Mission Statements in Hospitality Organizations: Evidence from Hotel Chains

Authors

  • Dmitry A Ruban K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University) Southern Federal University
  • Natalia N. Yashalova Cherepovets State University
  • Vladimir A. Ermolaev Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

Keywords:

content components, hospitality corporations, strategic management

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify common components in mission statements of hotel chains, as missions play important role in strategic management of all kinds of organizations and influence on their performance. The research is based on recognition of "standard" content components, namely customers, markets, image, products and/or services, technology, survival, growth, and profitability, philosophy, self-understanding, and employees in the mission statements of seventeen hotel chains (international and national). The main findings are as follows. The majority of the statements bear 2-4 components, among which the most frequent and best explained is philosophy. In contrast, the hotel chains pay the least attention to image, technologies, and employees. Environmental focus is totally absent. The originality of this empirical research is linked to filling an important gap in the existing literature: unlike to many other organizations, mission statements of hotel chains have been addressed weakly. This study permits giving some practical recommendations on mission statements improvement. The main limitation is linked to consideration of only 17 statements due to poor representation of these strategic communications on official web-pages of hotel chains. Future research should take into account a bigger number of mission statements, as well as to focus on different categories of collective accommodation facilities, restaurants, and other related hospitality firms.

Author Biographies

Dmitry A Ruban, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University) Southern Federal University

Higher School of Business, Associate Professor

Natalia N. Yashalova, Cherepovets State University

Natalia N. Yashalova is head of the Department of Economics and Management of the Business School of the Cherepovets State University. Her research focuses on ecological economics. She has published numerous articles in major international and national journals. She holds D.Sci. degree from the Moscow State University (Russia).

Vladimir A. Ermolaev, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

Vladimir A. Ermolaev is professor at the Department of Commodity Science and Expertise of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. His research focuses on food and service technologies, commodity management, and environmental issues. He has published extensively in major international and national journals; he has also patented several inventions. He holds D.Sci. degree from the Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry (Russia).

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Published

2022-05-04

How to Cite

Ruban, D. A., Yashalova, N. N. and Ermolaev, V. A. (2022) “Mission Statements in Hospitality Organizations: Evidence from Hotel Chains”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 18(5), pp. 735–763. Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/488 (Accessed: 29 March 2024).

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Articles