The Use of Importance Performance Analysis in the Hospitality Industry

Increased demands placed by consumers, competition, and shrinking management teams has resulted in the need for hospitality professionals to use effective tools to improve the changing situation. The Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) was a tool first introduced by Martilla and James (1977) to assist professionals in evaluating the effectiveness of various agency issues and attributes. Hospitality researchers have used this technique in at least forty-two studies since then. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of IPA in hospitality related research and compare historical use of IPA to a recent study in a private club setting.