Hotelschool The Hague

The Duvetlifter is a low-tech bed-making tool that was developed to assist housekeeping staff so that beds in hotels could be changed with less physical stress for the hotels’ employees. In this research, we investigate the effectiveness of the tool and learn about how it can improve operations and increase the quality of life of housekeeping staff. To learn about the tool’s effectiveness and impact upon the employees, eight housekeeping staff members of a five-star Amsterdam hotel used the tool in their workplace and reported various aspects of occupational health and stress experienced. In addition, the employees were observed using the tool in their workplace. Finally, the executive housekeeper of the hotel was interviewed to learn about how they understand the tool had been effective in supporting the staff’s tasks at work. The findings illustrate that the housekeeping staff experience substantial stress and health issues caused by their occupations. The findings also reveal that several of the employees reported the benefits that they experienced by using the tool and that they could make some suggestions to how to improve the tool in their occupational setting. However, in some ways the tool may increase stress and anxiety, as it takes somewhat longer to change a bed. The trade-off between employee well-being and efficiency is an issue management will have to contend with.

This paper reports on a travel survey conducted in Austria in 2019/2020. The aim was to generate 1250 stated preference (SP) interviews using four types of SP experiments, which were based on revealed tours of respondents (tour-based SP-off-RP). The data were to be used as input for a new national tour-based transport model. The core element is a combined time period and mode choice experiment with several innovative new features, which aim to provide a smooth one-stop shop for both stages (RP and SP) and to depict scenarios that are as realistic as possible and achieve sufficient trade-off. The method defined and implemented for the survey is extensively documented, including all steps of survey preparation, the logic behind and development of the time period and mode choice experiment, adaptive measures in survey design and method, and survey conduct. In addition, the paper measures the response rate, describes the data by means of its key features, discusses its representativeness, draws some conclusions on the lessons learned and quality of the data obtained, and provides an outlook on the usage and availability of the data.

The hospitality industry is facing personnel challenges, including personnel shortages and high staff turnover, asking practitioners to explore service robots to enhance competitiveness. While prior academic studies have primarily relied on hypothetical or conceptual research, there remains a pressing need for real‐life field studies to assess the practical impacts of service robots in hospitality. This study examines the comparative effects of human and robotic service agents at the touchpoint of information provision in a real‐world hotel setting. Using a field experiment with 200 participants, where both service agents (human and robot) were simultaneously available, we assess service agent's impact on guests' experience of hospitality, satisfaction, and revisiting intentions. The findings reveal indifferent effects between human and robotic agents, challenging assumptions that robots negatively impact guest experiences. Contrary to debates suggesting that human agents are superior in hospitality roles, our results indicate that service robots can effectively complement human staff, reducing demand for frontline personnel and lowering operational costs without diminishing guest satisfaction. This study highlights the potential of integrating robotic agents into the hospitality frontline, particularly for routine tasks like information provision. We acknowledge limitations, including the focus on a single touchpoint, and call for broader research across diverse guest interactions and touchpoints. Future studies should also explore the underlying factors influencing guests' choice of service agents. These findings offer practical implications for tackling labor shortages while maintaining service quality, providing actionable insights for the hospitality industry in the context of digital transformation.

During the Covid‐pandemic, the expectation emerged that the digitalization of business processes would have a permanent character. In particular, business travel would be replaced, to a large extent, by virtual meetings. This article uses complex systems theory to study business travel to Amsterdam before and after the Covid‐pandemic, analyzing a large dataset of hotel check‐ins and check‐outs from 55% of the city's hotels during 2019, 2022, and 2023. The data were explored to detect changes in business traveler behavior and subjected to tests proposed by Baggio and Sainaghi to assess the dynamics of nonlinear complex tourism systems. Despite the pandemic's disruption, our findings suggest that business travel dynamics continue to evolve similarly to pre‐pandemic trends, with notable shifts in markets of origin, longer stays, and a move toward midscale hotels and bleisure stays. The study also highlights a dissonance between actual travel behavior and the desire to reduce business travel for environmental or social reasons. By applying complex systems theory, this research enhances our understanding of the resilience and adaptability of business travel, emphasizing the need for strategic foresight and scenario planning in the hospitality and tourism sectors to navigate post‐pandemic complexities.

