Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry

This research focuses on the significance of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies, and policies in the hospitality industry, with a case study of Queens Park Hotel. It aims to evaluate their impact on consumer decision-making and identify challenges faced by the hotel. The report also provides recommendations to address these challenges.

Research Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODCUTION...........................................................................................................................4
Rationale:.....................................................................................................................................4
Aims and Objectives....................................................................................................................4
Activity 1.........................................................................................................................................5
Research Proposal........................................................................................................................5
Research Questions.................................................................................................................5
Literature Review.....................................................................................................................5
Critical Evaluation of research methods.................................................................................6
Activity 2.........................................................................................................................................7
Research Methodology................................................................................................................7
Cost and ethical issues.................................................................................................................8
Data Collection and Data Analysis..............................................................................................8
Findings.....................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODCUTION
The research topic is “sustainability in the hospitality industry”. This topic has become
world wide issue because most of the hospitality companies are adopting sustainability strategies
in their practices but only fewer companies have gained positive impact on their business
functioning while others unable to maintain sustainability in the business. Hospitality sector is
considered one of the economic booster’s industry among others which helps nation to increase
it’s GDP rate. This research will focus over significance of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies and
policies over consumer’s decision making through real life example of hotel. It includes aim and
objectives of the selected hospitality company in this research assignment.
Rationale:
This research has wide scope in current and future scenario because most of the
companies in hospitality sector still follows their traditional operations and gains commercial
benefits upon the consumer’s decision-making process (Queirós, Faria and Almeida, 2017). But
upcoming period sustainability will be highly demanded in the hospitality sector. Then this
research will support such hospitality companies which will adapt sustainability in order to meet
government’s and consumer’s objectives. In this report will discuss about issues that obtains by
sustainability and will illustrate probable solutions as well to deal with the proposed issues
effectively. So, this research will prove supportive for the all hospitality companies weather they
are adopting or will adopt.
Aims and Objectives
Aim
“To evaluate role of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies and policies that have upon
consumer’s decision-making. In the case study of Queens Park Hotel ”.
Objectives
 To understand the phenomena of sustainability in the hospitality industry.
 To evaluate role of eco-friendly strategies, initiatives and policies over the consumer’s
decision-making process in the hospitality sector.

 To identified issues or challenges that are facing by Queens Park Hotel after adoption of
eco-friendly initiatives and policies.
 To recommend probable solution over the identified issues in the Queens Park Hotel
related to sustainability.
Activity 1
Research Proposal
Research Questions
 What do you mean by phenomena of sustainability in the hospitality sector?
 What are the impacts of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies and policies upon the
consumer’s decision-making process in the hospitality organization i.e. Queens Park
Hotel?
 What issues are facing by Queens Park Hotel while adapting eco-friendly initiatives and
policies?
 What probable solutions can be recommended to the Queens Park Hotel to deal with
identified issues effectively?
Literature Review
According to Higgins-Desbiolles, Moskwa and Wijesinghe, (2019), sustainability is a
commercial development process that fulfil the needs of the existing generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to complete their own needs and requirements. It
provides socio-economical benefits to all the stakeholders i.e. internal and external. So, it will
valid to say that it brings mutual benefits in the business. Curtis and Lehner, (2019) have quoted
in their published articles about impact of sustainability upon consumer’s decision-making
process such as eco-friendly initiatives i.e. use eco-friendly equipment’s that support to reduce
energy consumption, water usage, waste & air emissions that ultimately reduces bills. Thus,
hospitality sector enables to saves additional costs of expenditures. While sustainable strategies
like fair treatment with the staff and create awareness in staff about sustainable policies, can be
used by hospitality industry that will improve performance and economic status of the hospitality
industry as compared others. When hospitality companies adapt different eco-friendly
approaches in the business then these automatically increase brand positioning in the hospitality

