Reconceptualizing Customer Perceived Value in Hotel Management in Turbulent Times: A Case Study of Isfahan Metropolis Five-Star Hotels during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Amir Ghorbani, Hossein Mousazadeh, Farahnaz Akbarzadeh Almani, Masoud Lajevardi, Mohammad Reza Hamidizadeh, Mehrdad Orouei, Kai Zhu () and Lóránt Dénes Dávid ()
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Amir Ghorbani: Department of Tourism, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
Hossein Mousazadeh: Department of Regional Science, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, 1053 Budapest, Hungary
Farahnaz Akbarzadeh Almani: Department of Tourism Management, Budapest Business School, University of Applied Sciences, 1149 Budapest, Hungary
Masoud Lajevardi: Department of Business Management, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan 35131-37111, Iran
Mohammad Reza Hamidizadeh: Department of Business Administration, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 19839-69411, Iran
Mehrdad Orouei: Department of Management and Accounting, Islamic Azad University, Semnan 35131-37111, Iran
Kai Zhu: Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Lóránt Dénes Dávid: Faculty of Economics and Business, John von Neumann University, 6000 Kecskemet, Hungary

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the tourism and hospitality industry. This study aims to reconceptualize the concept of customer perceived value (CPV) in Isfahan’s five-star hotels during the pandemic using the grounded theory (GT) approach in the context of qualitative research. The objective of this study is to explore the key dimensions of CPV and identify the main strategies that enhance the value perceived by hotel customers. Data were collected with interviews with 30 experts in the hotel and hospitality industry, and MAXQDA software was used to analyze the data. The dominant themes that emerged from the content analysis included health-oriented self-gratification value, financial value, quality value, emotional value, social value, epistemic value, information value, and health security value. Additionally, the subthemes identified were trust, satisfaction, and information access. All these themes could potentially be employed by hotel sectors as solutions to enhance customer satisfaction during the pandemic. From a practical standpoint, this study provides insights to hotel managers or practitioners to implement updated strategies that contribute to knowledge development about customer perceived value in the hotel sector, which can lead to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty. The article makes theoretical contributions to the literature on CPV by identifying new dimensions that are relevant to the pandemic. This extension of the literature provides a more comprehensive understanding of CPV in crisis situations and can inform future research on the topic. The article also discusses future research directions.

Keywords: hotel management in turbulent times; grounded theory; COVID-19; MAXQDA 2020; hospitality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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