Background European cancer programmes and policies lack a unified health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment tool. The European oncology quality of life toolkit (EUonQoL-Kit) is a novel set of HRQoL questionnaires, co-designed with cancer patients and survivors, translated and culturally adapted into 31 European languages, and with both static and dynamic electronic administration modes. The main aim of this study is the psychometric assessment of the static version. Secondary aims include evaluating the EUonQoL-Kit acceptability, cross-validating the administration modes, exploring individual factors potentially affecting HRQoL and HRQoL inequalities between countries. Methods A sample of 4,500 participants, including three groups (active treatment, survivors, and palliative care) from 45 centres in 25 EU Member States and 7 associated countries, will be enrolled in a multicentre observational cross-sectional study. All participants will complete the static EUonQoL-Kit; three subsamples (each 10% of the total sample) will also respectively complete the following: a) dynamic EUonQoL-Kit, based on Item Response Theory (IRT)/Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), b) FACT-G and EQ-5L-5D, and c) static EUonQoL-Kit (re-test). Psychometric analyses will encompass exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (measurement model and structural validity), Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency), intraclass correlation coefficient (test–retest reliability), Pearson/Spearman correlation (concurrent validity), comparison of group scores (construct validity), and Differential Item Functioning (cross-country item equivalence). Secondary analyses will evaluate participant response time and rate, and static/dynamic score differences. Regression models will estimate associations between individual factors and HRQoL. Discussion The EUonQoL-Kit will serve to systematically incorporate patient perspectives into European cancer policies and to address HRQoL inequalities across Europe. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05947903, 2023–06-28.

This research aims to generate a nuanced understanding of service robot customer experiences (SR-CX). Specifically, this work (1) empirically explores the impact of different AI intelligences (mechanical, thinking, and feeling AI) on SR-CX (i.e., SR-CX strength and SR-CX dimensionality) and its downstream impact on important service outcomes (i.e., overall service experience and service usage intentions), and (2) considers the moderating role of consumer service goals (hedonic versus utilitarian). Drawing on insights from two field studies and two online experiments, this research demonstrates that SR-CX—which is impacted differently by varying AI intelligences—affects service outcomes. Specifically, more sophisticated AI intelligences lead to enhanced service outcomes for customers with hedonic service goals across settings by strengthening SR-CX and triggering a more extensive set of SR-CX dimensions. This pattern, however, is less clear for customers driven by utilitarian service goals. For these customers, the role of SR-CX strength and SR-CX dimensionality varies across settings. These findings, which empirically support the importance of SR-CX, may help organizations to strategically leverage robots with different intelligence levels along service journeys of customers with different service goals.

The case study delves into the complex issue of CO2 footprint from three distinct viewpoints: sustainability, legislative, and managerial. Each perspective offers unique insights into the challenges and opportunities of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions using scope 1, 2, and 3 data. From a sustainability viewpoint, students are encouraged to explore the concept of CO2 footprint within the broader context of ESG considerations. Key questions delve into understanding sustainability frameworks, assessing the impact of CO2 emissions on ecosystems and communities, and exploring strategies for carbon footprint reduction aligned with sustainability goals. From the legislative perspective, students examine the regulatory landscape governing CO2 emissions. Students learn how legal frameworks shape corporate behavior by studying global sustainability goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and national legislation. Discussion questions focus on analyzing the effectiveness of existing regulations, identifying gaps, and proposing regulatory strategies to incentivize carbon reduction. The managerial perspective emphasizes decision-making and goal-setting within organizations. Students explore how managers can leverage data on CO2 footprint to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for departments or individuals. This involves understanding the role of carbon accounting, evaluating trade-offs in sustainability initiatives, and exploring best practices in integrating sustainability into organizational strategy. The case encourages critical thinking and data analysis, allowing educators to pose additional questions based on student interests and course objectives. The rich dataset allows for extensive exploration beyond the core questions, facilitating interdisciplinary learning across various courses. Ultimately, the case is a versatile teaching tool that can be applied to courses focusing on sustainability, environmental studies, business ethics, managerial decision-making, and public policy. It equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the multifaceted challenges of reducing their CO2 footprint while advancing sustainable practices within organizations and society.

