Customer misbehaviour: An everyday crime in the hospitality industry - Fotios Mitsakis, Amarisa Kouki (Nottingham Trent University) & Tasos Hadjisolomou (University of Strathclyde)

Event Date: 18 October 2023

Speakers: Fotis Mitsakis, Amarisa Kouki & Tasos Hadjisolomou

Time: 2.15pm to 3pm (UK time)

Location: Stenhouse Wing, Room No: SW108 or email sbs-weo@strath.ac.uk for Zoom information

Abstract:

The paper examines customer misbehaviour (i.e., abuse and harassment) in the hospitality sector from a criminology perspective and discusses it as an everyday workplace crime. It outlines customer abuse and harassment as an endemic phenomenon of workplace violence in the industry, which was further intensified because of the pandemic. Customer abuse, as a form of workplace violence, needs to be recognized as a source of victimization and a matter of justice because, as Yagil (2017) concludes, if mistreatment by customers continues not being penalized, its perceived legitimacy is reinforced. This has become significantly more evident during the recent Covid-19 socio-economic crisis when, alarmingly, as the study shows, customer abuse was skyrocketed. The negative aftermath of such a widespread phenomenon relate to violations of workplace morality and represent everyday crimes impacting on employee wellbeing, with management teams, evidently, ignoring these issues in favour of business prosperity.

Published: 3 October 2023