Analysis of the Quality of Service in the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example

?Proposal Dear I have done the editing according o the specifications of your supervisor. Basically, I have centred the entire research on customer satisfaction because as your supervisor said at first, the main focus was not clear. I have also done a lot of additions as I said. You will find the additions I did in RED font after the main work. Thank you and expecting to work for you in the nearest future – may be on the proposal itself Working Title Value gap in hospitality industry: critical analysis of the difference between Customer Experience and Customer Satisfaction in a Self-catered house and a Catered House in The London Hostels Association. Introduction to the topic When it comes to satisfaction of a customer in the hospitality industry, there are a plethora of issues that have to be taken into consideration. One of the most recognised components of the hospitality industry is catering services. The provision of catering services has seen its development through the ages, and many additional factors have developed that impact on the functioning and progress of organizations that offer catering services. Most of these developments are channelled towards achieving environmentally-friendly catering service. Yet some feel that the label of the environmentally-friendly catering is just a ploy to counter the threat of new entrants and products, bargaining of buyers and suppliers, rivalry among competitors (Baum et al., 2008). These integrated concerns are critical to organizational planning by virtue of their dynamics. For one, the first thing that needs to be done with an organization is appropriate identification with respect to the environment. Only a sound knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and its patterns can help identity what can be done with it. By looking at the instances from real-time issues, one can establish as to what are the real loopholes in the process, and what could possibly have been done in order to rectify them. As far as this research is concerned, one of these issues that will be looked at is the difference between customer experience and customer satisfaction. A correlation shall be established to find out what the expectations of customers of catering services are. These shall include what satisfies the and how they would want to be treated for the services they pay for. Background Literature The researcher shall be guided in the conduct of this research by five major themes. These themes are going to be the basis of literature review as well as the basis for data collection and analysis. These themes are all channelled towards helping the researcher realise the research statement, which has to do with the difference between customer experience and customer satisfaction. These themes are: Evolution in the hospitality industry, with particular reference to evolution in catering services in big cities such as London. The role of catering services in ensuring customer satisfaction and a realisation of these roles as social responsibilities. How to ensure a customer friendly catering environment Possible innovations in the catering service that can be used to enhance customer satisfaction The effect of customer satisfaction on sales and marketing in catering services To effectively analyse the themes, literature shall be revealed from authoritative sources such as books, magazines, journals and internet websites. In the little of preliminary literature reviewed, the following are some salient ideas gathered: Hospitality industry, of which catering services is no exception have experienced a great deal of changes over the years. These evolutions are however directed towards achieving enhanced service delivery and customer satisfaction as hospitality is all about satisfying customers. Understanding the domain of everyone individually is of vital importance. Knowledge of ethical issues to the cause of organizational practice has now become imperative. Though universal appreciation for industry growth and demands arising due to the same remain generally constant, yet there are certain implications that are different for certain countries and even states within countries (Miller, 1990). It must be appreciated that these concerns for evolution are actually a facilitating and binding factor that try to ensure implicitly that the catering industry develops in a proactive and contemporary way. Some basic evolutions that have been experienced in the service include the inception of concepts like quality assurance, quality control and the ISO standards. Today, catering is seen as a public service and so attracts public opinion as to the standards that should be kept and adhered to. Ensuring customer satisfaction has come to be a household name in the catering industry. Today, it is more of a responsibility than a privilege. Responsibility is not only a professional virtue, but a moral one. In the profession that has long been associated with employing dubious ploys for the sake of marketing and sales, a sense of accountability is ever increasing (Cornelissen et al., 2007). One has to understand, that while business is financially rewarding, it also comes along with a number of responsibilities. Thus, it is also critically important to generate a feeling of accountability and responsibility within the catering industry provider. For this reason, research has revealed that incorporating customer relations into the studies of catering students will give them a firm understanding of the concept of customer satisfaction and why it is a responsibility for them to undertake them. Before effective customer satisfaction can be assured, it is important for owners of catering services to have a very broad sense of innovation. This is probably the most important element, which helps the organization in preparation for the future challenges. This is one factor alone that differentiates the follower from the leader. The fact of the matter is, that many people in all professions tend to believe what is taught and practiced in front of them. They do not have the ability, urge and background to question – the knack to acquire and employ innovation – which is the most important feature in the development of management of