Abstract:

Student food establishments at Harvard (including Dunster Grille) serve an important function in the living-learning communities of the undergraduate Houses. How are student managers empowered or disempowered in their work at Dunster Grille, and what areas of improvement exist to help Dunster Grille better achieve its goals of fostering House community and providing a fun and enjoyable work and social environment? Using interview data with other student food establishment managers and administrators, an employee feedback survey, and a community feedback survey, I create a more detailed description of the student-administrator partnership at Dunster Grille as one in which student managers must negotiate the priorities of three different groups: administrators, student employees, and customers. When these priorities are at odds, it is critical that administrators take student concerns seriously. I also propose seven recommendations for the next Dunster Grille managers. Of these recommendations, the most important is that managers must continue to solicit feedback from employees and the community to empower them to make the best decisions for the community. This data may also empower managers to have their voices heard by administrators.