Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Dr Thomas Kyritsis
• Assessment: a 12-15-minute group presentation (30%) and 3000-word critical evaluation (70%)

Sustainability has become a major issue for contemporary service operations, including those in the hospitality industry. However, reconciling the various stakeholder demands with the need to develop more sustainable operations poses a range of challenges for managers in the hospitality industry. This module will introduce you to the challenge and complexity of addressing different stakeholder interests and achieving sustainable operations at both the macro and the micro level.

Indicative module syllabus

• Review of sustainability and its main pillars (social, economic and environmental)
• Stakeholder theory and sustainability with reference to the hospitality industry
• Environmental Management Systems: policy and legislation
• The advantages and challenges of achieving sustainability in service operations
• Sustainability theory and practice across various elements of service operations
• Sustainable marketing: resource efficiency as a marketing tool
• Sustainable service operation strategies
• Principles and practices relating to audits of resource areas in a hospitality business
• Future development in sustainable practices in a hospitality context

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• critically evaluate concepts and theories related to sustainable and ethical management of the contemporary hospitality industry
• appreciate the internal and external influences that impact the adoption of sustainable management practices in a hospitality context
• identify and address the challenges of integrating sustainability into service operations
• critically appreciate the influence of different stakeholders (shareholders, government, businesses, suppliers, consumers) on the shaping of sustainable practices
• analyse and evaluate key performance indicators for sustainable hospitality operations.