Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
ERP in the Lodging Industry in the United States:
Until the early 1960s, the U.S. hospitality industry was little interested in ERP. However, since the 1990s, 
as the contribution of the service economy into gross domestic product (more than 70%) and employment in the 
service sector (more than 80%) grew, increasing numbers of consumers in the hotel industry with their higher 
demand on ERP led the hotel industry to actively adopt ERP initiatives (Kirk, 1998). These initiatives included 
environmental dimension of sustainability, codes of conduct, best environmental practices, eco-labels, 
environmental management systems (EMSs), and environmental performance indicators. As a result, when a firm 
adapts and implements ERP, this positively affects the firm’s performance through cost reductions, resource savings, 
customer retention and loyalty, and improved employee morale (Schendler 2001). In order to achieve operational 
efficiency in addition to environmental protection, the hospitality industry launched a number of coordinated 
environmental initiatives, including the Charter for Environmental Action in the International Hotel and Catering 
Industry (Turner 1997). Many studies have examined the type of ERP action that hotels are taking (Bramwell and 
Alletorp, 2001).