HMD 5616

ASSESSMENT 1
Table of Contents

TASK 1......................................................................................................................................................... 2
a) Communication Theory.................................................................................................................. 2
b) Three Communication Styles with Communication Accommodation Theory .......................... 8
TASK 2....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Trends in the Hospitality Industry using Social Media ..................................................................... 11
Impact of Social Media ......................................................................................................................... 12
TASK 3....................................................................................................................................................... 14
Trends in the Hospitality Industry using Technology ....................................................................... 14
Evaluation of these Technologies ......................................................................................................... 15
References ................................................................................................................................................... 18
TASK 1

a) Communication Theory

1. Confirmation Bias Theory

Peter Wason proposed a Communication Theory in the year 1962 popularly known as

Confirmation Bias Theory which defines the way of observing the world selectively. Confirmation

Bias is referred to a cognitive error which people make when they just want to receive the new

information when it conforms with what they believe already. People who are trapped with the

confirmation bias are inclined towards seeking the evidence which supports their coagulated

beliefs & rejects the evidence purposefully which are against their beliefs. The results on the basis

of research conducted on Confirmation Bias has been discussed below:

 People try to look for the positive evidence that supports their belief and reject those which

are against them.

 People have a tendency to see what they actually want to see even it is not present there.

They explore the data and find related evidence which may support their beliefs partially

and are not consistent with the actual pattern of evidence.

 In order to authorize their beliefs, they frequently look for the data which is correlated &

Distinguish a higher association than what is actually present.

 They tend to believe the things which are expected and this is defined as Pollyanna

Principle.

 People are likely to get trapped with the confirmation bias when they strongly hold to a

belief and they become overconfident in that (Aaron, 2018).

It is important issues which should be understood as it has a significant role in various pertinent

social issues. It affects the view of people on social issues like capital punishment, equality, women
rights, race, religion, and politics, climatic changes, vaccinations etc. Sometimes the impact of

Confirmation Bias is so widespread that it may lead to erroneous ideas and many problems.

Therefore it is important to understand the ideology behind the confirmation bias as it crucial for

people of all the ages.

Advantages:

 It can be beneficial for the organization to strengthen their brand image amongst the

customers who believe that any particular organization always offers the best products and

services.

 It can be used by an organization to gain and maintain the trust of customers to ensure that

their investment is safe whenever they buy any products and services from their

organization.

 It will strongly help an organization to maintain its existing customers due to their belief

(Aaron, 2018).

E.g. A customer visits a hotel and likes the ambiance, food, and hospitality will have a belief in

their mind that this particular is best in Hotel and Hospitality sector and will also recommend it to

his friends and colleagues which will automatically boost the business. Therefore it depends on

how the advantages can be gained from this theory of communication.

Disadvantages:

 It is easy to surrender to a confirmation bias is that people have a tendency to overvalue

those facts which confirm their solidified beliefs.

 People fail to notice the evidence which is strongly against their hypothesis or beliefs.
  People become more vulnerable to confirmation bias as their beliefs are based on folk tales

and prejudices and this can sidle into their research and damage the fairness of

investigators, spoiling research and destroy the careers.

 The contamination in the research is done in the form of defective research design and

misinterpretations of the results.

 It may lead to erroneous ideas and many problems.

 It affects the view of people on various social issues (Mercier, 2016).

2. Communication Accommodation Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory proposed by Howard Giles is an elaboration in

adjustments of human behavior while interacting. One of the reasons for this behavior is to regulate

the social differences amongst the interactants (close relationship amongst each other with

communication). People make adjustments in their communications accomplishments for the

purpose of getting approval and maintain a positive image amongst the interactant. The factors

which are responsible for the accommodation activity are the modifications which are done with

the help of gestures and non-verbal communication (Dragojevic, 2015). The Communication

Accommodation theory evolved from the theory of speech adjustment that demonstrated the

psychological ideas to develop an understanding of the dynamics of speech. Communication

behavior is affected by the environment in which they are interacting with each other. There are

two categories in which the accommodation process can be classified and has been discussed

below:

 Convergence: It defined as the process in which people adapts with the communication

characteristics of another person in order to minimize the social difference amongst them.
  Divergence: This process is contradictory with respect to the adaption method and in this

context, the person emphasize on the social and non-verbal differences amongst the

interactants (Gallois, 2015)

Both the process is reliant on the features of the interactants. People usually accommodate their

communication when they feel that the person with whom they are going to interact holds a senior

position and is better than him. E.g. An employee joins a new organization and comes to know

from his fellow members that the Senior Officer is a great artist. He may appreciate and applaud

his work in order to impress him which reveals the adjustment in communication as per

circumstances in order to impress the senior (Fracker, 2017).

