Research and innovation | César Ritz Colleges

A commitment to research

César Ritz Colleges Switzerland adopts a research strategy focused on advancing understanding of entrepreneurship and management in organizations. A transdisciplinary approach is deployed for extending research implications to business processes in the hospitality, tourism, and service industries

César Ritz Colleges research examines current issues with the goal to innovate, lead, strategize, and sustain hospitality, tourism, and service organizations. The César Ritz Colleges research team has published on topics such as leadership in dynamic settings; financial strategy; and innovative business models, such as those built on long-term service or business automation.

Currently, the team conducts research through conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, while upholding the principles of academic freedom and integrity, and ensuring a synergetic alignment between research, teaching, and services.

Current research lines at César Ritz Colleges include:

Leadership and human resource management in dynamic settings, with the project: “Leading on the Move”
Strategy and innovation for better service, with the project: “Strategizing for Better Service”
Operational sustainability, with the project: “Daily Business Sustainability”.

We contribute to the advancement of knowledge through innovation driven by research on entrepreneurship, leadership, hospitality, and sustainability

Dr. Evelina Gillard

Head of Research & Research Faculty

Research Events

International Research Roundtable (IRR)

A research conference for career researchers and practitioners passionate about entrepreneurship and management in service, hospitality, and tourism industries, held biannually since 2020

Previous format: Student-centered research conference, 2016-2019
Past events: The first IRR, September 2021; the second IRR, March 2022
Upcoming Event: The third-annual IRR, September 2022
Email all questions about submissions and registration to Evelina.Gillard@cesarritzcolleges.edu

Panel discussions

Leading for Well-being: Prevention of Absent Leadership for Improving Talent Management and Reducing Stress in Organizations YouTube link
The Role of Food in Workplace Well-being (The Wellness Summit, University of South Florida) YouTube link
“Leading with Style: Effective Use of Situational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence to Support Complex Decision-making YouTube link.

Others

Workshops on business planning, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis
STR presentations and data access for hotel benchmarking
Applied research on business models with the industry partner Blue Horizon

Research committees

The Research Committee assesses research quality and reviews specific research project feasibility from an academic perspective. The Research Ethics Committee sets the research ethics requirements for projects involving our school in line with academic standards of Swiss higher education institutions, approves the projects in which our students may be invited to take part, and approves faculty research projects that may have ethical concerns.

International researching networking

Membership in international professional associations, such as the European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE), the International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE), and the Academy of Management (AoM)
Collaboration with leading universities of applied science and research institutions, such as Washington State University (USA), University of Derby (UK), and The Hague Hotel School (The Netherlands)
Collaboration with STR, the global leader in benchmarking for hotel industry
Faculty participation in research events organized by professional associations, and university and industry partners, such as the networking event “Research Café” at The Hague Hotel School, “Hotel Data Conference” by STR, or the annual Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery
Organization of research networking events

Student receiving research award at Cesar Ritz

Student research activities

Student-led research is integrated into the bachelor’s and master’s curricula with the opportunity to develop research skills and awareness through dissertations. These credit-earning activities are under the supervision of research faculty whose research areas are of interest to the student. Best Student Researcher, Supervisor, and Reviewer awards for student-led research are delivered twice per year. Student works developed under faculty supervision that successfully pass the peer-review process are presented at international conferences, such as the biannual International Research Roundtable or The Hague Hotel School Symposium.

RESEARCH AWARDS

Best student research awards are given each term to a completed student research project

There are four distinct categories of awards (Dissertation, Business Plan, Consultancy, and Independent Scholarship):

Regular award categories: Dissertation, Business Plan, Consultancy for Integrated Business Projects with confirmed grades, done by master’s students
Exceptional award category: Independent Scholarship, given to other bachelor’s and master’s student research projects upon the supervisor’s recommendation

If the project wins the Best Student Research Award, the Research Committee delivers associated award certificates for:

Best Student Researcher Award
Best Student Research Supervisor Award
Best Student Research Reviewer Award

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Dogru T., Hanks L., Ozdemir O., Kizildag M., Ampountolas A., Demirer I. (2020) Does Airbnb have a homogenous impact? Examining Airbnb’s effect on hotels with different organizational structures. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 86, 102451
Ampountolas A. (2018) Forecasting hotel demand uncertainty using time series Bayesian VAR models. Tourism Economics. 25 (5), 734-756
Gazzola P., Grechi D., Ossola P., Pavione E. (2019) Certified Benefit Corporations as a new way to make sustainable business: The Italian example. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 26 (6), 1435-1445
Gazzola P., Pavione E., Grechi D., Ossola P. (2018) Cycle tourism as a driver for the sustainable development of little-known or remote territories: the experience of the Apennine regions of Northern Italy. Sustainability 10 (6), 1863
Genin D., (July 6, 2021) Why Confused Students Learn Better: Confessions of an Evil Teacher. Education, Harvard Business Publishing. Available from: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/why-confused-students-learn-better [Accessed 14th July 2021]
Gillard E. (2021) Procedural corruption strategies in public service. Academy of Management Proceedings. Forthcoming. Gillard E., Chen M.H., Lv W.Q. (2018) Procedural corruption in the North American hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 72, 154-167

Guiding principles of teaching, research, and academic services

Academic freedom, independence, and scientific integrity: César Ritz Colleges engages in teaching, research, and academic service in line with its strategic objectives. These activities are guided by the principles of academic freedom, independence, and scientific integrity, including reliability, honesty, respect, and accountability.
Continuity of teaching, research, and academic service: César Ritz Colleges put in place a quality assurance system allowing to provide continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation of teaching, research, and academic service results.
Continuous improvement: The quality assurance system is oriented towards meeting the academic quality criteria set out by the principles and objectives of the European Higher Education Area.
Systematic approach, transparency, and consistency: The quality assurance system ensures that César Ritz Colleges continuously meets the criteria applicable to student admission, performance assessment, and degree awards that are established in line with the mission of César Ritz Colleges as an institution of higher education. César Ritz Colleges establishes, communicates, and applies such criteria in line with the principles of a systematic approach, transparency, and consistency.

Research

Integratingrigor and relevance