Knowledge Management and Quality in Croatian Tourism

Abstract

Knowledge is an infinite resource of hotel enterprises and society as a whole. In hotel enterprises, it serves as a platform for practising sustainable development and gaining competitive advantages. Knowledge-based economic development provides the best opportunities for dealing with a global environment in which rapid and dynamic changes are taking place. Seen as a precondition to success, Knowledge Management (KM) will result in generating value-added in tourism. A survey was conducted in large and mid-sized hotel enterprises to demonstrate their KM level and the contribution of KM in gaining competitive advantages in the Croatian hotel industry. Empirical research was used to establish the level of KM development in the Croatian hotel industry, and to determine the importance of KM in gaining competitive advantages in the hotel industry. In addition to knowledge, quality is a vital factor in gaining competitive advantages in hotel enterprises. Globalized markets and increasingly discerning customers, demanding more and more for their money, are compelling product and service providers to ground their business systems on customer needs. Total Quality Management (TQM)—a new management philosophy—enables the systematic application of these ideas. This chapter looks at several TQM approaches that define the basic elements essential to successful TQM implementation, in particular, the element pertaining to employees. The application of these elements in the Croatian hotel industry is presented through the results of empirical research on a sample of mid-sized and large hotel enterprises.

Stationary Traffic as a Factor of Tourist Destination Quality and Sustainability

“…By failing to point out stationary traffic, its role as a tourist destination factor is being marginalized and accordingly no sufficient attention is being given to it. In his research of tourist destination quality, Holjevac [29] entirely neglects stationary traffic as a tourist destination quality factor. A similar situation is found in other countries of Southeast Europe.…”

Vertical knowledge transfer in Czech organizations

“…Knowledge is a resource that is currently becoming increas ingly important for organizations and forms a basis for developing a suitable strategy and thus achieving a com petitive advantage (Holjevac et al 2012;Maruta 2012;Wong 2009). It also confirms Folwarczná (2010) and Matošková et al (2013) by stating that knowledge of people in orga nizations have a potential competitive advantage.…”

“…Cohendent, MeyerKrahmer (2001), Walczak (2005) state that a conceptualization of ver tical knowledge transfer exists between hierarchical levels within an organization and GentileLüdecke, Axéle (2012) add that it occurs between a management of company and its subsidiaries or providers. The aim of vertical knowl edge transfer that is critically important for organizations in the present knowledgeoriented economy (Jermář 2012;Holjevac et al 2012;Levy 2011) is to ensure substitutability of key positions and to preserve knowledge of key employ ees during personnel changes. The reason is that vertical knowledge transfer increases newcomers' determination, eliminates their stress, improves their morale and flexibility and enables their substitutability (Lechthaler, Snower 2012).…”