Seminar: Enhancing community sustainability through service quality excellence: A Comparative study of Sun Peaks, Canada and Hemsedal, Norway
Monday, April 20, 2015 – 15.00 p.m.
DEM seminar room – first floor, Department of Economics and Management
Speakers:
- John Sterling Hull – Thompson Rivers University – Canada
- Jan Velvin - Buskerud and Vestfold University College – Norway
- Tine SynnØve Østby – Head of Marketing - Destination Hemsedal - Norway
Mountain resort communities are significant contributors to the economy of regional and rural economies (Tourism British Columbia, 2012). However, their viability and sustainability is threatened by changing demographics, variable economic trends and the long-term impacts of climate change (Centre for Sustainability, 2013). To maximise the economic potential and to address the threats to these emerging communities it is essential to consider ways in which both the individual firms and the community as a whole may work individually and collectively. As noted by Dickson and Huyton (2008), one aspect of competitive advantage that is within some control of resort managers and businesses is customer satisfaction, particular in relation to the service quality provided by employees (Ismert & Petrick, 2004). Lovelock et al. (1998) suggest that the business advantages of customer satisfaction and service quality include lower costs, increased patronage and return business and thus enhanced organisational performance. Davidson (2003) suggests that what contributes to the provision of quality customer service is, ‘a climate of service, a climate for innovation, and a climate for human resources or employee welfare’ (p. 208). However, Hjalager (2010) has noted that there is ‘very limited empirical knowledge about the effects of innovation action in tourism enterprises and on tourism destinations’ (p. 7) The overall goal of the seminar presentation will be to understand the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and its impacts on the long-term sustainability of two resort communities: Sun Peaks, Canada and Hemsedal, Norway. Both these communities have similar community and corporate structures, have developed service quality training programs, and have local university partners engaged in resort research that have been working together over the past five years.
Contacts:
Tel. 0461/282102