any organization worldwide (Grimes-Casey et al., 2007). Henceforth, the most credible feature of this factor is that it would help in the preparation of analytical insight of the catering industry. Thus it is important to establish learning patterns on the very same lines, wherein one is able to appreciate the dynamics and complexities involved in the management of organization catering industry. Adaptive and innovative behaviour is the need of the hour in a profession as dynamic and ever-changing as the catering industry – this is more so the case with the everyday influx of technology in our lives, wherein outreach has become even more critical (Gray and Guthrie, 1990). For this purpose, the organization needs to be well-versed with the professional requirement, ethical parameters, and legal concerns that concern its areas of work, so that when it is tending to the needs of its clients, they can be assured of quality service that maintains all requisite standards. This may well be the first step in the correct direction, but as long as the vector for the marketing and sales strategy is well defined, nothing else seems to be a formidable barrier. Only sound information about the traits of an organization and its patterns can help identify for the organization as to what is to be done with it (van Birgelen et al., 2009). The correct analyses beforehand not only makes the life and analysis of the organization easier, but the process of provision of catering industry also finds a comfortable discourse – and this can only take place if the appropriate information is available to the organization. With a well harnessed customer relations and customer satisfaction program in place, catering businesses are likely to see the fruition of these into financial gains for them. This is because customer satisfaction that cuts across areas such as product and service gives customers a good reason why they should continue to do business at a particular place. In today’s world of global competition, it is almost impossible for a catering service or company to think of profits when customers do not get pleased with services given them. All these factors basically raise the question of rules and regulation, professionalism, and ethical concerns in some instances. The progress of the catering industry is dependent upon these factors. In the realm of an organization, consideration of varying factors would allow us to go a step further and deliver with responsibility, especially when one is making an ethical promise on grounds of providing a hospitality friendly catering service. In the profession of ethical business management, it is all the more important to consider such facts in the consideration for the benefit of the environment. Main Objective of the Study The aim is to inquire from the customers, how satisfied they are with catering services given them in their hostels. Areas of customer satisfaction shall include among other things, packing, environment, ethics, prices, quality of product (food items) and feedback system in place. Specific Objectives 1. To find out how the catering industry has changed over the years 2. To identify practical ways by which catering companies can ensure and promote customer satisfaction programs 3. To come out with innovative ideas that can be explored by companies to enhance customer satisfaction 4. To draw a correlation between customer satisfaction and company growth Proposed Research Methodology Proposed methodological approach The research design is suggested to include individual feedback questionnaires, so that direct answers can be obtained from the customers as well as the managers. For this purpose, there are two major sets of samples that are intended for the study – customers, and managers. Customers will of course form the bulk of the respondents, since they are greater in number as well, and they are also the ones who are experiencing the service. The opinion of the managers would however be relevant to gauge how the perception varies from actual experience. The design therefore involves selection of 4 hostels, two of which provide self-catering service and the other two provide official catering. Two sets of hostels are being used to do away with any specific variables or factors that may be exclusive to a particular place or manger, so that an unbiased version of results can be obtained. Across the same questionnaire, the respondents would be asked for their views on how they found the service, and whether they would suggest any changes. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the managers would be asked their perspectives on how the customers liked the service which was provided to them. The customers would be asked to fill in the questionnaires upon their departure from the hostel, should they desire to participate in the study. The managers would be required to fill in the feedback form for only those customers, who shoes to be part of the study, so that a comparison can be made between them both. The responses shall be received on a 5-point scale, to allow for a reasonable frequency in responses of the people from highly satisfied to not-satisfied at all. The primary comparison would of course be between the two forms of catering services, and how the customers gauge the mechanism and processes involved. It is believed that the study design makes it both achievable and feasible within the given constraint of time and resources. Research Design The design is crucial to the topic, since it requires a descriptive version of the concept of their work environment that the customers have about the product. Standardized batteries cannot achieve this goal, since the discussion was arranged in a dynamic and reactionary setting, wherein customers were not only asked their take on an issue, but were also questioned for the reasons of the stance that they possessed. If such a probability exists, then the answer can only surface in the format of an open ended discourse, on the lines of a survey questionnaire. In a division of categories, survey questionnaires would then be carried out with the participants. Sample and Sampling Technique There shall be a multi-phase sampling technique employed fort his research. The multi-phase technique shall be made of both probability sampling and non-probability