Internationalisation and innovation in the service sector
The role of international migrants and UK (London) Hotels
Project Co-ordinators
Allan Williams
with
Gareth Shaw (School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter)
Project researchers
Eugenia Markova
Anna Paraskevopoulou
Time Scale
October 2007- March 2010
Funding
ESRC AIM Targeted Innovation Programme
http://www.aimresearch.org/about-aim/aim-fellows/targeted-initiative-on-innovation
Background
International migration is an important but under-researched channel of knowledge transactions and innovation. This project examines the role of innovation in a ‘low-tech’ sector, hotels, focusing on the sources of innovation, differences between international and domestically owned companies, and the barriers to innovation. WLRI is responsible in particular for the study of the role of international migrants in the London small hotels sector. Migrants are particularly prominent in London hotels, accounting for 60-80% of their workforces.
Aims
- Theorising the links between international migration and innovation
- Examine the contribution of migrants to innovation in hotels
- Explore the role of innovation in ‘break-out’ and growth amongst migrant and ethnic owned SMEs
Research design
Stage 1
Mapping innovations in the hotel industry: Archival research, and Key informant interviews
Stage 2
Innovation in large-scale hotel chains: Interviews with domestic v foreign owned chains
Stage 3
Migrant v non-migrant managed small and medium sized London hotels: Questionnaires and interviews
Stage 4
Comparative international evaluation by panel of international experts.
The research is part of a larger programme, under the auspices of ESRC’s Advanced Institute of Management, which aims to deepen understanding of the internationalization of innovation in the UK, particularly in the service sector. Hotels have been relatively under-researched in relation to innovation and knowledge transfer, yet constitute an important segment of the London economy, and its dynamic tourism industry. It is particularly important to understand the process of innovation in hotels as London gears up for the Olympics in 2012. The key question is whether an industry which is 60-80% reliant on migrant workers is making the best use of their knowledge and creativity - both in the interests of the firms, and the workers.
