Chapter 1 of your textbook provides an historical timeline of the foodservice industry. The study of history helps us to understand the evolution of the industry and the social, economic, and political forces that have driven change in the past. As you read in this chapter, change is constant and multidimensional in a system. And, change causes uncertainty and creates disorder or entropy. The organization must react to every change in order to maintain homeostasis. And systems must have homeostasis in order to have stability and survive. These facts require that a foodservice manager pay close attention to what is happening in the social, economic, and political environment in which the system operates. An understanding of these forces of change is necessary in order to make good decisions in the context of the foodservice operation and the larger organization to which it reports. The purpose of this case study is to challenge you, the student, to get out of your comfort zone on issues related to food/nutrition services management. The specific learning objective of this study is that you will be able to identify social, economic, and political forces that a professional must recognize, understand, and integrate into decision making when managing a foodservice operation. Assume you are Ann Harper, RD, and CD director of food and nutrition services at Norfolk Community Hospital. Ann is responsible for managing the patient meal service, the employee/visitor cafeteria, a mobile meal program for the community, and a catering service. Ann reads (actually skims): The New York Times Local papers Trade Journals/Magazines Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Chef Health Leader Bon Appetite Today’s Dietitian Food Management Foodservice Director Web sites Food Network Nat Geo National Restaurant Association
She also talks to employees, customers, and colleagues.
1. Which of the listed literature should Ann carefully read to ensure that she follows the emerging socioeconomic and political issues affecting the food and nutrition services department at Norfolk Community Hospital? Identify such resources in your college library and/or your neighborhood.
2. Are the two issues you identified driven by social, economic, or political forces or by a combination of one or more?
3. How do the top trends identified by the National Restaurant Association affect the services provided by Ann?
4. Which type of foodservice system is best suited for the four sections catered to by the department of food and nutrition services?
5. Would the demographic changes affecting the foodservice industry influence the healthcare sector in a similar manner?
6. How are the challenges faced by the foodservice industry different from those faced by the healthcare sector?
7. If this change were actually implemented, list the other parts of the foodservice systems that would be impacted by this change.
8. Which of the socioeconomic trends and demographic changes identified at the beginning of the chapter has most affected the health care segment of the industry?
9. Much like the 14 innovations identified by the National Restaurant Association to address the issues faced by the foodservice industry, identify some innovative ways to tackle similar issues in the healthcare industry.
10. List some of the professional journals, magazines, and newspapers that Ann should subscribe to in order to stay up-to-date about the recent trends in the foodservice sector. Is the listed literature sufficient and in line with the mission of the food and nutrition department?
