No abstract

In this study we examine reasons that professionals become and remain members of professional associations. We looked at tangible and symbolic benefits that an association can provide to attract members. Satisfaction with these benefits was linked to overall membership satisfaction and intent to renew the membership. We also considered the role of customer service in shaping members' attitudes. Based on the responses of 1,980 members of a large international accounting association, we found that members who were satisfied with their benefits and with the quality of customer service reported higher membership satisfaction and intent to renew. We also found that professionals who were more involved in the association were more satisfied with it. Contrary to predictions, younger professionals were less concerned with the value of the benefits of membership. As expected, longer‐tenured members were more likely to consider maintaining their memberships. We conclude with a discussion of practical and research implications for the management of professional associations.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to evaluate and analyze hourly line-level employees' characteristics and their perceptions of their employment experience in large US theme parks and attractions, as well as to explore predictors for their retention. Design/methodology/approach – The research instrument adopted a theoretical framework based on previous retention studies of hourly employees in various industries. Following a qualitative phase with theme park employees, the survey was tailored to the uniqueness of the industry. Since major theme park companies are protective of their employee database, a “snowball” sampling technique was adopted using a variety of Social Networking Sites (SNS). A total of 307 usable responses were attained. Findings – The results indicated that of the 27 employment characteristics studied, the most important were perceived to be advancement opportunities, humane approach to employees, and a fun and challenging job. Importance-Performance analysis revealed that the largest gaps were recorded in the areas of pay, advancement opportunities, and a humane approach to employees. The results also confirmed that hourly employees' retention was predicted by employees' level of satisfaction, better experience with pay, and better experience with employee development training classes. However, hourly employee retention was also predicted by the employees' negative experience with flexible working hours and performance reviews. Research limitations/implications – Data collection through Social Networking Sites (SNS) may not necessarily be as reliable a source for data collection as other methodologies, though some contemporary research justifies its reliability. Utilizing the “snowball” technique and the absence of random sampling may have slanted the responses. Although demographic data on the typical theme park employee is unavailable, the data was skewed towards younger employees who may not necessarily represent other age groups. Due to the US theme park industry's leading presence in Central Florida, the sample primarily represented hourly employees working for the Central Florida theme park industry. Practical implications – As the labor pool continues to decline, employers must adopt new creative strategies to keep their employees and attract new ones at the same time. This may be attained by developing and revising mission statements, values, and corporate visions that may be applicable to hourly employees: the largest labor segment in the theme park and attraction industry. Originality/value – While recent hospitality turnover research focused on its antecedents, this study explores the predictors of why employees stay. Previous retention studies have focused on hotels or restaurants and not on the unique group of theme park hourly employees that work in different settings and employment conditions. Knowing why people stay can help reduce turnover and thus lower the cost of staffing.

Nearly all service and hospitality experiences require customers to wait at some point in the service process. Unless the provider of the service has unlimited capacity or can precisely match customer demand to available capacity, customers will be forced to wait for the experience they seek. Although waiting is an expected part of many services (say, gracious dining), for most customers waiting is an annoyance to be minimized or avoided. Waiting can also cause customer dissatisfaction that can greatly influence the intent to return whenever that service experience is sought again. To minimize the negative aspects of waiting, managers have available the following three strategies. The first is to manage the reality of the actual wait through the use of techniques that can help better match capacity with customer demand. The second is to manage the perception of thewait by responding to how customers perceive the wait. The third, and most innovative, is to make the wait invisible through developing virtual queues, which allow customers to participate in other activities while they wait for an appointed time at their desired activity.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a practical understanding of the dynamic changes in how résumés are handled by recruiters and the application of technology to the human resource (HR) functions not only of reading résumés, but also of how technology is making some of the initial decisions on how they are passed on to hiring managers. HR information system has changed the way talent is accessed, prescreened, sorted, and stored. Knowledge of these systems is imperative for the twenty-first century job-seeker. Design/methodology/approach -The authors interview industry practitioners regarding the use of résumé scanning and identify the pros and cons of the systems from an industry perspective. Findings -These discussions find that technology will continue to impact HR group in the hospitality industry. As the HR teams find more and better ways to utilize the technology the applicant pool will have to adjust to ensure that they are not screened out because they are missing a "key word." Research limitations/implications -The ever changing technology makes the information dated immediately on publication. The implication is that the search and hiring process has changed so dramatically that awareness of technology is important. Practical implications -Recruiters and job seekers must be aware of artificial intelligence, optical character recognition, and other scanning technologies. Understanding how technology is changing, even the most basic of HR practices is crucial. Originality/value -The paper presents a discussion about the new technologies being used in the job search and résumé-handling process, as well as the industry practitioner opinion of the uses and benefits of the technology.