Managing Hospitality Organizations : Achieving Excellence in the Guest Experience

"A perfect book for any Hospitality program, excellent instructor support, and a good resource for students." 
–Denise A. Braley, Mitchell College

Today’s economy is dominated by the rapidly growing service sector. Even businesses primarily selling goods are reinventing their image and positioning themselves as service providers. Managing Hospitality Organizations: Achieving Excellence in the Guest Experience takes students on a journey through the evolving service industry. Each chapter focuses on a core principle of hospitality management and is packed with practical advice, examples, and cases from some of the best companies in the service sector. Authors Robert C. Ford and Michael C. Sturman emphasize the critical importance of focusing on the guest and creating that unforgettable customer experience. Whether your students will be managing a neighborhood café, a convention center, or a high-end resort hotel, they will learn invaluable skills for managing the guest experience in today’s ultracompetitive environment.

The Second Edition includes new coverage of technology, sustainability, sexual harassment, diversity and inclusion, and ethical leadership. 

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Robert C. Ford (Ph.D., Arizona State University) is professor emeritus of management in the

College of Business Administration (COBA) of the University of Central Florida (UCF) where

he taught management of service organizations. He joined UCF as the chair of its hospitality

department. He was also the COBA Associate Dean for Graduate and External Programs.

Bob has authored and coauthored numerous publications in both top research and practitioner

journals. He has served on several editorial boards including Cornell Hospitality Quarterly,

British Journal of Management, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, Journal of

Convention and Event Tourism, and Journal of Service Management. Currently, he is associate

editor of Organizational Dynamics. He has also published several books including Managing the

Guest Experience in Hospitality, Achieving Service Excellence: Strategies for Health Care, Managing

Destination Marketing Organizations, and The Fun Minute Manager.

Bob has participated actively in many professional organizations. He has served the

Academy of Management (AOM) as editor of The Academy of Management Executive, Director

of Placement, board member of the HRM and Careers divisions, Division Chair for both its

Management History and its Management Education and Development divisions, and as a member

and chair of its Ethics Adjudication Committee. Bob has served the Southern Management

Association (SMA) in every elective office including that of president. He was a founding member

and Chair of the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration and

served on the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program.

Bob has been recognized for his service by many organizations. He received the

Distinguished Service Award from AOM’s MED, the Richard Hodgett’s Distinguished Career

Award from Management History, and SMA’s Distinguished Service Award and was elected

to SMA Fellows. In recognition of his service to hospitality education, Bob was given the Paul

Brown Award by the Florida Hotel and Lodging Association. He was also twice awarded a W.

James Whyte Research Fellow by the University of Queensland.

Michael C. Sturman (Ph.D., Cornell University) is Professor of Human Resource Management

in the Rutgers’ School of Management and Labor Relations. His research focuses on the prediction

of individual job performance over time and the influence of compensation systems. He also

examines the use of HR Analytics and Metrics to improve HR decision-making and the return

on HR investments. Michael has published research articles in journals such as the Academy of

Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Organizational

Research Methods, and Personnel Psychology. He has also published practitioner-oriented papers

in Compensation and Benefits Review, the American Compensation Association Journal, Cornell

Hospitality Quarterly, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Lodging Magazine, and

Lodging HR, and is a presenter in Salary.com’s CompX Compensation Education series. Before

coming to Rutgers, Michael was the Kenneth and Marjorie Blanchard Professor of Human

Resources at Cornell University’s College of Business, where he held appointments in the

Management Area and the School of Hotel Administration, as well as a courtesy appointment

with the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Michael holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. from

Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and is a Senior Professional of

Human Resources as certified by the Society for Human Resource Management. He teaches

undergraduate, graduate, and executive courses on human resource management, HR analytics,

compensation, and analytical methods.