The propensity of people to steal items from hotel rooms linked to Dissertation

The propensity of people to steal items from hotel rooms linked to cost of room, education level or age of guests Why do people - Dissertation Example The objectives have been achieved based on qualitative primary data gathered through survey of consumers from two different cultures – The Turkish and the British. While studies have been conducted on consumer stealing habits in the western countries, no study has been found that compares the consumer behaviour of the Turks with the consumer behaviour in the West. Literature review (McGregor, 2000) suggests that culture has very little impact on consumer behaviour primarily because social and consumption values are different. The only noticeable difference that culture has an impact on is on the items that are stolen from hotel rooms. Economic background of the residents and the category of hotels in which the guests stay, make a difference in consumer theft. However, this too cannot be generalized because the emotional state of consumers also influences behaviour. Consumers may not even be aware that removing some items are considered theft or consumers who steal consciously may not be conscious of the implications of their action. The study highlights the limitations of the study and makes recommendations for further study based on the subject. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale for the Study 2 1.3 Research Aims & Objectives 2 1.4 Structure of the Study 3 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Consumer Behaviour 4 2.2 Personality of Guests 5 2.3 Types of Consumer Misbehaviour 6 2.4 Consumer Behaviour and Emotional State 7 2.5 Consumer Behaviour and Morality 7 2.6 Consumer Behaviour and Technology 9 Chapter III Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 11 3.2 Research Design 11 3.3 Choice of Method 11 3.4 Research Approach 12 3.5 Data Collection 12 3.6 Sampling 13 3.7 Data Analysis 14 3.8 Ethical concerns 14 Chapter IV Findings & Discussions 4.1 Findings Overview 15 4.2 Findings from Primary Data 16 4.3 Discussion 19 Chapter V Conclusion & Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion 23 5.2 Recommendations for Hotels to reduce theft 24 5.3 Li mitations of the Study 24 5.4 Recommendation for further research on the subject 25 References 26 Appendix 29 Charts Chart 4.1 Demographics of the Respondents 16 Chart 4.2 Hotel rates in ? 16 Chart 4.3 Most Stolen Items 17 Chart 4.4 Items taken away but not considered stolen 18 Chart 4.5 Motive for theft from hotel rooms 19 Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background Consumer behaviour has been of immense interest to marketers because it has been associated with how consumers make decision to spend their valuable resources such as time, money and effort on consumption related items (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1997 cited in Abdallat & El-Emam, 2005). However, the field of consumer behaviour stretches beyond purchase decisions. For instance, it is also the study of processes involved when individuals or groups have to select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. As Abdallat and El-Emam, citing Belch (1998), explained it also involves disposing of products and services and is not limited to purchase of goods and services. While the hospitality industry places consumers at a pedestal and all services geared towards his satisfaction (Harris & Reynolds, 2004; Aslan & Kozak, 2012), not all customers are functional and some behave in a dysfunctional manner to customer-oriented initiatives (Harris & Reynold