Sustainability's Role in Hospitality Supply Chain Management

This research project examines the significance of sustainability in the supply chain management of the hospitality industry, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilizes Aloft London Excel as a case study to investigate the impact of sustainable practices on supply chain operations. The research employs both primary and secondary research methodologies, including questionnaires and literature reviews, to gather comprehensive data. The report explores the basic framework of supply chain management, analyzes the impact of sustainability on Aloft London Excel's supply chain, and identifies challenges faced during the pandemic. The findings offer insights into the importance of effective communication, teamwork, and training in enhancing supply chain efficiency and profitability within the competitive hospitality market. The report concludes with recommendations and reflections based on the research findings.

RESEARCH PROJECT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of the study is to understand the topic sustainability in hospitality industry. It
is a wider term that arrived by in-room suggestions to reuse towels, save water etc. In this hotels
and other hospitality sector business are incorporates social responsible practices along with
sound environmental policies. This report is based on role of sustainability in promoting supply
chain management of hospitality industry during the time of COVID 19. To effectively complete
the research on this title researcher takes Aloft London Excel that is a UK based hotel offering
services to customers for earning profits. In this researcher focus on research methodology as it
helps in presenting the best options for completing research that supports in drawing a valid
conclusion at the end of research. In this research investigator use primary research and
secondary research by using questionnaire and literature review so that appropriate information
related to topic is to be presented that helps in recommending at the end so that business enhance
their profits within competitive marketplace. In this questionnaire survey is adopted where
company need to focus on effective communication, teamwork and training sessions so that
advancement would be gain.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................2
TITLE..........................................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................8
MAIN BODY AND FINDINGS...............................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................20
RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................................20
REFLECTION..........................................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................23
APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................................25
Questionnaire.........................................................................................................................................25

TITLE
“To justify the role of sustainability in promoting supply chain management of hospitality
industry during COVID-19”. A study on Aloft London Excel
INTRODUCTION
The aim of conducting this research is to examine the role of sustainability to promoting
supply chain within hospitality industry along with the impact of COVID 19. Sustainability
within hospitality industry is highly essential and also a prime concern for public and private
sectors like hotels, resorts etc. In this sustainability defines as a natural eco system that
continuously supports life by providing resources to meet the future and current need of the
generation (Mosteanu and et. al., 2020). Sustainability in promoting supply chain management
includes the integration of environmental and financially viable practices that completes the
supply chain lifecycle. Sustainability in hospitality industry focuses on attracting the
considerable attention of the investigators. Within hospitality industry, the concept of
sustainability focuses on natural disasters and emergencies. To complete this research projects,
researcher undertakes the Aloft London Excel that is a leading hotel within UK who provide
services to customers. This hotel has around 150 employees working staff within the UK and this
hotel generates $3.80 million in sales (Aloft London Excel,2021). This was started in 2012 and
provides the services of hotels, motels, lodging and resorts to their customers. It is a bold hotel
featuring loft-inspired designed where they offers the ultra-comfortable signature bed, walk-in-
shower and many more. Researcher selects this topic to conduct the research so that they explore
the issues which was faced by Hospitality sector in relation to supply chain management during
COVID 19. Along with role of sustainability within supply chain management of hotel by using
the primary and secondary research metods where investigator adopts the use of questionnaire
and literature survey to get the reliable information that helps in drawing the conclusion in
authentic way.
Statement of research problem
This research is based on sustainability in hospitality industry on which researcher
conducts the research to solve the issues based on sustainability in supply chain management

within hospitality sector during COVID 19. Involving in this research supports in providing
better outcomes by using primary and secondary data and information.
Aims
“To justify the role of sustainability in promoting supply chain management of hospitality
industry during COVID-19. A study on Aloft London Excel
Research Objectives
 To investigate basic framework of supply chain management.
 To analyse the impact of sustainability within supply chain management of Aloft London
Excel.
 To explore those issues faced by Aloft London Excel in supply chain management during
COVID-19.
Research questions
 What is the basic framework of supply chain management?
 What is the impact of sustainability over supply chain management?
 What are the issues faced by Aloft London Excel in their supply chain management
during COVID-19.
Rationale
The main reason for conducting this research is to examine the impact of sustainability
within supply chain management of a hotel along with the impact of COVID 19. It is effective
because it enhances the knowledge of researcher and other individual person who are involved
within this research related to specific topic (Azevedo, Scavarda and Caiado, 2019). It is
essential to increase the growth and sustainability of hospitality sector within competitive
marketplace. Although, this selected topic is also effective from the viewpoint of developing
education and professional growth of researcher because involving in this researcher helps in
maximizes the research skills and various key understandings of an investigator. By involving
within this research investigator internet savvy skills, communication skills is to be improved
that helps in growing the career within the professional field. Researcher choose this topic as this

