Why Do Some New Hospitality College Grads Lack Management Skills?

Abstract

Practicing hospitality managers have been anecdotally heard to denigrate the management training provided by institutions of higher learning. This may be valid commentary, as graduates of hospitality management programs may possess merely an abstract conception of theoretical constructs lacking the competence to synthesize them into managerial practice.

In this article, the author posits a model to describe a learning process that may be applied to the education of hospitality and tourism students in academic courses related to the practice of management in organizations. The premise of the model is found in the academic disciplines of science and philosophy as they relate to management and learning theories. The author concludes the article with examples to support the application of the model in practical settings.     

Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education in Taiwan

SUMMARY

The binary system of tourism and hospitality higher education in Taiwan divides into academic higher education and technical/vocational(institute/university of technology, five-year junior college and two-year junior college). The development of tourism and hospitality higher education in Taiwan is closely related to the growth in the domestic tourist market and the social development of the country. The earliest tourism education began in 1965. This long process of development has given Taiwanese tourism and hospitality education a multifaceted outlook and is generally divided into three periods: the origination period (1946–1968), the growth period (1969–1991), and the competition and adjustment period (1990–present). Over the past years, tourism and hospitality higher education in Taiwan has witnessed rapid growth in numbers, increasing diversification in program names, and with junior colleges and institutes of technology transforming themselves into universities of technology. Current tourism and hospitality programs are boosting global competitiveness for the future hospitality market in Taiwan, with careful positioning clear goals, curriculum planning, integrating hospitality/tourism curriculum, alliances and collaboration, and strengthening tourism and hospitality research.     

Practicing What We Preach in Tourism Education and Research

Abstract

As teachers of both strategic and operational management in tourism/hospitality programs, we constantly stress the importance of research as a means of providing critical information for destination planning and development. At the same time, in our capacity as managers of academic programs, it is not uncommon for many of us to overlook the use of research in the management of these programs. While we normally undertake market assessments before establishing new programs, and regularly gather operational data on teaching performance, this paper argues that based on the existing literature, tourism education program managers generally fail to take sufficient advantage of several strategic research approaches that are heavily used in other management contexts.

Having recognized their own shortcoming in this regard, the present authors have attempted to rectify it by formally integrating a selected number of widely used research approaches into the overall management of their programs. The results, we believe, demonstrate just how valuable the use of formal program research can be in setting innovative directions for program design and development, for enhancing student satisfaction with specific courses, and for evaluating the overall efficiency and effectiveness of well established programs.

Part I of the present discussion examines the use and usefulness of one major research technique for tourism education program design and management. The technique in question is Strategic Visioning.     

The Past,Present, and Future of Hospitality and Tourism Higher Education in Hong Kong

SUMMARY

Hospitality and tourism management programmes are widely available in Hong Kong. At present, there is no official publication on the history and development of higher education in hospitality and tourism management in Hong Kong. This paper aims to review the history and current status of hospitality and tourism higher education in Hong Kong, focusing on the programmes offered at sub-degree, degree, and post-graduate degree levels, and to explore future directions for its development.     

Total Quality Management and Tourism and Hospitality Education

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the application of quality management concepts in relation to the provision of tourism and hospitality education, with a specific focus on Thailand. The key quality concepts, namely quality control, quality assurance, quality audit and “Total Quality Management” (TQM) are identified, and the applications of these concepts in the provision of tourism and hospitality education are discussed. The paper explores three main themes. The first is to examine how quality issues have been applied to tourism and hospitality education. Second, the paper outlines the concepts of quality management, which represent the key element of a TQM strategy to implement conformance to standards and quality improvement. The third theme discusses the specific case of Thailand, drawing on research in its early stages which examines quality management in tourism and hospitality education in Thailand. An outline of the nature of tourism and hospitality education in Thailand is provided, followed by a synopsis of the significant challenges facing Thai tourism and hospitality education. A procedure for examining quality in tourism and hospitality education in Thailand is proposed.     

