The Role of Federal Agencies in Regulating the Hospitality Industry
The hospitality industry is the provision of accommodation, food, drinks and holiday activities to people (strangers, guests or visitors) in exchange for money. Federal agencies regulate the practices of this industry in the following ways. The department of public health provides trading licenses to investors after inspecting their premises and approving them as suitable for business activities. This agency ensures the premise is located in a healthy environment. It also ensures all food handlers are healthy and fit to handle food substances. This industry provides foods and drinks to clients and thus it must be clean to avoid food poisoning associated with unhygienic conditions. Other rules include the protection of the rights of employees, environmental conservation and controlling the powers of investors.
Recent Changes in the Hospitality Industry Laws
A recent change in state law includes the directive by the Texas state that all food prepared and ready for consumption should not be stored for more than three days. Previously the law allowed hotels, restaurants and other food outlets to store food for seven days. However, this has been reduced to three days due to food safety reasons. This law was enacted as is evident by the demonstrations witnessed in Texas soon after this law was put into action. It was necessary to enact it to ensure consumers are not exposed to contaminated food. However, this resulted in losses due to food wastage since most food outlets disposed of food that stayed for more than three days.
Organizational and Operational Structures
My preferred business is a fast-food outlet with a decentralized organizational structure with various employee levels. In addition, it will have a direct, simple structure. The decentralized organizational structure will ensure all employees are given active roles and participate in key decision making to ensure there is coordination, understanding, less time wastage and short consultations. The direct structure will ensure the company relies on its resources (physical, human, logistical and financial) to produce and offer its services. This reduces delays and manipulations associated with overdependence on other suppliers.
Fiduciary Duty and Ethics
Fiduciary responsibility refers to the act of being given the duty of taking care of the property (money or investment) for the owner based on trust that the former will safeguard the interest of the trustee. Ethics refers to codes of conduct that controls the behavior of members of a profession. In the hospitality industry, there must be accountability, trust, responsibility, confidence, sacrifice and loyalty for a fiduciary relationship to exist. This ensures general managers take good care of all human, physical and monetary assets for investors to promote productivity at work.
Federal Agencies
The State environmental management authority ensures the activities of this industry are controlled to promote a healthy environment. Most of these businesses are established near highways, beaches, urban centers and other scenic places. They produce a lot of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes that are released into the environment. This authority must ensure that these wastes are treated before being released. They must be disposed of in designated places, treated or buried to avoid exposing the environment to health hazards. Therefore, the federal government must step in to ensure all investors in this industry have hygienic waste disposal channels that ensure the environment is not polluted.