topic is of personal interest of researcher due to which collecting and gathering data would be
easy.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review defines as a survey of scholarly sources on a particular topic. In
conducting this research, investigator adopts the use of literature review as it plays a crucial role
because it summarizes the comprehensive study that is based on role of promoting sustainability
in supply chain within hospitality industry during COVID19 (Deng and Jiang, 2019). It reflects
the information that helps researcher to take right judgment on specific topic on which research
is to be conducted. Literature review is conducted by the use of scholarly articles, journals, books
and many other sources. Therefore the use of literature review supports researcher to effectively
draw conclusion at the end of dissertation. Besides this, literature reviews focus on the authors
viewpoints on specific topic that helps in addressing specific issue that are present within this
study.
Basic framework of supply chain management
According to the viewpoint of “Rohit Chauhan, (2020)” supply chain management
defines as an activities that manages the customer values and attaining competitive advantage of
hospitality sector by offering services to the customers. Within hospitality industry, supply chain
management is a process of planning and controlling the flow of services, information and
money across the values. Supply chain management includes several factors such as quality,
procurement of material, inventory management that helps hospitality industry to get the
sustainable results in their survival. The SCM within hospitality industry highly focus on
controlling or linking the shipment and distribution of services and products as it helps in cutting
the excessive cost by delivering the products to the customers quickly and effectively. Supply
chain management reflects the management of supply chain activities that helps in taking
advantage of customer value. It mainly focuses on development of products and services,
sourcing, information system that are needed to coordinate the several activities of SCM.
Impact of sustainability over supply chain management

As per the viewpoint of “David Luther, (2021) ” supply chain management within
hospitality industry integrates customers with products and services around the globe but it is
mainly implemented at the cost of environment. To effectively achieve the supply chain,
companies need to focus on addressing sustainable approach to eliminate the negative impact on
environmental, economic, social and legal concerns. By emphasis on the sustainable approach,
firms need to reduced waste and environment footprint while developing the conditions of labour
and health and safety. This helps in attracting and retaining the customers for a longer period of
time. In present business environment, business enterprises mainly focuses on sustainability as it
directly impact the supply chain management so that potential and targeted customers of an
organisation are aligned for a longer period of time. The impact of sustainability on supply chain
management is positive because it improves the productivity as well as also saves money. In
hospitality industry, environmental responsibility is highly focused by leaders to get the
sustainable results by showing the relevance to customers as it reduces the carbon footprints by
supplying goods and services. In this hospitality industry maintains a sustainable food website
that listed several suppliers who are committed to provide food services that are eco-friendly in
nature. The sustainability within supply chain helps hospitality industry to enhance the demand
of their services by attracting number of customers. Sustainable supply chain also reduces the
societal risk that impact positively on the businesses. Hence, it is to be reflected that
sustainability impact positively over the supply chain management in terms of enhancing
profitability. At the same time sustainability also create challenges over supply chain of
hospitality business because the cost that was involved within this activities are huge that
companies mainly cannot afford it.
Issues faced by Aloft London Excel in their supply chain management during COVID-19
According to the viewpoint of “Jim Kilpatrick. (2021)” there are several issues that are
faced by hospitality sector business within their supply chain management. As COVID 19
imposed shocks on several segments of hospitality industry that simultaneously affects the
production, processing, transport, logistics etc. In the time of COVID 19 the supplies of
hospitality needs were stopped and because of this reason issues were faced by an organisation in
dealing with the customer’s needs. At the time of pandemic attack only essentials items are to be
allowed to be supplied that impacts the supply chain of hospitality industry.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology defines as specific procedures that are used to process and analyze
the information related to specific topic. It play a significant role in conducting the research as it
provide proper framework that helps investigator to examine relevant data and information that
is based on particular research and objectives (Hong, Zhang and Ding, 2018). Research
methodology involves several methods and techniques that are applied by researcher with the
purpose of gathering authentic data on specified topic on which this research is conducted so that
appropriate results are achieved. Therefore, for gathering the appropriate information several
methods are to be used which are presented in research onion that discussed below:
Research approach- It refers to a process of that assist the researcher to complete the
research within specified period of time. There are two types of research approach such as
deductive and inductive approach. In this inductive approach is reflects as a complex approach
that presented resemblances and regularities etc. that are observed to reach the conclusion
(Vargas, Mantilla and de Sousa Jabbour, 2018). This approach is useful while qualitative data is
to be used whereas Deductive approach ensures a better testing and scanning numeric facts and
figures. To conduct the current research, deductive approach is to be adopted as it focuses on
evaluating data by developing hypothesis to converts it into observation test to accept outcomes.
It is effective for gathering quantitative data that helps researcher to make appropriate decision.
Research philosophy- While conducting this research, it is essential to deal with sources
and development of understanding that is based on particular research topic. There are two types
of research philosophies such as interpretivisim and positivism. In this interpretivism is based on
the principle that is used by the researcher to states the specific role in observing the several
phenomenon and concept of social world. Therefore, positivism philosophy states the genuine
knowledge that derived from experiences of natural phenomena along with their relations (Bastas
and Liyanage, 2019). To conduct this research, researcher adopts the use of positivism approach
that helps in improving the sensory experience that is based on the logics and reasons. The main
reason for selecting this research philosophy for conducting the research on sustainability on
supply chain in hospitality industry helps in presenting a factual knowledge through observation
and also it is based on quantitative method.

