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.

Are you doing research relevant for entrepreneurship and management in hospitality tourism, and service organizations and still wondering how to make the world a better place? Then join us for the International Research Roundtable (IRR) held each March and September!

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 and César Ritz Colleges Switzerland Institutional Research Lines

César Ritz Colleges Switzerland's original and translational research fosters actionable knowledge on entrepreneurship and management in hospitality, tourism, and service organizations. César Ritz Colleges Switzerland research strategy focuses on entrepreneurship and management in hospitality, tourism, and service organizations. This emphasis on organizations also allows CRCS to differentiate itself from other Swiss institutions focused, for instance, on contributing to the service industry as a whole or to a broader society. Research collaborations span across several institutions in Europe and North America, including Dutch university of applied sciences The Hague Hotelschool, British University of Exeter, or US-based Penn State Berks.

Another distinctive focus of César Ritz Colleges Switzerland is translational research converting the research findings into managerial recommendations relevant for practitioners in hospitality, tourism, and service organizations. This is proven by introduction of the “Food Expert Talks” with THE-ICE accreditation institution for hospitality schools, collaboration with a peer-reviewed journal for practical recommendations for managers ICHRIE Research Reports as of January 2023 for the International Research Roundtables in Brig, as well as collaboration for actionable knowledge with such leaders as French Institute Paul Bocuse.

Finally, a diverse set of research skills allows César Ritz Colleges Switzerland team to make complementary contributions to applied research relevant for hospitality, tourism, and service organizations. César Ritz Colleges Switzerland research is articulated across 3 lines - Line 1 “Leading on the Move”, Line 2 “Strategizing for Better Service” and Line 3 “Daily Business Sustainability” - to which César Ritz Colleges Switzerland researchers contribute as a transdisciplinary team.

Leading on the Move: Gillard, E. (forthcoming in 2023) ‘Organizational Legitimacy and Human Resource Management Strength’ [Presentation], Legitimacy Research, The Next Decade of Legitimacy Research: Advancing the Multilevel Theory of Legitimacy, Paper Development Workshop & Expert Panel, University of Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland), 8.05-9.05.2023. – Research roundtable with a highly competitive acceptance funded by Swiss National Science Foundation and supported by E4S, the Enterprise for Society Center founded by the University of Lausanne, IMD and EPFL, fostering resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity in the economy.

Gillard, E., Beijer, S. (forthcoming in 2023) ‘Human Resource Management Strength: its Sources, Processes, and Outcomes’, Proceedings of Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (Boston, USA), 4-8.08.2023 – Leading research conference in management with peer-reviewed communications; contribution to setting the ground for further applied research on human resources management and organizational performance

Gillard E., Cavelzani A., Brannon, D. (forthcoming in 2023) ‘Dynamic Laissez-faire Leadership: Conceptual Exploration in the Context of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in Hospitality Organizations’ [Presentation], The 4th International Hospitality Research Conference. The Hague Hotelschool (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), 8-9.06.2023 – Collaborative working paper on applications of the laissez-faire leadership in the context of service automation accepted after a peer-review to the leading industry symposium in hospitality, tourism, and service organizations; CRCS team collaboration with a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, The Hague Hotelschool

Cavelzani A. (forthcoming in 2023) ‘Working parents’ burnout during Covid19 pandemic. Clinical examples and managerial implications’, International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment [Accepted for publication in April 2023]. – Single-authored peer-reviewed journal article presenting managerial recommendations on human resouce practices promoting the work-life balance, based on three different cases of working parents in the tourism and hospitality during the Covid19 pandemic and lockdown months, ending in neglecting and maltreating own children.

Fuereder, N., Cavelzani, A., Forster, C. (2023) ‘Resilient Leadership Responses to Enduring Traumatic Crisis’ [Paper Presentation], 4th International Research Roundtable. Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (Brig, Switzerland), 14-16.03.2023. – Peer-reviewed conference paper presentation; international research collaboration with Linz Institute of Technology (Austria) and Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany)

Gillard E., Cavelzani A., Brannon, D. (2022) ‘A Typology for Aligning Laissez-faire Leadership Conceptualizations, Antecedents, and Outcomes’ [Paper Presentation], The 3rd International Hospitality Research Symposium. The Hague Hotelschool (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), 9-10.06.2022. – Collaborative working paper on laissez-faire leadership form accepted after a peer-review to the leading industry symposium in hospitality, tourism, and service organizations; CRCS team collaboration a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, The Hague Hotelschool

Gillard E., Cavelzani A., Arnanz J., Andid H. (2021) ‘Leading with Style: Effective use of Situational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence to Support Complex Decision-Making’, Leadership Summit ‘Ethical and Inclusive Leadership: Strategies for Post-COVID World’ [Presentation]. University of South Florida (Tampa, USA), 28.09-30.09. 2021 – Translational research included in a MOOC program on Ethical and Inclusive Leadership that explains how to lead situationally to prevent disengagement; CRCS team collaboration with a Dutch University of Applied Sciences, The Hague Hotelschool.
Strategizing for Better Service: Legg, M. and Ampountolas, A. (2023) ‘How music listening preferences play a role in casino showroom offers’, Journal of Marketing Analytics, pp.1-13. – Scimago Q1 top-rated journal; international research collaboration with Dr. Mark Legg from Penn State Berks (USA)

Ampountolas, A., Menconi, G., & Shaw, G. (2023). ‘Metaverse research propositions: Online intermediaries’, Tourism Economics, First published online February 19, 2023. – Scimago Q1 top-rated journal; international research collaboration with CRCS research team and Prof Gareth Shaw, University of Exeter (UK)

Ossola, P., and Grechi, D. (2023) ‘Second-hand RVs: Evaluating motivators for purchase and after-sales advice seeking behaviour’ [Presentation], the 4th International Research Roundtable. Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (Brig, Switzerland), 14-16.03.2023. – Peer-reviewed paper presentation contributing to designing better marketing strategies; international research collaboration with the University of Insubria (Italy).

