The culture of loyalty : a sociological investigation of hospitality practices

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on practices targeted at the achievement of excellence and efficiency within organisations. All types of organisations. whether profitable, voluntary or institutional are characterised by aims and goals. Yet organisations are made up of different individuals. These individuals have specific roles within the organisation that are contributing to the organisation's benefit. Nonetheless, to a certain extent, human beings will always differ from each other in some way or another. Such differences might obstruct the achievement of organisational goals. Management style has a principal part in this, in terms of how the particular organisation succeeds in fulfilling its purposes, in spite of the possible diversity of interests of its members As a result, the management of any organisation adopts mechanisms and practices that give direction in the daily running of the organisation, and that are aimed at the achievement of organisational goals. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that one way to reconcile individual and organisational interests in an efficient and long-term manner is by socialising members into a culture of loyalty. The concept of culture gives a sense of belonging, and therefore the members internalise, through the socialisation process, the same objectives of the organisation.