Beyond consensus: an alternative use of Delphi enquiry in hospitality research
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 17 August 2012
Abstract
Purpose
This paper's aim is to critically review the use of Delphi techniques in qualitative research for utilising “expert” opinions and to explore through a detailed example how Policy Delphi can be used by hospitality researchers as an alternative to the more widely used Normative Delphi.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reflects on the research methodology of a project that explored organisational crisis signals detection using Policy Delphi with a criterion sample comprising 16 senior hotel executives involved in crisis management.
Findings
The main methodological concerns regarding Delphi are the definition of consensus, the expertise of the panel, its lack of scientific rigour, and – due to its lack of uniformity – reliability and validity of findings. Policy Delphi by default addresses the first since it does not seek consensus and can, through its design and execution, address the remaining concerns.
Research limitations/implications
Carefully designed Policy Delphi can offer a powerful research tool for exploratory research in hospitality, particularly for development of policies and strategies within an organisation. Unlike Normative Delphi, it is not intended as a decision making tool, but rather as a tool to generate options and suggest alternative courses of action for consideration.
Originality/value
The paper presents a valuable research tool that has evaded the attention of many hospitality researchers offering an illustrative example of its use in exploratory research to deliver credible, transferable and confirmable findings.
Keywords
Citation
Paraskevas, A. and Saunders, M.N.K. (2012), "Beyond consensus: an alternative use of Delphi enquiry in hospitality research", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 24 No. 6, pp. 907-924. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596111211247236
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited