Unmasking the face of hospitality: A postfoundational approach to a new spirituality of hospitality

Verbum et Ecclesia

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Unmasking the face of hospitality: A postfoundational approach to a new spirituality of hospitality
 
Creator Meletiou, Crystal Meylahn, Johann-Albrecht
 
Subject Practical Theology; Hospitality; Narrative
Description Previous research conducted on the topic of workplace spirituality seems to indicate that workers often associate spirituality in the workplace with their personal religious orientations. This article, however, presents an alternative approach to the understanding of workplace spirituality. In this article, the contemporary hospitality industry is presented as two metaphorical stage worlds, a front-stage world and a back-stage world, where actors perform the play of hospitality. Each of these worlds observes an ultimate concern: the workers of the front-stage world observe an ultimate concern of unconditional hospitality and guest satisfaction, whereas the workers of the back-stage world observe an ultimate concern of profit. Because these two worlds have opposing ultimate concerns, the current spirituality of the contemporary hospitality industry is one of dissonance and unhappiness. However, as this article will show, there is a possibility for an alternative spirituality – a spirituality of hope and endless possibilities. This spirituality will come to be through the life-giving words of the entire community. The uniqueness of the front-stage world and the back-stage world lies in their respective constructions. Some of the dominant elements that affect each of these worlds are discussed in this article. It will also be shown that the language of religion plays a role in the construction of reality. Understanding these elements is important, for only when hospitality workers recognise the elements that influence the construction of the front-stage world and the back-stage world will they be able to deconstruct and reconstruct these two worlds.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article presents empirical research on the spirituality of the contemporary hospitality industry. The results indicate that the current spirituality of the hospitality industry is a spirituality of dissonance and unhappiness. This research presents the prospect of a new spirituality, a spirituality of hope and endless possibilities.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2016-11-16
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ve.v37i1.1656
 
Source Verbum et Ecclesia; Vol 37, No 1 (2016); 10 pages 2074-7705 1609-9982
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1656/3012 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1656/3011 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1656/3013 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1656/3002
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2016 Crystal Meletiou, Johann-Albrecht Meylahn https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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