The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of total quality management (TQM) on the hospitality industry as well as to examine the implementation of the concept of group dynamics in the hospitality industry. In addition, this chapter focuses on highlighting whether there is a connection between the variables of total quality management and group dynamics in the hospitality industry. A systematic literature review was conducted based on journals, articles, conference proceedings, and formal reports retrieved from the most known scientific databases such as Elsevier, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The findings of this research revealed that there are no previous research papers that investigate the relationship between total quality management and group dynamics in all market fields. Similarly, there are no papers indicating this relationship in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Top1. Introduction
The tourism and hospitality industry have managed to survive despite the difficult circumstances that have been facing during the past 10 years (financial crisis, climate crisis, health crisis – COVID19 pandemic). Tourism and hospitality stakeholders have realized that customer’s expectations is one of the most important key factors that can lead to the financial development of a tourism or hospitality company.
In other words, tourism and hospitality organizations should focus on costumer’s satisfaction. To meet customer’s satisfaction, organizations should comprehend all hospitality services that would lead to customer’s value, satisfaction and loyalty (Evans and Lindsay, 2010).
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an organizational factor that is strongly connected with customer’s satisfaction. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) quality management is defined as “all activities of the overall management function that determine the quality policy, objectives and responsibilities and implement them by means such as quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement within the quality system” (International Standard, Quality Management and Quality Assurance-Vocabulary, 1994).
On the same point of view, Procter and Gamble (1992) defined Total Quality Management as a management system that is human-oriented and its purpose is to increase customer’s satisfaction and low real cost. More thoroughly, TQM is a strategic system that works horizontally combing different functions and departments, involves all employees, and includes supple chain and costumer chain.
Regarding the tourism and hospitality industry, TQM is a procedure that empowers all the personnel to work in groups so as to enhance the guest service expectations and improve the customer’s satisfaction. For this reason, the appropriate management would create a constructive environment in which employees’ and customers’ goals would be achieved (Walker, 2010).
In addition, TQM could help the organization to adjust to several changes that would lead to the satisfaction of their guests. It is widely accepted that TQM could inspire and motivate employees, as well as it could create a competitive advantage that would enhance organization’s development (Laloumis and Katsoni, 2010; Kapiki, 2012).
At this point someone would be wondered: “Are there any tools that can measure the quality service in the tourism and hospitality industry?” The following references include some of the most well-known models for the measurement of quality service in the hospitality industry:
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Perceived quality service model: This a measurement tool which is used to measure the factors that affect customer perceived quality in an organization’s service. The key factors that are affected in this tool are the following: Marketing tourism experience within the tourist/hospitality company, the image created for a tourism/hospitality product, “word of mouth” advertisement, and customer requirements and needs (Gronroos, 1990).
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The five gape model: This instrument is used to define the objectives of quality management. It is a customer-oriented tool. More thoroughly, customers’ quality satisfaction will be affected by five “gaps” during a service procedure. TQM should attempt to close these five gaps and improve the quality of the service so as to increase customer’s satisfaction (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1994).
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The SERVQUAL model: There are two kinds of measurement. a) The internal measurement. It refers to the measurement of objective criteria which are developed by the organization (technical quality, process quality, functional quality, and relational quality). b) The external measurement. It refers to subjective criteria such as expectations, needs and experiences of the clients (Postma and Jnkins, 1997).
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The critical incident technique (CRIT): It measures what is happening in the “moments of truth” of the customers. The data are collected from small samples from time to time. It provides useful information about the product which could help it to widen its marketing policy and enhance its quality.