Gillard E. (2022) ‘The role of technology in robotized service from employee perspective: a systematic literature review’, European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) 2022 Conference, Full Paper Proceedings, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands), 25-27.10.2022, pp. 24-32. – Single-authored conference paper invited for publication in proceedings after a peer review at the leading industry conference in hospitality and tourism; contribution to applied research on human resources management, strategic investment in technological resources, and innovation.
Daily Business Sustainability: Ossola, P., Grechi, D. (2023) ‘Second-hand RVs: Evaluating motivators for purchase and after sales advice seeking behaviour’ [Paper Presentation], 4th International Research Roundtable. Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (Brig, Switzerland), 14-16.03.2023. – Peer-reviewed conference paper presentation; international research collaboration with University of Insubria (Italy)

Menconi, G. (2022) ‘Mediterranean Diet: a corporate sustainability initiative towards well-being in the workplace and beyond. A literature review’ [Paper Presentation], 3rd International Research Roundtable. Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (Brig, Switzerland), 31.08-2.09.2022. – Single-authored working paper extending translational research in the context of THE-ICE Food Expert Talks led by Dr. Menconi. This study illustrates the application of the Mediterranean diet within an organization as an example of a sustainable choice that managers can embrace to enhance the productivity of their service operations by positively impacting the healthy living of their employees.

Ossola, P., Grechi, D., Gazzola, P. Pavione, E., Gibson, J.A. (2022) ‘Why do I own an old van and I love it, despite it always having any sort of problems?’ [Presentation] – SIET XXIV Annual Conference Transport, Tourism and Sustainable Development. University of Insubria (Varese, Italy), 8-9.09.2022. – Research on the van life and van tourism presented at the conference organized by the forum ‘Sustainability in Lombardia’ and SIET, the leading Italian association bringing together researchers and educators in the field of transportation and related topics, (http://www.sietitalia.org); CRCS research team collaboration with co-authors at the University of Insubria (Italy).

Crotti, D., Grechi, D., Maggi, E., Ossola, P. (2021) ‘Cycle tourism investments and local development opportunities. The case of a natural tourist destination in a North Western area of Italy', in Zamparini, L. (ed.) Sustainable Transport and Tourism Destinations. University of Salento (Salento, Italy): Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 159-178. – Chapter about the cycle tourism as an opportunity for local development for several destinations to advance the sustainable development approach in a book that examines the relationships among transport, tourism, and sustainability through large case studies that span across several countries; CRCS research collaboration with co-authors at the University of Insubria (Italy).
Pedagogical, Teaching, Learning and Development Communications: Sigala, M., Beattie, M., Cavelzani, A., (2023) ‘The Future of Work in Hospitality, Tourism, and Service Organizations’ [Discussion Panel], 4th International Research Roundtable. Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (Brig, Switzerland), 14-16.03.2023. – International collaboration for a panel discussion provided a learning and development opportunity to the research roundtable participants, students, and staff at Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland. The panel discussion included the contributions of Dr Marianna Sigala (Sheffield Hallam University, UK) on “Labor Shortages and Future Skills and Competencies in Tourism and Hospitality”, Dr Mark Beattie (Washington State University, USA) on “Current Recruitment Trends in International Hospitality Business”, and Dr Alessandro Cavelzani (Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland) on “Stress, Emotional Intelligence, and Time Management in the Workplace”.

Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland (2023) ‘Managerial Recommendations from Research’, Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Research Team, pp. 1-7. – Institutional report presenting practical implications from peer-reviewed papers in journals or conference proceedings published by the research team members at Cesar Ritz Colleges

Menconi, G. (2022) Reflections on Theory of Constructivism in the Metaverse Time [Poster], European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) 2022 Conference. Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands), 25-27.10.2022. – Single-authored peer-reviewed poster analysing the importance of Metaverse for hoteliers presented at the leading industry conference in hospitality and tourism

Genin D. (2021) ‘Why Confused Students Learn Better: Confessions of an Evil Teacher’, Harvard Business Publishing Education, Teaching Center, Inspiring Minds: Get Practical Teaching Advice and Inspiration from the Best in Class, 6.07.2021. Available from: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/why-confused-students-learn-better [Accessed 14th July 2021] – Pedagogical insights published in a single-authored article on a platform dedicated to teaching excellence with a worldwide impact.
Other Research Communications: Zhao, X., Chen, Q., & Zhang, H. (2023) ‘Firm investment and financial autonomy: A transaction cost economics and firm lifecycle approach’, Managerial and Decision Economics, pp. 1– 28. – Peer-reviewed journal article co-authored by Dr. Zhang, Haitao, lecturing at Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland.

Arnanz, J., Ramos, V., Rey-Maquieira, J., Untong, A. (2022). ‘Residents’ support for tourism after COVID-19’ [Presentation] – 8^th Conference of the International Association for Tourism Economics. University of Perpignan Via Domitia (Perpignan, France), 28.06-01.07.2022. – Conference paper by Dr. Arnanz, Jorge, Program Manager at Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland.

Gillard E. (2021) ‘Procedural corruption strategies in public service’, Proceedings of Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (virtual location, USA), 29.07-4.08.2021

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, pp. 1-10.

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), pp. 1435-1445

Ampountolas A. (2018) ‘Forecasting hotel demand uncertainty using time series Bayesian VAR models’, Tourism Economics, 25 (5), pp. 734-756

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

Gillard E., Chen M.H., Lv W.Q. (2018) ‘Procedural corruption in the North American hotel industry’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 72, pp. 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