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.     

Authenticating the learning environment

The research documented in this paper argues that the authentic learning environment is achievable through “academic practitioners” who can ground business education and research within practice. A culture fostering the academic understanding of the practitioner environment enables practical engagement with academic rigour. The case study illustrates specific examples from degree programmes engaging with student and academic voices, with a particular focus on the development of authentic learning experiences for tourism and hospitality students. Key aspects of business education need embedding within the development of tourism and hospitality curricula in order to engage with the tacit knowledge required by the sector through a holistic approach to curriculum development.     

Are students customers? Tourism and hospitality students’ evaluation of their higher education experience

ABSTRACT

Research has suggested that higher education students assume multiple roles during their studies. Moreover, the student-as-customer model has been discussed for years and needs more in-depth discussions than other roles. Few studies have investigated education experiences from this perspective. This research contains two studies. Study one investigates faculty members’ perceptions on students’ roles in higher education and found students should not be considered purely as customers. Other roles were found. Study two investigates students’ perception of their roles in university education and how the education experiences influence their satisfaction towards university choice. A majority of the students see themselves as the “recipient of knowledge”. The six dimensions of higher education experience include “student-centred service” (SCS), “diversity and global citizenship” (DGC), “coproduction of learning experience”, “reliance on teachers” (ROT), “responsibility”, and “whole person development” (WPL). SCS, DGC, ROT, and WPL were found to have significant impact on student satisfaction.     

An examination of students’ perceptions for guest speakers in hospitality and tourism programs

The current study aimed to identify students’ perceptions about guest speakers in hospitality and tourism programs. A total of 222 participants were surveyed at a large, public university in southwestern United States. The mean scores of 10 attributes were plotted on an importance-performance analysis grid to illustrate each attribute of one guest speaker’s lecture. The findings showed a discrepancy between the students’ perceived importance and the performance level. The results indicate that students expect that guest speakers not only provide industry-specific knowledge and current issues but also deliver them appropriately. Therefore, guest speakers should realize that students are eager to learn about strategies for career success and current issues in order to stimulate their interest. These findings provide meaningful information for guest speakers on how to improve their effectiveness because students’ reflection and ideas about guest speakers help faculty members better utilize guest speakers and develop curriculums and programs, which ultimately will benefit students in their learning.     

Experiential learning and its effectiveness from the perceptions of hospitality students

This work aims to review the implementation situation of experiential learning (EL) in China’s hospitality education and explore the perceptions of students on the effectiveness of the adopted EL methods. Observations and focus group discussions are conducted in three vocational colleges and three universities in China. The study reveals that EL activities are widely utilized in China’s hospitality education. Generally, students state that EL is more effective than traditional classroom learning. Nonetheless, they consider some EL activities as being ineffectively implemented. Several suggestions are given in this paper to provide support to hospitality educators for improving the utilization of EL methods and facilitate student learning. Furthermore, unique EL methods that are not documented in literature are adopted in China’s hospitality education.     

Factors affecting undergraduates' commitment to career choice in the hospitality sector: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Little is known about the factors underlying students’ commitment to career choices in the hospitality industry in non-western contexts. This research explores the drivers of commitment to career choice among undergraduates studying hospitality in Saudi Arabia. Employing the Social Cognitive Career Theory, this research examines commitment to hospitality career against personal and contextual variables, together with two control variables of (i.e., “year of study” and “industry experience”), expected to influence students’ career decisions. From a valid sample of 227 students, it was found that “self-interest,” “outcome expectations,” “the nature of working environment,” “the nature of working day,” “nepotism (wasta),” “industry experience,” and “year of study” were the best predictors of students’ commitment to career choice; in contrary, “social status” and localization (saudization) of workforce were not significant determinants. Implications of the findings and avenues for future research are also discussed.     