Assumptions

Social physiology influences the Communication Accommodation Theory and guided by the

assumptions discussed below:

 During Communication, there will be resemblance and difference in the behavior and

speech. The features that people shows are based on the cultural backgrounds in which they

grew up and experiences.

 A conversation can be assessed by accepting the speech perception and behavior of other.

It is through assessment only that people decide to fit and accommodate.

 The societal status and possession are demonstrated by the language and behavior. During

communication, people have a tendency to adjust the behavior of those who have high

social status as compared to them.

  The accommodation process is guided by the Norms which may vary with respect to

appropriateness. Norm describes the people’s behavior and they are anticipated to act

accordingly (Dragojevic, 2015).

Pros and Cons of Using Communication Accommodation Theory at Workplace

Pros of Using Communication Accommodation Theory

 It can be implemented easily in different social situations and communication scenarios

either in the workplace or amongst the scenarios.

 Various strategies are deployed deliberately to get the desired results.

 It holds a great practical value in accepting different motivation & communication

strategies which are used to get acceptance, approval and enhance perceptions (Laura,

2016).

Cons

 The communication may become complex when the messages cannot be conveyed with

words only but require eye contact as well as gestures.

 This theory is only about rational communication and emotions are not involved which are

required sometimes to express correctly (Laura, 2016).

3. Cultural Studies

Cultural studies refer to an interdisciplinary area of research which investigates the cultural

context, components, and effect of the messages that originate from the media. In a wider sense, it

emphases on the medium through which the society generates connotation and confers it to

ordinary objects, thoughts, and practices. The main goal of cultural studies is to increase the

awareness of leading ideologies and the understated the medium through which people are
persuaded to agree to take on them. Cultural studies encounter the people to think disparagingly

regarding the cultural rehearses and the memoranda that inspire their continuance. It has been used

to explain the management of sexism and racism for the purpose of political gain, the development

of subcultures, dropout rates of high schools, the upsurge of diversity with internationalization and

the environmental significances of the consumerism (Agger, 2014).

Marxist Approach

This theory originated on the Marxist view on culture which stated that those who possessed the

medium of production also managed the culture, or the “collective awareness” of culture–usually

by domination or instinctive force. Since the production possessors usually own a great amount of

wealth, and they can sway the politics and lawmakers, the military and police to perform on their

behalf. Consequently, they will be able to shape the culture in such a way which will allow them

to have a close grip on the economic power.

Non- Marxist Approach

They discard the notion that only the financial leading regulates the connotations allocated to the

cultural objects. Instead, they speculate that the way in which objects are being consumed also

helps in determining their meaning. This means that the customer is not mindless or passive that

they would interpret the objects in a different way and can alter or reject the meaning that producers

have assigned to that object (Agger, 2014).

Advantages

 The cross-discipline emphasis of cross-cultural studies and various tactics make it an

extremely flexible field, which has the potential of evolving together with the mainstream

culture.
Disadvantages

 Critics of the cultural studies have condemned the lack of disciplined structure and

integrated methodology.

 A few of the research scholars have called for that it’s “whatever goes” tactic has permitted

some of the scholars to make businesses out of frolicsome educational pursuits.

