Abstracts for Session 28

Tourism and hospitality work in precarious times

 

 

Title: 20 years of Nordic hospitality research: a review and research agenda

Authors: Åse Helene Bakkevig Dagsland, Olga Gjerald, and Trude Furunes

Affiliation: University of Stavanger

 

The aim of the current paper is to provide an overview of the first 20 years of hospitality research in Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, to draw some lines to international hospitality research, and to propose a future research agenda. 

The review provides a brief account of the main themes addressed in Nordic hospitality research including 1) hospitality as a concept and practice, 2) business strategy, 3) hospitality operations, 4) service encounters as performative work, 5) human resource management, and 6) labour market perspectives. Based on the content analysis of Nordic hospitality research published in SJHT presented above, an overview of issues related to tourism employment in the Nordic countries (Wamsley et al. 2020), and summary of trends in international hospitality research, we suggest following areas for future research in hospitality: 1) hospitality experiencescapes, real and virtual; 2) digital marketplace, innovation and hospitality consumer behaviour; 3) economic drivers of hospitality in a post-pandemic world; 4) new forms of service interaction; 5) changing role of hospitality employee; 6) power dynamics and the meaning of hospitality work. 

 

Keywords: Hospitality management, work environment, Nordic

 

 

Title: Hospitality workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Tone Therese Linge, Huseyin Arasli, Tom Baum, Åse Helene Bakkevig Dagsland, Tara Duncan, Trude Furunes, Olga Gjerald, Kai Victor Hansen, and Richard Robinson

Affiliation: University of Stavanger, Strathclyde University, Dalarna University, University of Queensland 

 

Aim

This ongoing research study by the WITH (Workplace Inclusiveness in Tourism and Hospitality) research group aims to compare employees' experiences within the hospitality industry in Norway, Sweden, Scotland and Australia, and to analyze how employment relationship problems are managed. The COVID-19 pandemic led to extremely challenging conditions for hotel and restaurant workplaces worldwide, and with dramatic consequences for employees in the industry. Hence, this study aims to increase knowledge about how employees in the hotel and restaurant industry in the different countries experience and handle workplace challenges in light of the pandemic. The study further aims to gain insights into hospitality workers’ experiences of conflict, bullying, harassment and psychological strain. The study is rooted in the UN's sustainability goal 8, which promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

Method

The data will be collected through an online survey that will be distributed through social media channels and trade unions. The survey has already been conducted in Scotland and is planned to be launched with some modifications in Norway, Sweden and Australia around June 2021. The survey sample will consist of employees in the hotel- and restaurant industry in each of the countries. The quantitative survey results will be followed up by qualitative interviews. 

Findings

This is an ongoing study where the data collection is still under process. Preliminary results from the survey will be presented during the conference.

 

Key words: Hospitality, workers’ experiences, COVID-19, decent work, psychosocial work factors

 

 

Title: Hospitality work in precarious times: a case from Iceland

Authors: Magnus Asgeirsson and Iris Hrund Halldorsdottir

Affiliation: University of Iceland

 

The paper examines the responsiveness and internal communication of hospitality organizations, during the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Iceland, early spring 2020 from an employee perspective. Crises are unpredictable, impossible to control events and unfold at fast pace when least expected. Organizations that take control of such situations in a proactive manner have generally fared better, coming out of the situation, than those who do not. It is therefore imperative to have an action plan in place beforehand, that is put to action when an unexpected situation arises. This is not the least important when it comes to internal communication that plays a key role in setting employees at ease, so they continue to work in the best interest of the organization. 

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals, all with extensive experience in the hospitality industry as well as minimum three years’ experience in the Icelandic tourism scene. Interviewees were employed cross sections, part of a chain as well as small operations. 

