2.1 Innovation concept
Innovation is one of the main factors for a resort’s success, being crucial to achieving competitive advantage (Schumpeter, 1934). The main goal of innovation is to improve guest service and products to increase guest satisfaction, increase productivity, reduce costs and create opportunities (Lundvall and Nielsen, 2007; Calik et al., 2017).
Owing to the importance of innovation to resorts, Schumpeter (1934) asserts that innovation can be the introduction of a new good or type of good in the market, the introduction of a new production system, the development of a new market or the implementation of a new market structure, sources of materials or products.
The Organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) (2005, p. 46) defines innovation as a “new or improved service or product, process, method of marketing and/or organizational method.” According to the OECD (2005), product innovation is the introduction of a good or service that is new or significantly improved in terms of its characteristics or its use. Process innovation is related to the implementation of new or significant improvements in the production or delivery methods. Marketing innovation implies implementing new marketing methods and includes significant changes in the product design or packaging, positioning, promotion or pricing. The OECD (2005) states that organizational innovation is the implementation of new organizational methods in the practices of the business organization and workplace, or in external relations.
Resorts use innovation in its different forms – product/service, process, market and organizational – to create competitive advantage to achieve better results and define long-term success (Christensen, 1997; Shaqrah, 2010). Therefore, the advantage of innovation is that it generates a value proposition for guests, and benefits those who develop it through the generation of higher revenues (Hippel, 2005).
2.2 Innovation in the service sector
Services are very particular because of their specific characteristics. These characteristics are intangibility, inseparability, perishability and variability (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Because of the immateriality of services, they are produced and consumed simultaneously, and normally imply a direct relationship between the producer and the guest at a specific moment: the service cannot be saved or stored. Service quality is defined by service performance, and it depends on the different producers, guests or occasions (Gallouj and Weinstein, 1997).
Service innovation is seen as a sustainable development strategy for many resorts to create value by improving products, services or innovative methods (Horng et al., 2016; Yeh et al., 2019). Service innovation is also defined as an addition of new services or a change in the delivery process (Menor and Roth, 2007).
Some authors refer to the concept of “new services” to describe innovation through the successful development of new services or products, including innovative and improved activities (Weng et al., 2012). Therefore, the creation of new services can be considered as a process that includes diversified activities with the mission of creating a new service or an enhanced one focused on the consumer needs and delivery process of that specific service (Edgett, 1994).
The process of service innovation implies the application of knowledge about market needs to the techniques of developing a new idea, concept or invention. It is important to keep the focus on the expectations and needs of the consumer while designing a service (Brooker and Joppe, 2014). This continuous process of design and development of a prototype is essential until it becomes an innovation. Testing and refining the prototype is necessary to obtain feedback and control of the process, to launch a new service (Voss, 1992).
Johnson et al. (2000) mention that organizational practices affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the development of new services. These practices have a positive impact on the development of new products and services, influencing their success (Thwaites, 1992). Service innovation makes companies transform changes into opportunities, which is crucial for creating value for their stakeholders through new and improved products, processes or business models of services (Yeh et al., 2019; Ostrom et al., 2010).
2.3 Innovation in the hospitality industry
The excellence of services is an important key to success in the hospitality industry (Wikhamn, 2019). Owing to the competitive scenario in this industry, it is crucial for a company to differentiate itself from competitors and attract new guests by creating new and unique experiences (Hu et al., 2009).
Hospitality industry, as service resorts, also have specific characteristics, particularly in their innovation paths. Their production and consumption happen simultaneously, the consumer and the producer necessarily being in the same space; the elements can be tangible and intangible; transportation and storage are impossible, making it difficult to manage these aspects as the tangible and intangible elements are interconnected; and there is variability, related to the fact that the service offered cannot be repeated in the same way because of the differing conditions and settings (Souto, 2015).
Ottenbacher and Gnoth (2005) refer to nine factors that promote the success of service innovation for resort managers: market selection, strategic management of human resources, employees’ training, market opening, empowerment, evaluation based on behavior, marketing synergies, employees’ commitment and intangible qualities.
Organizational innovation is seen as a challenge to this industry because of the transformation of structures needed to manage the organization based on customer-oriented processes (Mostafa and Hefny, 2016). Vukovic et al. (2018) state that innovation in the hospitality industry results from the organization’s ability to continually transform knowledge and ideas into new products, services, processes and systems, to provide benefits for stakeholders. Thus, the involvement of the members of the organization in the exchange of knowledge and experiences leads to an improvement in the main competences of the organization. Organizational knowledge is a fact that precedes innovation and affects its performance (Fraj et al., 2015; Mostafa and Hefny, 2016).
