Quality Implementation in Selected UK Hotels: Perspectives and Future Challenges

Abstract

The strategic importance of quality management has grown in recent years. However, although the competitive implications of adhering to a quality agenda have been much alluded to within the literature, the evidence from a review of published studies suggests that service quality and strategy issues have been addressed as separate concerns by researchers. This study examines managerial perceptions of quality implementation and shows that two factors are important when implementing quality practices: ‘managers' feelings about things that they perceive themselves to control’ and ‘managers’ fears about areas outside their control'. Respondent managers clearly emphasise ‘areas within their control’ to be important when implementing quality practices. However, at the same time, the findings illuminate managerial fears towards practices associated with implementation. Further research ivill need to be carried out to examine managerial attitudes towards the actual practice of quality management in hotel organisations and to evaluate whether the factors are of importance or are perceived to be important by managers within the industry.