Stories of hospitality in movies have remarkable parallels to the real life experiences of the hospitality encounter and the typical nature of the industry, giving us insights for further reflection. This assignment aims to develop students’ ability to apply key concepts in hospitality theory to specific hospitality scenarios, by using examples from popular media (film and television). The goal of this assignment is to think critically and reflectively about how the hospitality industry plays a role in human interactions, as is exemplified by the fictional characters in movies. For this assignment, you need to watch a hospitality movie, by choosing 1 from the list given below, and discuss using course theory, how hospitality is portrayed in the film. The analysis is expected to be a demonstration of students’ ability to make connections between class theoretical discussions and popular media which portray typical characteristics of the hospitality industry. From the list of TV series and movies given below, you need to choose only 1 movie or TV episode. It should be one that will be substantial enough to help you to discuss at length. List of Movies and TV series – please choose only 1
1. Hotel Babylon (BBC) British television drama series – episodes relate to the experience of workers at a glamorous five-star hotel and show cases the nature hotel industry. You may find it easier to analyse episodes from this series as each episode starts with a defined theme.
2. Ratatouille (2007) – power of connecting with emotional experiences through food. There are other aspects to this movie, and you will find these on Google.
3. Blue Crush (2002) – Working in the Hospitality industry is not always fun. Work can be very demanding.
4. The Concierge (1993) or (For Love or Money (1993) – IMDb – – Doug Ireland is the concierge of a ritzy hotel in New York. He does what he has to satisfy the hotel’s guests, by getting them what they need; like jewellery, candy mints, and theatre tickets. a. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106941/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) is based on a popular European ski resort, in which concierge prides himself on providing first-class service to the hotel’s guests. Please note, that I use certain scenes from some of the above movies and TV episodes in the lectures to illustrate the application of theory. Please do not use the same scenes, I have used in my analysis. Some of the movies that I have suggested are streamed through the UniSA library and available through the course eReader site. This assignment is mainly based on topic 1, but you may also find some of the resources provided in Topics 3, and 4 useful depending on the focus of your analysis. An excerpt of this assignment is provided below as an example of exploring the film component. 2 Scene selection For your discussion, choose an appropriate hospitality movie or TV episode from the list given below. You can use more than 1 scene from the same movie/TV Episode as long as it relates to the theme of your discussion. Write-up A written Word document of 1800 words should be provided. The structure of the paper should include an Introduction, Background, Analysis, Conclusion and Recommendations, and Bibliography or Reference List (choose the one that is appropriate to you). Please include headings and subheadings as required. In an undergraduate level course, it is not enough to write a descriptive assignment. You must be able to analyse it using the theory included in this course. Your assignment needs to reference these scholarly work. While your own opinion is sought, at least 6 academic sources are expected to be cited in your work. Further Guidelines You may choose to discuss the scene from the viewpoints of one or more of following stakeholders. You do not need to limit your discussion to only one perspective (from the list below) as the viewpoints can often overlap and it is sometimes difficult to separate them: Customer/guest Service provider (Staff)
Commercial establishment (e.g. Hospitality industry in general). The following is a brief guideline of the expected content of your case study (it does not need to be in the chronological order given below). Please note that this is just a general guideline only. You can exercise an approach that you find, best conveys your message.
1. What is hospitality? What are the different contexts in which it operates? (provide supporting academic theory)
2. Some scholars have argued that hospitality involves a set of ideal behaviours, and attitudes. Explain what these behaviours and attitudes would involve (e.g. being friendly). (provide supporting academic theory)
3. What is the hospitality industry about? What does the hospitality industry do? Is the hospitality industry necessary? (provide supporting academic theory)
4. Explain the statement that commercial hospitality is about providing an experience rather than a mere service. (provide supporting academic theory)
5. How does the idea of hospitality being an experience relate to this movie?
6. What movie did you choose to watch for this assignment (provide the IMDb link)? Why did you choose this particular movie?
7. Do you believe the stories about hospitality in movies/TV episodes have parallels to the real life experiences of what takes place in the industry? Do you think we can gain insight from movies?
8. What are the key themes in the scenario/s you have chosen for discussion that relate to the hospitality industry? (provide supporting academic theory)
9. Are there other movies that you know of that portray similar themes? 3
10. Discuss the themes using the literature introduced in this course, as well as by incorporating wider readings. (provide supporting academic theory)
If possible provide one or more quotes from the literature on the quality of the experiential attributes (e.g. welcome as an important aspect of hospitality encounter) that you are analysing. Perhaps the movie you are referring to is discussed in academic literature (this may be rare for most movies, so it is not a ‘must do’).
The attribute/sthat you are discussing could be in hotel advertising material, ifso give some examples when you discuss the themes. In the example, I have provided some quotes about ‘privacy’ of guests, hotels as places where sexual encounters happen, and how hotels advertise certain qualities such as ‘places for igniting passion’ are included.
11. Give a brief overview of the scene/s. To what extent do the scenes illustrate the following aspects: a. what staffs have to do to satisfy guests/customer demands b. expectations the guests/customers may have c. qualities of the hospitality industry in general d. the physical aspect of the hospitality setting.
12. What particular department does the scene/s relate to? e.g. reception, housekeeping, restaurant etc. In general, in the hospitality industry, how does this department contribute towards creating a pleasant and meaningful experiences for the guests? What is the general job role of the particular occupation of the staff involved in your discussion (e.g. waitress, room attendant)? What is their status within the overall organisation hierarchy? Do you think they have enough autonomy to perform their role, in other words, do you think they are empowered to make their own judgements and act upon them as they think is appropriate or do they have to conform to strict organisational rules?
13. What are the behaviours most prevalent in the clip, and think about the reason WHY these behaviours were present and link this back to the course theory. The behaviours could have been positive or negative. Some examples are given below. Positive – think about the reason WHY these behaviours were present and link this back to course theory. Did the company expect this of the staff, was the staff member hoping for a tip or did they generally want to please the guest?
a. The concierge going out of his way to be kind to a guest – what was the reason for this?
b. Hotel staff trying to cheer up a guest who is depressed – what was the reason for this?
c. Hotel staff having to be discreet about guests’ sexual activities – what was the reason for this?
d. Staff catering to some of the eccentric and/or unusual tastes of guests – what was the reason for this?
e. Making sure guests feel safe – what was the reason for this? Negative 4
f. Staff being inflexible – what was the reason for this?
14. Based on the above, is it about a negative or positive experience for the guest or staff? For example:
a. If focusing on the guest/customer – is the customer pleasantly surprised? or disappointed because his/her expectation was not met? b. If focusing on the provider of the service – does it show the role hospitality employees have to play to satisfy the guest? Was it very demanding and unpleasant for them or did they appear to enjoy their role? Do you think the guests appreciated the hospitality that was given?
15. Can you provide some personal examples that you experienced that relate to the scenario/s you have discussed?
16. What lessons have you learned from watching and reflecting on this movie? What are some recommendations you can make? Your own opinion is expected in the analysis, but it has to be linked with the theory. You can use first person. An average of 6 academic references should be included
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