The innovation process in the hospitality industry requires strong commitment from the employees to focus on the guests and apply new knowledge according to the latter’s needs (Souto, 2015; Orfila-Sintes and Mattson, 2009). In this regard, some operational capability drivers such as physical product, staff attributes and services have a positive relationship with innovative service satisfaction (Subramaniana et al., 2015). Most innovations are developed to have an impact on financial performance, to increase revenue and profit (Griffin and Page, 1993). Apart from that, guest satisfaction and employee feedback are important indicators for the success of the hospitality industry (Ottenbacher and Gnoth, 2005).
2.4 Effect of innovation on guest satisfaction
According to Grobelna and Marciszewska (2013), it is relevant to study guest satisfaction in the hospitality industry context as it is a resort positioning indicator in the competition for guests. A resort’s reputation and image depend on guest satisfaction, which enhances guest loyalty and attracts new guests (Lemy et al., 2019). It is also important to mention that when guests’ expectations are met, they feel satisfied (Kotler et al., 1998).
Trott (2017) noticed that guest satisfaction is an important path to guaranteeing the success of new services. Innovation generates guest satisfaction when new products or services are introduced in the market and a company influences consumers’ perception of its ability to satisfy their needs (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006). When guests are satisfied, they tend to buy more and their positive feedback attracts new guests easily and at a low cost. Therefore, companies can count on an acceleration of cash flows that will positively affect their value. It is important to invest in innovation because it helps companies generate satisfied guests (Gruca and Rego, 2005; Grewal et al., 2010).
The results of the study by Weng et al. (2012) concerning the relationship between service innovation, value to guest and guest satisfaction show that service innovation has a positive correlation with guest satisfaction. This confirms the fact that guest satisfaction increases when guests recognize that there is more service innovation.
Service innovation is mostly a company strategy to create new products or increase the value of services in response to the guest’s demand. Thus, it is necessary to face the challenges presented by consumers, and at this point, the ability to innovate is important to improve interaction with guests through information and communication technologies (Danneels and Kleinschmidt, 2001; Weng et al., 2012).
The study of Yeh et al. (2019), based on a case study of tourism factories in Taiwan, mentions the positive effect of service innovation on guest satisfaction. In the rent-a-car business sector, Tsai et al. (2010) observe that service innovation has a significant impact on guest satisfaction.
The study of Chuang and Hsu (2012), which focuses on bed-and-breakfast tourists in Taiwan, and Lemy et al. (2019), which is based on Indonesia’s resorts, both observe that service innovation affects guest satisfaction and loyalty appreciably.
Yeh et al. (2019) emphasize the fact that service innovation not only reflects competitive advantage but also consolidates the long-term relationship with guests, providing them with high-quality products and services (Kotler and Keller, 2009; Drejer, 2004).
As a way of extending this study, it is important to highlight the influence of marketing innovations. With the focus on developing new market needs to produce greater satisfaction, guests have to be persuaded to try new types of products and services. Marketing innovation leads to strategy and having better insight into guests’ needs to satisfy them, as well as presenting a good image of the company (Zuñiga-Collazo and Castillo-Palacio, 2016). Lee et al. (2015) mention that great marketing innovations can positively affect guest evaluations, transforming them into satisfaction.
Nkemkiafu et al. (2019) contributed to the extension of this study, referring to the fact that the implementation of process innovation allows companies to satisfy their guests and attract new ones. They also mention that it is important for resorts to implement innovative strategies from the product design process to its distribution to satisfy their guests and employees, and achieve growth.
As guests are the main recipients of innovations and, consequently, those who will evaluate them, it is only through them that the answers sought can be obtained. Thus, based on the above studies, the following research questions are proposed:
Q1. What are the main characteristics of the guests?
Q2. What are the value attributes expected of the service provided at the resort?
Q3. What is the satisfaction level of the guests concerning the product/service innovations introduced?
Q4. What is the satisfaction level of the guests concerning the process innovations introduced?
Q5. What is the satisfaction level of the guests concerning the marketing innovations introduced?
Q6. What is the satisfaction level of the guests concerning the organizational innovations introduced?