How do hotels test their strategies? An approach from the strategic planning process

ABSTRACT

This study examines how managers test strategies, focusing on their understanding of the strategic planning process, and aims to develop a framework for integrating cutting-edge technologies in strategy testing. We used elite interviews with top hotel managers in Turkey and a hermeneutic approach to establish this framework. Results indicate that managers have limited knowledge of strategy testing, which is not yet recognized as a distinct phase in strategy development. Scenario planning and AI-driven methods are only minimally adopted in the industry. We introduced a “techno-human” model that integrates AI and human-oriented decision-making for strategy testing. Our paper contributes significantly by analysing top managers’ use of testing methods in strategic management and highlighting an overlooked area in the literature.

KEYWORDS:

• Strategic management
• testing strategies
• scenario planning
• business war game
• artificial intelligence
• hospitality industry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mehmet Ali Köseoglu

Dr. Mehmet Ali Koseoglu is an Assistant Professor at Metropolitan State University. He is the Editor of the International Journal of Bibliometric in Business and Management (IJBBM). His research interests include strategic management and bibliometric analysis in business and management. He has published in leading journals including Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Hasan Evrim Arici

Dr. Hasan Evrim Arici studied Ph.D. in Tourism Management. He is a Lecturer at EU Business School Munich. He also has over ten years of tourism industry experience. His current research interests include leadership, HRM, and organizational behaviours. His work has been published in international journals, such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, Current Issues in Tourism, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Murat Yeşiltaş

Murat Yeşiltaş is Professor at the Faculty of Tourism, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. His research interests include organizational behaviour and management and strategy in the tourism and hospitality industry. His studies have been published in a number of international journals such as Journal of Cleaner Production, The Service Industries, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Levent Altinay

Levent Altinay is Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. His research interests are in entrepreneurship, internationalization and research methods. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Service Industries Journal and Europe Editor of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.