Hospitality Net

Ithaca, NY | A groundbreaking analysis of the effect of brand affiliation on a hotel property’s value has been named the best article published in Volume 47 of the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly (CQ). Linda Canina, editor of the CQ, announced that “The Role of Brand Affiliation in Hotel Market Value,” by John W. O’Neill and Qu Xiao, published in the August 2006 issue, was named in a judging process that included ratings by the CQ editorial board, faculty at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, and members of the Advisory Board of Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research, which publishes the Cornell Quarterly.

“We’ve long suspected that certain brands carry more value for a hotel property,” said Canina, who is also an associate professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. “Without naming names, this article demonstrates and quantifies that effect.” O’Neill and Qu are on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University.

The winning article was selected from a challenging field, which included two finalists. The first finalist: "The Perceived Fairness of Waitlist-management Techniques for Restaurants," in which Cornell's Kelly A. McGuire and Sheryl E. Kimes examined acceptable ways for a busy restaurant to improve its seat usage by violating the convention of first-come, first served without offending waiting guests. The second finalist: "Is That a Finger in My Chili?: Using Affective Advertising for Postcrisis Brand Repair," by Kathryn A. Braun-Latour and Michael S. Latour (both of University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and Elizabeth F. Loftus (of University of California at Irvine). This article analyzed Wendy's response to the damage caused by false accusations of food tampering. The authors suggested that Wendy's invoke the warm memories of the past to offset negative publicity.

“I thank all of our authors and reviewers for their contributions,” concluded Canina. “This wide participation is what makes the Cornell Quarterly an authoritative voice for useful new research ideas.” All Cornell Quarterly articles are available from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research website at http://hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/quarterly/.

About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center’s 57 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. To learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.

Center partners and sponsors: AIG Global Real Estate Investment, Denihan Hospitality Group, Expedia, Inc., Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, HVS International, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., Kohinoor Group, LRP Publications, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh’s Hospitality Practice, Mobil Travel Guide, Nestlé, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer Rose LLP, Smith Travel Research, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., SynXis (a Sabre Holdings Corporation), Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Thayer Group of Companies, Travelport, and Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG).

Center friends: 4Hoteliers.com • American Tescor, LLC • Caribbean Hotel and Restaurant Buyers Guide • Cody Kramer Imports • Cruise Industry News • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • Estrela Marketing Solutions • Fireman's Fund Insurance Company • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) • hospitalityInside.com • hospitalitynet.org • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • HotelExecutive.com • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • International CHRIE • International Hotel and Restaurant Association • International Hotel Conference • iPerceptions • KPMG Japan/Global Management Directions • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • PKF Hospitality Research • The Resort Trades • RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • WageWatch, Inc. • WIWIH.COM