 Some of the scholars have pointed out that the theorists often miscarry to follow to the

scientific method which is used in the research and have generated few to no solid

assumptions on culture or how to make changes in it (Agger, 2014).

b) Three Communication Styles with Communication Accommodation Theory

 Assertive: Assertive Communication style refers to the expression of one’s own thoughts

and opinion without any fear. It makes a person straightforward and can express his state

of mind without public fear. The people who use assertive communication style are usually

clean hearted and have a clear idea of their personal choice. People using Assertive

Communication style ensures that their expression does not hurt the feelings of others. In

Hotel and Hospitality industry every individual reserve the right to express their opinion

without any fear and organization should allow them to express freely. Talking in the terms

of Communication Accommodation theory where a person adjust his behavior depending

on the circumstances is totally dependent on the person that what he actually wants to

express. Giving the freedom of expression will make the employees more productive and

innovative and they tend to perform better in the organization. Communication

Accommodation Theory can be used by the employees as per their willingness with respect

to Assertive Communication Style. Moreover, the confidence in the employee is gained by

 the atmosphere that leaders create in the Hospitality Industry. Though Communication

Accommodation Theory is little conflicting with the Assertive Communication Style.

 Submissive: Submissive Communication Style refers to the style adopted by the people to

please others for some purpose. It is one of the most influential communication styles

which can be adopted by the staff members as well as leaders of the Hospitality Industry

to keep their customer satisfied with their services. Even when a customer has a complaint

with the product or service offered by the Hospitality Industry, it should be handled very

politely by the staff and leaders of the organization as their main aim is Customer Retention

and Customer Satisfaction.

This style goes perfectly with the Communication Accommodation theory where Staff

adjusts their behavior as per situation or circumstances. E.g. in Hotel or Hospitality

Industry, a customer makes the complaint against the services offered, the leader or staff

members should handle it politely by making an apology with a smile and offer something

in order to compensate for the same. This will quickly calm down the customer and it will

become easy to retain them.

 Manipulative Style: Manipulative Communication Style is one of the cunning styles

where people are calculative, scheming and shrewd. The people who use Manipulative

Communication style are capable to impact others with their skills of communication. This

style can be adopted by the staff members of the Hospitality industry to impact their

customers for taking advantage. They may pass compliments to their customers and make

them feel valuable so that they remain with them for the long term. With reference to the

Communication Accommodation Theory, this style can be used in an effective way as with

the theory a person may adjust his behavior to impress others for some advantage. E.g. A
Manager may applaud a customer for his cooperation in any given circumstance which

may make the customer feel valued and he gets impressed by them.
TASK 2

Trends in the Hospitality Industry using Social Media

Social Media refers to an interactive computer oriented technology which allows creating and

sharing the information to the people. It is one of the effective sources that help in creating

awareness amongst the people. In the Hospitality Industry, Social Media plays a significant role

in connecting people from any part of the country who are looking for different kinds of hospitality

services. Social Media and social networking websites have revolutionized the Hospitality

Industry as it creates awareness amongst the people about different kinds of services and allows

people to make booking anywhere anytime. The discussion below is about the Trends in the

Hospitality Industry using Social Media:

 Personalized Communication: Social Media allows personalized communication

especially when some customer is traveling and they expect personalized communication

from the Hospitality industry. It can be done using social media platforms like Messenger

and Whatsapp which depends on the customer. Giving personalized reminder to the

customers a day or two before their Check in to the Hotel will add up to their experience.

Some good suggestions can be made to the customer regarding their booking with the help

of Social media which will make them feel valuable. Here the Hospitality Industry can

seek the customer feedback about their stay in the hotel, suggestions for improvement and

can offer some discounts or offers on their next visit. Social media is one of the effective

tools which can be used by the Hospitality Industry to strengthen their relationship with

the customers (Caroline, 2017).

 Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality is evolving rapidly from past few years and

serves to modify the perception of a person about the physical surroundings with the help
 of computer technology. In the Hospitality Industry Augmented Reality plays a significant

role as it allows the hotel to improve the physical environment they are marketing and also

improve the know-how of exploring surroundings. E.g. Hub Hotel in the USA has initiated

the use of Augmented Reality using wall maps located in Hotel rooms. Here, people can

point their smartphone at the map and they will be able to foresee the extra information

about the physical surroundings i.e. local places of interest and thus improve the usage of

map and potentially make their stay enjoyable and convenient.

