Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the organisational readiness of small and medium scaled hotels to serve indigenous local cuisines and to segment the hotel properties for gastronomic tourism campaigning and destination marketing aims. The study also explores how the concept of organisational readiness relates to menu decision makers’ intentions, perceived benefits and organisational characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
Organisational readiness was measured by three dimensions (culture, climate and capacity). Data were derived from a survey of primary menu decision makers from 187 hotels in Ghana. Using a combination of hierarchical and non-hierarchical (K-means) algorithms, the hotels were clustered into homogenous groups based on the original raw scores of hotel readiness indicators. The resultant cluster solution was then validated and profiled against relevant external variables.
Findings
Analyses reveal three clusters which distinguish hotels by the degree of readiness to serve indigenous local dishes. The resultant segments differ by hotel category (star rating) as well as by the job positions and perceptions of primary menu decision makers. Unexpectedly, lower class hotels displayed significantly greater levels of organisational readiness to serve indigenous cuisines than those in the higher class category.
Research limitations/implications
The study demonstrates that organisational readiness is related to perceived benefits and intentions. Among others, the findings advance the understanding of organisational readiness in hotels in the context of menu decision-making. Given the need to embed new practices in a fast-changing hospitality environment, insights drawn could also serve as a basis for future research. Generalisability of empirical findings may be limited by the socio-economic context as well as the study’s focus on small and medium scaled hotels.
Practical implications
This paper supports hotel businesses in understanding the concept of organisational readiness and its relation to organisational characteristics and menu decision-making. By highlighting the different clusters of hotels, the findings accentuate the need for destination marketers and gastronomic tourism campaigners to target higher classed hotels and draw attention to the potential benefits of serving indigenous cuisines while addressing latent concerns. The results further underscore the role of organisational culture and the necessity for such campaign activities to be directed towards those with ample influence within the hierarchical structures of hotels.
Originality/value
This is an initial attempt to examine the application of the organisational readiness concept to menu decision-making in hotels and to explore the implications for segmentation purposes. Further analysis revealed the critical role of organisational culture on menu decision-making patterns. Thus, the paper applies an important element of organisational development theory to the hotel industry and represents a valuable contribution to the scant literature on indigenous cuisines in hotel food service contexts.
The concept of the School Feeding Programme as instituted by the Government ofGhana was to provide caterers in deprived communities with money, who in turn will purchase locally grown foodstuff, prepare it and feed them to kindergarten and primary school children in the community. A major requirement was for the caterers to spend 80% of the monies given them in the communities that accommodated the schools. The primary goal was to reduce hunger and malnutrition in the children, increase school enrolment and increase food production in the communities. This paper investigates and discusses the extent to which these objectives are being carried out by the caterers employed to do so with respect to the use of locally produced food and labour and the reasons behind their choices. Using a qualitative approach, an in-depth interview was conducted for eight caterers out of the eleven engaged in the school feeding programme in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Area. The results from the study revealed that, even though all the caterers were aware of the 80% clause, a bulk of the purchases and labour was acquired outside the communities that housed the schools. Availability and affordability were some of the reasons given for this pattern.
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