Sustainability training manual for VALO Hotel & Work
Haahti, Oona (2024)
2024
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052415378
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052415378
Tiivistelmä
The commissioner for this thesis is VALO Hotel & Work. The thesis is product-based, and the aim is to create a tailored sustainability training manual for the employees of VALO Hotel & Work, an independent hotel located in Helsinki, with sub-topics to enhance employee knowledge on sustainability as well as employee engagement, and additionally improve internal communication in the company. The thesis process started in January of 2024, and finished in May of 2024.
The theoretical framework covers the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and explores topics of sustainable development, the Triple Bottom Line theory, and sustainability in company market value. The role of sustainability specifically for hotel companies is explored through the concepts of sustainability management and metrics, the role of sustainability reporting for hotel companies, and certificates for sustainability, examples of them and their advantages for hotel companies. The theoretical framework also includes information on the advantages and practices of employee training on sustainability, with emphasis on the importance of employee training, possible effects of sustainability training on employee engagement, and how sustainability is used in both internal and external communication and company marketing.
In creation of the theoretical framework and the development of the product, secondary analysis was used by covering relevant academic sources and the company’s material. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with company employees were part of the methodology for gathering background information for the product. A questionnaire, which was sent to members of the staff who went through the product, was used in testing the product.
The product itself included information which was found important through the secondary analysis as well as by what the commissioner wished to include and what came up in the background interviews. The product was created as a PowerPoint file following the same format as the company’s other training material. The final product included information on key terms on sustainability, the commissioner’s sustainability actions and choices, measuring of sustainability in the company, information about the sustainability certificates they have obtained, and sustainability in everyday work. Each topic included questions which the employees could think about and discuss with colleagues. The manual was written in both Finnish and English, and the English version is presented as an appendix in this thesis.
The product was tested on employees of the commissioning company by allowing them to go through the material and answer a questionnaire. The answers obtained through a web-based questionnaire were compared to the pre-set success criteria and thesis aim and sub-topics, in order to determine the success and usefulness of the product.
The theoretical framework covers the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and explores topics of sustainable development, the Triple Bottom Line theory, and sustainability in company market value. The role of sustainability specifically for hotel companies is explored through the concepts of sustainability management and metrics, the role of sustainability reporting for hotel companies, and certificates for sustainability, examples of them and their advantages for hotel companies. The theoretical framework also includes information on the advantages and practices of employee training on sustainability, with emphasis on the importance of employee training, possible effects of sustainability training on employee engagement, and how sustainability is used in both internal and external communication and company marketing.
In creation of the theoretical framework and the development of the product, secondary analysis was used by covering relevant academic sources and the company’s material. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with company employees were part of the methodology for gathering background information for the product. A questionnaire, which was sent to members of the staff who went through the product, was used in testing the product.
The product itself included information which was found important through the secondary analysis as well as by what the commissioner wished to include and what came up in the background interviews. The product was created as a PowerPoint file following the same format as the company’s other training material. The final product included information on key terms on sustainability, the commissioner’s sustainability actions and choices, measuring of sustainability in the company, information about the sustainability certificates they have obtained, and sustainability in everyday work. Each topic included questions which the employees could think about and discuss with colleagues. The manual was written in both Finnish and English, and the English version is presented as an appendix in this thesis.
The product was tested on employees of the commissioning company by allowing them to go through the material and answer a questionnaire. The answers obtained through a web-based questionnaire were compared to the pre-set success criteria and thesis aim and sub-topics, in order to determine the success and usefulness of the product.