Operations research from 1913 to 2013: The ford assembly line to hospitality industry innovation

Purpose – This article aims to first summarize and explain major services operations research foci from the past century. Second, this article relates how hospitality scholars have conducted operations-related research with a particular focus on research related to hotels and lodging. Finally, the article makes recommendations regarding potential future areas of concentration of operations research in hospitality. Design/methodology/approach – The article presents a scholarly literature review, where literature from hospitality and general operations management (OM) was reviewed to document research foci throughout recent periods in history. Findings – Hospitality scholars have been conducting research, which reflects trends in general OM literature. Additionally, the research being conducting, which focuses on services in OM, is becoming more commonplace and more distinct from production-based research. Originality/value – The article provides a compilation of literature regarding OM and how hospitality scholars have applied those principles to hotel and lodging operations. Additionally, recommendations regarding potential future topical areas and methodologies are provided for scholars.