Title: Predicting customer engagement behaviour: the mediating role of hotel functional quality in the Vietnamese hotel industry

Authors: Gamal S.A. Khalifa; Nguyen Vu Hieu Trung; Md Sazzad Hossain

Addresses: Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Egypt; Faculty of Business, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE ' Faculty of Business and Accountancy, Lincoln University College, Malaysia ' School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Taylor's University, Malaysia

Abstract: The study's purpose is to examine the relationships between customer-to-employee interaction (CEI), customer involvement (CI), optimal distinctiveness (OD), functional quality (FQ) and customer engagement behaviour (CEB) in the Vietnamese hotel industry. The research conducted a quantitative survey, which targeted hotel customers and had managed to yield 389 valid responses. The research applied structural equation modelling-partial least square (SEM-PLS) to justify the validity of the model following Smart PLS-3. The findings of the study have shown that CEI, CI, and OD significantly impact FQ. CEI, CI, and OD also significantly impact CEB through FQ. Finally, FQ significantly impacts on CEB. This study acknowledges the value of customers, which affirms the regional need for skilled employee to achieve hotel goal. These research findings strongly argued for more engagement programs in the departments, since the persistent lack of the appropriate skills mix poses challenges and has serious implication for hotel managers.

Keywords: customer involvement; functional quality; hospitality; customer engagement behaviour; CEB.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2022.126979

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2022 Vol.43 No.3, pp.312 - 337

Received: 28 Jul 2020
Accepted: 05 Sep 2020
Published online: 16 Nov 2022 *

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