HOS6502 Current Issues in Hospitality

Assessment 1: Case Study Analysis

Background

Since the Brundtland Report of 1987, industries, governments, and global communities began to explore and exercise how to balance human needs and wants for sustainable development with our finite environment and resources. The birth and progress of sustainable tourism and hospitality are closely linked with these developments. Despite the efforts, our continued reliance on the neoliberal system of free trade with an emphasis on economic growth consequently warns us to foster alternative value systems and ideologies that are more conducive to living sustainably in a finite world than those offered by our current system predicated on consumption and growth (Higgins- Desbiolles, 2010, p. 127).

Slowness or slow movement(s) is one kind of such alternative that has now extended to almost every aspect of our everyday life, such as slow city, slow management, slow fashion, slow philosophy, and slow tourism and hospitality (Klarin et al., 2024). The latter is often concerned with food production, consumption, and its associated issues, including justice and equity. As a result, the potential of slow food, locavore initiatives, fair trade schemes, and organic products has been explored (Moskwa et al., 2014). Thus, food and our engagement, involvement, and practice with it in the context of hospitality are a timely, worthy topic to investigate. It is pertinent to micro and small businesses and their entrepreneurs in tourism and hospitality, given that approximately 95% of tourism and hospitality businesses in Australia are micro and small businesses according to the 2023 industry report of Tourism Research Australia (TRA). As of June 2021, more than 27% of this is related to food and beverage including cafes, restaurants, and takeaways.

Task Description

Assessment 1: Case Study Analysis requires you (as an independent researcher and practitioner of hospitality and tourism sector) to undertake an in-depth case study of whats the best practice(s) to contribute to the achievement of alternative lifeways towards more sustainable and ethical food consumption and practices in the context of micro and small businesses in tourism and hospitality sector, being inspired by the case study of Moskwa et al. (2014). A case study approach can lead to effectively identifying the relevant issues and contextual information, as it is an appropriate research

method that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context. It is especially beneficial and powerful, when focusing on contemporary and current issues like the above. Within the case study approach, your data are typically collected using secondary sources from both academic and non-academic sources, such as previous academic research papers, newspapers, websites, and/or commercial reports.

As a contextual reference point, you first read the article by Moskwa et al. (2014) that explores how one entrepreneurial restaurateur in Adelaide of South Australia uses his caf to engage customers and communities in a collaborative conversation about sustainable development, food, hospitality and tourism, helping transform our food culture and even lifeways.

To complete Assessment 1, you are required to search for, analyse and present best practices and/or prime real examples of more environmentally and socially sustainable

management and operation practices of micro and small businesses in tourism and hospitality sector outside Australia (e.g., Kyoto in Japan, Lyon in France, San Sebastian in Spain).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Read the following article to fully understand the relevant background and research

Moskwa, E., Higgins-Desbiolles, F., & Gifford, S. (2014). Sustainability through food and conversation: the role of an entrepreneurial restaurateur in fostering engagement with sustainable development issues. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(1), 126145. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2014.940046

2. Conduct your own research on inspirational examples of micro and small businesses in tourism and hospitality sector outside Australia.


3. Select only one case study as the focus of your paper/assignment.


4. Do not simply report what they do as their best practices to pursue their own alternative value system(s) that reject the materialism, selfishness and individualism promoted by the culture- ideology of consumption of current practices (Moskwa et al., 2015, p. 128).


5. Analyse and explain how and why your chosen case demonstrates an alternative value system, practice, or ideology and thus makes a significant contribution to the achievement of alternative lifeways that are more sustainable in all senses of the term.


6. Engage with academic sources such as journal articles to define or explain any terms or concepts in your paper/assignment. To do so, make sure to use 'tourism, leisure and hospitality management'-focused journals only as your academic sources/references - https://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php?category=1409#google_vignette


7. Related to the above, engage with both academic and non-academic sources (e.g., web documents, government reports, newspaper articles, etc.) as your references.


8. Apply relevant theories to your case study analysis.

Expected Structure and Format of Report

1. Introduction (10%): Your introduction sets the context of your paper, lets your leader know the topic of the paper and what points will be made about the topic, and ends with a thesis statement that informs the reader of your main argument and the order in which the supporting points will be presented.


2. Body (80%): The main body of your paper is where you deliver and present your key findings alongside your explanations and It contains information (i.e., key points)

that supports your position on the topic and makes a sound plan with headings and sub- headings.

3. Conclusion (10%): Your conclusion reminds the reader of the main points of your paper, summarises the key take away message or significance of it, and provides a clear answer to the question or statement you propose in your introduction.