Educational technology in hospitality management programs: adoption and expectations

Educational technology has been widely adopted to support students’ learning. However, existing literature provides fractional pictures of the current adoption and expectations of educational technology in hospitality programs in higher education. This study examines the perspectives of hospitality management students on educational technology adoption, its advantages, their concerns and expectations regarding the integration of educational technology. The findings reveal flexibility as the main advantage of educational technology, while the need for stronger self-motivation is the main concern. Students expect more adoption of multimedia in education, while the current adoption of social software suffices their expectation. Also, different technology adoption is recommended to satisfy lower and upper classmen respectively.     

Student perceptions of ethics,CSR, and sustainability (ECSRS) in hospitality management education

This study examines how hospitality students perceive ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainability (ECSRS) with regard to their current academic program and future career. Previous literature has shown an evolution in higher education institutions to implement ECSRS topics into their curriculum. This quantitative study measured 202 first-year students’ levels of interest, perceived importance, and potential implementation of ECSRS in a hospitality management program. Based on student responses, there is a high expectation that courses on ECSRS will be taught during their academic program to better prepare them for their future ambitions and the future of the planet.     

The politics,satisfaction, loyalty,and success of Ph.D. students in hospitality and tourism

The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of organizational politics in educational institutions with regard to graduate students’ satisfaction with supervision and loyalty toward advisors, and thereby success of students in the Ph.D. program, within the hospitality and tourism discipline. The findings demonstrate that satisfaction and loyalty play important roles in doctoral students’ experiences in graduate education. Several implications for students and faculty are discussed.     

Learning about the real-world in MICE education: The case of exhibition learning from Thailand

Abstract

The use of experiential learning in tourism and hospitality education is well-documented in literature. Experiential learning studies in this field may include, for example, internship experiences, field trip perceptions, conferences, and social events. However, there is still insufficient literature to understand students’ learning and their real-world experience in MICE education, especially in the exhibition sector. This study, therefore, addresses this gap by reporting the experiential learning of graduate students in an event course with the objectives to investigate student perceptions on academic learning experiences and the development of work-related skills by carrying out the exhibition project. Students are challenged to perform a complicated task as a real exhibition organizer, and to deal with other stakeholders of the exhibition industry (e.g., exhibition venue, exhibitors, contractors, and visitors). The experiential learning method is discussed through the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process. The results indicate that students not only gained in-depth learning about the exhibition industry, but also developed important work skills (e.g., teamwork, planning, and coordinating skills). Moreover, classroom learning, industry visits, and real-world experience are found to be the important factors contributing to exhibition learning. The current study contributes to the limited exhibition learning literature and provides event educators new insights into the teaching and learning of exhibition-based projects in regard to how students plan, learn and carry out the exhibition event through the case of Thailand. Other similar courses may apply the learning processes and results of this study to develop effective experiential learning in MICE education.     

The Relationships between National Identity,Hospitality, and Satisfaction among Foreign Hotel Guests

The main objectives of this paper are to examine the effect of hotel hospitality on the satisfaction level of foreign guests in the context of the hotel industry, as well as to explore the moderating effect of national identity (country-specific hospitality) on the relationship between hospitality and guests’ level of satisfaction. In this study, “national identity” refers to the distinctive cultural elements of a specific country that are incorporated into the hotel’s service design. This study, involving 315 foreign guests at Malaysian hotels, used survey administration as the main data collection method. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was performed and statistical support for the effect of hospitality on the patrons’ satisfaction with their hotel stays, as well as the moderating effect of national identity on satisfaction levels, were found. This study also proposes a new scale to measure “country-specific hospitality”.     

The Virtual Enterprise

Abstract

This article discusses the need for enhancements in the way that tourism education is conducted and shows how changes in the way that technology is used in the global tourism and hospitality industry has necessitated that change. It offers as a solution an educational model called “The Virtual Enterprise” (VE). The history of the model and its implementation at a U. S. community college, as a professional education curriculum that has shown great potential to prepare students for the global nature of the 21st century workplace, is discussed. The Virtual Enterprise, has shown itself to be a business simulator that inculcates both technical and “soft” skills to students. Tourism and hospitality educators face two challenges in preparing their students for the work place. One is to prepare them with the technical skill sets that will create demand for their services amongst employers in the marketplace. The second is to find classroom exercises and simulations that allow students to take those skill sets and put them to the test under “game conditions.” The Virtual Enterprise educational model meets both of these challenges.     

