New service development strategy and process: considering concepts from financial sector in an analysis of the hospitality sector in Kenya
Date
2017-03
Authors
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The purpose of the study was to build rather than test the underlying theory of new service development (NSD). The literature study was expanded by an empirical research on NSD strategy and process in the hospitality sector in Kenya. In particular, the research was to establish the extent to which findings and concepts of NSD generated primarily in the financial sector can be extended to the hospitality sector.
This exploratory study used case study strategy from eight hotels and a cross-sectional survey-based methodology from 35 hotels. A three-stage sampling procedure was used in the quantitative part of the study. Judgement sampling, stratified random sampling, and quota sampling methods respectively were used in the first phase of the study. Judgement sampling was used to identify the respondents for eight in-depth interviews conducted to proportionately cover each hotel star category in Nairobi and Mombasa. The researcher administered the questionnaire and the interviews personally.
From the findings, the hospitality sector develops moderately innovative products that provide improved performance or greater perceived value for their customers and there is a difference in the implementation of the NSD strategy between chain and independent hotels. Also, the customer involvement in the NSD process was found to be relatively high, but the service encounter is dominated more by standardised rather than customised services.
The major findings of this study must be interpreted with caution due to limitations in the research focus, method and data analysis and cannot be generalised beyond the circumstances and conditions in which they occurred. Future studies should use a longitudinal study methodology exploring service innovation strategy and process over real time to resolve for the retrospective nature of the data collection process. Research is needed for further comparative studies of NSD in other countries and between service sectors since the diversity and complexity of the delivery process is well known.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
New service development -- Kenya, Hospitality industry -- Kenya, Service industries -- Marketing, UCTD