Browsing by Author "Murphy, Kevin S."
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- An Analysis of the Effect of Compensation Offerings on the Turnover Intentions of Restaurant Managing Partners for Outback SteakhouseMurphy, Kevin S. (Virginia Tech, 2000-12-12)The restaurant industry has long been characterized by a high rate of "turnover, low wages, primitive technology, controlling management and an unimpressive benefits package"(Sullivan, 1999). " The most serious issue for employers today -in all industries- is hiring and keeping qualified and capable employees" according to Donald Marshack, senior analyst at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)(2000). The primary purpose of this study was to examine the perceived notion that the compensation plan of Outback Steakhouse reduces the intention to turnover of its unit level managing partners. Specifically the research focused on a survey of general manager's attitudes in regards to their intentions to seek out new employment and the effect of the compensation plan provided by Outback Steakhouse on their intention to turnover. The Objective of the study was to investigate the current management compensation practices of the managing partners of Outback Steakhouse, while identifying the relationship between management compensation and the intention to turnover for proprietors at Outback Steakhouse restaurants. A further objective was to establish the relationship between employee turnover and employee turnover intentions as a predictor of separation from an organization. A survey instrument was utilized to gather information for this study was sent by mail to all of the 600 general managers of Outback Steakhouses listed on the company's web site in the US. The survey contained questions designed to measure the influence of the compensation package on the general managers' intent to turnover, and the degree of influence each element of the compensation package had on their intention to quit. The results showed that the correlation coefficient indicated 5 out of the 8 monetary compensation variables had a significant positive relationship with the compensation plan and reducing turnover intentions. A forward regression analysis was conducted comparing all of the compensation elements. This was done for the purpose of determining which variables would be the best predictors of respondents desire to stay with Outback because of the positive influence the compensation package, as a whole, has on them. When the computations were completed, two variables, deferred compensation and stock option, explained 41.7% of the sample variation (R² = .417) and 39.8% of the population variation (Adjusted R² = .398).
- An Exploratory Study of Strategic Human Resource Management High Performance Work Practices for Unit Level Managers, in the Casual Segment of the Us RestaurantMurphy, Kevin S. (Virginia Tech, 2006-04-24)The previous chapters described in detail the literature, theory and research on Co-alignment, RBV and SHRM that was the basis for the development of a construct for the conceptualization of HPWP in the casual theme restaurant sector of the US hospitality industry for management. Firms able to implement such HPWP systems possessing universality, i.e. complementary internal fit, have been shown to increase the intangible value of their human capital (employees) and create greater economic value (Delery, 1998). This study used the co-alignment principle in conjunction with concepts in SHRM and RBV to develop a theory for a HPWP system for casual theme restaurants in the US, which is named a High Performance People System (HPPS). The co-alignment model for hospitality organizations which is the foundation of the theoretical model for this research (Olsen, West, and Tse;1998) describes the relationship between four key constructs, i.e. the environment, strategy choice, firm structure, and firm performance. Briefly, the four constructs in the model must be in alignment with each other in order for the firm to produce the greatest value for its stakeholders. Co-alignment theory purports that, "if the firm is able to identify the opportunities that exist in the forces driving change, invest in competitive methods that take advantage of these opportunities, and allocate resources to those that create the greatest value, the financial results desired by owners and investors have a much better chance of being achieved" (Olsen et al. 1998, p.2). SHRM researchers have been advocates of the theory that supports the causal relationship between HRM practices, sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) and firm performance. Several strategic human resource management researchers such as, Cappelli & Singh (1992),Wright & McMahan (1992), Pfeffer (1994), Lado & Wison (1995), Huselid (1995), Jackson & Schuler (1995),Becker & Gerhart (1996), Delany & Huselid (1996), Boxall (1998), Pfeffer (1998), Schuler & Jackson (2000), Ulrich & Beatty (2001), Lepak & Snell (2002), Hartog (2004) and others have directly or indirectly made attempts to theorize the effects of single or multiple human resource management variables on firm performance. These efforts have led to the incremental development of the strategic human resource management literature that stresses the relationships between the HRM practices, SCA and firm performance. There is an emergent body of evidence demonstrating that "the methods used by an organization to manage its human resources can have a substantial impact on many organizationally relevant outcomes" (Delery, 1998, p. 1). Convoluting the research on HPWP is incongruity among researchers on the micro HRM practices which are included in the SHRM system; there is little concurrence among scholars with respect to specifically which human resource practices should be incorporated (Becker & Gerhart, 1996; Rogers & Wright, 1998; Chadwick & Cappelli, 1999). RBV is one of the ten schools of thought in the field of management theory (Mintzberg, 2000) and is predicated on the concept that in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and produce value for the firm, individual policies or practices produce the greatest results when they operate in a complex system that is not easily imitated (Barney, 1995). Resources are the "physical things a firm buys, leases or produces for its own use or the people hired on terms that make them effectively part of the firm" (Penrose, 1959: 67). Wernerfelt (1984) defines a firm's resources as "tangible or intangible assets which are tied semi-permanently to the firm" (p. 172). Barney (1991) further suggested that resources which can be used to create a SCA must have value, rareness, inimitability and substitutability The research focused on the discovery of the components of a HPWP system construct in the US casual theme restaurant segment for operating managers and the performance metrics used to judge their effectiveness. An exploratory study, in part using the Delphi method, serves as the overall research approach. A cross section of restaurant industry experts including company executives, consultants, academics and investors/owners contributed to the study. The outcome is a list of HRM work practices that are common to the casual theme restaurant industry and performance metrics. Based on prior empirical work the study started with 14 HRM work practice dimensions (See Table 3.1) and 3 performance measurements of productivity, turnover and financial performance (Huselid, 1995; Huselid & Becker, 1995; Delery & Doty, 1996; Becker & Huselid, 1996; Huselid & Becker, 1997; Hartog, 2004). These dimensions and performance metrics were presented to the panel of expert's making up the pilot study group as a starting point in the development of the HPWP system construct for the casual themed restaurant industry. After compiling the results of the pilot study and pretesting the survey instrument, the first Delphi survey (see Appendix 3) and a subsequent reminder were sent out electronically to the preselected Delphi participants for the study. A consensus on the research questions was not reached from the first-round survey according to the protocol Therefore, the second round was administered which provide opportunity for participants to change their position to help the group reach a consensus. Since consensus was reached according to the protocol (see tables 4.9, 4.12 & 4.13), the Delphi was concluded at this point. In summary, figure 1.1 put forth a conceptual model to clarify the relationships between the above mentioned schools of thought and firm performance. Figure 1.2 presented a working theoretical model which expounds on the relationships between the key concepts in the conceptual model and firm performance. Finally, figure 5.1 displays the results and the relationships of the study which methodically confirms the components of a HPPS for unit level managers, and identifies appropriate evaluation criteria for determining the performance of HPPS in the US casual restaurant market.
- The Impact of Discounting Room Rates on In-house restaurant sales [Summary]Murphy, Kevin S.; Semrad, Kelly J.; Yost, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2013)This study investigates whether discounting hotel room rates during low seasons of demand influences in-house hotel restaurant sales in a positive way. A linear regression function was utilized to assess the relationship between discounting room rates and the hotel's in-house restaurant sales.
- The Role Demographics Have on Customer Involvement in Obtaining a Hotel Discount and Implications for Hotel Revenue Management Strategy [Summary]Lee, Seung Hyun; Bai, Billy; Murphy, Kevin S. (Virginia Tech, 2012-06-15)This study attempted to focus attention back on identifying consumers based on certain demographics. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender, age, education, and income in influencing consumer's level of involvement in obtaining a hotel discount.