Tourism Higher Education in Turkey

SUMMARY

This paper discusses and evaluates tourism higher education in Turkey. Turkish universities have been offering associate, bachelor, and postgraduate degree programs in tourism since the early 1990s. However, there have been major problems and challenges in this endeavor, including the lack of qualified academic staff, improperly designed curriculums, limited practical training opportunities for students, and difficulties in keeping qualified graduates in the industry. So far, it is hard to claim that Turkey has developed contemporary tourism higher education policies and plans. If Turkey is to gain more from tourism in the long term, it is essential for the country to improve the standards of tourism higher education. However, to achieve this, some radical cultural and structural reforms are needed, not only in tourism higher education, but also in the country's overall higher education system.     

A Highlight of Tourism and Hospitality Education Issues in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

This paper was written to explore the opinions of the hospitality human resource managers in Taiwan about current tourism and hospitality education provisions. Major issues regarding tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were identified. Based on the research findings, a number of conclusions were drawn and specific suggestions for the future of the tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were proposed.     

The importance of career goal in relation to academic performance: a case study of hospitality management students

ABSTRACT

Hospitality management programs have commonly offered exclusive learning opportunities to talented students in order to keep “brains” in the industry. While academic performance indices are often used to identify “brains” in the education sector, scant research has empirically examined whether “brains” are intended to stay in the industry. This study surveyed 304 hospitality management students and examined the relationships between their career-goal related factors and academic performance. Findings indicate that career goal and positive job valence toward the hospitality industry are significantly related to academic performance. The results of this study contribute to the limited literature on the relationship between career goal and academic performance.     

Studies in Tourism and Hospitality Management

Abstract

Universities around the world are involved in dynamic change as they seek creative solutions in response to a number of educational and structural issues. To be effective, educational methodologies and technologies need to be anchored to the diverse material circumstances characterising different groups of learners. The challenge for universities offering programs of study in tourism and hospitality management is to provide avenues for learning which are reflective of the needs of industry and incorporate the technology now available. One of the more significant responses has centred on the development of educational programs for flexible learning.

This paper is an analytical reflection on the experience of redesigning and developing programs in tourism and hospitality to increase student access to a wide variety of stimulating learning resources and delivery media. In particular, it documents the process of developing, teaching and evaluating a subject entitled, “Asian Cultures in Tourism and Travel” within a three-year Bachelor of Business program that offers concentrations in Tourism, Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Management.     

Bridging the Divide Between Theory and Practice

Abstract

Experiential learning approaches such as role-play have been found to be valuable methods of bridging the divide between academic knowledge and practical skills, a problem often cited in tourism and hospitality management education. Such approaches have been found to contribute towards deeper learning by enhancing students' interest, motivation, participation, knowledge and skill development. This paper reports on the implementation of an experiential learning approach designed to encourage and facilitate deeper learning approaches, with the contributing aims of providing students with a more interesting learning experience and a broader set of skills for future employment.     

Research on Correlations Between Off-School Internship Systems and Work Performances in Hospitality and Tourism Education

ABSTRACT

The development of hospitality and tourism education in Taiwan in the past two decades brought forth various off-school internship systems to meet the needs of educational and business fields. This paper, with methods of literature review, interview, and pragmatic investigation, researched tourism-related students' work performances under different off-school internship systems. The data gathered and analyzed came from interviews and questionnaires with directors of Personnel, Room Service, and Food and Beverage Departments from select international tourist hotels with tourism-related off-school intern programs in Taiwan.

The results showed, in correlated recognition of hospitality and tourism education and off-school internship, no matter what the degree of emphasis or satisfaction was, business directors placed higher appraisals on off-school internship systems of Employment Link Intern Program, Old Sandwich Intern Program, and New Sandwich Intern Program. In regard to work performances, interns did better in aspects of interpersonal relationship, work adjustment, service concepts, and interest for learning, while worse in aspects of foreign language proficiency and customer complaint management. In regard to off-school internship systems, interns of Sandwich Intern Programs (both Old and New) performed better than those of other systems. To be specific, interns of New Sandwich Intern Program fared the best, with those of Old Sandwich Intern Program being second, and those of Vocational Intern Program the third.     

