Lesikar's Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World 13th Edition by Kathryn Rentz,Paula Lentz

Exercise 24

In an effort to cut down on waste and expenses, the campus food service company at your university implemented a new policy a month ago, in the middle of the fall semester: no more trays. Instead of going from station to station loading their trays up with food, students must now get their food carrying only a plate and \ or bowl (but they can use as many plates and bowls and visit the stations as oft en as they like).
After a month has gone by, the director of the campus food service wants to know two things: Is there significantly less food waste, and how do the students feel about the new policy? He asks you, his trusty assistant, to find out and write up your findings in a report that he can share with university administrators.
You gather the information in two ways. First, you ask the managers of the three campus eateries how many 13-gallon bags of food waste (not including paper) they threw out during the last week before the policy was implemented and during the fourth week afterward. Since the managers have been asked to keep track of this information, they are ready for your question. The manager at the smallest dining hall reports 5.5 bags for the "before" week and 4 bags for the "after" week. At the midsized hall, the "before" figure is 9.5 bags and the "after" figure is 8. At the largest facility, the "before" figure is 15 bags and the "after" figure is 12. The total number of student meal card swipes for the "before" week was 42,363; for the "after" week it was 40,907.
Next, you send a brief online survey to the 2,440 students who are on a campus meal plan. In fact, you send it out twice to encourage as much participation as possible. Altogether, 1,003 students participate (though a few do not answer all the questions). In response to the question "I waste less food now that the trays are gone," 56 students pick "strongly disagree," 135 "disagree," 432 "agree," and 380 "strongly agree." In response to the question "I eat less now that the trays are gone," 176 pick "strongly disagree," 312 "disagree," 292 "agree," and 223 "strongly agree." In response to the question "I favor the new trayless policy," 131 students pick "strongly disagree," 63 "disagree," 418 "agree," and 380 "strongly agree." In response to the question "My attitude toward being on a meal plan is more positive now," 160 pick "strongly disagree," 315 "disagree," 390 "agree," and 120 "strongly agree." In response to the open-ended question inviting feedback on the new policy, you get many positive comments about the university's effort to reduce waste, to help the environment, and to keep up with the times. A few even praise the university's effort to help students not overeat. The negative comments are about the loss of convenience, the difficulty of getting enough food on one plate, and the awkwardness of carrying a stack of dishes to the dishwashing area. A few students comment that, for the high price they're paying, the food service should at least include trays.
Now that you have your data, organize and interpret it for your boss, being careful to use qualified language (e.g., "perhaps," "may be") where appropriate.