sector. González-Rodríguez, Díaz-Fernández and Font, (2020) have criticized about
sustainability through real life example of organization i.e. Queens Park Hotel in their Books that
Queens Park Hotel is facing more issues after adoption sustainable practices in the company such
as it is planning to make hotel green so it is adapting every possible sustainable action in it’s
business activity due to this it facing employees resistance, poor management practices,
economic issues etc. However, Sharma, Chenand Liu, (2020) have proposed effective solution in
their published books that upper management of the Queens Park Hotel can conduct a meeting
with HR management and hire a leader who support company to systematically accept all
sustainable initiatives and policies effectively within business by influencing staff to work on
management directions only. Thus, company can deal with issues effectively in the business and
can gain have lots of benefits in term of productivity and commercially.
Critical Evaluation of research methods
 Research Types: In this research will use qualitative method because it will help in
maintaining quality while collecting data over the proposed research topic. Additionally,
it is quite simpler method as compared other one i.e. quantitative method.
 Research Philosophy: In this research method will use positivism research philosophy
because it provides realistic data which already existed in the business environment. This
method will use for collecting secondary data through literature review, so it is important
for the proposed research.
 Research Design: Descriptive research design will use for the research project because it
provides high understanding about the nature of demographic segment. So, it is important
for further research (Kim and et.al., 2019). Research Approach: Exploratory research
approach will be used for this research assignment because it supports in finding logical
answering over the proposed questions which helps in collecting authentic data.
 Research Sampling: Random sampling method will used for the proposed research
project because it provides equal opportunity to all people who wants to be part of
population. There is 10 random employees of Queens Park Hotel will select as sample
population for the interview session. These 10 employees will give answers over the
given questions related to sustainability in the hospitality industry. Employees will be
completely allowed to share their viewpoints on sustainability aspects during interview
session.

 Data Collection: There are two methods of data collection primary and secondary and
both methods will be used in this research for gathering authentic information’s related to
research topic. Secondary method will help in collecting secondary data through available
resources i.e. articles, research papers, books & journals and internet (Yu and et.al.,
2020). While primary data collection will also used to collect primary data through
questionnaires and interview sessions. So, both primary and secondary methods will be
used in this research project.
 Data Analysis: Thematic data analysis method is considered one of the effective tool that
is used in research to distributes overall information into themes which can be easily
interpreted. This method will use for this research because it helps to distribute overall
data which will collect from primary and secondary method, into different themes which
will further interpret to draw a logical conclusion.
Activity 2
Research Methodology
Critical review of data collection methods
Primary data collection method
 Advantage: Primary data will be collected by questionaries method that obtain by
qualitative method. The major advantage of the method is that it provides depth and
detailed information about the research topic which can easily interpreted by the
analytical tool i.e. thematic method. The major advantage of the thematic method is that
there is no requirement to set up category in advance for distributing data into different
themes. These methods will be used for this proposed research.
 Disadvantage: The major drawback of the primary method of data collection is that it is
time-consuming process and drives less consistency and coherence when distributes
themes from existing data with the support of thematic method (Schoonenboom, Johnson
and Froehlich, 2018).
Secondary data Collection method

 Advantage: Secondary data collection method provides theoretical aspects with the
supports of literature review. This literature review records different perspectives of
different authors which they have quoted in their published research papers, articles and
books. So, it is less time-consuming and money saving approach as compared primary
method. These data collection methods has been used for collecting secondary data
precisely.
 Disadvantage: The major limitation of the method is that collected secondary information
or data may be unauthentic or old through which researcher cannot draw logical
conclusion. However, this this research project has used all research papers, articles and
books from 2010 to 2020.
Cost and ethical issues
Cost: This research project will take around 3000 euro to bind up overall research completely.
Ethical issues: According to ethical consideration, each research is responsible for complying
with all those legislations as well as ethics which has imposed by government for the research
assignment. All ethical considerations will be precisely considered while gathering data for this
research assignment.
Data Collection and Data Analysis
Theme 1: Sustainability is important in the hospitality sector.
Q1. Do you think sustainability is important in the hospitality sector? Frequency
A. Yes 7
B. No 2
C. Not Sure 1
Total 10
Interpretation: It has been summarized from the mentioned chart that out of 10 participants only
2 employees replied that sustainability is not important for the hospitality sector because they
believed that sustainability needs higher costs and proper upgradation in policy time to time
which cannot possible for the hospitality sector to focus only this factor. However, they did not
have any logical fact to prove their statement. While 7 respondents commented that sustainability

is important for the hospitality sector because they thought that it helps to hospitality to go green
and improves financial performance in the business market. It has interpreted from the majority
of answering that sustainability is important for the hospitality sector.
Theme 2: Evaluate Impacts of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies and policies over the
consumer’s decision-making.
Q2. What are the impacts of eco-friendly initiatives, strategies and
policies upon the Queens Park Hotel?
Frequency
A. Increases consumers decision-making process for the Queen
Park Hotel
2
B. Enhance employee engagement 1
C. Commercial benefits 1
D. Increase brand positioning 0
E. All of the above 6
Total 10
Interoperation: It can conclude from the chart that out of 10 employees 6 communicators replied
that Queen Park Hotel has gained positive various positive impacts after adopting sustainable
practices in it’s business functioning such as enhance employee engagement, commercial
benefits as well as enhance brand positioning in the local market. While only 2 participants said
that company gets positive impact in term of influencing consumer’s buying for the hotel. Based
on the majority answering, it can be interpreted that eco-friendly initiatives, policy and strategy
has led lots of benefits in the Queen Park Hotel’s performance.
Theme 3: Issues are facing by Queens Park Hotel while adapting eco-friendly initiatives and
policies.
Q3. What issues are facing by Queens Park Hotel while adapting eco-
friendly initiatives and policies?
Frequency
A. Employee resistance 0
B. Economical issue 2

