Why Hospitality Is Considered to Be Reciprocal in Nature - Assignment Example

Running Head: Managing Hospitality ASS2 Multi-task project Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date due: Assignment 3 questions 1. Explain what is meant by the post-modern view that the provision of hospitality is essentially about providing an experience? Give two examples to illustrate your answer. (5 marks) In the post modern view consumption is being looked at as involving fantasies, feelings and funs which are encompassed by the view of experience. The perspective of experience is a phenomenon that regards consumption as mainly subjective state of consciousness encompassing a variety of symbolic meanings, hedonic responses, and aesthetic criteria. Customers buy experience and memories but not service delivery, they buy , they buy meal experiences but not food and drinks, (Nigel 2007:6). The provision of hospitality the essential thing is providing experience which is viewed by the post modern as the centre stage in the business world. When someone buys a good, he she receives a tangible thing; when he buys a service, he buys a set of intangible activities carried out on his behalf. When the customer buys an experience, he is pays for an event that is memorable, and the company is expected to engage him in an inherently personal way (Pine, Gilmore et al. 2002:12) . The examples of delivering hospitality experiences included the following: In London the Hard Rock Cafe which started operating in 1971, combined rock music with food service to create a unique dining experience which has made it successful to this day. Dr. John Culp a paediatric dentist, created a jungle motif for his office. His business results have skyrocketed and kids actually leave with smiles on their faces! 2. Explain, using examples, why hospitality is considered to be reciprocal in nature. (5 marks) The host and guest are inevitably linked in that they are mutually dependant. The guest is to submit to the authority of the host and the host reciprocates by extending his protection (Pitt-Rivers 1977:116). Even though the provision of hospitality was regarded to be an act of inherent good, where the reward was not expected, it was also inevitably linked with the idea that something may be given back to the host as a substitute for the service that was consumed. Accepting the role of host meant that the host could expect the favours to be returned by the guest. As such it was a reciprocal concept; the provider of hospitality may reciprocate by giving anything ranging from earthly to spiritual gain. Earthly favours were gained by way of the host-guest friendship, loyalty, trust and other means. For example, guests would often pay back their host’s generosity with whatever means they had, whether by telling tales of their adventures, or by bestowing lavish gifts, or generous amounts of cash. The second example is where the host gains personal honour through the provision of hospitality to the clients, as its provision was a testimony to the host’s power to protect the ‘defenceless’ against harm. 3. Discuss whether women’s role in providing hospitality in contemporary hospitality settings can have an ambiguous nature due to its historical links with sex and prostitution in some societies. (6 marks) Women’s role in providing hospitality has an ambiguous nature, due to the sexual component in mediating strangers which has been experienced in the past. Women were not only involved in exogamy and having sexual relations to facilitate a guest’s stay, but they were also involved in the intimate wifely and/or servant role of helping men bath, get dressed, and undress. Similarly, in the traditional inns of Italy and Spain there were chambermaids to look after the hospitable needs of travellers, as far as seducing and having sexual relations as per the desires of the travellers. Hence, hospitality provides the possibility of sexual relations. It has been established that provision of hospitality throughout history has been associated closely with sexuality. Therefore, women were expected to be intimately involved with male guests. In hospitality trade the boundary between hospitality and sexuality is very small. Undoubtedly the outcome of moral obligations which are underwritten by doctrinal and ethical injunctions, bring a sense of various kinds of pleasures, including those of transgression and excess, which are beyond the call of duty . The ambiguity underlying the interpretation of female friendliness towards male guests in the hospitality encounter causes the male guests to wonder beyond the friendliness and think of it as a flirtatious invitation to something more than mere provisions of hospitality. These ambiguities are sediments have been experienced by travellers while on travels. The evidence shows, that in the minds of male customers, there are a certain expectations, that where women’s hospitality role was concerned there was a sexual element. In the hospitality industry today, receptionists still continue to escort guests to their rooms, occupy the same intimate space with the guest, and have cordial relations with guests; it is possible that some male guests might misinterpret the receptionists’ behaviour. 