Hospitality operators' understanding of service: a qualitative approach

Purpose – The purpose of this research was to begin to answer the question “Can a person as an employee, an individual or a leader be pre‐disposed to deliver service?”. Design/methodology/approach – To answer this question the research began exploring service from the provider's perspective to better understand how it is understood and how the need to serve is developed. This study used an interpretive phenomenological approach and collected data through semi‐structured interviews. Purposeful sampling produced hospitality management operators as participants. The focus of the interviews was their understanding of service, and how one develops a need to serve others. An editing style of data analysis was conducted. Findings – Findings included an understanding of how hospitality operators view service, including necessary external and internal attributes. Additionally, a basic understanding of how the need to serve develops in service providers was garnered from the data collected. Practical implications – Specific implications for service practitioners included training and selection. Selection based on these findings likely produces employees that are a better fit for service provision, resulting in more satisfied employees and guests. Training employees in these key areas is also likely to produce employees that deliver service effectively and are contributing members to the organization. Originality/value – This research is valuable to service practitioners as it identifies key attributes necessary of service providers that can aid in selection and training. Additionally, this research provides value to other researchers as it notes a spectrum approach to understanding how the need to serve develops.