Kempinski Best Applied Research Group

1. SWISS TOURISM APPLIED RESEARCH CENTRE
RB 004 - July, 2010
Research Bulletin
Research news of staff and students are welcome. Please submit information to the
editor.

2. Welcome to the LRG Research Bulletin. The Research Bulletin is
the newsletter for staff, students and associates of our institution.
It contains news, reports and other research events. It also
presents the latest staff publications and conference presentations.
Table of Contents
Foreword 2
Latest news 3
Research Collaborations 10
Collaboration with the industry 13
Research Events 14
Research Projects 20
Publications and Conference Presentations 22
Editor: Ruth Rios-Morales (PhD)
Deputy Director of Research
Swiss Tourism Applied Research (STAR)
Les Roches-Gruyère University of Applied Sciences
CH 1630 Bulle, Switzerland
Tel. 00 41 26 919 78 78
Fax 00 41 26 919 78 79,
Email:ruth.riosmorales@glion.edu
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3. Foreword
I am extremely pleased to be able to present the foreword to another issue of the Research
Bulletin. Research in LRG, Glion and Les Roches appears to be engaging a growing number
of staff and the Research Centre has had numerous enquiries concerning the development
of research. The diversity of approach is also impressive and I think reflects the wealth and
potential that we have within our institutions.
Recent research events (colloquiums and presentations at the United Nations) seem to have
again focused upon sustainability as an area of research that has been developing
momentum over the last six months. A number of staff are now engaged in research
projects related to tourism and hospitality, underpinning our aspirations (Copernicus
Project) to integrate sustainability into research and other areas.
I am still anxious to try and encourage staff to
develop their research within the areas of
hospitality and tourism whilst remaining within
their discipline area. There have been a number of
excellent examples where ‘tangential disciplines’ to
tourism and hospitality have been developed with a
tourism and hospitality focus.
It was extremely pleasing to see so many staff at
the EuroChrie Mini Conference, which we held in
Bulle in February. The theme I felt was very
pertinent to many staff. Methods of research and
methodology is always one of those contentious
areas which I sense makes staff nervous when
embarking on research. I know that the
Conference was extremely well received and my Dr Ian Jenkins, Director of Research
thanks must go to all the staff who supported and
helped with this event.
I hope you will enjoy this edition of the Bulletin and my grateful thanks to Dr Ruth Rios-
Morales for the time taken to collect narratives and edit this document. May I also
encourage all staff to support us by sending or contacting us with any relevant research
stories for inclusion in future bulletins.
Dr Ian Jenkins
July, 2010
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4. Latest News
Congratulations to Jon M. Ebersole and Caroline Pulfrey!
Pulfrey!
Jon M. Ebersole obtained his Doctorante in February
22, 2010 from the Institute for Leadership and Personnel
Management, University of St. Gallen.
Dr Ebersole is a lecturer in Leadership and Personnel
Management based at our Bulle campus. Jon also holds a
BA in Peace and Conflict Studies, a MA in Cultural
Anthropology, and a MSc in Public Administration. His
Doctoral thesis is entitled “Predicting Fund Manager
Integrity and Profitability”.
Caroline Pulfrey obtained her Doctorante in June
23, 2010 from the faculty of Social and Political
Science, University of Lausanne.
Dr Pulfrey is a lecturer in Psychology and
Management at our Bluche campus. Caroline’s
research has been published in top academic journals.
Her research topics range from educational and
cultural psychology to motivation, evaluation and
cultural values.
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5. Latest News
Best Dissertation Awards
Each semester our university recognizes research conducted by undergraduate
students, awarding the top undergraduate dissertations with the Best
Dissertation Awards.
Léa Duvillard has won the prize for the best
undergraduate dissertation 2010.1, Bulle campus.
Léa’s dissertation is entitled “The Effects of the US
Subprime Mortgage Crisis on the Housing Market of the
French part of Switzerland”. Léa’s disseration was
supervised by Ms Pia Huh.
The best BBA dissertation,
Bluche campus was developed
by Joshua Tan Le-on. Joshua’s
dissertation is entitled
“Extroversion, personal values and
their impact on sexual harassment :
perception and tolerance in the
hospitality industry”. Joshua’s
dissertation was supervised by
Dr C. Pulfrey.
