theoric-discrepancy model. Decision Sciences, 26(1), 75-103.
51.
Venkatraman, N. (1993). Not by outsourcing alone: Strategies for effective IT governance. Boston: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management and Boston University.
52.
Venkatraman, N., & Ramanujam, V. (1986). Measurement of business performance in strategy research: A comparison of approaches. Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 801-804.
53.
Walker, O. C., & Ruekert, R. W. (1987). Marketing’s role in the implementation of business strategies: A critical review and conceptual framework. Journal of Marketing, 51(1), 15-33.
54.
Walker, G., & Weber, D. (1987). Supplier competition, uncertainty and make-or-buy decision. Academy of Management Journal, 30(3), 589-596.
55.
Williamson, O. E. (1975). Markets & hierarquies: Analysis & antitrust implications. A study in the economics of organization. New York: Free Press.
56.
Willimason, O. E. (1981). The economics of organization. American Journal of Sociology, 87(3), 548-577.
57.
Williamson, O.E. (1985). The economic institutions of capitalism. New York: Free Press.
58.
Williamson, O. E. (1986). Economic organizations: Firms, markets and policy control. New York: Wheatsheaf Books.