4. In Topic 4 it is argued that the commodification of hospitality creates a natural tension between hosts/servers and guests in terms of consumption. What are the arguments for and against this statement? (6 marks) Commodification of hospitality makes a natural tension between hosts/servers and guests in terms of consumption. Unlike in a private hospitality setting, guests who pay for services may want to obtain the maximum benefit for their money. When people are on holidays they will want to enjoy the moments without any constraints placed on their behaviour or consumption (Ryan 1997:200). This can cause a tension between the hospitality industry and their guests. The renting of timed-space to guests in a hotel is a source of tension on the guest: the interest of the hotel is to give away as little time-space as possible for the maximum rent. Guests, on the other hand, expect to get usage of the time-space rented as extensively as possible. The implicit tension between the interests of the hotel representatives and those of the guests explains why the times for check-in and check-out are so highly contested. People’s behaviour while on holidays may take the form of regression from the standards of behaviour acceptable in normal day-to-day society. Being away on holiday may be taken as a time to change from your usual behaviour and engage in all sorts of excessive camp type behaviour. Some people when they are on holidays their behaviour do not agree with the expected behaviour. Similarly, those on holidays may take excessive drugs and alcohol, engage in disorderly, rowdy behaviour, do offensive things, and engage in illegal prostitution and other sexual acts. There is no natural tension between the host and the staff where the staffs who work in hotels have the conflicting role of providing guests with facilities and at the same time policing and regulating their behaviour, for example, ensuring that guests are not noisy or vandalising the hotel property while being intoxicated by alcohol. At the same time, a certain tolerance is displayed. Guests who have paid for hospitality may behave in ways that may not behave at the premises of a private host, yet because the guest is paying for the service their behaviour is tolerated, to a certain degree , if the behaviour is too disruptive guests may be escorted out of the premises or police may be called in. The guest may be of the opinion that he/she as the paying customer has the right to have enjoyed the moments and this may mean not to be constrained in their behaviour at the same time. 5. Explain what is meant by the statement that consumption of food is related to identity? Give two examples to illustrate your answer. (4 marks) Consumers’ identity is formed by what they consume. People are what they eat because they identify with the types of cuisines they partake-off on holidays (Greg 2002:15). For example the Chinese are proud of hospitality which is expressed in many areas of Chinese life. In rural areas, a farmer may invite a traveller and serve a banquet and bring out the baijui (spirits). The host will be happy if the traveller leaves when he is satisfied and then falls down in a drunkard stupor. In cities, Chinese men habitually sit on the street consuming beer, baijui and having a chat. If a stranger who is friendly passes by, they welcome him and allow him to sit down and drink with them. The manner of consumption of alcohol by the Chinese and Australians is different. Chinese men drink very fast and get drunk very quickly. Once drunk, their actions are uncontrollable. Chinese drink to express respect. Chinese always tap the glass while lifting their bottoms up. University students from Australia are identified by the way they drink in that they take their bear very fast and they have drinking games. Older Australians drink are identified by being more slow in taking their drinks, where they mix drinking with conversation, and generally frown upon people who behave differently. Australians always toast, but the toast only requires a little alcohol to make them drunk. 6. What did Jack Carlzon mean when he coined the phrase moments of truth? (3 marks) A time when a customer interacts with the people or systems that deliver the service is referred to as a moment of truth. The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), Jan Carlzon, believes that management is woven around the function of satisfying guest needs at every opportunity. The centre of the managerial function is the task of satisfying customer needs. Carlzon came up with a concept called ‘moments of truth’, to demonstrate the importance of this interaction’s he gave an example by pointing out that in SAS, in a given year, each of the 10 million customers who came in contact with five SAS employees, where the contact lasted an average of 15 seconds each time. He continues to argue that, if these moments were not managed properly, then the company would have experienced a loss in its most valuable asset, who is the customers. 