Introducing Yield Management Systems In Hotels : Getting The Technical / Human Balance Right | Bob Brotherton & Rebecca Turner

This paper contains study of the introduction and implementation of a Yield Management (YM) system in a 4-star branded chain hotel. Its essential focus is reflected in its title, namely; the technical/human balance. Behind this lies the observation that, when moving to a YM environment and associated business culture, hotel companies tend to place too much emphasis on the technical and system-building aspects of YM and too little on the human aspects. The implication being the proposition that the effectiveness of the transition to, and eventual normalising of a YM business culture and operating environment is likely to be considerably reduced where such an imbalance is evident. Though the potential benefits available from an effective fusion of human and technical aspects in organisational work systems, i.e. socio-technical systems, was documented decades ago, this study shows that hotel companies may still have not learnt the key lessons such work produced.