 Live Streams: Live Stream on Social Media platforms like Facebook and Instagram has

become very popular since 2017. The Live stream is used by the Hospitality Industry to

make their customers view the services being offered by them and any event that takes

place in their Hotel. One can use a live stream of their chef in which they explain and show

the preparation of their signature dishes where customers will also be able to view how the

kitchen of Hotel is and how the cooking is done. Another Live stream may include the

entire view of the Hotel and additional facilities they offer in their hotel. A Live stream of

Bartenders making cocktails and doing little bit jiggling would entertain the customers and

get attracted towards that Hotel (Caroline, 2017).

Using Creativity and innovation while using Social Media can help the Hospitality Industry to gain

a huge attention from the customers which will definitely boost up their business.

Impact of Social Media

Social Media has affected the Hospitality industry a lot as it is one of the widely used effective

tools for marketing the services being offered by them. The usage of social internet channels have

spread widely, and explorers regularly use social media to boast about their prodigious experiences

as well as express their annoyance with poor ones. Whether it is used purposely or inadvertently,
the leaders in the hospitality sector cannot overlook the influence of the new internet sensation on

their businesses.

As discussed above, the personalized communication expected by the customer may, on one hand,

impress him for the reminder given by the Hospitality Industry through Social media but

sometimes he/ She may feel get annoyed if these reminders increase the number. A gentle reminder

was given once a day or two before their check-in would be enough. Another thing is about seeking

customer feedback should be done one time and they should not be forced for it.

Second things discussed above is about live stream on Social media will allow the customer to

have a glimpse of the ambiance of the Hospitality Industry and services offered by them. But on

another hand, long videos and sharing more of them quite often will become boring of the customer

and it may not interest them anymore.

The third thing is about Augmented Reality which serves to modify the perception of a person

about the physical surroundings with the help of computer technology. Using AR in wall maps of

Hotel will allow people to point their smartphone at the map and they will be able to foresee the

extra information about the physical surroundings i.e. local places of interest and thus improve the

usage of map and potentially make their stay enjoyable and convenient (Kim, 2015).
TASK 3

Trends in the Hospitality Industry using Technology

In the era of Internet and advanced technology, the information is available freely and quickly

which allows the customers to make comparisons easily for which it is important that Hospitality

industry keeps their technology updated with respect to latest trends. It will not only allow to keep

the pace with the rivalry organization but also enhance the process and improve the customer

experiences. The latest trends in Hospitality Industry that have occurred from technology has been

discussed below:

 Recognition Technology: Recognition technology is another trend in the Hospitality

industry which includes all the recognition technique from Facial recognition to retina and

fingerprint scanning and has gained so much popularity generally. There is a number of

ways with which Recognition Technology can be used but as of now, it is used in the

payment processing system which quickens up the entire process and thus minimizing the

human interaction. Technologies such as Touch Id and Face Id from Apple & Amazon Go

Stores and massive use of beacon technique has unbolted the mind of many people to the

potential associated with the help of effortless automation. Hotels and Hospitality industry

uses Recognition technology for the purpose of automatic approval of the payments of the

clients after they leave restaurant or hotels and completely automate the check-out process

and thus avoid the queues (Sanny, 2016).

 Chatbots & Artificial Intelligence: One of the most beneficial technological trends in the

hospitality sector is gained through Chatbots who delivers the artificially intelligent reverts

to the questions and queries of the customers. This implies the customer queries can be

answered without human intervention quickly which also reduces the human efforts to
 handle tough issues and improve the response time as well. For the automatic analysis of

the data Artificial intelligence can be used and also it helps in revenue management

strategy. It also offers customized offers to consumers on the basis of their preferences. A

customer who visits the website to make some bookings and check the services offered by

the organization can directly interact with customer care assistant through Chat application

provided on their websites for answering customer queries.

 Mobile Integration

The use of Smartphones has increased so much in past decades which has revolutionized the

marketing in business areas. You want to eat something, just a few clicks on Smartphone and

you can get food on your doorstep, planning to go outside and need a taxi, just a few clicks and

taxi is outside your home. The era of smart world and technology has made everything so much

convenient for the customers saving their time and effort. Witnessing the significance and

usage of Smartphones, the hospitality industry can develop the application which runs on the

user phone and makes their booking convenient and easier. Also, customers can ask for room

service, reserve table in the restaurant, book spa and massage sessions. Development of

Applications for Smartphones can be used for developing loyalty programs, produce repetitive

business. Through the App, the customer can check the variety of services offered by the Hotel

and Hospitality Industry, check the price, and check the customer reviews and make bookings

quickly. This saves their lots of time and effort.

