Meta-analytically linking the marketing mix to hospitality organizations’ performance

Abstract

The body of work investigating marketing and strategic initiatives based on the marketing mix to enhance hospitality organizations’ performance has grown considerably over the last few decades. However, the literature has returned mixed findings that call into question the theoretical and practical effectiveness of the marketing mix. This study meta-analytically examines associations between multiple variables from the marketing mix and hospitality organizations’ performance through a synthesis of 185 relationships across 72 studies. The most impactful predictors were marketing expenses, franchising, and internationalization (objective measures), and quality control, strategic alliances, and market orientation (subjective measures). Marketing trends were also considered by assessing the moderating role of publication year in the respective relationships of brand image, internationalization, franchising, marketing expenses, and strategic alliances with performance. The identified antecedents offer insight into how hospitality managers strategically allocate organizational resources. Results offer compelling evidence for the hospitality marketing and strategic management literature.