Introduction to Quality Service Management in Tourism and Hospitality

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering definitions, dimensions of quality, service product features, and key historical pioneers from Chapter 1.

Quality (Joseph Juran's Definition)

Defined by quality researcher Joseph Juran as "fitness for use," meaning quality is relative to the person defining and using it.

Quality (ISO Definition)

Defined by the International Organization for Standardization as the totality of qualities and characteristics of a commodity or service that bear on its capacity to satisfy a given or inferred need.

Product

Anything offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that satisfies a need or want, including both tangible goods and intangible objects.

Goods

Physical objects for which demand exists, whose physical attributes are preserved over time, and whose ownership can be established and traded independently of the owner (Hill, 1999).

IHIP Characteristics

The four defining characteristics of services identified by Lovelock (1983): Intangible, Heterogeneous, Inseparable, and Perishable.

Intangibility

A service feature referring to the non-physical nature of services, existing only in relation to other things and experienced or felt rather than touched.

Heterogeneity

A service feature also known as inconsistency, caused by variations in staff actions across different times and varying guest preferences.

Inseparability

A service feature stating that production and consumption are intertwined, requiring the consumer to be present during the service execution.

Perishability

A service feature defined by Adam Smith (1776) where a service perishes at the exact moment of its accomplishment and cannot be stored or resold for a later time.

Service Product

A concept combining both goods and services into a package, recognized because services cannot be properly performed without using tangible items.

Performance (Dimension of Quality)

A quality dimension describing the basic operating features of a service product, which usually translates to prompt service in hospitality and tourism.

Features (Dimension of Quality)

Secondary objective traits that support a service product's core functionality, such as free drinks on a flight or hot tea after a massage.

Reliability (Dimension of Quality)

The ability to deliver promised service dependably, accurately, on time, and correctly on the first instance.

Conformance (Dimension of Quality)

A quality dimension indicating that a service or product meets designated specifications and target standards for evaluation.

Durability (Dimension of Quality)

A quality dimension measuring how long a physical item can be used before degrading, or economically reflecting worker retention and corporate reputation costs.

Serviceability (Dimension of Quality)

The speed, civility, competence, and ease of repairing product breakdowns or restoring standard service levels.

Aesthetics (Dimension of Quality)

A subjective quality dimension reflecting personal guest preferences and tastes, influenced by demographic and psychographic characteristics.

Perceived Quality (Dimension of Quality)

An indirect, subjective measurement used by customers to compare brand quality when direct evaluation is not possible prior to consumption.

Dr. Walter Shewhart

The father of statistical quality control (SPC) who developed the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle and process control theories.

PDCA Cycle

A process control cycle developed by Dr. Walter Shewhart comprising four stages: Plan, Do, Check, and Act.

Dr. W. Edwards Deming

A quality pioneer who introduced Total Quality Management (TQM) and the Deming Cycle (PDSA), key to Japan's post-World War II economic resurgence.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

A quality management approach introduced by Dr. W. Edwards Deming that emphasizes employee involvement and systematic quality improvement.

Dr. Joseph M. Juran

A quality pioneer who emphasized that quality must be planned and managed, defined quality as "fitness for use," and developed the Quality Trilogy.

Quality Trilogy

A structured management framework created by Dr. Joseph M. Juran consisting of quality planning, quality improvement, and quality control.

Dr. Philip B. Crosby

A quality pioneer who proposed the concept of Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) and famously stated that "quality is free."

Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ)

A concept by Dr. Philip B. Crosby explaining that investing in quality improvement pays for itself through cost savings and increased customer satisfaction.

Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum

Developer of Total Quality Control based on quality leadership, modern quality technology, and organizational commitment, as well as the concept of the hidden plant.

Hidden Plant

A concept developed by Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum referring to the wasted capacity within a plant or factory caused by failing to perform work correctly the first time.

Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa

A quality pioneer who advanced quality assurance using statistical tools and developed the cause-and-effect fishbone diagram.

Ishikawa Diagram

Also known as the fishbone or cause-and-effect diagram, a tool developed by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa to identify and analyze the root causes of problems.

Dr. Genichi Taguchi

Developer of the Taguchi methodology of robust design, focusing on "designing in quality" to minimize sensitivity to manufacturing process variation.

Taguchi Methodology

A quality technique focused on robust design to make product quality less sensitive to process variations, serving as a core tenet of Six Sigma.