Relationships management in hospitality industry. : STF Svenska Touristförening.

Abstract:  Abstract Title: Relationships management in hospitality industry, STF Svenska   Touristförening.   Level: Final assignment for Master Degree in Business Administration   Author: Aleksandr Shalimov , Calistus Godwin   Supervisor: Ernst Hollander   Date: 2013.01   Aim:  The aim of the research is to investigate STF relationships management strategy and networking ability. This research illuminates conceptual understanding of the STF’s network and relationships management strategy.    Method: In order to provide answers to the research question was used case study approach. Qualitative research method was applied, face to face interviews were conducted and in some cases email and telephone interviews was also used. Using cluster sampling, 9 people who have different backgrounds and relations to STF was interviewed. To properly analyze and present this complex relationships phenomenon, narrative approach was used, considered to be the most appropriate to work with, due to the huge amount of qualitative data.   Result & Conclusions: The research showed the existence of complex relationships between STF (Svenska Touristförenengen) and different actors that are involved with STF within its market activities. Companies that are involved in the STF network, at the same time involved in the process of management of relationships, activities and network structure. Development of the network depends on the companies’ abilities to develop mutual relationships (network threads). This requires understanding of the company’s network and abilities to form network. The development of relationships management strategy is the core competence of the STF. In conclusion, looking at all the relationship that STF has built, it could be said that all have being focal to its network building but to a varying degree.  Moreover within applied the study, it was noticed that STF during its 125 years of existence, has facilitated the development of tourism, infrastructure, business, sports, education, and cultural life of the country. It has created and developed social and economic relations, and communication channels. STF plays the role of an initiator, originator, pioneer and cooperator, even as a fellow worker in creating national movements and new trends.   Suggestions for future research: The investigation has been started having in mind Relationships, Outsourcing and Networking theories as anchor theories to be used, but after a while, it turned out that Networking theory and Franchising theory could be used to investigate deeply into the relationships phenomenon with the actors in this case.  But still within the research, it was noticed that some aspects of franchising model was not working properly and sometimes do not meet both STF and Franchisee`s expectations. Therefore suggestion for closer and deeper investigations of relationships pattern between STF and its franchisees is recommended in order to facilitate the development of more viable, functional and effective ways of cooperation. Moreover triangulation is a strategy that increases the validity and reliability of research, so it could be considered for the further research.     Contribution of the thesis: Currently, under the influence of globalization in the social and economic environment, more and more attention is being paid to the study of various relationships and communications theories, for example the development of CRM, Outsourcing and Networking theories. This study involves a closer look on some aspects of the interaction of social and economic environment, particularly the development of social and business networks. The concept of STF could be used to develop other business ideas or even exported to emerging markets, base on a successful strategic implementation of the concept. STF pattern of activities shows that the creation of such organizations as STF and investigative related issues, may contribute to the development of the tourism industry both nationally and internationally. To STF and the Swedish Tourism Board, (tillvexverkert) researches could help in a lot ways by encouraging more research work to improve and better the already existing infrastructures, improve on the services and communications channels.   Key words: STF (Svenska Touristförening), Networking, Relationships, Hospitality Industry, Tourism, Association.