Mandatory system usage behaviour: a case study in Australian resorts

Hotel Information System (HIS) usage is increasingly becoming mandatory for hotel and resort employees. However, there is limited research attention directed to examine mandatory system usage in the hospitality literature. This study adopts a multiple case study design to explore the usage behaviours exhibited by frontline employees when interacting with HIS mandated by a large resort operating in Australia. The study findings suggest that HIS users frequently perform a wide range of usage patterns to overcome the encountered workflow blocks. Various reasons were noted for users carrying out the diverse system practice. Recommendations in overcoming the challenges in managing mandatory system usage behaviour in the hotel and resort industry will be discussed. This study further outlines research directions guiding future studies to investigate the complexity of mandatory system usage within the hospitality context.