Dr Alain Imboden and Joshua –
Graduation day 5

6. Latest News
Best Applied Research Kempinski Project Award
The prize for the Best MBA-MEd Applied Research Project (ARP) 2010 was given to the ARP
entitled “Loyalty Marketing and Brand Alliance Strategies: GHA(Global Hotel Alliance)
Discovery Program in the Global Hospitality Panel”. The award winners were chosen by
Kempinski managerial team based on presentation, analysis and research commitment.
Madame De Fontaine, Vice President of training at the Kempinski Group presented the prize
at the graduation ceremony to Anqi Wu, Jeff Theile and David Brochiero.
Primary data was collected from Kempinski Headquarters, Kempinski Hotel-Geneva and from
former employees. Findings are kept undisclosed under the confidentiality agreement between
LRG and Kempinski.
Left to right: Ms. De Fontaine, Anqi Wu, Jeff Theile, David Brochiero and
Mr. Juskiw, 6

7. Latest News
Climate Change: Risk Management Issues and Challenges
Dr Ian Jenkins has been asked to write a chapter and analyse what exactly will be the response of
in a book by Cabi relating to the issue of climate tourist destinations to climate change and also
change and its effects on tourism. The chapter is considers the measures and models that could be
entitled: ‘Climate Change: Risk Management applied and adapted from these changes. There
Issues and Challenges’ and will be featured in the are many examples of good practice, or at least
book ‘Disappearing Destinations’, due to be marketing responses, by companies involved in the
published later this year. He states, “The chapter tourism industry to the challenges that will
draws upon my expertise and knowledge base, inevitably result. Ian has recently reviewed a book
which I have developed through teaching and for Cabi called ‘Planning For Tourism and
researching this subject over the last 20 years.” He Sustainability’ which again will be published this
further adds, “Currently, there is a plethora of year. These publications emphasise the need to
texts dealing with safety and management issues, ensure that Glion, LRG and Les Roches have
which is a far cry from when I began my career, future research areas connected to sustainability
when there were very few”. Also climate change and climate change▪
is now an accepted premise of long term changes
to our weather patterns. The text tries to evaluate
Dr Lyn Glanz has accepted an invitation onto the editorial advisory board of a book series for
Emerald Group Publishing, entitled Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and
Sustainability. Detailed information can be found on the website:
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/books/series.htm?id=2043-9059
Dr David Horrigan has been appointed member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Vacation
Marketing. The Journal is published by SAGE, a leading international publisher of journals, books, and
electronic media for the academia. Journal of Vacation Marketing main aim is to provide a forum for the
publication of peer reviewed academic papers, meeting the highest standards of intellectual rigor. More
information can be found in the following link:
http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201732&crossRegion=eur
Dr Ruth Rios-Morales has been invited to be Guest Editor of the Special Issue on Wine Business and
Globalisation for the International Journal of Business and Globalisation. The Journal is published
by Inderscience, publisher of distinguished academic, scientific and professional journals. More
information is found the following link:
http://www.inderscience.com/browse/callpaper.php?callID=1365
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8. News from Australia
By Dominic Szambowski
Director - Academic Affairs
Australian International Hotel School
Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School
The research strategy for the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS)
began in 2008 with the establishment of the Orion Research Centre. With changes in company
ownership when BMIHMS joined the Laureate Hospitality Education network the Centre is now
know as the BMIHMS Research Centre. The Centre is funded by an annual grant of $50 000 over a
five year period as an outcome of its partnership with The University of Queensland’s School of
Tourism.
This strategy was created so that UQ faculty could mentor BMIHMS as the school concurrently
went about hiring faculty with a research background for key senior teaching positions. This
medium-range plan (3 years) was put in action to further firm BMIHMS’ position operating in the
Australian university sector.
The funds are currently managed by the BMIHMS Academic Board for research directions and
outcomes.
Projects
In the initial round of research, after a joint research workshop conducted by and for staff at
BMIHMS and UQ, a call for proposals was advertised to the combined staffs. Four projects were
originally funded but only three of them were able to commence. The three funded projects were as
follows:
Australian Hotel & Hospitality Degree Programs: Philosophy and Practice. N. Breakey, S. Craig-Smith, R.
Robinson, D. Szambowski.
Crisis Planning, Perceptions and Attitudes of New South Wales Hotel Managers. B. Ritchie, D. Beirman, G.
Bentley.
Evolution & Evaluation of Tourism and Hospitality Programs in Higher Education Institutions in China. P.