The football industry stands as an important economic sector in numerous countries, sparking scholarly discussions on the multifaceted nature of interconnected objectives and the influence of financial, accounting, and management elements on athletic performance. This discussion has gained prominence following the implementation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which have substantially reshaped industry management practices. This study introduces two innovative models—financial and sporting—that employ data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the performance of Spanish league football clubs within the context of FFP regulations. These models illuminate a crucial aspect of sports economic theory: the balancing act between financial and sporting objectives. Moreover, our analysis explores the influence of FFP on the efficiency of the Spanish league by comparing club proximity to the best practice frontier before and after FFP implementation. Our findings uncover intriguing differentiations within the proposed models and across various club clusters, providing valuable insights into the nuanced interplay among finance, accounting, and sports management.

The original city hospitality experience (CHX) model outlined essential components of urban visitor experiences and the dynamics inherent in guest–host relationships. Its primary aim was to comprehend the essence of hospitality in destinations, striving to establish a harmonious equilibrium among diverse engaged stakeholders. A new model appears necessary to respond more effectively to societal developments, the escalating complexity of city hospitality within urban contexts, and the evolving academic discourse on customer experiences. Meta-theoretical research provided a conceptual basis for the new CHX model. Recognizing the multitude of perspectives and stakeholder interests, an initial iteration of the revised model was disseminated among scholars and practitioners, prompting valuable input and recommendations that helped to refine the model. The new CHX model encompasses further elements including relationships between stimuli and responses and evaluative outcomes, while acknowledging contextual and contingency factors. The new model adds to the urban tourism literature and supports practitioners to understand how city hospitality experiences arise and develop. From a societal perspective, the new model enables understanding, measuring and sustaining experiences of stakeholders. It aims to support destinations addressing major challenges, such as having hospitable, open and friendly images of places that offer safe, yet stimulating experiences, in a responsible manner, while recognizing the interests of visitors, residents and businesses. The model helps to explain the impact of developments in digitization, sustainability and overtourism through a multi-stakeholder experience lens. Furthermore, the new CHX model serves as a framework for designing and testing specific interventions that lead to a balanced experience while fostering positive community effects.

Hospital discharge is a complex matter. For patients it often involves insecurity; for hospitals, efficiency plays a major role. The consequences include uncertainty and anxiety among patients, unnecessary readmissions and rising costs for hospitals. Like in hotels where the check-out is the last part of the guest journey, the hospital discharge is crucial for, among other things, image-building. Improving the hospital discharge procedure contributes to a better patient experience and quality of life, word-of-mouth advertising, efficiency and costs for the hospital. In this preliminary study, the hospital discharge in a cancer clinic was studied. It was assumed that the hospital discharge went according to a protocol and a fixed procedure and to everyone’s satisfaction. In order to verify this, the procedure was examined and compliance with the protocol was checked. Amongst others, it became clear that patients experienced the planning of the hospital discharge as unstructured and improvised as there seemed to be no clear moment for discharge. On the staff side, the main focus was on the administrative burden of discharge. Furthermore, a clear coordination and division of tasks between the doctors and nurses was lacking. Hotel management check-out procedures are suggested to improve hospital discharges.

Time constraints, financial limitations, and inadequate tools restrict the flood data collection in undeveloped countries, especially in the Asian and African regions. Engaging citizens in data collection and contribution has the potential to overcome these challenges. This research demonstrates the applicability of citizen science for gathering flood risk-related data on residential flooding, land use information, and flood damage to paddy fields for the Bui River Basin in Vietnam. Locals living in or around flood-affected areas participated in data collection campaigns as citizen scientists using self-investigation or investigation with a data collection app, a web form, and paper forms. We developed a community-based rainfall monitoring network in the study area using low-cost rain gauges to draw locals’ attention to the citizen science program. Fifty-nine participants contributed 594 completed questionnaires and measurements for four investigated subjects in the first year of implementation. Five citizen scientists were active participants and contributed more than 50 completed questionnaires or measurements, while nearly 50% of citizen scientists participated only one time. We compared the flood risk-related data obtained from citizen scientists with other independent data sources and found that the agreement between the two datasets on flooding points, land use classification, and the flood damage rate to paddy fields was acceptable (overall agreement above 73%). Rainfall monitoring activities encouraged the participants to proactively update data on flood events and land use situations during the data collection campaign. The study’s outcomes demonstrate that citizen science can help to fill the gap in flood data in data-scarce areas.