Service Quality in Tourism Research

Abstract

This paper reviews the recent development of service quality research. It relates the key issues and approaches to the tourism and hospitality sectors. It identifies the need for further research into the meaning and management of service quality in tourism and hospitality.     

A Study of Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology Education and Industrial Applications

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the subject relevance of Information Technology [IT] in Hospitality and Tourism Management programs with the skills deployed at workplace. This study aimed at investigating the graduates' transition from education to employment, and to determine how well they appear to be equipped to meet the needs of the hospitality and tourism industry. One hundred and seventeen graduates responded to a mail survey. These graduates rated the importance of IT skills at workplace, the level of IT teaching in hotel and tourism management programs, and the self-competence level in IT. This study concluded that a gap exists between the IT skills required at work and the IT skills acquired from the university.     

Factors Influencing Intercultural Sensitivity of Hospitality Employees

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the factors influencing the development of intercultural sensitivity among hospitality employees. The study particularly looks at the relationship between intercultural sensitivity levels of hospitality employees and their previous educational work experiences. Based on a survey (Intercultural Sensitivity Scale) scale with 443 hospitality employees overall means were calculated. Results of the analysis show that exposure to other cultures by participating previously in student exchange programs (e.g. ERASMUS), work and travel programs, and spending long periods of time abroad increased people’s intercultural sensitivity. Interestingly though, the study found that having formal tourism and hospitality education did not have any influence on the level of intercultural sensitivity of hospitality employees.     

Transferring Tourism Knowledge

SUMMARY

Knowledge sharing and quality assurance in hospitality and tourism is a very broad topic to cover. This paper focuses mainly on the role of higher education in transferring knowledge into practice. Knowledge can be defined as “an understanding of something and the ability to use that understanding through study and experience.”¹     

Educators' Perceptions of Business Ethics in Hospitality

ABSTRACT

Business ethics has become a popular topic in both the academic arena and the business setting within the hospitality industry. This research investigates the perceptions of hospitality educators regarding business ethics in contemporary hospitality programs and the hospitality industry (Damitio & Schmidgall, 1993; Dunfee & Donaldson, 1999). This study provides some pivotal educational findings as to how hospitality educators perceive the preparation of hospitality students relative to business ethics. There are three distinctive findings. Female educators have a significantly higher level of agreement toward statements about business ethics in the hospitality industry than do male educators. Educators whose own level of education was a doctorate degree were significantly less concerned about ethics education than educators whose own level of education was a two-year college degree or a master's degree. And, educators who were employed in institutions offering graduate degrees were significantly less concerned about ethics education than educators who were employed in institutions offering undergraduate degrees. In addition to those three significant findings, this study also showed that educators perceive that organizations should not only practice business ethics with customers but also with employees. Additionally, this study showed that educators are concerned about multinational companies (MNC) and students' ability to understand ethical issues while operating businesses in foreign countries. Educators are also concerned about the strong influence of business organizational leadership and management on business ethical practices.     

The Development and Positioning of Business Related University Tourism Education

Abstract

The teaching of tourism at a higher education level has become well established in British universities, but in the UK, as elsewhere in the world, the place of tourism studies within the academic curricula remains uncertain. The paper considers the diversity and complexities of tourism studies through a categorisation of journal articles, and through an investigation of the underlying debates that have influenced the design of academic curricula in the UK. The paper concludes that tourism, at least at present, should not be regarded as discipline but as a field and that the most common approach in the UK has been to emphasise the business studies subjects. The University of Northumbria's established undergraduate travel and tourism management course is presented as a case study of this approach to the subject field.     

Looking for the Right Stuff

ABSTRACT

While some hospitality and tourism management programs face the challenge of filling available seats, others are blessed with the problem of over-demand. When demand exceeds supply, schools must consider placing enrollment caps on their student intake, which of course leads to the issue on how best to administer such a cap. This paper explains and empirically evaluates the selection process employed by Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) to learn if their efforts were effective in identifying the ‘best’ student candidates. The findings should be of value to administrators of programs with, or considering, enrollment caps.