Full metadata record
DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorSchool of Hotel and Tourism Managementen_US
dc.contributor.advisorSong, Haiyan (SHTM)en_US
dc.creatorXiao, Xuan-
dc.identifier.urihttps://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/12862-
dc.languageEnglishen_US
dc.publisherHong Kong Polytechnic Universityen_US
dc.rightsAll rights reserveden_US
dc.titleA cross-cultural study on perceived images of luxury hotelsen_US
dcterms.abstractAfter two decades’ steady growth, the luxury segment of global lodging industry is facing great challenges, such as fierce competitions among homogeneous products, customers’ changing expectations and preferences. The COVID-19 pandemic has also reshaped the landscape of global hospitality industry. Therefore it is urgent for hospitality practitioners to have a thorough understanding of customer perceived image to achieve accurate strategic positioning and greater operational proficiency with better targeted service foci. Despite of abundant studies implying cultural impact on customer behaviors, there has been very limited literature elaborating cultural impact on their perceived image of hotels; nevertheless, with the globalization of luxury hotel brands and the development of international tourism, it is necessary to explore customer perceptions and preferences by the segmentation of culture. In such background, this paper will focus on luxury hotels’ images perceived by customers from various cultures, examining the differences through CIT (Critical Incident Technique) and big data approaches, disentangling the relations between perceived image and satisfaction, and investigating culture’s effect on the linkage between perceived image and customer satisfaction.en_US
dcterms.abstractThis paper consists of two studies. In Study I, CIT method was utilized to explore the key dimensions of customer perceived images about luxury hotels. 67 participants from different cultural segments were interviewed about their most impressive experiences staying in Chinese luxury hotels in recent three years. The findings indicated nine major dimensions of the participants’ cognitive image (location & environment, design & ambiance, guestroom, food & beverage, publish facilities & equipment, service, cleanliness & security, brand & value and experiences). This study detected cross-cultural differences in luxury hotel customers’ perceived images in pre-stay phase as well as onsite and post-stay phases.en_US
dcterms.abstractThis study proved that in the pre-stay phase, high or low context culture and indulgence-restraint orientation were relevant with people’s information searching patterns; however, this paper argued that demographic characteristics, especially the age range, also impacted such propensity significantly. Cultural variations were also reflected by the purchasing channels and package preferences. In addition, this study discovered greater expectation variations between business and leisure travel types for customers from restraint-oriented cultures. In the onsite and post-stay phase, this study summarized nine key cognitive dimensions. The researcher observed that customers from greater power distance cultures showed greater need for status (NFS). Cultural variations on service expectations were also discovered: customers from greater power distance cultures seemed to show less tolerance to service failure, with greater expectations for personalized services. This study posited that customers’ priorities of these critical procedures could vary across culture, which was later proved in the keyword analysis and crosstab analyses of affective* cognitive image in Study II. Customers’ adoption of new technology was found to be relevant with the uncertainty-avoidance cultural dimension.en_US
dcterms.abstractIn study II, the researcher selected 141 luxury hotels of nine most popular Chinese tourist cities, and collected their online reviews on TripAdvisor from Jan. 1st, 2006 to June 30th, 2021. This study consisted of three sub-research questions:en_US
dcterms.abstract1) How does customer satisfaction (revealed by overall rating and specific rating scores) differ across various segments? Does culture (or cultural distance) play a role in the satisfaction perception procedures, and how?en_US
dcterms.abstract2) What are the cognitive images and affective images perceived by customers, and how they differ across various cultural segments?en_US
dcterms.abstract3) What are the linkages between cognitive images and affective images, and how these linkages differ across various cultural segments?en_US
dcterms.abstractThe quantitative analyses were conducted to detect the cultural variations in rating patterns. For overall ratings, the Mainland Chinese cohort gave the highest value and the Southeast Asian cohort gave the lowest value. Comparisons were conducted on overall ratings across the five cultural zones, and variations were further analyzed by hotel category and location, by customers’ travel type and by time. For specific ratings, the rating pattern and values of Mainland Chinese customers were distinguished from their counterparts.en_US
dcterms.abstractThe keyword analyses showed the decomposed cognitive images and affective images perceived by the five cultural cohorts, suggesting greater variations between Mainland Chinese cohort and other four. The wordcloud of dissatisfied Mainland Chinese customers also distinguished from those of their counterparts.en_US
dcterms.abstractThe affective*cognitive crosstab analyses were conducted at rough-grained and fine-grained level. The rough-grained crosstab analysis corroborated that “service encounter” and “experiences” were most critical constructs in the perceived images of luxury hotel customers, with great dissimilarities in the constructs of “accessibility”, “design & decorations”, “public facilities & equipment”, “in-room facilities and supplies”, “brand”, “brand-rated impressions” and “companion”. The fine-grained crosstab analysis further revealed the detailed types of affective image associated with each cognitive constructs, and discovered greater variations between the Mainland Chinese cohort and the other four cohorts.en_US
dcterms.abstractThe theoretical and managerial implications were mentioned as well.en_US
dcterms.extentxiii, 260 pages : color illustrationsen_US
dcterms.isPartOfPolyU Electronic Thesesen_US
dcterms.issued2023en_US
dcterms.educationalLevelDHTMen_US
dcterms.educationalLevelAll Doctorateen_US
dcterms.LCSHHospitality industry -- Customer servicesen_US
dcterms.LCSHHotelsen_US
dcterms.LCSHConsumer satisfactionen_US
dcterms.LCSHHong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertationsen_US
dcterms.accessRightsrestricted accessen_US

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
7309.pdfFor All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only)7.29 MBAdobe PDFView/Open


Copyright Undertaking

As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:

  1. I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
  2. I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
  3. I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.

By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.

Show simple item record

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/12862