This document outlines a PhD workshop presentation about researching the impact of e-distribution channels on hotel performance. The researcher aims to describe how different online channels like OTAs and flash sales are used and how that usage affects financial performance. The study will use mixed methods including interviews and case studies analyzing property management and web analytics data. The expected outcomes are papers answering questions about the purpose of flash sales, balancing e-channel use, and the impact of e-channels on financial metrics. The contribution will be applying action research to hospitality technology, extending ICT theory, and improving the link between theory and industry practices.

1. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 1
E-Distribution Channels as Instruments of
Hotel Performance: a case of European
business perspective
Miha Bratec, M.Sc
Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
miha.bratec@ef.uni-lj.si
http://www.ef.uni-lj.si

2. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 2
Motivation & Purpose
• Hands-on experience in the field
• Business relevance
• Discrepancies between business reality and existing academic inquiry
PURPOSE:
To describe the use of different e-channels and explain how
their usage can impact the financial performance of a
hotel.

3. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 3
Ontology
• Action research (O’Brien, 1998)
– relatively neglected in hospitality, even more so in e-commerce
– should result in actions to overcome particular problems (Lashley,
2000)
– paradigm of praxis
– eclectic choice of methods

4. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 4
Research field
Hotel Industry – ICT – E-Commerce – OTAs – Flash-Sale – Financial Performance
•The rapid development of ICTs has led to an unprecedented revolution in the hospitality industry. At present, ICTs are
used as new tools for hospitality marketing and management, as well as a platform that links suppliers and customers.
Increasingly, the impacts of ICTs are becoming stronger as they are an integral part of the competitiveness of hospitality
firms. (Ip et al, 2010)
•New, emerging research discipline. Very fragmented and theoretically conflicting. Dominated by Asian and US-based
researchers. (Egger & Buhalis, 2008; Law et al, 2014)
•Online Sales nowadays actually account for 57% of total sales (Bui et al., 2015)

5. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 5
Theory emphasizes (that)…
• Disintermediation
• Internet offers chances to connect with customers at reduced costs
• Price integrity (parity) due to easy access to information & comparison
• The central role of hotel website for e-sales
• OTA billboard effect
• Flash-Sales as types of price promotions

6. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 6
Research Problem = Actual Problem

7. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 7
Research Questions
• Why and when do hotels rely on Flash-Sales?
• Co-competition of different online channels – do
Flash-Sales also produce positive billboard effects
on OTAs and/or Brand.com Website?
• Can Flash-Sales contribute to improved hotel
performance?

8. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 8
Methodology
• Mixed use of techniques
• Building up towards resolving the problem
• In-depth interviews/focus groups as a
starting/preparatory step
• Quasi-experimental case study setting by
analysing the PMS data and web analytics.

9. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 9
Expected outcomes
• 3+ papers answering the following
questions:
– Is there more to Flash-Sale than purely filling the
rooms at reduced rates?
– What are the key factors of achieving the optimal
balance between different e-distribution channels in a
hotel?
– What impact does the use of e-distribution channels
have on hotels’ financial performance?

10. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 10
Contribution
• Applying action research in hospitality ICT
setting
• Extending the ICT theory by resolving a
relevant business dilemma
• Improving the field of social sciences by
filling the gap between theory and practice

11. ENTER 2016 PhD Workshop Slide Number 11
Q/A
• Thank you
Miha
miha.bratec@ef.uni-lj.si