7. Describe the different types of performative labour introduced in topic 7 and provide an example of each. (5 marks) Recognition labour Recognition labour is a superior type of personal service in which a pleasing experience is provided for the guest. It is a branch of personal service that involves the provision of customisation and care to personalise the guest’s experience of the hotel. It is about recognising the individual selfhood of the guest not only by smiling at her but also by expressing interest in her personality and anticipating, legitimising, and responding immediately to every need. The guests are recognised personally through the use of their names naturally and appropriately and also discern when the guest prefers not to be recognised. Recognition work also entails that the worker legitimates these needs by responding sympathetically (Sherman 2002:7). An example is given where a receptionist, upon hearing that the guest had a bad day, left the counter to place her arms around the guest’s shoulder to show that she empathised with her. Showing empathy extended even to situations where guests were unsatisfied with co-workers in the same hotel Emotional labour Emotional labour is the degree of manipulation of one’s inner feelings or occupational norms. Emotional labour requires one to manage feeling to create observable facial and bodily display. For example, the receptionist - even though he/she may not feel cheerful - is expected to put on a façade of cheerfulness through smiling and other body language, so that the customer would feel good (Arlie 1983:60). Hospitality employees are expected to project a certain image and display particular types of feelings, so that the guest feels good. In addition to managing their emotions, servers are also expected to be smart and speak well to create a positive impression on the guest. Aesthetic labour Aesthetic labour is a supply of embodied capacities and attributes possessed by workers the moment they are employed, is the notion of seeking to permeate the behaviour of employees with a prescribed ‘expressive form’ in order that service encounters should conform to a predetermined ‘style’(Warhurst, Nickson et al. 2000:1). For example a female department store worker who focusses on the customer attracts the customer with modulaed voice, artiful attire and stance. Another example is the particular worker termed the charmer, claims to earn more money through her particular sales technique where she uses a streamlined torso and a brilliant smile and puts on smart expensive dresses as a way of attracting her customers.  Physical labour Servers artfully use their ‘good’ looks, speech, physical movements of the body and dress to attract and charm the guests through the performance. For example the servers’ bodies are displayed and marked by uniforms and how workers feel about their bodies at work. The server’s body is employed in the physical act of the service encounter, and constitutes a certain performance a dance of service. This type of performance is enjoyed by servers, the dance of service is part which makes servers hooked, the servers tend to like the challenge of a busy night, but they also come to value the physical contact and the closeness in space that the job requires. The dance of service forms an essential part of the service experience (Karla 2004:81-82). 8. Discuss using an example whether Hofstede’s values of cultural variability are useful in explaining how the etiquette of eating in one culture may be different or similar from another (e.g. how Chinese food is served at a restaurant in comparison to a Western meal) (5 marks) Hofstede’s values of cultural variability are useful in explaining how the etiquette of eating in one culture may differ or may be similar to another. A major criticism levelled against Hofstede is that the responses he derived from his survey may have a Western cultural bias, as the team of investigators that conducted the research were mainly Americans and Europeans(Mwaura, Sutton et al. 1998:213) . This criticism is often moderated in light of two facts. First, Hofstede has acknowledged that no study can be totally value - free, and has informed the reader about his own value system so that independent opinions can be formed about the existence of any biases in his study. Secondly, a number of studies that have been conducted after Hofstede's study in different time periods, using different cultures and samples have refined Hofstede's study rather than contradicting his work. For example, the survey that was administered by the Chinese Cultural Connection re-affirms that the variability factors that were isolated in Hofstede's study are widely applicable to a cross-section of nations. Hofstede, in applying the variability in dimensions to corporate and national culture concludes that, corporate culture differs from national culture in that, organisational membership is normally partial, while membership of a nation is permanent. This means that national values of employees cannot be changed easily, but since organisational cultures compose of practices rather than values, they lend themselves to change much more easily (Geert 1994: 86). 