A review of multilevel analysis in hospitality management

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to review the extant literature on hospitality management by tracking past research patterns and critically reviewing the use of multilevel theory and techniques in this stream of research. The second is to suggest potential research opportunities to stimulate a leap forward in the current multilevel research. Design/methodology/approach To answer the four main research questions raised by the current review, the author performed a critical analysis of a total of 149 selected articles published between 2011 and 2021 in seven leading hospitality management journals. Findings Overall, the number of multilevel studies has increased significantly since 2017. However, some deficiencies remain: a lack of fit between the level of theory and the level of measurement, the revelation of insufficient information, misspecification of the multilevel model and small sample sizes at higher levels. Furthermore, several interesting and understudied topics are also identified as ripe for future investigation. Research limitations/implications In addition to encourage the scholars in hospitality management to assess the possibility of using the multilevel research design for their research topics, the current article also provides recommendations and opportunities for the future multilevel research. Originality/value This article is a pioneer in providing a critical synthesis of multilevel research in the field of hospitality management. Although reviews of the issues involved in multilevel research are available in the existing literature, none of them focuses on the situation and needs of hospitality management. As multilevel research increases in popularity, this review offers a snapshot of the introductory phase and outlines important issue in conducting such research.