sampling. With the probability sampling, it shall be applied on managers of the company. This is because only a limited number of companies are being looked at and specific information is needed from them and so there must be a sampling system that can target them directly. The probability sampling shall be applied on the customers. This will be done to ensure that there is no bias and unfairness in the selection of participants for the research. Again, it would ensure that there is variety of participants in terms of sex, age, social class and status, occupation, religion and race. This diversity is needed to give the researcher a very broad view of the issue of customer satisfaction in the eyes of very large population and not only among a small group of people. The reason for the choice of these categories of people stems from the specific work areas within the organization that these people represent, thereby allowing for a broad-based understanding of what is happening to be made available in the discussion. It is believed that these divisions have their own specific characteristics, which are likely to poses unique challenges to the customers passing through a distinct phase. Sampling Design and Type of Data to be Collected Data shall be gathered on how satisfied customers are with their services and how they would want it improved. Since the format is one of a survey questionnaire, there would be semi-structured questions broadly covering the same subject areas for all groups. The same series of questions would be asked to each group, though arguably, due to the open-ended nature of the proceedings, the discussion did find multiple recourses along the way. Data Analysis Plan There shall be both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Quantitative data analysis shall be applied on responses given by customers on the questionnaires. Numbers shall be converted and used mathematically through the use of tables, percentage graph and pie charts. Qualitative analysis shall be used in appraising the whole system of customer satisfaction with reference to literature reviewed and what other researchers and scholars have proposed as models of customer satisfaction. Time scale The schedule for this research is as follows: Week One: Finalisation of research area and preliminary secondary research. Weeks Two - Three Identification of organisations and participants; approval obtained. Design of questionnaires and distribution. Weeks Four – Seven Study of organisations’ outsourcing strategies and its impacts Engage with secondary literature and data. Weeks Eight - Nine Deadline for complete questionnaires. Analysis of results. Week Ten Conduct interviews. Analysis of results. Weeks Eleven – Twelve Write up dissertation. Submission. Possible limitations and ethical issues As is true with any research, there are a number of obvious limitations to the study. The first and commonest limitation that researchers have faced and that is envisioned in this research is access to reliable information. Most often than not, respondents are reluctant to give out true information especially those who are involved directly in the research such as in this case the managers. Secondly, depending upon the type of product in use, and the amount to which the customer uses it, there may be a disparity in results. Since the study is based on survey questionnaires, there isn’t really any safety consideration involved in the study. There is no direct contact with the product or the site of its preparation, therefore no requisite precaution would be required. Finally, in terms of the results being envisaged, it has to be admitted that sample collected may not be truly representative of all the hostels working in the catering industry, and therefore there has to be a reasonable level of compromise in terms of projection of results that has to be made in this realm. As far as ethics are concerned, the researcher shall ensure that information collected from individuals are treated with highest level of privacy and anonymity. This is necessary to protect the image of respondents as this is merely an academic exercise and not an investigative research. Future Directions The design of survey questionnaire as a methodology is critical to the findings achieved. It was because of the freedom and candid mode of this design that individuals would be able to give their viewpoints about this issue. Obviously with the evolution and development of life, changes keep happening. The dynamics of the catering industry keep getting more and more difficult since there is massive competition and it leaves the original company little to gain from (Prendergast and Pitt, 1996). Subsequently, some hostels can never really gauge who their competitors are, and what they are capable of. Subsequently, they seem too far behind in the race now; this comes as a consequence of the complex structure of international organizational structures in contrast to the local ones. In these circumstances, sometimes certain hostels tend to employ marketing short-cuts, to promise to deliver in an area that they are actually not capable of delivering. References Baum, D.M., Jayasekara, R.K. & Palombo, E.A., 2008. Hospitality-friendly biodegradable packaging products.   van Birgelen, M., Semeijn, J. & Keicher, M., 2009. Packaging and Prohospitality Consumption Behavior: Investigating Purchase and Disposal Decisions for Beverages. Environment and Behavior, 41(1), 125.   Cornelissen, G. et al., 2007. Whatever people say I am, that's what I am: Social labeling as a social marketing tool. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24(4), 278–288.   Gray, V. & Guthrie, J., 1990. Ethical issues of hospitalityly friendly packaging. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 20(8), 31–6.   Grimes-Casey, H.G. et al., 2007. A game theory framework for cooperative management of refillable and disposable bottle lifecycles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(17), 1618–1627.   Miller, C., 1990. Use of Hospitalityly Friendly Packaging May Take A While. Marketing News, 24, 18.   Prendergast, G. & Pitt, L., 1996. Packaging, marketing, logistics and the environment: are there trade-offs? International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 26, 60–72.   