Research strategy- It refers to that aspects or process that is used by the investigator for
making the appropriate path so that objectives are to be attained effectively and efficiently. By
selecting the best research strategy, researcher gets the appropriate results while conducting
current research (Al-Aomar and Hussain, 2018). It includes several types of research strategies
such as questionnaire, interviews, survey etc. all these are effective for fulfilling the needs
related to aim and objectives. To complete this research, investigator use questionnaire as it
provides the in-depth analysis in order to deal with research objectives. The main aim of using
this survey method is that it helps in providing viable information on specified topic.
Research choice- At the time of doing research activities there are number of choices in
front of researcher for gather data based on specific topic (Kshetri, 2018). It is highly significant
for researcher to choose the best choice for collecting the data so that authentic conclusion is to
be drawn. There are mainly two types of research choice that is quantitative and qualitative
(Hussain and Malik, 2020). Both are very effective and efficient in providing the appropriate
information related to particular topic. To conduct the current research quantitative choice of
method is to be selected by researcher for gathering the data as it helps in properly measure the
information in numeric manner. This method is used for examine the numeric data which is
effectual in addressing the problem based on research. This method is deal with numerical and
converting the information into numbers so that valid and reliable results are to be presented at
the end of the research.
Data collection- It refers to that method which is used by the researcher to collect the
information for reaching the aims and objectives of particular research. It includes two types of
data collection that is primary research and secondary research (Ketchen Jr and Craighead,
2020). Primary data collection refers to that method which researcher collect first-hand
information that is valid and reliable whereas secondary research refers to that in which
researcher collect data by using books, journals, scholarly articles etc. To conduct this research
both these type of data collection is to be used for secondary collection of data books, journal,
scholar articles are to be used and in primary research questionnaire is to be used. This provides
reliable outcomes by presenting authentic information related to specific topic.
Time horizon- It refers to that method which demonstrates the time to complete the
particular activities while conducting current research. In this two types of time horizon that are

cross sectional and longitudinal. Cross sectional focus on covering more dimensions at once
whereas longitudinal does not cover all the essential dimensions due to this, project faced
delayed (Mollenkopf, Ozanne and Stolze, 2020). To conduct this research researcher choose the
cross sectional time horizon because it covers all the activities that are included within this
present research so that it should be done in time period.
Sampling- There is two types of sampling that involves probability and non-probability
sampling. Probabilistic sampling refers to that in which researcher collects respondents randomly
whereas non probabilistic sampling is that in which investigator select respondents by using non-
random basis (Sauer and Seuring, 2018). To conduct this research investigator use the
probabilistic sampling method that is selecting the candidate randomly because it eliminates the
chances of conflicts and biasness. In this researcher select 40 respondents on random basis who
are employees, customers of Aloft London Excel.

MAIN BODY AND FINDINGS
Data presentation defines as a process of presenting data in the form of tables, graphs,
charts so that effective and valid conclusion is to be drawn at the end of the research. To conduct
this research, researcher use the frequency table, pie charts so that findings are to be presented
properly that helps members who are involved within this research to understand the findings
effectively. For the current research, researcher use thematic analysis in which various themes
are to be developed to evaluate the data appropriately related to research also used MS excel to
represents the finding via pie charts that helps researcher to easily represent conclusion on
investigation.
Data presentation with interpretation
Theme 1: Knowledge about supply chain management within hospitality industry
Q1) Do you have any knowledge about supply chain management
within hospitality industry?
Frequency
a) Yes 38
b) No 2
38
2
Frequency
a) Yes
b) No

Interpretation: From above analysis it is to be interpreting that out of 40 respondents, 38
respondents have knowledge about the supply chain management within hospitality industry
whereas 2 respondents are not aware about the supply chain management in hospitality industry.