Award Date

12-1-2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Mehmet Erdem

Second Committee Member

Laura Book

Third Committee Member

Tim Self

Fourth Committee Member

LeAnn Putney

Number of Pages

120

Abstract

This study explores to identify integrated resort managers’ and employees’ perceptions about the use of the mystery shopping program as a service consistency tool and as part of the performance appraisal process. This study reviews previous literature review about the mystery shopping program and its potential psychological impacts on the employees. Such potential impacts include feelings of anxiety, induced stress, trust issues with managers, and privacy infringement. Using the thematic analysis, and Likert scale, the perceived usefulness of mystery shopping and potential psychological impacts were identified.

The study was conducted in two phases to identify both overlap and differences between the two groups: employees and managers. The first phase of the study invited 9 line-entry employees from upper-upscale and luxury integrated resorts to identify their perception about the mystery shopping program. The main findings of the study are compared with the previous literature review. The analysis indicated that employees perceived the usefulness of the program in terms of performance appraisals and consistency tool. Additionally, the abovementioned psychological impacts were identified except the privacy infringement. The second phase of the study invited 10 management professionals and executives from upper-upscale and luxury integrated resorts to identify their perception about the mystery shopping program. The main findings of the study are also compared with the previous literature review. The findings overlap with employees and expressed that they perceived the usefulness of the program in terms of performance appraisals and consistency tools. However, the differences existed for potential psychological impacts. The practical implications of the findings are also discussed in the study.

Keywords

Consistency; Employee Observation; Mystery Shopping; Perceptions; Performance Appraisals; Psychological Impacts

Disciplines

Sociology

File Format

pdf

File Size

1300 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Included in

Sociology Commons

Share

COinS