Editing Proposal Working Title Value gap in hospitality industry: critical analysis of the difference between Customer Experience and Customer Satisfaction in a Self-catered house and a Catered House in The London Hostels Association. Introduction to the topic When it comes to satisfaction of a customer in the hospitality catering industry, there are a plethora of issues that have to be taken into consideration. One of the most recognised components of the hospitality industry is catering services. The provision of catering services has seen its development through the ages, and many additional factors have developed that impact on the functioning and progress of organizations that offer catering services. involve catering of their products. Most of these developments are channelled towards achieving environmentally-friendly catering service. Yet some feel that the label of the environmentally-friendly catering is just a ploy to counter the threat of new entrants and products, bargaining of buyers and suppliers, rivalry among competitors (Baum et al., 2008). These integrated concerns are critical to organizational planning by virtue of their dynamics. For one, the first thing that needs to be done with an organization is appropriate identification with respect to the environment. Only a sound knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and its patterns can help identity what can be done with it. By looking at the instances from real-time issues, one can establish as to what are the real loopholes in the process, and what could possibly have been done in order to rectify them. As far as this research is concerned, one of these issues that will be looked at is the difference between customer experience and customer satisfaction. A correlation shall be established to find out what the expectations of customers of catering services are. These shall include what satisfies the and how they would want to be treated for the services they pay for. Background Literature Literature Review The researcher shall be guided in the conduct of this research by five major themes. These themes are going to be the basis of literature review as well as the basis for data collection and analysis. These themes are all channelled towards helping the researcher realise the research statement, which has to do with the difference between customer experience and customer satisfaction. These themes are: Evolution in the hospitality industry, with particular reference to evolution in catering services in big cities such as London. The role of catering services in ensuring customer satisfaction and a realisation of these roles as social responsibilities. How to ensure a customer friendly catering environment Possible innovations in the catering service that can be used to enhance customer satisfaction The effect of customer satisfaction on sales and marketing in catering services To effectively analyse the themes, literature shall be revealed from authoritative sources such as books, magazines, journals and internet websites. In the little of preliminary literature reviewed, the following are some salient ideas gathered: a) Industry Evolution Hospitality industry, of which catering services is no exception have experienced a great deal of changes over the years. These evolutions are however directed towards achieving enhanced service delivery and customer satisfaction as hospitality is all about satisfying customers. Understanding the domain of everyone individually is of vital importance. Knowledge of ethical issues to the cause of organizational practice has now become imperative. Though universal appreciation for industry growth and demands arising due to the same remain generally constant, yet there are certain implications that are different for certain countries and even states within countries (Miller, 1990). It must be appreciated that these concerns for evolution are actually a facilitating and binding factor that try to ensure implicitly that the catering industry develops in a proactive and contemporary way. Some basic evolutions that have been experienced in the service include the inception of concepts like quality assurance, quality control and the ISO standards. Today, catering is seen as a public service and so attracts public opinion as to the standards that should be kept and adhered to. b) Corporate Social Responsibility Ensuring customer satisfaction has come to be a household name in the catering industry. Today, it is more of a responsibility than a privilege. Responsibility is not only a professional virtue, but a moral one. In the profession that has long been associated with employing dubious ploys for the sake of marketing and sales, a sense of accountability is ever increasing (Cornelissen et al., 2007). One has to understand, that while business is financially rewarding, it also comes along with a number of responsibilities. Thus, it is also critically important to generate a feeling of accountability and responsibility within the catering industry provider. For this reason, research has revealed that incorporating customer relations into the studies of catering students will give them a firm understanding of the concept of customer satisfaction and why it is a responsibility for them to undertake them. This of course is an applied level of knowledge and skill that is desirous of all new professionals in any fields. Business Environment The first thing that needs to be done with respect to organizational control and spread is appropriate identification with respect to the environment and its requirements. This has a direct impact on the product and the service provided by the catering industry. b) Innovation Before effective customer satisfaction can be assured, it is important for owners of catering services to have a very broad sense of innovation. This is probably the most important element, which helps the organization in preparation for the future challenges. This is one factor alone that differentiates the follower from the leader. The fact of the matter is, that many people in all professions tend to believe what is taught and practiced in front of them. They do not have the ability, urge and background to question – the knack to acquire and employ innovation – which is the most important feature in the development of management of any organization worldwide (Grimes-Casey et al., 2007). Henceforth, the most credible feature of this factor is that it would help in the preparation of analytical insight of the catering industry. Thus it is important to establish learning patterns on the very same lines, wherein one is able to appreciate the dynamics and complexities involved in the management of organization catering industry. Adaptive and innovative behaviour is the need of the hour in a profession as dynamic and ever-changing as the catering industry – this is more so the case with the everyday influx of technology in our lives, wherein outreach has become even more critical (Gray and Guthrie, 1990). For this purpose, the organization needs to be well-versed with the professional requirement, ethical parameters, and legal concerns that concern its areas of work, so that when it is tending to the needs of its clients, they can be assured of quality service that maintains all requisite standards. This may well be the first step in the correct direction, but as long as the vector for the marketing and sales strategy is well defined, nothing else seems to be a formidable barrier. d) Sales and Marketing Only sound information about the traits of an organization and its patterns can help identify for the organization as to what is to be done with it (van Birgelen et al., 2009). The correct analyses beforehand not only makes the life and analysis of the organization easier, but the process of provision of catering industry also finds a comfortable discourse – and this can only take place if the appropriate information is available to the organization. With a well harnessed customer relations and customer satisfaction program in place, catering businesses are likely to see the fruition of these into financial gains for them. This is because customer satisfaction that cuts across areas such as product and service gives customers a good reason why they should continue to do business at a particular place. In today’s world of global competition, it is almost impossible for a catering service or company to think of profits when customers do not get pleased with services given them. e) All these factors basically raise the question of rules and regulation, professionalism, and ethical concerns in some instances. The progress of the catering industry is dependent upon these factors. In the realm of an organization, consideration of varying factors would allow us to go a step further and deliver with responsibility, especially when one is making an ethical promise on grounds of providing a hospitality friendly catering service. In the profession of ethical business management, it is all the more important to consider such facts in the consideration for the benefit of the environment. Aims and Main Objective of the Study The aim to inquire from the customers, how satisfied they are with catering services given them in their hostels. Areas of customer satisfaction shall include among other things, packing, environment, ethics, prices, quality of product (food items) and feedback system in place. Specific Objectives 5. To find out how the catering industry has changed over the years 6. To identify practical ways by which catering companies can ensure and promote customer satisfaction programs 7. To come out with innovative ideas that can be explored by companies to enhance customer satisfaction 8. To draw a correlation between customer satisfaction and company growth Proposed Research Methodology Proposed methodological approach The research design is suggested to include individual feedback questionnaires, so that direct answers can be obtained from the customers as well as the managers. For this purpose, there are two major sets of samples that are intended for the study – customers, and managers. Customers will of course form the bulk of the respondents, since they are greater in number as well, and they are also the ones who are experiencing the service. The opinion of the managers would however be relevant to gauge how the perception varies from actual experience. The design therefore involves selection of 4 hostels, two of which provide self-catering service and the other two provide official catering. Two sets of hostels are being used to do away with any specific variables or factors that may be exclusive to a particular place or manger, so that an unbiased version of results can be obtained. Across the same questionnaire, the respondents would be asked for their views on how they found the service, and whether they would suggest any changes. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the managers would be asked their perspectives on how the customers liked the service which was provided to them. The customers would be asked to fill in the questionnaires upon their departure from the hostel, should they desire to participate in the study. The managers would be required to fill in the feedback form for only those customers, who shoes to be part of the study, so that a comparison can be made between them both. The responses shall be received on a 5-point scale, to allow for a reasonable frequency in responses of the people from highly satisfied to not-satisfied at all. The primary comparison would of course be between the two forms of catering services, and how the customers gauge the mechanism and processes involved. It is believed that the study design makes it both achievable and feasible within the given constraint of time and resources. a) Research Design The design is crucial to the topic, since it requires a descriptive version of the concept of their work environment that the customers have about the product. Standardized batteries cannot achieve this goal, since the discussion was arranged in a dynamic and reactionary setting, wherein customers were not only asked their take on an issue, but were also questioned for the reasons of the stance that they possessed. If such a probability exists, then the answer can only surface in the format of an open ended discourse, on the lines of a survey questionnaire. In a division of categories, survey questionnaires would then be carried out with the participants. b) Sample and Sampling Technique There shall be a multi-phase sampling technique employed fort his research. The multi-phase technique shall be made of both probability sampling and