TY - JOUR
T1 - The moments of truth
T2 - A qualitative exploration of service interactions between employees with disabilities in the food service industry, and their customers
AU - Doan, Tin
AU - Mooney, Shelagh
AU - Kim, Peter B.
PY - 2023/10/1
Y1 - 2023/10/1
N2 - This research, using in-depth qualitative interviews, aimed to disentangle the meanings of service interactions perceived by both employees with disabilities (EWDs), and their customers, based on their own experiences. The interviews were conducted with a total of twenty participants including ten EWDs and ten customers from foodservice organizations (e.g., restaurants and cafés) in Vietnam. The findings of the thematic analysis revealed that EWDs perceived service interactions with customers as opportunities to provide services characterized by ‘total attentiveness’, 'impressing customers’, and ‘social connection’, while their customers perceived the interactions as both opportunities for ‘genuine hospitality’, and ‘contributions to social change’. The implications of the findings are important for hospitality researchers and practitioners alike.
AB - This research, using in-depth qualitative interviews, aimed to disentangle the meanings of service interactions perceived by both employees with disabilities (EWDs), and their customers, based on their own experiences. The interviews were conducted with a total of twenty participants including ten EWDs and ten customers from foodservice organizations (e.g., restaurants and cafés) in Vietnam. The findings of the thematic analysis revealed that EWDs perceived service interactions with customers as opportunities to provide services characterized by ‘total attentiveness’, 'impressing customers’, and ‘social connection’, while their customers perceived the interactions as both opportunities for ‘genuine hospitality’, and ‘contributions to social change’. The implications of the findings are important for hospitality researchers and practitioners alike.
KW - Cafés
KW - Customers
KW - Employees with disabilities (EWDs)
KW - People with disabilities (PWDs)
KW - Restaurants
KW - Service interaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171736642&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103602
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103602
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85171736642
SN - 0278-4319
VL - 115
JO - International Journal of Hospitality Management
JF - International Journal of Hospitality Management
M1 - 103602
ER -