Evaluation of these Technologies

Technology is boon and bane as well when discussed in the terms of means of communication.

Flawless customer care and outstanding procedures can provide a hospitality industry an absolute

competitive advantage, and enhanced technology in the hospitality sector countenances these
businesses to upshot the drastic modification in both the areas as means of communication with

the outer world. Advancement in Technology is playing an effective role in improved and better

customer satisfaction and their retention for a long term. The use of technology is not confined to

the customers only but is used by the staff of the hotels and restaurants to enhance the services and

this generates high revenue and consistent growth for long-term which ultimately leads to

spontaneous communication ways with guests and clients.

With the help of technological gadgets and equipment clients and guests can easily choose and

interact with one of the best service providers in the hospitality sector for accommodation during

their vacations at a reasonable budget. It can be used in various ways like making reservations for

rooms and suites, compare the prices, review the feedback of guests, and give a glimpse on the

infrastructure of the hotel they are looking for to make a booking. Additionally, the advancement

in technology is serving many hotels that have a chain in other countries or in the same country to

stay connected and share the information about Standard taking guest’s details and share their daily

activities and sales with the head office (Sanny, 2016). The major impacts of advancement in

technology on the hospitality industry has been discussed below:

Clients and Staff are provided with Wifi Access for 24 hours which allows them to use the internet

services in their promises. The cost of Setting up of the wifi infrastructure is very high and even

its maintenance also costs quite high. The internet facilities are desirable especially when a client

visits a new country or new city to explore about the place, to chat and communicate with the

Though due to increased competition in network service providers, the prices of Internet facility

has decreased.

One of the best advantage offered with the help of Social Media, customers can have a glimpse of

the hotel and make their bookings online which is quite convenient to them.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) gadget or technology is one more advanced technology that

can be used by the hospitality industry RFID is a kind of wireless communication which involves

the use of electrostatic or electromagnetic coupling in the radio frequency section of the

electromagnetic band to unusually regulate an object, person or any animal. In the hospitality

industry, RFID based management systems for inventory are very effective to manage the room,

track the personnel, manage the vehicle, laundry and linen management as well (Sanny, 2016).

Sensors are widely used in the hotels such as automatic doors opening, car parking, room locking

systems, gym entries and pool entries. The biometric system is used to keep a check on the staff

arrival and presence in the hotel.

References

Aaron, B. (2018). Advantages of Confirmation Bias . Retrieved from

https://www.ventureharbour.com/the-confirmation-bias-7-ways-to-use-it-to-boost-your-
conversions-with-examples/

Agger, B. (2014). Cultural studies as critical theory. . Spon Press.

Caroline. (2017). Hospitality Social Media Trends . Retrieved from Tremento:

http://www.tremento.com/5-hospitality-social-media-trends-2018/

Dragojevic, M. G. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. . The international encyclopedia of

interpersonal communication, , 1-21.

Fracker, M. L. (2017). A theory of situation assessment: Implications for measuring situation awareness.
In Situational Awareness (pp. 3-8). . Routledge.

Gallois, C. &. (2015). Communication accommodation theory. . The international encyclopedia of

language and social interaction, , 1-18.

Kim, W. G. (2015). The effectiveness of managing social media on hotel performance. . International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 44,, 165-171.

Laura, D. (2016). Communication Accommodation Theory . Retrieved from

https://laurastokessite.wordpress.com/2016/12/15/communication-accommodation-theory-
analysis/

Mercier, H. (2016). The argumentative theory: Predictions and empirical evidence. . Trends in Cognitive
Sciences, 20(9), , 689-700.

Sanny, T. A. (2016). The impact of innovation technology and organization on growth of a creative
industry: The case of Bandung city in Indonesia. Int. J. Eng. Technol, 8, , 1650-1660.