Ding, C. Arcodia & S. Craig-Smith, H. Batey.
All projects will be completed by July 2010 with full reports from these projects available by August.
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9. Research Events
EuroCHRIE Mini Conference
Les Roches- Gruyère, University of
Applied Sciences (LRG-UAS) was pleased
to host the 3rd EuroCHRIE mini
conference at its Bulle campus on April
19th 2010. The theme of this academic
event was “Research Methodologies for
New Researchers”. Dr Ian Jenkins and Dr
Ruth Rios-Morales, director of research
and deputy director of research
successively from LRG-UAS opened the
event addressing the importance of
research methods in research development.
LRG-UAS was delighted to have three
keynote speakers: Mr Andy Middleton
from TYF, Wales, UK addressed the topic
of sustainability and importance of
research. Prof. Sandra Watson from
Edinburgh Napier University spoke about
alternative routes to PhDs. Prof. John
Swarbrooke from César Ritz lectured on
experiential methodology.
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10. Research Events
LRG-UAS was also honoured to have four guest speakers: Dr Dragan Gamberger from
RuñerBošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia who addressed the topic of quantitative data analysis and
integration of statistical and data mining. Dr Thouraya Gherissi-Labben & Adriana Centeno from
Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne lectured on the tools for qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Dr
Zarina Charlesworth from LRG-UAS talked about validating qualitative analysis and Caroline Pulfrey
from Les Roches addressed the topic of questionnaires, data-entry and statistical analysis.
The 3rd EuroCHRIE mini-conference was a real success. It was a pleasant and friendly gathering of
delegates that came from all the Swiss Hotel and Tourism academic institutions. The general purpose
of these events is to provide a platform of opportunities to new researchers and also serve as
avenues for research collaboration▪
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11. Research Events
Colloquiums
Adventure tourism, profitability and sustainable development in National
Parks
The first guest speaker was Mr Andy Middletown. Mr Middleton is founder and director of St
David's-based (Wales UK) TYF Group. TYF Group is an instructive and adventure business who
teach 12,000 people a year to work, live and play differently. Mr Middleton key role at TYF is
‘talking the walk’ as an advisor to business and government, helping to close the gap between
knowledge and action on climate change and sustainability issues. The colloquium took place on.
Wednesday, 17th February 2010.
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12. Research Events
Neuroscience in Marketing: The Case of Emotional Branding
Marketing:
The second colloquium was presented by two guest speakers: Professor Luiz Moutinho and
José Paulo Santos from the University of Glasgow. Professor Moutinho is a well known
academic; he is the Chair of Marketing Founding at the Department of Management,
University of Glasgow. Prof. Moutihno is also Editor of the Journal of Modelling in
Management (JM2). José Paulo Santos’ research is focused on Biological basis of the behavior
and Neuromarketing. Professor Moutinho and José Paulo Santos presented a lecture entitled
“Neuroscience in Marketing: The Case of Emotional Branding” on April 29th 2010.
Left to right: José Paulo Santos and Professor Luiz Moutinho
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13. Collaborative Projects
Collaboration with Fribourg Tourism Bureau
LRG Research Centre is working in two joint projects Fribourg Tourism Bureau.
Hotel Capacity Study: Fribourg Canton – Project
The notion of this project is to evaluate the capacity of hotel beds within the Canton of
Fribourg. The study Vision 2020 identifies the need to have 1000 more bed spaces within the
area of Fribourg by the year 2020. In order to achieve this target it is necessary to evaluate and
identify where the demand for tourism and business bed-spaces can be found. Tourism is a
growing sector with Switzerland and in Fribourg and the idea is to ensure that the capacity for
bed-spaces is met with this ever increasing demand. The occupancy level in Fribourg shows a
dichotomy between the Federal government’s official statistical and those that are supplied by
the Hotel associations of the Canton, and this is an issue which needs to addressed and
investigated within the remit of this study.
Developing Competitive Advantages through Responsible Tourism in the
Canton of Fribourg – Project
This is the second stage of a study piloted by Mr Henri Kuokkanen that aims to structure a
model that can explain how businesses operating within the field of tourism could gain
competitive advantage through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and improve their
financial performance. The main proposition of this research is that no operator/service
provider really understands what demand for social responsibility is, we argue that a customer
cannot demand something of which he has no previous experience. By determining what the
real demand is for social responsibility in tourism, a company could _ by meeting this
demand_ gain a competitive advantage for its business (responsible brand) and a thus improve
financial performance measured mainly by revenue (as this is what the consumer choice
affects) as well as net income (to include the cost of being responsible).
