Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

The idea behind sharing economy is that individual consumers share the under-utilized resources with their peers. The sharing nature of such a business promotes the interactions between the service provider and the customer(s) . One selling point of a home-sharing service, for example, is that it gives travelers unique social interactions with the host, which is usually not found in hotels. Early literature about home-sharing services also confirms that travelers appreciate the interactions with the local hosts. An argument, however, arises that the “sharing” economy is actually an “access” economy. Some travelers only pay for permission to use someone else’s facility with no interest in social interactions. If travelers merely want to “access” a home-sharing facility, the differences between a home-sharing stay and a regular hotel stay become nebulous . Today, more hotel chains and entrepreneurs are getting into the home-sharing business. It becomes crucia...

I had the pleasure of working at Bon Appétit Headquarter s located within the Googleplex in Mountainview, California this past summer. I have worked for many companies in the past, but never have I worked at such a company as Bon Appétit that was enormous and widespread, yet still cared enough to make every employee feel individually loved. From the experiences I had over the three months I worked there, I have come to understand why and how Bon Appetit makes its utmost mission the exploration of the far reaches of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability within the workplace - ranging from worker retention to eliminating food waste and how HR helps the company set the groundwork. Being at Google, Bon Appétit has the opportunity to constantly experiment with new ideas. As is the culture of Google, novelties, innovations, and even wacky ideas are encouraged and promoted for testing. In fact, Google loves experimenting and testing so much that they have even ...

How often do people call in sick to work?  I read an article on HRDrive.com entitled, “ The death of the sick day: 90% of employees come to work ill ”. I have worked in restaurants for over a decade, and this is the worst industry for having so many employees come to work ill. This is something that has irked me for quite some time. I’d like to shed some light to other employees and employers who either  are afraid to call in sick themselves or  give grief to those calling in sick. Some of the Facts… Now, more than ever is the era for foodies. Current statistics have shown that 72% of Americans normally go out and eat at a quick-service restaurant for lunch, and about 44% go to a full-service restaurant for lunch. And that is for lunch only!  The full-service restaurant I work at averages about 600 guests each day. Every guest will encounter at least four of our employees, who also encounter with one another throughout the night.  According to an...

“Location, location, location.” Location is often perceived as the most important factor when people assess the value of a home or property. In the lodging industry, location is an essential attribute of a property and can significantly affect a hotel’s financial performance. Airbnb and the broader home-sharing businesses represent a new form of lodging products. Location is also a significant, influential factor that affects travelers’ purchasing decisions of a home-sharing stay.   Recent research suggests that Airbnb listings are usually found in such popular locations as tourist attractions and points of interest. When more Airbnb listings are located in the same neighborhood, the competition will become more intense.   Intense competition can be harmful to businesses, especially when they enter a price war. If that’s the case, why would Airbnb hosts choose to operate their short-term residential rental businesses in the neighborhood...