An important performance determinant in wheelchair sports is the power exchanged between the athlete-wheelchair combination and the environment, in short, mechanical power. To monitor the mechanical power during wheelchair sports practice, inertial measurement units (IMUs) might be used. However, a well-founded and unambiguous theoretical framework that follows the dynamics of manual wheelchair propulsion is required to validly apply IMUs for mechanical power assessment in wheelchair sports. Such a framework does not yet exist. Therefore, this research has two goals. First, to present a theoretical framework that supports the use of IMUs to estimate power output via power balance equations. Second, to create a set of guidelines on how to use IMUs to monitor mechanical power during wheelchair propulsion supported by experimental data. After verifying the theoretical framework, an IMU model was defined. Subsequently, the validity of the IMU model and underlying assumptions was determined. Therefore, power was estimated from IMU data during wheelchair propulsion and was subsequently compared to gold standard optical motion capture data. Data was collected from eleven participants without wheelchair experience propelled an all-court sports wheelchair on a large treadmill. At the same time, kinematics were measured using two IMUs and an optical motion capture system. The results reveal that, with a proper drag or deceleration test, one IMU on the wheelchair frame and one IMU on the wheel axis, decent power estimations can be obtained in daily wheelchair (sports) practice. To conclude, the theoretical framework and the resulting IMU-based power is thus well suitable to estimate mechanical power during straight-line wheelchair propulsion in wheelchair court sports and daily wheelchair practice, and it is an important first step towards feasible power estimations in all wheelchair (sports) situations.

Hospitals’ Emergency Departments (ED) have a great relevance in the health of the population. Properly managing the ED department requires to optimise the service, while maintaining a high quality care. This trade-off implies to properly arrange the schedule for the personnel, so the service can duly attend all patients. In this regard, a key point is to know in advance how many patients will arrive to the service and the number that should be derived to hospitalisation. To provide such information, we present the results of applying different algorithms for forecasting ED admissions and hospitalisations for both seven days and four months ahead. To do this, we have employed the ED admissions and inpatients series from a Spanish civil and military hospital. The ED admissions have been aggregated on a daily basis and on the official workers’ shifts, while the hospitalisations series have been considered daily. Over that data we employ two algorithms types: time series (AR, H-W, SARIMA and Prophet) and feature matrix (LR, EN, XGBoost and GLM). In addition, we create all possible ensembles among the models in order to find the best forecasting method. The findings of our study demonstrate that the ensembles can be beneficial in obtaining the best possible model.

During the last few years, learning techniques have changed, both in basic education and in higher education. This change has been accompanied by new technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (AR). The combination of these technologies in education has allowed a greater immersion, positively affecting the learning and teaching processes. In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend has been growing due to the diversity of the different fields of application of these technologies, such as heterogeneity in their combination and their different experiences. It is necessary to review the state of the art to determine the effectiveness of the application of these technologies in the field of university higher education. In the present paper, this aim is achieved by performing a systematic literature review from 2012 to 2022. A total of 129 papers were analyzed. Studies in our review concluded that the application of AR/VR improves learning immersion, especially in hospitality, medicine, and science studies. However, there are also negative effects of using these technologies, such as visual exhaustion and mental fatigue.

The paper provides a review of the fourth edition of RevMe conference that was hosted in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Hotelschool The Hague. Professionals and educators in the field of revenue management from institutions in the USA and Europe shared their views and latest research in the field.