non-probability sampling. With the probability sampling, it shall be applied on managers of the company. This is because only a limited number of companies are being looked at and specific information is needed from them and so there must be a sampling system that can target them directly. The probability sampling shall be applied on the customers. This will be done to ensure that there is no bias and unfairness in the selection of participants for the research. Again, it would ensure that there is variety of participants in terms of sex, age, social class and status, occupation, religion and race. This diversity is needed to give the researcher a very broad view of the issue of customer satisfaction in the eyes of very large population and not only among a small group of people. The reason for the choice of these categories of people stems from the specific work areas within the organization that these people represent, thereby allowing for a broad-based understanding of what is happening to be made available in the discussion. It is believed that these divisions have their own specific characteristics, which are likely to poses unique challenges to the customers passing through a distinct phase. c) Tool Sampling Design and Type of Data to be Collected Data shall be gathered on how satisfied customers are with their services and how they would want it improved. Since the format is one of a survey questionnaire, there would be semi-structured questions broadly covering the same subject areas for all groups. The same series of questions would be asked to each group, though arguably, due to the open-ended nature of the proceedings, the discussion did find multiple recourses along the way. Data Analysis Plan There shall be both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Quantitative data analysis shall be applied on responses given by customers on the questionnaires. Numbers shall be converted and used mathematically through the use of tables, percentage graph and pie charts. Qualitative analysis shall be used in appraising the whole system of customer satisfaction with reference to literature reviewed and what other researchers and scholars have proposed as models of customer satisfaction. Time scale The schedule for this research is as follows: Week One: Finalisation of research area and preliminary secondary research. Weeks Two - Three Identification of organisations and participants; approval obtained. Design of questionnaires and distribution. Weeks Four – Seven Study of organisations’ outsourcing strategies and its impacts Engage with secondary literature and data. Weeks Eight - Nine Deadline for complete questionnaires. Analysis of results. Week Ten Conduct interviews. Analysis of results. Weeks Eleven – Twelve Write up dissertation. Submission. Possible limitations and ethical issues As is true with any research, there are a number of obvious limitations to the study. The first and commonest limitation that researchers have faced and that is envisioned in this research is access to reliable information. Most often than not, respondents are reluctant to give out true information especially those who are involved directly in the research such as in this case the managers. Secondly, depending upon the type of product in use, and the amount to which the customer uses it, there may be a disparity in results. Since the study is based on survey questionnaires, there isn’t really any safety consideration involved in the study. There is no direct contact with the product or the site of its preparation, therefore no requisite precaution would be required. Finally, in terms of the results being envisaged, it has to be admitted that sample collected may not be truly representative of all the hostels working in the catering industry, and therefore there has to be a reasonable level of compromise in terms of projection of results that has to be made in this realm. As far as ethics are concerned, the researcher shall ensure that information collected from individuals are treated with highest level of privacy and anonymity. This is necessary to protect the image of respondents as this is merely an academic exercise and not an investigative research. Future Directions The design of survey questionnaire as a methodology is critical to the findings achieved. It was because of the freedom and candid mode of this design that individuals would be able to give their viewpoints about this issue. Obviously with the evolution and development of life, changes keep happening. The dynamics of the catering industry keep getting more and more difficult since there is massive competition and it leaves the original company little to gain from (Prendergast and Pitt, 1996). Subsequently, some hostels can never really gauge who their competitors are, and what they are capable of. Subsequently, they seem too far behind in the race now; this comes as a consequence of the complex structure of international organizational structures in contrast to the local ones. In these circumstances, sometimes certain hostels tend to employ marketing short-cuts, to promise to deliver in an area that they are actually not capable of delivering. References Baum, D.M., Jayasekara, R.K. & Palombo, E.A., 2008. Hospitalityly-friendly biodegradable packaging products.   van Birgelen, M., Semeijn, J. & Keicher, M., 2009. Packaging and Prohospitality Consumption Behavior: Investigating Purchase and Disposal Decisions for Beverages. Environment and Behavior, 41(1), 125.   Cornelissen, G. et al., 2007. Whatever people say I am, that's what I am: Social labeling as a social marketing tool. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24(4), 278–288.   Gray, V. & Guthrie, J., 1990. Ethical issues of hospitalityly friendly packaging. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 20(8), 31–6.   Grimes-Casey, H.G. et al., 2007. A game theory framework for cooperative management of refillable and disposable bottle lifecycles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(17), 1618–1627.   Miller, C., 1990. Use of Hospitalityly Friendly Packaging May Take A While. Marketing News, 24, 18.   Prendergast, G. & Pitt, L., 1996. Packaging, marketing, logistics and the environment: are there trade-offs? International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 26, 60–72.   Read More