Toward Effective Human Sigma Implementation in the Tourism and Hotel Industry: A Proposed Framework

In today's highly competitive environment, employee-customer engagement has emerged as a key motive of business success. High levels of employee-customer engagement can boost customer loyalty and achieve meaningful operational and financial improvements. A recent innovative research-based approach on the management of employee-customer engagement has actualized a relatively new approach titled: Human Sigma. This new approach focuses on reducing and improving variability in the employee-customer engagement levels in order to improve the quality of the employee-customer encounter. Given, therefore, that this new approach can positively impact the tourism and hotel organizations in their quest to improve service quality, this study presents the concept of Human Sigma as a recognizable and accepted business improvement approach and proposes a framework for its effective application in the tourism and hotel industry in Egypt. The overall goal of this present study is to propose a framework for effective Human Sigma implementation in the tourism and hotel industry in Egypt. The data of the study has been collected through questionnaires directed to the managers of five-star chain hotels and travel agencies (class A) in Egypt. The findings revealed that the vast majority of tourism and hotel organizations in Egypt are aware of the concept of Human Sigma as a business improvement approach. However, a marginal proportion of these organizations are applying formal system for measuring and managing the employee-customer engagement. Practically, the study proposed a framework for effective Human Sigma implementation. More importantly, the findings of this study have several managerial implications which offer the opportunities for further research in the future.