The challenge of food waste in top-end, luxury foodservice provision is understudied, especially from the chefs’ perspective. This is a major knowledge gap as (in)effective management of food waste depends on chefs’ (dis)engagement. This exploratory study employs practice theory to examine how chefs (dis)engage in food waste prevention in kitchens of UK fine dining restaurants. 17 in-depth, semi-structured interviews reveal that chefs have good awareness of food waste and understand its negative socio-economic and environmental implications. Chefs have access to professional equipment enabling them to waste less food. However, the competencies of chefs in resourceful cooking are often limited while corporate policies and procedures discourage resourcefulness in the kitchen. The study’s findings suggest that resourceful cooking should become an integral element of hospitality teaching curriculum and chefs’ training. Corporate policies and procedures of fine dining restaurants should be streamlined to encourage more active engagement of chefs in food waste prevention.

To provide a preliminary reference point and a scientific basis for future comprehensive sustainability assessments of household food consumption (HFC) in China and beyond, this study develops an indicator system for sustainability assessment of HFC in urban and rural China. The system encompasses four dimensions (nutrition, the environment, economy and socio-culture) and a comprehensive assessment index (CAI, on a scale from 0 to 100 points) of analysis. The system is derived from an extensive literature review supplemented with an expert opinion survey and considers the current structure of diet in China. Environmental dimension involves indicators of environmental footprints and food waste. Nutritional dimension involves nutritional status and food security. Economic dimension involves food affordability, self-sufficiency and economic cost of food waste. Socio-cultural dimension involves consumption of traditional and ready-made food, food availability and accessibility. The assessment results show that nearly 50% of households fall into a relatively high sustainability zone (50-75 points) and a relatively low sustainability zone (25-50 points), respectively; and there are no households achieving a high sustainability score (75-100 points). Sustainability of HFC in rural China is higher than that in urban areas; sustainability increases as households grow in size and receive higher annual income. The study highlights measures required to improve the current structure of diet in China.

Rescue-based food (RBF) – food products often made from ingredients that are not able to be sold due to aesthetic imperfections – represent an opportunity to reduce food waste. However, despite consumers’ desire to act pro-socially, preference for such products is negatively impacted by the perception that the imperfect ingredients reduce the quality of RBF. Across two studies, one field study and one controlled experiment, we demonstrate that a higher level of ingredients transformation can positively impact demand for RBF. Specifically, when the transformation makes the physical appearance of the initial imperfect ingredients less discernable (e.g., pureed) consumer demand increases in comparison to when the imperfect ingredient is less transformed and more visible (e.g., chunky). The findings have implications on prior literature on how transformation impacts consumer preferences, which shows equivocal results in the RBF domain. Further, the potential to elevate consumer demand for RBF has significant potential to advance efforts to reduce food waste.

Rapid economic development and urbanization have changed the pattern of global food consumption. This change can be particularly well observed when studying differences in food consumption among urban and rural residents. This study explored the temporal dynamics in household food consumption (HFC) in rural households of the Shandong Province in China. The study revealed that the inter-annual changes in HFC, starting with 2009, brought about a substantial increase in meat and vegetables intake. Improvements in living conditions represented the key driver of this change. The intra-annual changes were reflected in increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in summer being attributed to improved food supply and warmer weather. The variety of consumed food increased, especially during holidays, being driven by increased visitation of friends and relatives and the influence of Chinese culture. Children’s food preferences when visiting home resulted in increased consumption of meat, vegetables, and aquatic products. The findings provide a scientific basis to enhance the food consumption structure and refine the dietary nutrition levels in rural areas of China. The findings also provide a reference point which can be used to examine temporal changes in food consumption in other countries of the world.

Brazil is a global leader in soybean production. Although it is acknowledged that part of Brazilian soybean crop is lost and wasted in transition from farm to gate, the exact magnitude of this food loss and waste (FLW) remains unknown. This hampers the design of preventative interventions, thus diminishing profitability of farmers and resellers. This study quantified FLW occurring from farm to gate, identified the causes and assessed the monetary value of the lost crop. Data were collected by continuous monitoring of the crop planted in 2020 and harvested in 2021 by a larger soybean producer in the State of Paraná. These data were triangulated with stakeholder interviews and secondary data. The monitoring results showed that for every US$20 of revenue from soybean production, about US$ 1 (5.68%) was lost or wasted. Incorrect use of combine harvesters, moisture and foreign material represented the main FLW causes. The results highlighted the need to implement policies aimed at raising awareness of FLW among farmers and their employees.