Developing an assessment framework of smartized upscale hotel workforce employability from the practitioners' perspective

Abstract

PurposeWorkforce insufficiencies can impair firms' competitiveness in the hospitality industry. The problem of finding suitably trained employees has been aggravated by changes in consumer preferences, and the development of advanced technologies has led to the ‘smartization’ of upscale hotels. The consequent updating of business models means that decisive indicators of worker competence and employability are different from those applied previously. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop an indicator framework for assessing workforce employability with consideration of competence with artificial intelligence (AI) applications.Design/methodology/approachThe initial indicators for the framework are obtained based on an intensive review of the relevant literature and roundtable meetings with academics and practitioners. The Delphi method is used to collect the data, and a hybrid fuzzy approach, which combines the modified Z-number and modified trapezoidal fuzzy number set techniques, is applied to quantify the information originating from the experts’ judgments. The interquartile range approach is applied to optimize the validity of the indicators.FindingsThe assessment framework is applied to evaluate workforce employability at an upscale hotel from the perspective of hotel executives. The capability of the workforce for the adoption of advanced technologies, including familiarity with AI, are considered.Originality/valueThe contributions of this research involve the identification of an updated list of determinants for the evaluation of workforce employability for hotels in today’s world, highlighting the value of AI applications to help ameliorate labor shortage problems. The results should benefit practitioners, allowing them to improve the efficiency of their operations, services and management practices, leading to sustainability and competitiveness in the upscale hotel industry.

Guest editorial: Marketing via smart technologies in hospitality and tourism

“…It also emphasizes the centrality of smart tourism and the interconnectedness of technology, hospitality and management in shaping future research directions. Fang and Liou (2024) develop an indicator framework for assessing workforce employability at upscale hotels, taking into account the improvement of their competence by utilizing artificial intelligence applications. The Delphi method was employed for data collection, and a hybrid fuzzy approach was applied to quantify the information originated from expert judgments.…”