What factors influence Generation Y’s employee retention in the hospitality industry?: An internal marketing approach

Individuals from Generation Y are entering into the hospitality job market, but little is known about their intention to remain in the hospitality business. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors affect a Generation Y employee’s intention to remain with a hospitality company with respect to internal marketing tactics. Qualtrics, an online survey service company, was used to distribute and collect a self-administered questionnaire survey. A theoretically proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicated that “work environment” significantly influence Generation Y employees’ job satisfaction, followed by “empowerment,” “pay,” and “relationships with managers,” which in turn, influences “employee commitment” and “intention to remain in hospitality business.” The implications of the study are discussed.     

Designing a Hospitality Ethics Course Content from the Students' Perspective

ABSTRACT

In managing a curriculum, it is important to solicit students' perspective to ensure that it is relevant to their interest and needs. Therefore, in an attempt to develop content for a hospitality ethics course, this study conducts a questionnaire survey with 520 hospitality students to help identify the importance of 39 ethical issues in the hospitality industry. As suggested by Thomas, Clermont, and Maimbolwa-Sinyangwe (1984) and DuFrene, Elliott-Howard, and Daniel (1990), if an ethical issue is judged to be important, it can serve as a topic around which part of the course is to be developed. The top three most important issues are found to be “Disposal of hazardous waste,” “Acceptance of bribes or gifts by employees” and “Sexual harassment on the job.”     

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.     

Conceptualization of Quality Indicators for U.S. Based Four-Year Undergraduate Hospitality Management Programs

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to (a) generate a composite list of hospitality management program quality indicators and (b) arrange the quality indicators in dimensional categories under conceptual themes. Three focus group interviews were conducted with twenty-eight hospitality educators and administrators. Sixty-nine quality indicators emerged based on the content analyses of the data under five conceptual themes: students/alumni, curriculum, faculty, industry support, and facilities. Categories under each theme varied in the unidimensional and multidimensional nature of their indicators. Implications for stakeholders and recommendations for future research to determine specific quality measures that would be useful to hospitality faculty and administrators in planning and assessing academic programs are provided.     

Mindset matters in purchasing online food deliveries during the pandemic: The application of construal level and regulatory focus theories

Online delivery providers (ODPs), representing a growing hospitality industry sector, are playing an unprecedented role in the coronavirus pandemic. Applying construal level theory and regulatory focus theory, this research investigates how the interplay of construal mindsets and message frames affects consumers’ purchase intention regarding online food deliveries during the pandemic. Two 2 × 2 experiments were conducted in severe and mild pandemic regions and revealed different results in consumers’ responses. Specifically, promotion-framed messages are more effective when matching a “how” construal mindset in severe regions. In contrast, promotion-framed messages are more persuasive in conjecture with a “why” construal mindset in mild pandemic areas. Besides, the persuasion process is mediated through self-efficacy in severe regions but through perceived benefit in mild regions. The study also reveals different moderating effects of risk propensity in the two regions. The findings provide guidelines for ODPs in engaging consumers with online food delivery services.     

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.     

Innovation,entrepreneurship, and restaurant performance: A higher-order structural model

Drawing on theories from hospitality, innovation, and entrepreneurship, this study examines a higher-order structural model investigating business innovation, the owners' entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), and human capital as drivers of restaurant performance. The theoretically derived model was tested on data from 198 café and restaurant owners in Australia. The PLS-SEM analysis found restaurant innovation activities and the owner's ESE to positively influence restaurant performance. Furthermore, the six ESE dimensions had varying effects on restaurant performance, with ‘Developing new product and market opportunities’ having the strongest effect. In contrast, the entrepreneur's ‘human capital’, representing their levels of business ownership experience and entrepreneurship/industry education, did not significantly affect restaurant performance. However, human capital indirectly affected performance through innovation and ESE. The findings of this study advance theories in restaurant entrepreneurship and performance and present important implications for industry authorities to develop a successful and sustainable restaurant sector.