Mgt 302 - Organizational Behavior

After careful analysis of our extensive research results, our group has devised a number of solutions to fix the main problems present in the Salmanson Dining Hall. We have decided that these solutions are better to implement through a series of phases, rather than all at once. First and foremost, the sanitary quality of the food being served and the dining hall itself must be drastically improved. It is unacceptable for consumers to find foreign objects such as hair, plastic, and Styrofoam in their meals. Moreover, Salmo must provide a cleaner environment for guests to dine in. In order to fix this issue, the staff of Salmo must be properly trained in maintaining the utmost sanitation throughout the entire dining hall. They must be educated on how to sufficiently clean each surface and how frequently to do so. Training mechanisms could include a course on the spread of bacteria and how to prevent further transfer of germs across environments where food is present. Furthermore, the staff must be more attentive towards the disposal of plastic and Styrofoam to ensure that these objects do not end up mixed into the food. Lastly, Salmo must require its employees to tie long hair up tightly under their hat, in addition to wearing a hair net. This will assure customers that Salmo and its employees are taking the necessary steps to increase the sanitary quality of the dining hall.

        Second of Salmo’s major problems is their poor food quality. Consumers often complain that they feel sluggish or ill after eating a meal at the dining hall. The quality of food provided is often scrutinized when compared to the price that consumers must pay to eat there. While there are many different ways that Salmo could choose to improve their food quality, our group has decided that the organization should focus on improving their ingredient sourcing. Salmanson should look to acquire ingredients from local suppliers that satisfies consumers’ need for nutritional value and taste. According BestColleges.com, the University of Massachusetts is rated as the third best dining hall in the country based on a 2018 study (https://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-college-dining-halls/). The University of Massachusetts also uses Sodexo, the same food provider as Salmanson, but finds ingredients from producers all over New England. Salmanson could easily improve flavor and quality in their meals by using fresher ingredients. Our group even suggests the development of a campus garden where students could partner with Salmanson to grow fruits and vegetables for the dining hall. Lastly, Salmanson should train their employees on how to accurately cook all of the meals that they are serving to assure that students do not become ill as a result of improperly prepared food. This training could include the basic cooking processes of meats, fish, and other raw ingredients, while learning the standard method of sautéing, roasting, grilling, frying, etc.  Improving the quality of Salmo’s food could be a long, complex process, but it would greatly improve organizational success in the long run.

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