C. Both A and B 8
Total 10
Interpretation: It has summarized that out of 10 employees 8 participants answered that Queen’s
Park Hotel faces both above mentioned issues while adopting sustainable practices and policy in
the business. They also said that to implement sustainability practices needs good management
expertise and their HRM practices then it can convert these issues into strengths. Only 2
employees stated that economical issue is facing by Queen’s Hotel but they did not have any
evidence to prove their statement. So, it has been interpreted that Queen’s Park Hotel is facing
economical and employee resistance issue in it’s business during adoption of sustainability
principles and policy.
Theme 4: Probable solutions that can be recommended to the Queens Park Hotel to deal with
identified issues effectively.
Q4. What probable solutions that can be recommended to the Queens
Park Hotel to deal with identified issues effectively?
Frequency
A. Leadership style 1
B. 360-degree feedback strategy 1
C. Talent Management approach 2
D. All of the above 4
E. Only A and C 2
Total 10
Interpretation: From the above-mentioned pie chart it has summarized that out of 10 employee 2
candidates said that leadership style is the great solution to resolve employee’s resistance issue
because with this strategy management of Queen’s Hotel can influence them to give better
performance in the workplace and supports company in implanting sustainability initiatives in
the business. However, 4 employees argued over the above sated statement and said that
company must apply all proposed solutions as recommendations because all will not help to deal
identified challenges but also leads success in the business in term of sustainability.

Findings
It has analysed that Sustainability plays vital role in hospitality sector such as it saves
money by reducing additional expenditures and waste. From the first theme interpretation, it can
be analysed that sustainability is important for the hospitality sector such as it maintain
environment quality and supports in building good relation with customers by offering eco-
friendly product and services that ultimately brings financial benefits and keeps health and
mental wellbeing of customers and employees. It brings positive impacts on Queens Park Hotel
in term of improving customer’s decision-making process and enhance employee’s engagement
in the business (Byrd, 2020). However, currently company is facing various issues in the
business-like employee resistance and commercial issues. But it can overcome these issues by
practising some recommended solutions in the business practice which has analysed by 4th
theme.
CONCLUSION
This report has been summarized that Queens Park Hotel required to implement several
changes in the management practice then company would enable to gain lots of advantage of the
sustainability. It would help company to go green through which it could influence consumer’s
buying behaviour for it’s hospitality services. It has summarized that sustainability has vital
scope in present and future perspective for the hospitality industry because now consumer’s
demand and expectations are changing accordingly time so, hospitality industry needed to
practice all green practices then it can become highly economy generator sector among others.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Higgins-Desbiolles, F., Moskwa, E. and Wijesinghe, G., 2019. How sustainable is sustainable
hospitality research? A review of sustainable restaurant literature from 1991 to
2015. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(13), pp.1551-1580.
Curtis, S.K. and Lehner, M., 2019. Defining the sharing economy for
sustainability. Sustainability, 11(3), p.567.
González-Rodríguez, M.R., Díaz-Fernández, M.C. and Font, X., 2020. Factors influencing
willingness of customers of environmentally friendly hotels to pay a price
premium. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Sharma, T., Chen, J. and Liu, W.Y., 2020. Eco-innovation in hospitality research (1998-2018): a
systematic review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Kim, Y.J and et.al., 2019. The effect of green human resource management on hotel employees’
eco-friendly behavior and environmental performance. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 76, pp.83-93.
Yu, J and et.al., 2020. Hotels’ eco-friendly physical environment as nature-based solutions for
decreasing burnout and increasing job satisfaction and performance. International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), p.6357.
Queirós, A., Faria, D. and Almeida, F., 2017. Strengths and limitations of qualitative and
quantitative research methods. European Journal of Education Studies.
Byrd, R., 2020. Qualitative research methods.
Schoonenboom, J., Johnson, R.B. and Froehlich, D.E., 2018. Combining multiple purposes of
mixing within a mixed methods research design. International Journal of Multiple
Research Approaches, 10(1), pp.271-282.