The central role of front-line employees in the luxury accommodation product: Evidence from Australia.

Abstract

The paper investigates the importance of front-line employees’ role in the Luxury Accommodation Product (LAP). In this qualitative study, participants were approached through a web-based survey. The sample comprised four managers and ten front-line employees, employed at a single independent luxury hotel in Australia. The findings suggest that front-line employees are central to the LAP in independent hotels, and their behaviour directly impacts guest satisfaction and business longevity. It was also found that front-line employees understand their role as a highly complex, multi-dimensional position, affected by external and internal variables, such as the guest, operational and personal needs. Despite their central role in LAP operations, there is a deficit of academic research regarding front-line employees’ understanding of the LAP, and their role within it. This gap is addressed by the study’s findings that challenge established theories on the front-line employees’ role, discovered to be more complex than previously theorised.