Am I lovin’ it? Tourists and the McDonald’s experience abroad

Global organisations such as McDonald’s play a part in the tourist experience not only by offering food and drink, but also by providing other informal benefits such as clean toilets, air conditioning and increasingly wifi. While their contribution to the tourist experience may go beyond the notion of “convenience”, an investigation into their influence on the tourist gaze and the impact on the perception, the otherness and the staged authenticity of the tourism product proves interesting. The purpose of this study is to assess tourist experience of McDonald’s and the ways in which they interact with and relate to its products and services whilst traveling abroad. This study used comments from internet sites located by searching for McDonald’s, tourism, abroad and visiting abroad. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo were used for the purpose of this search. Comments were sorted into main themes included convenience, detractors, authenticity, American culture and otherness. These main themes were further categorised into sub- themes and the relationships of comments between and within categories were identified and discussed. Further research is required to quantify the results of this study and broaden the scope of the study to include other global brands

The Role of the Global Fast Food Chains in Tourism: A Qualitative Internet-Based Study

This article discusses the use of Internet data in a qualitative study into the role of global fast food chains in the worldwide tourist experience. This topic is of practical and theoretical interest in the study of tourism. Data was collected by accessing discussion materials in the public domain concerning tourists and global companies such as McDonald’s and Starbucks. Analysis was conducted using a grounded theory approach. A series of interviews was conducted on the subject of travel and fast food, then analysed accordingly. Results are presented and various methodological issues are discussed. The practicalities of accessing participants worldwide, obtaining feedback with minimal intrusion, differentiating between different categories of respondent, differentiating open discussion from advertising and other potentially biased material, and verifying the information gathered from the internet is organised . The philosophical questions arising from the study, such as the classification and web identities of tourists, their motivation and the minimisation of bias is discussed. In addition, the ethical implications of a web-based study of this kind are identified and discussed

Liberty, National Security and the Big Society

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Tracking student satisfaction in an uncertain tourism education market

The hospitality industry, and as a consequence hospitality education, are extremely sensitive to global events such as the 2003 SARS epidemic or the 2004 South East Asian Tsunami disaster. This paper presents a case study of Swiss Hotel Schools, where a student survey has been used to monitor fluctuations in attitudes and satisfaction on a longitudinal basis. The survey began in 2000 on one campus and has since been extended to cover all campuses. Profile Accumulation Technique (PAT) formed the basis of the survey, as it allowed students\u27 unbiased concerns to be regularly collected and quantified. From the PAT data a closed questionnaire was developed which could be used to monitor satisfaction, and the PAT and questionnaire data were used together to produce regular important- performance (I-P) charts showing the strengths and weaknesses of the operation. The technique allowed the schools to monitor and respond to change on an ongoing basis. The results were used to inform and improve the management of the library, reception, student social and sports provision, and information technology services. The case had all the features suggested by Schein (1988) for a typical change process, but it is too early to claim that a lasting change had occurred, since the development of the change seemed still to be occurring and no "re-freezing" was evident. The general level of awareness among both management and staff was also still quite low. However, there was evidence of an incipient interest in measurement and evaluation as a result of this survey, that could ultimately develop into the kind of established culture that distinguishes a learning organisation

‘Home and away: Why do consumers shy away from reporting negative experiences in the peer to peer realms?’

Consumers of the collaborative platforms such as Airbnb assess their overall experiences not only from their perceptions of its quality, but also from the perceptions of home that they bring with them. This study investigates how customers use their construct of ‘home’ in perceiving their experience in peer-to-peer rented accommodation, as opposed to traditional hotels, that could lead to bias in their reviews. The literature has paid considerable attention to people’s perceptions of destinations, but almost none to their perceptions of ‘home’ and its complexities whilst visiting a destination. This paper examines relationships between the concepts of ‘home’ or ‘here’ represented in peer to peer accommodation and the construct of ‘away’ or ‘there’ represented in traditional hotels. The literature dealing with concepts of ‘here’, ‘there’, closest to the notions of home and away, is reviewed in an attempt to understand whether the notion of home shapes the experience and affects the reporting behaviour of consumers using peer to peer accommodation. This paper uses mixed methods to determine the existence of bias in reporting behaviour then explores its underlying motivations. Key findings indicate that there is a consistent review gap between institutional actors and peer to peer actors. Also, consumers of peer-to-peer accommodation prefer not to engage in negative reporting if a bond with the host is developed. Moreover, their perception of home shapes their relationship with the host and leads to reporting bias. This paper provides clear theoretical insights to advance our knowledge about the underlying motives behind reporting behaviour of negative experiences. Furthermore, it offers practical implications for both institutional and peer-to-peer contexts

Equal opportunities and diversity:exploring the relevance of Le Grand's models of service provision

The purpose of this article is to draw on Le Grand's (2007) model of service provision of ends and means (trust, targets, voice and choice) to critique the accepted frameworks for conceptualising the chronology of equal opportunities and diversity (EO&amp;D) in the UK. We do this by reviewing the attempts to provide a chronological analysis before outlining and applying Le Grand's (2007) model. We find that the ‘eras’ of the chronologies give way to a much more complex and fluid picture. Moreover, focusing on ends and means highlights some major issues in the development of EO&amp;D policy that needs to be addressed.</jats:p

Looking beyond tasks to develop flexible leadership.

There is a determination within health and social care to make leaders and leadership better and more able to face the challenges within an ever-changing social, political and organisational landscape. However, this presents difficulties, especially as workplace culture and climate may make people unlikely to take different leadership approaches. This paper reports on the findings of an evaluation of a leadership development programme delivered to senior leaders in health and social care. It uses qualitative data to demonstrate that, even in a safe, risk-free environment, health and social care leaders approach a hypothetical scenario in a defensive, hierarchical and expert-led manner; only after they were given ‘expert’ permission to change leadership style, did they act collectively and seek to adopt a transformational style of leadership

Stimulating UK Adolescents’ Seafood Consumption

The health benefits of seafood consumption are well known, however average per-capita consumption levels in the UK remain below recommended levels of two servings per week, despite an abundant availability of fresh seafood. In particular, seafood consumption is beneficial for adolescents, as it is associated with physical and mental well-being, lower levels of obesity, and improved cognitive performance and academic achievement. However, based on research which reveals low consumption of other healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables, consumption of seafood is anticipated to be low among UK adolescents. This study aimed to investigate current consumption, preferences and attitudes toward seafood among UK adolescents and identify strategies for increasing their seafood consumption. Seven focus groups were conducted in two schools with diverse socio-economic student profiles to explore the research aims. Findings revealed that while many of the students like seafood, consumption levels vary considerably among individuals and preparation typically takes a less healthy form (e.g. fried and battered fish and chips). Key drivers of seafood consumption included health and taste, while barriers were typically associated with the sensory qualities of seafood including dislike of taste, bones, smell and texture. A range of intervention strategies were identified and new product ideas students identified as potentially increasing their consumption ranged from fun, fast-food, snack-style products to healthy meal options

What Do Patients Value in the Hospital Meal Experience?

A number of previous studies have reported on the aspects of hospital food service that patients value, but usually as a secondary finding, and not generally based upon patient-centred approaches. This study employed a questionnaire produced ab initio from interviews with patients and hospital staff, the data from which were subjected to factor and cluster analysis, in order to identify and prioritise the factors that contribute to the meal experience empirically. The most important factors, food and service were as identified by other authors. In decreasing order of importance were social, personal and situational factors. The results confirm that improving the quality of the food and the efficiency with which it reaches the patients remain the most important objectives of hospital food service