Why Do People Steal from Hotel Rooms - Dissertation Example

The objectives have been achieved based on qualitative primary data gathered through a survey of consumers from two different cultures – The Turkish and the British. While studies have been conducted on consumer stealing habits in western countries, no study has been found that compares the consumer behaviour of the Turks with the consumer behaviour in the West. Literature review (McGregor, 2000) suggests that culture has very little impact on consumer behaviour primarily because social and consumption values are different.

The only noticeable difference that culture has an impact on is the items that are stolen from hotel rooms. Economic background of the residents and the category of hotels in which the guests stay, make a difference in consumer theft. However, this too cannot be generalized because the emotional state of consumers also influences behaviour. Consumers may not even be aware that removing some items is considered theft or consumers who steal consciously may not be conscious of the implications of their action.

The study highlights the limitations of the study and makes recommendations for further study based on the subject. Consumer behaviour has been of immense interest to marketers because it has been associated with how consumers make decisions to spend their valuable resources such as time, money and effort on consumption-related items (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1997 cited in Abdallat & El-Emam, 2005).

However, the field of consumer behaviour stretches beyond purchase decisions. For instance, it is also the study of processes involved when individuals or groups have to select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. As Abdallat and El-Emam, citing Belch (1998), explained it also involves disposing of products and services and is not limited to the purchase of goods and services. While the hospitality industry places consumers at a pedestal and all services geared towards his satisfaction (Harris & Reynolds, 2004; Aslan & Kozak, 2012), not all customers are functional and some behave in a dysfunctional manner to customer-oriented initiatives.