The factors which affect the information system needs for decision making in the hotel industry (A comparison study between the U. K. and Egypt)

Abstract

This report contains evidence to show that the information provided by computers in the hotel industry, for the management work & decision making, has not changed too much since 1970.

In most industries, the successful computer applications are clearly noticed in the routine work (clerical jobs) more than the management work (strategic & tactical jobs).

As for the hotel industry the use of computers still comes at the back of the list. The hospitality characteristic of hotel work is the main reason why people and not machines are used Small hotels are different from large luxury hotels in using computers, mainly for economic reasons. Top managers are different from lower managers in using computers, simply for technical reasons (lack of management computer programmes).

The British hotels are different from Egyptian hotels in applying computers and information technology successfully for reasons related to the influence of the managerial environment in each country.

A comparison between hotels of the two countries shows the unsatisfaction of the hotel managers about the information they receive from their computer departments. The analysis of the management work, the identification of the decision making needs are still hard tasks for system analysts. The identification of both the managers' decisions & information needs is still not recognized, even by the managers themselves.

The decision making approach is used in this study to identify both the managers' decisions & information needs and to evaluate the information systems available in the hotels of the two countries. The managerial environment of the country greatly influences the managers' decisions and system needs.

This report outlines the background literature & approaches used to research this area. Use is made of the results of previous study done about Egyptian hotel industry and the factors which affect the success of the information systems there. Investigational work for the influence of the managerial environment in Egypt, over the structure of the marketing decision making process in the hotel industry is carried out.

Areas for further ‘field’ research studies are highlighted.