Communal-Digital Model for Housekeeping Efficiency: A Participatory Action Research in a Resource-Constrained Frontier Region

Boiris Milyardo; Friend Zakharia; Erwin Rivaldo Leki

doi:10.35313/jtospolban.v6i1.203

Authors

Boiris Milyardo Tourism Department, Politeknik Negeri Kupang
Friend Zakharia Tourism Department, Politeknik Negeri Kupang
Erwin Rivaldo Leki Tourism Department, Politeknik Negeri Kupang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35313/jtospolban.v6i1.203

Keywords:

hospitality industry, Communal-digital model, Housekeeping efficiency, Timorese local wisdom

Abstract

The persistent failure of standardized digital management platforms to resolve operational rifts in frontier tourism destinations stems from a fundamental misalignment between technocentric design and regional infrastructural fragilities. This study evaluates a Communal-Digital Model designed to bridge these gaps by anchoring frugal digital tools within indigenous collectivist ethics. Employing a ten-week Participatory Action Research design at a mid-scale hotel in Indonesia, the research involved 15 housekeeping personnel using messaging platforms and offline spreadsheets analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis and quantitative performance metrics. Implementation resulted in a 44.4% reduction in room turnaround duration and an 80% decrease in inventory auditing discrepancies, while autonomous staff engagement increased from 30% to 85%. These findings validate the conceptual framework of digital communalism, proving that traditional social capital drives technological transformation in non-Western, resource-scarce contexts.

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