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14. Collaborative Projects
UNCTAD
Symposium on International Investment for Development
The United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the academic
community gathered together at the annual Symposium on International Investment for
Development, 15-16 March 2010 to set the agenda for policy-oriented research for the next ten
years. The aim of the Symposium was to facilitate long-term partnerships between UNCTAD and
academics on issues of mutual interest. The Symposium gathered 165 people from the four corners
of the world. LRG-UAS was represented by Dr Ian Jenkins and Dr Ruth Rios-Morales.
At the Symposium, LRG delegates advocated the importance of the tourism industry in economic
development. They argued that tourism must be integrated in national development strategies and
should be present in the economic development and poverty reduction agenda.
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15. Collaborative Projects
The economic contribution of the tourism industry accounts for about 10.6 percent of the
world’s GDP. Tourism represents one of the main sources of income for many developing
countries. For some nations, tourism contributes up to 95 percent to their GDP
Despite the strong correlation between tourism related investment and economic growth,
research in the topic of investment in the tourism industry is very limited. In order to detect
relevant and meaningful relationships between government policies and investment in the
tourism industry, Ruth Rios-Morales, Dragan Gamberger, Ian Jenkins and Tom Šmuc are
working on a project entitled “Modelling investment in the tourism industry by the World
Bank's good governance indicators”.
Left to right:Dr Jenkins, Dr Rios-Morales, Prof. Hafiz Mirza (UNCTAD’s Chief) and
Prof. Louis Brennan (Trinity College Dublin)
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16. Collaboration with the Industry
Fostering collaboration with the industry is one of the main objectives of LRG. In 2010, our
university initiated three interesting projects.
Four Seasons
Robert Lewis, lecturer and researcher at LRG, Bluche campus is piloting this collaboration
project with a Florence-based luxury hotel. This study argues that hospitality organisations can
attract and retain high quality staff by measuring work-life balance implications for employees
within context. Work-life balance, for the purpose of this study, refers to the relationship
between work- and non-work life.
ARJO
This project represents collaboration between ARJO group, a market leader in lifting
equipment and LRG-UAS. Based on their recognised role in the market for support equipment
for obese and ageing people, ARJO will assist our Master’s students conducting an applied
research project with the development of client profiles, provide lifting equipment for tests
and discussions with hospitality clients and support implementation concepts. Students are
working under the supervision of Dr Tom Guthknecht.
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17. Collaboration with the Industry
Kempinski
In 2009, the Kempinski Hotel and our university initiated an interesting project. This project
encompasses four case studies, offering MBA and MEd students the opportunity to conduct
research and to gather information and data from the Kempinski Hotel Chain. MBA and MEd
students are working under the supervision of Mr Juskiw and Mr Gervaix. The head
office based in Geneva have offered unlimited access to data bases to collate primary data from
around the world and also access to conduct interviews with all levels of employees.
Kempiski Headquarters Geneva: the Kempinski managerial team, MBA/MEd students and supervisors
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18. Collaborative Projects
FP7 - Collaborative Project Proposal
LRG-UAS is a member of a team of 20 the adequate existing mechanism, targeted to
EMRBI associates universities that has its needs. This will allow each partner to form,
participated in the submission of a at a national level, a pilot action. This pilot run
collaborative project proposal to the FP7 EU will test the new innovative financial products
programme. and will also determine the ability of
The project aims at the creation of a methodology transfer towards the global
transnational network of structures, which will market financial environment. The
search internally for viable existing structures dissemination of the results of the pilot
and mechanisms that have the power to create, actions will contribute to the economic growth
promote and enhance financial innovation, at and employment of Europe since it will
the beginning, nationally and then globally. generate the critical mass financial products
These structures and mechanisms will initially and of mechanisms, which will activate the
be recorded and presented, at the transnational entrepreneurs, and the financial institutions
level, in order to form a synthesis of involved towards globally marketable
experiences ready to be adopted after the innovation. Again, all relative consequences at
necessary adjustments. Through this procedure the economic, social and environmental
each partner will in one hand form or reform perspectives will be examined and analyzed
the existing financial innovation structure and
on the other hand, it will select and implement
from this change at the financial system .