Findings suggests that during the first outbreak of COVID-19, internal communication was little to none, and if there was any it seemed chaotic and unreliable. Message given to the employees in some instances contradicted external communication on companies’ webpage, by other managers or employees, in the media by authorities or other stakeholders. Managers did not approach employees proactively but reacted to questions and concerns raised, to best of their ability, admitting lack of knowledge in this regard or pointing to the government information available. It was therefore the interviewees perception that there was no strategy, at least if there was one it was poorly executed and not proactive and the message unanimous amongst managers.  

 

 

Title: Hosts, hospitality workers and sex trafficking in the platform economy

Authors: Susanna Heldt Cassel, Tara Duncan and Maria Thulemark

Affiliation: Dalarna University

 

This paper aims at analyzing the role of hospitality workers in relation to prostitution and sex trafficking. We specifically focus on the evolving new relations between host and guests in the context of the platform economy in accommodation and connected to this, different possibilities of establishing safe and secure workplaces for staff. As a host of an AirBnB or as a worker at a hotel or a camping site, you are often expected to deal with, try to prevent and report suspected prostitution and/or human trafficking. Since booking and customer relations is carried out through intermediaries at platforms to an increasing extent, the relation to the guest has become de-personalised. Through a pilot study on AirBnB hosts combined with interviews with hotel and camping site managers, we explore how hospitality workers negotiate and deal with unwanted guests and criminal behavior. Using content analysis of on-line community forum entries written by AirBnB hosts this research presents an analysis of how hosts seek help and find solutions to prevent sex trafficking. Drawing on the main themes of discussion (i.e. host’s solutions; support from AirBnB; the reviewing system and; the personal views of hosts on sex work(ers)/prostitution and safety) this paper takes a first step into studies on crimes within the platform economy related to tourism and hospitality work. The study also adds to the scarce research on sex trafficking seen from a tourism and hospitality point of view.

 

 

Title: The elf and the self: Affect and emotion in the labour of elves

Authors: Albina Pashkevich, Tara Duncan, and Teija Tekoniemi-Selkala

Affiliation: Dalarna University, Lapland University of Applied Sciences

 

Making Christmas seem ’real’ year round is the goal of the elves based in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. Whilst visitors come to see ‘Santa’, it is the elves that spend substantial periods of time with tourists convincing children and adults alike of the magic of Christmas (and Santa), compared to the few minutes that visitors actually spend with Santa. Rather than focussing on the affectual nature of the tourist’s engagement with a destination, this paper focusses on the affect and emotion in the labour of the elves. The elves are entangled in their roles resulting in tensions with being both human and an elf. The tensions these workers face through remaining in character and trying to ‘please’ visitors and management causes emotional responses that cause them to reflect on their roles. Using data semi-structured interviews, we make use of the concepts of affect and emotion as a way to give voice to the elves and their labour. The paper contributes to the growing literature on emotion and affect in tourism studies by showing that understanding the emotional engagement of the tourism worker is necessary to appreciate the creation of a transformational tourist experience.

 

 

Title: Volunteer tourism: Motivations of WWOOFers traveling to Norway 

Author: Reidar J. Mykletun, Ingeborg Nordbø, Monica Segovia-Pérez, and Javier Segovia

Affiliation: University of Stavanger

 

This is the first large study to establish a motivation profile for volunteer tourists who are members of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which is unique in operating in industrialized countries and being non-profit, while all volunteers find their own host and make an individual agreement. The WWOOF network is also one of the few travel arrangements that have received and hosted international visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factor analysis of survey data from 1,184 respondents from 83 different countries who had signed up to WWOOF in Norway, revealed seven primary motivations: Immigration, Escapism, Genuine Norwegian Interest, Sustainable Lifestyle, Cheap Travel, Constraints, and Secondary Image. Pull motivations were stronger than push motivations; two factors combined push and pull motivations. Six of the factors were interpreted as self-interest and one as altruistic motivation. Only the sustainable lifestyle factor was relevant to the WWOOF philosophy. Motivation was associated with previous WWOOFing experience and partly by gender.  

 

Key words: WWOOF, volunteer tourism, motivation, sustainability, Norway, COVID-19