THE IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE CONTROL IN KITCHEN OPERATIONS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT
This research work is focused on the impact of effective control in kitchen operation in the hospitality industry the study is narrowed to Concord hotel in Owerri. To examine possible ways of controlling theft and pilferage in the kitchen, to determine whether shortage of food stock is recorded in the establishment, to know if food prepared and served from the kitchen is properly accounted for, to identify various control documents adopted in the area. The sampling procedure used for this study is that of multi-stage/ stratified random sampling techniques. This technique was used to segregate the heterogeneous population into significantly homogenous sub-groups in order to provide fair and equal opportunity in the sample and to ensure the sample is not dormant by a particular sub-group. The study recommended that there should be formal training on the job of the hotel establishment. The proprietors should make provision of adequate facilities and equipment in the kitchen, which will no doubt help to develop effective control in the kitchen. The management must ensure that trained personnel are employed to work on this sensitive section of the hotel.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Many hotels find it difficult to adapt to a type of control, most especially in the production section (kitchen) as a result of many factors. These factors include the use of unqualified staffs. Many hotels in this era are fond of employing people outside the hospitality field of study. E.g an hotel employing an accountant or an engineer to work in the kitchen, this professions are not in any way related to the industry and might result to wastage of resources and manpower.

The use of wrong equipments for a particular purpose and also careless handling of kitchen equipment lead to food wastage which in turn affects the profit of the hotel. Many hotels do not have required equipments needed in the kitchen, while in some the equipments and facilities are not complete which also leads to mass-management.
Training is an important activity that should be carried out in any hotel to their staffs, but research into possible problems of control reveals that some hotel despite the fact that they do not employ qualifies staffs for production operation, do not give required training to their staffs, while some only dwell on the training given to staffs at the period of employment which is not enough as workers in hotels are advices to be trained periodically to increase their efficiency.

Supervision is also a very important exercise that is not taken very seriously in some hotels which leads to food wastage, theft, pilfering, etc. many hotels assigns more than one supervision job to just one person which can lead to inefficiency as the supervisor cannot be seen at two places at the same time.
Hotels that exercise such function most times do it to reduce how much they pay to their workers forgetting than an inefficient and job depressed staff cannot produce a positive yield in the hotel income.
Concentrating on the problem above, this project will therefore look at the impact of effective control in kitchen operations in the hospitality industry.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Unethical practices like theft, pilferages, wastages, over-portioning and under-portioning etc are common in most hotels. Being human some staffs are tempted to take what belongs to the hotel which occurs because of lack of supervision, proper inventory control procedure which is very crucial in any hospitality industry. Many hotels has not been controlling and managing materials resources most especially food and equipments in a professional manner that will facilitate high returns in investment.

Production areas in hotels have stocks of goods which they use during production in satisfying their guest if there is no definite plan on how to issue, supervise and control all processes of production, it might lead to insufficient or wastage of food materials. In this light, this study is therefore intended to find out the following:-
(1) To unveil the impact that effective control in the kitchen could have on an establishment.
(2) To find out the types of control measures used in the kitchen.
(3) To examine how theft, pilfering etc are handled.

1.3 RESEARCH QESTION
1. How can theft and pilferage be controlled in the kitchen
2. How is shortage of food stock dealt with in the establishment?
3. Are food prepared and served from the kitchen properly accounted for and how?
4. What are the control documents used in the area
5. What makes up an effective kitchen control?
6. What advise would you give for an effective control in the kitchen?