TEMPUS Programme
LRG-UAS is participating in the Tempus programme, one of many European
Community programmes focused in the field of higher education. The aims of the
project are to create and disseminate knowledge about key success factors and cross
cultural management in cross border alliances (mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures).
This knowledge will be acquired through research in cooperation of universities and
business associations.
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19. Collaborative Projects
LRG Participation in COST Action
LRG-UAS is participating in the COST Action or host country or both). This project research
entitled “The Emergence of Southern is innovative in both its comparative dimension
Multinationals and Their Impact on Europe”. (there is no similarly broad-ranging analysis of
Ruth Rios-Morales has been nominated the the impact of Southern Multinationals on
COST action’s manager in Switzerland. COST Europe) and its methodology (drawing on
(European Cooperation in the field of Scientific contextual, multi-perspective and multi-level
and Technical Research) is one of the European research). The project addresses the need for a
Science Foundation’s program with objective of greater understanding around Southern
widely disseminate research results at both Multinationals, and for theory development and
national and international level. new models. It will integrate the outcomes of
This COST Action brings together scholars empirical studies based on a broader conceptual
from COST-eligible countries that share an framework and cases generating firm level data
interest in the scientific study of Southern across national boundaries.
Multinationals and their impact on Europe and
have specific area knowledge (country of origin
Management Committee Meeting of the COST Action – May 25-26 2010, Brussels
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20. Research Projects
Comfort, Risk, Seduction and Wilderness: the Paradoxes
of Adventure Tourism
By Dr Alain Imboden
In a series of conference papers, Dr Imboden is exploring some of the paradoxes gravitating
around adventure tourism.
In Adrenaline for Sale: A Discourse Analysis of Adventure Tourism in Sweden & Switzerland, the focus
is on the notion of risk and its representations in the promotion of adventure tourism by the
official Tourism boards of Sweden and Switzerland. The analysis shows that once commodified,
adventure is mostly represented by these two actors as a risk-free activity. Risk is here diluted in
a representation of adventure as something manageable and achievable, while paradoxically
uncertainty is represented in the literature as an essential attribute of adventure.
In Escaping Modernity? The Conditions of Existence of Adventure Tourism, the factors that make
adventure tourism socially desirable are discussed. Risk is here once again part of the analysis, in
particular as a perception of being on the edge that may establish a sense overcoming and self-
achievement. This conceptual paper identifies two ways of explaining the desire for adventure
both based on the notion of escape: one defining adventure tourism as a necessary but
temporary and punctual form of escape from our modern reality and the other seeing adventure
as a form of post-modernism.
In Hospitality and Wilderness - Defining the Norms of a Cohabitation, another phenomenon generated
through the commodification of adventure is explored: the presence of comfort in the
wilderness. The compromises done in offering hospitality but preserving the wild nature in
which this hospitality is offered are analyzed through the case of the mountain hut. The analysis
reveals the omnipresence of comfort as an essential element of modernity, even in the most
remote places and during the most adventurous activities. It also raises the issue of perception
versus reality in relation with what is today considered as wilderness.
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21. Research Projects
Together, these papers display the complex nature of adventure once it becomes a modern
product for sale under the label of adventure tourism. In its different representations, this
product contains notions of risk but also safety, threat but also desire, comfort but also
wilderness, control but also uncertainty. It is precisely this ambivalence that will be further
studied by the author, in particular from a consumer’s perspective.
References:
Imboden A. (2009), Adrenaline for Sale: A Discourse Analysis of Adventure Tourism in Sweden &
Switzerland, 18th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research, University of
Southern Denmark, 22nd - 25th October 2009, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Imboden A. (2010), Escaping Modernity? The Conditions of Existence of Adventure Tourism, paper to
be presented at the International Critical Tourism Studies Conference “Tourism and
Seductions of Difference”, 9th-12th September 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.
Imboden A. (2009), Hospitality and Wilderness - Defining the Norms of a Cohabitation: the case of the
Mountain Hut, paper to be presented at the 19th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality
Research, 23rd – 26th September 2010, Akureyri, Iceland.
Cabane BERTOL – Valais, Switzereland
© 2008-2010 La cabane Bertol
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22. Swiss Tourism Applied Research (STAR)
Les Roches-Gruyère University of Applied Sciences
CH 1630 Bulle, Switzerland
Tel. 00 41 26 919 78 78
Fax 00 41 26 919 78 79