Sustainability-Management Using Systems Thinking in Indian Hotel Industry by Baijnath Pandey and Sujith Nair

Systems-Thinking Concept: A Unique Tool

For Sustainability Management In The Indian Hotel Industry

By:Baijnath PandeySujith S. Nair

Apr 13, 2023 Manasamanthana-2011 2

Agenda:

Research Methodology/Objective/Key-Words

Overview: Indian Hotel IndustrySustainability Management

Systems-Thinking…What Is It???

Applying Systems-Thinking in Indian Hotels Context


Key Words:Open system, sustainability, systems-thinking, resources, and sustainable hotel management

Objective: To understand and analyse some of the most common and critical issues of Indian hotel industry and then finally apply systems-thinking to solve them for sustainable development.


Data Collection Method:

Primary Data:From hotel executives, of four core operation departments

Secondary Data:Books, journals, magazines, previous-research works and websites of international repute


Sampling Method:Snowball sampling

Sampling Units:Sampling units are the hotels in the four geographical divisions of India

Sampling Size:25 hotel executives in India, belonging to 25 different hotels such as Taj, ITC, Oberoi, Leela, Marriot, Hyatt, Park etc


Agenda:





Indian hotels have a supply of around 1, 10,000 rooms58.4 million inbound tourists in 2009-2010

Demands expected to soar to 70 million per yr by 2014

A situation of shortage of about 150,000 hotel-rooms, fuelling to the tariff



Encouraging picture for the Indian hotel industry

However…….

This also raises the challenge of not only to meet these demands but also to sustain in the long run


Agenda:





“Everything is connected with everything else; but not all things are connected by the short and straight roads we expected.” CS Lewis

“Systems-thinking is a discipline for identifying the underlying structures in complex situations and for discerning high leverage points. Systems-thinking is also an analytical approach that addresses a system and its associated external context as a whole that cannot be analysed solely through reduction of the system to its component parts.” Dr. Oswald Mascarenhas

11 Laws of Systems ThinkingLaw -1: Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions.Law-2: The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.Law-3: Behaviour grows better before it grows worseLaw-4: The easy way out usually leads back in.Law-5: The cure can be worse than the disease

Law-6: Faster is slower.Law-7: Causes and the Effects are not closely related in time and Space.Law-8: Small changes can produce big results.Law-9: You can have your cake and eat it too, but not at once.Law-10: Dividing an elephant in half does not create two elephants.Law-11: There is no blame.


Agenda:






Sustainable Construction:

Creating and operating a healthy built environment

For example, using vacuumed glasses not only leverages the power of day-light but thereby reducing the use of lighting fixtures



Water Conservation

It is estimated that by 2012, water use will increase to approximately 475 gallons per day, for the Indian hotels

Potential impacts on the environment and water supplies


Acute shortage in & around

the Locality

CAUSE• Water

leakage•Inefficient

usage of water

Depleting Ground Water Level

Water to floors

Water from

reservoir

EFFECTWater

Shortage

Systems’ Cause and Effect Model for Water conservation


Energy Efficiency

“Small changes can produce big results”.

Expensive energy requirementsWastage of Energy

Source: Eco Energy, June 2010

Source: Eco Energy, June 2010Source: Eco Energy, June 2010Source: Eco Energy, June 2010


Increased Cost

CAUSEInefficient usage of Energy

Ineffective Cooling System

Light Fixtures

Inappropriate location

EFFECTEnergy

Shortage

Cause and Effect Model for Energy ConservationCause and Effect Model for Energy Conservation

Cause and Effect Model for Energy ConservationCause and Effect Model for Energy Conservation


Waste Management

Waste in hotels can be either:e-waste orSolid/liquid waste






Waste in hotels can be:

e-waste Solid/liquid waste


Effect on Locality

CAUSEIneffective

Waste Management

Environmental

Pollution

Under utilization

of resources

Under Usage of

Incinerator

EFFECTWaste

Accumulation

Cause and Effect Model for Waste Management


e- Waste Management

e-Waste Management

“The cure can be worse than the disease”.

Computer parts, fused lamps, card keysProducts once discarded become a potential source of radio-active substance


Solution

Inventory managementProduction-process modificationVolume reduction


Solid/Liquid Waste Management

The statistics showed that from 2008-2010, the hotel waste consisted of 46% food waste, 25.3% paper, 11.7% cardboard, 6.7% plastics, 5.6% glass, and 4.5% metals.

Waste-management can help creating a more environmentally friendly hotel. Plus cutting down cost…


“There Is No Blame”

Hotel Marriott Mumbai, India, they took up part of the blame and have come up with expensive device-crushers that crush over 1,000 florescent bulbs and pack them in to 55-gallon drums. The machine uses negative pressure ventilation and a mercury-absorbing filter or cold trap to contain mercury vapour.


Conclusion


References:

Books:•Senge, Peter M.(1996), The Fifth Discipline: The Art and practice of Learning organizations, New York Currency : Doubleday •Ackoff, R. L., Magidson, J., & Addiso, H. J. (2006). Idealized design: creating an organization's future. New Jersey: Wharton School Pub.•Mascarenhas, Oswald A. J, (2011), Business transformation strategies: the strategic leader as innovation manager. New Delhi: Sage Publications•Charles,Kilbert J. (2005), Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery

Articles, Journals and Magazines: •Han-Shen Chen, Tsuifang Hsieh, January 2011 An environmental performance assessment of the hotel: industry using an ecological footprint, Journal of Hospitality Management and Tourism Vol. 2 (1) pp. 1-11•Alexander Sarah, September 2002 Green hotels: Opportunities and Resources for Success, Zero Waste Alliance, Vol. 1 •Crawford Michael G. August 2010 Impact of hotels on biodiversity and environment, Articlesinput.com


Websites:•http://www.zerowaste.org/publications/GREEN_HO.PDF•http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/18/environmental-mission-statements-a-list-of-hotel-sustainability-policies/ (sustainable vision statement of hotels)•http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/10292/840/3/UstadBH.pdf•http://www.articleinput.com/e/a/title/Impact-of-hotels-on-biodiversity-and-environment/•http://www.itopc.org/travel-requisite/inbound-tourism-statistics.html•http://www.tampile.com/blog/2011/05/cfls-vs-leds-consumer-guide/•http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1148672/#b•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp#Human_health•http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/paper/ewaste/ewaste.html•http://cleantechnica.com/2008/08/01/new-lighting-technology-offers-alternative-to-cfls-and-leds
