Ice Bucket Challenge, Butterfly Effect, and Hotels’ Strategic Configurations – The Case of the Hotel Industry in China

ABSTRACT

This study aims to construct a typology of hotels’ strategic configurations based on the Butterfly Effect in the event of the Ice Bucket Challenge in the Chinese hotel industry. We employed the BDS test and analogy inference method to infer the strategic configurations and strategic configuration matrix of the hotel industry based on the chaos theory. The strategic configurations and configuration matrix of the hotel industry were identified through the Ice Bucket Challenge and Butterfly Effect, which correspond to the chaotic and deep regularities/attractors of the chaos theory. The implication for hotel operations is to survive and surpass this complex system and dynamic competition under the strategic configurations and configuration matrix, which entails cooperation in the industry structure and pursuit of the blue-ocean strategy, a way to work in a marketplace that is free of competitors, through a strategy of service innovation.

摘要

基于冰桶挑战在中国酒店业产生的蝴蝶效应，本文旨在构建一个酒店的战略导向。研究员依据混沌理论，利用BDS测试和类比推理，推断酒店行业的战略导向、有规模导向、营销导向、资源导向及服务创新导向并因形成相互为用的战略矩阵。然而，酒店必须实行蓝海策略及服务创新，方能在此复杂的产业系统和动态竞争中持续生存与发展。

KEYWORDS:

• Hotels’ strategic configurations
• strategic configuration matrix
• Ice Bucket Challenge
• Butterfly Effect
• chaos theory
• BDS test

关键词 :

• 酒店战略导向、战略矩阵、冰桶挑战、蝴蝶效应、混沌理论、BDS 测试

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kang-Lin Peng

Kang-Lin Peng is a Visiting Scholar in the School of Professional Education and Executive Development at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (E-mail: [email protected]).

Pearl M. C. Lin

Pearl M.C. Lin is an Assistant Professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (E-mail: [email protected]).

Lianping Ren

Lianping Ren is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR (E-mail: [email protected]).