Complexity of occupational health in the hospitality industry: Dynamic simulation modeling to advance immigrant worker health. (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sönmez, Sevil; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Lemke, Michael Kenneth; Hsieh, Yu-Chin (Jerrie); Karwowski, Waldemar
• Is Part Of: International journal of hospitality management. Volume 67(2017)
• Page Start: 95
• Page End: 105
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Occupational health -- Immigrant hospitality workers -- Complex adaptive systems -- Dynamic simulation modeling; Hotel management -- Periodicals; Restaurant management -- Periodicals; Food service management -- Periodicals; Hôtels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Restaurants -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Services alimentaires -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Food service management; Hotel management; Restaurant management; Periodicals; 647.94
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.08.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-4319

Abstract

Highlights: Immigrant workers are heavily represented in lodging/foodservice jobs that induce disproportionate health/safety risks. Traditional research fails to capture the underlying dynamic, structural, systemic complexity of hospitality worker health. A systems paradigm has potential for more promising approaches to occupational health/safety research in hospitality. A heuristic example of a risk prevention model is offered, rooted in a stakeholder-based system dynamics modeling approach. Abstract: Hispanic immigrant workers, who are heavily employed in low-skill/low-wage lodging and foodservice jobs, work in environments that induce disproportionate health and safety risks. Traditional research approaches have produced only partial insights into the risks of Hispanic immigrant hospitality sector workers, failing to fully capture the underlying dynamic, structural, and systemic complexity of hospitality worker health. This paper has three objectives: (1) to outline the multifaceted and disproportionate health and safety risks of these workers; (2) to introduce a systems paradigm with potential to contribute to more promising approaches in occupational health and safety research in tourism and hospitality; and (3) to elaborate on how computational simulation modeling can fortify occupational health and safety research in tourism and hospitality, and offer a heuristic example of a risk prevention model among Hispanic immigrant hospitality workers rooted in a stakeholder-based system dynamics modeling approach.