9. Reading 9.2 argues that various underlying structures (e.g. uniforms) within the hotel setting can lead to sexualisation of labour and consequently to sexual harassment of employees. Describe three ways in which service labour may be sexualised in a hotel setting. (5 marks) The term dance of service is used to describe the rhythm, energy, and enticement produced by the repetitive and spontaneous use of bodies in service work. A restaurant is a stage for service. But the decoration and flavours is only the backdrop to the show. The workers at the restaurant contribute to the mood of the space through their appearance, uniform, attitude, language, and skill. Workers are like hosts to the guests, but they also function like social tour guides in the hospitality industry. It is observed that the physical demands of the job and the closeness of confined bodies within the restaurant setting inevitably creates an atmosphere charged with sexual connotations. It has been pointed out that servers have a pedagogic role in educating customers on how they should behave (Wijesinghe, 2009: 50). Servers are indeed performers whose bodies are part of what is consumed when we go out to eat, but because servers and customers interact, the movement of servers’ bodies does more than communicate ambiance: They also have a disciplining power, inviting certain behaviours and discouraging others. Although servers’ ability to navigate and communicate with their bodies allows them to exert some control over customers, they too are disciplined by the restaurant space. Various things restrict or encourage certain behaviours, uniforms differentiate servers from customers. For example, short sexy uniforms encourage customers to flirt while sombre, business looking uniforms restrict such behaviour. 10. This question is based on your ability to think imaginatively and in a creative way. Describe using your imagination what you think will be the innovations that offer greater customer satisfaction in the year 2020, in any one or all of these areas: accommodation, food and beverage service, entertainment and security. (6 marks) From my point of view using people to carry out hospitality duties has resulted to some vices, therefore I feel that in the year 2020 the innovations that will offer greater customer satisfaction will be achieved through computerizing the systems. For accommodation, the rooms will have an automatic and computerized air conditioning system in that the room condition will automatically adjust to the requirements of the customer. Everything required by the customer will be received electronically. Food and beverages will be served via an electronic gadget installed in all rooms and the common room, in that one will request for a drink by sending an electronic message and the gadget will respond by serving the drink or food. For entertainment, there will be a provision for private entertainment and public entertainment, in that customers who don’t want to be bothered by other people can be entertained in their rooms where all forms of entertainments will be provided. Security will be up to date, as all the systems will be computerized, in that the information of the customers will be fed in the computers where they will be recognized as guests, the system will be able to detect their background, so as to have clear information about the guests. The computer system will have the ability to detect any intruder or presence of any dangerous materials or items. These will reduce human labour and will increase human dignity. References Arlie, H. The Managed Haert: Commercialization of Human Feeling. Berkeley: University of Califonia, 1983. Geert, H. cultures and Organizations: Inercultural Cooperation and Its or survival-software of the mind. Cambridge: MA, University Press, 1994. Greg, R and Hjalager M.A. Chapter 1: Gastronomy : An Essential Ingrediant in Tourism Production and Consumption? Tourism and Gastonomy. London: Routledge, 2002. Karla, E. "Bodies at work: Performing Service in American Restaurants." Space and Culture (2004): 7 (1)76-89. Mwaura, G, Suttan, J and Roberts, D. "Corporate and National Culture- an Irreconcilable Dilemma for the Hospitality Manager?" International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (1998): 14 (3) 219-234. Nigel, H. " From Service to experience; Understanding and Defining Hospitality Business." The service Industries Journal (2007): 27 (6) 1-19. Pine, J.I and Gilmore J.H. "Welcome to the experience Economy." Health Forum Jounal (2001): 10-17. Pitt-Rivers, J.A. "Chapter 6: Women and Sanctuary in the Mediteranean." The Fate of Women (1977): 1 113-125. Ryan, C. "Chapter 10: The Time of our Lives Or Time For Our Lives: An Examination of Time in Holidaying." The Tourism Experience: a New Introduction (1997): 194-205. Sherman, R. Better than your Mother: Recognition, Care, and Labour in Luxury Hotels. ILE Graduate Student Reseach Conference: Santa Cruz, CA, 2002. Warhurst, C, et al. "Aesthetic Labour in interactive Service work: some Case Study Evidence from the New Glasglow ." The Service Industries Journal (2000): 20 (3) 1-20. Wijesinghe, G. Case booklet: phenomenalogical case studies on the experience of hospitality reception practice(unpublished), . Adelaide: University of South Australia, 2009. Read More