In a new study issued by Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research, a research team led by Professor Rohit Verma tested a tool known as the Technology Readiness Index (TRI). The report, 'Segmenting Hotel Customers Based on the Technology Readiness Index,' by Rohit Verma, Liana Victorino, Kate Karniouchina, and Julie Feickert, is available at no charge from the center's website (http://hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2007).
"The developers of the Technology Readiness Index applied it to other industries," noted Verma. "In our test, we found that it is an extremely effective tool for creating hotel guest segments. As they consider what services to offer, hotel operators can use this index to find out more about their guests."
Based on a sample of 865 hotel guests from across the United States, the study found that those who scored high on the TRI were relatively well educated and affluent. These technology-ready hotel guests were relatively frequent travelers, usually on business, who were willing to pay higher room rates.
The Technology Readiness Index gauges participants' optimism, innovativeness, discomfort (with technology), and insecurity (regarding technology). The report includes the ten-question Technology Readiness Index, and explains its application.
About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 63 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (formerly the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly). To learn more about center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.
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