Approaching the Adoption of Lean Thinking Principles in Food Operations in Hotels in Egypt

Abstract

Lean thinking is a quality management approach that aims to eliminate waste and provide value for customers. It was originated and successfully applied in the manufacturing business and then transferred to the services industry. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of lean thinking in food and beverage operations in hotels in Egypt. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study using semistructured interview as a tool for gathering primary data. The sample of this study included 19 participants who were experienced in the field of quality and food and beverage operations. The results of the study revealed that the largest share of hotels in Egypt did not adopt lean thinking principles in their food and beverage operations. There were some obstacles that have limited the adoption of lean thinking in hotel food operations (e.g., lack of motivations for hotels; additional work effort and expenses associated with applying new approach). The results also showed that applying lean thinking principles in hotel food operations can achieve many operational benefits, such as reducing operating costs by eliminating wastes and achieving customer satisfaction through providing added value. The study has provided some practical implications, in a form of proposed model, that would enable a successful implementation of lean thinking in food and beverage operations in hotels.