CATS will hold the Tourism Online Forum Series (TOFS) vol.54 on Thursday, August 21. Anyone is welcome to attend. We look forward to your participation.
Organizational Culture in a Successful Hotel: Focusing on Amandari
Abstract:
This study explores the distinctive organizational culture of Amandari, a luxury resort in Bali known for its excellence in service and staff well-being. Since opening in 1989, it has endured pandemics such as COVID-19, solidifying its reputation. Amandari maintained its operational stability and staff motivation through a culture rooted in family-like relationships and mutual trust for over 30 years. Based on qualitative interviews conducted in August 2023 and September 2024 with Amandari employees, the research highlights how the hotel fosters strong organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Staff members described their work environment using expressions such as “We are a family,” reflecting a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. This culture enables self-motivation and proactive engagement, even under crisis conditions. Amandari’s management philosophy aligns with Berry and Parasuraman’s (1991) concept of “Treating Employees as Customers,” emphasizing empathy, trust, and long-term support from leadership. These findings resonate with previous studies on successful hotel organizations, such as Hoshino Resorts in Japan (Hashimoto,2021) and point to universal elements of effective organizational cultures in the hospitality industry. This case suggests that cultivating a supportive internal environment not only sustains service quality but also strengthens organizational resilience. The study contributes to understanding how trust-based and family-oriented cultures can drive long-term success in the hotel sector.
Keywords:
Family, Mutual trust, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Treating Employees as Customers
Hosted by: Hokkaido University, Center for Advanced Tourism Studies (CATS)
Date/Time: Thursday 21 August 2025 | 18:30-20:00 (JST)
Venue: Online (Zoom Webinar)
Language: English
Capacity: 50 persons
Participation fee: Free to join (pre-registration system)
Speaker: Shunsaku Hashimoto, Ph.D.
Bio:
Shunsaku Hashimoto is Full Professor of College of Sustainability and Tourism at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Japan. He holds Ph.D. in Tourism from Wakayama University. He is a member of Executive Committee of THERAA (Tourism and Hospitality Educators and Researchers Association of Asia), and a board member of Kyushu and Okinawa branch in Japan Academic Society of Tourism. Also, he is the organizer of SEAMA-Islands Tourism and Hospitality Management-.
His research interest is Organizational Behavior, especially in Service Organizations. His recent research interest is activating organization by mental support for working people. His back ground is very unique and combination of practical and academic. After graduation of undergraduate, he was working in the hotel for 6 years, then went to Scotland to learn hotel management at the post graduate course in University of Strathclyde. After finishing the course, he went back to Japan and working as a manager in The Hotel New Otani Osaka for 6 years. Then he moved to Drake Beam Morin Japan (DBMJ) as a senior management consultant. During working in DBMJ, he got a license of counselor and also learning management at the graduate school. After working in DBMJ, he supported people to get better life and job as a counselor. He taught at the university at the same time. Then he moved to Okinawa and was working as a professor in University of the Ryukyus until the end of March 2024. Now he is Full Professor of College of Sustainability and Tourism at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Japan.
Moderator: Dr. Meng Qu
Registration:
Please register at the URL below.
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z9eAQ5vdSM6qwSCsbALGWA
Contact:
Hokkaido University, Center for Advanced Tourism Studies (CATS)
online-forum(at)cats.hokudai.ac.jp
*Please replace the (at) part with @.
