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.”     

Commercial hospitality in restaurants and tourist accommodation: Perspectives from international consumer experience in Scotland

This study investigates international consumer perceptions of their restaurant dining and hotel accommodation experiences to identify the common core elements of hospitality in commercial settings. A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the deep-rooted reactions, feelings, and perceptions of consumers. The empirical data are based on semi-structured interviews with 20 international postgraduate students in Scotland. The data analysis specified five categories of perceived commercial hospitality, including: interpersonal interaction, psychological connection, openness to different cultures, sensation satisfaction, and perceived value. Additionally, this study proposed a model of commercial hospitality for interpreting the dynamic and interactive relationships among different components. Complex hospitality experience relies primarily on customer emotional and social values. Several strategies based on perceived value and cultural differences were also developed to cater to various customer needs.     

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.     

关于中国城市饭店产业评价的思考

中国饭店业的发展加深着人们对饭店业的认识。单体饭店在走向成熟的同时,也需要整个饭店行业的成熟。文章提出衡量一个区域或城市饭店业是否成熟,有这样几个标准：拥有一批好的饭店群体,城市(地区)饭店的结构合理,有自身特色,有标志性的饭店,与城市特点相协调,有健全的行业法规,成熟的投资动机,成熟的职业经理人队伍,有成熟的市场和成熟的消费者,有成熟的饭店衍生业以及成熟的行业自律组织。     

Hospitality management study programme and students’ perceptions: universities in South Africa

This study using a questionnaire survey of 200 hospitality management students in two South African Universities assessed the perceptions of these students towards their study programme, the support they get while studying, and their intention to work in the hospitality sector over the long-term. Results from data analyses indicate that the students are generally satisfied with their study and would recommend hospitality management as a study programme to friends and relatives. Many of them also expressed the desire to work in the hospitality sector over the long-term. Their major concerns towards their study are in the areas of inadequacy of the hospitality management curriculum to address their study needs, the fear that fulfilling jobs will not be available for them after graduation, and their lack of knowledge regarding public and private funding for hospitality entrepreneurship activities. This study therefore calls on hospitality management study programme managers in South Africa to include entrepreneurship courses that address how graduates can source public or private funds to start up their own hospitality businesses, to decrease dependence on employers. Graduates with comprehensive and integrated knowledge of the hospitality sector operations and opportunities will not have fear of getting jobs and performing well in the sector.     

The concept of hospitality and an evaluation of its applicability to the experience of hospital patients

Intuitively, it would seem that there is a good case for seeing hospitality as a desirable attribute in a satisfactory hospital stay. This notion is thoroughly examined through the evaluation of various definitions of the concept of hospitality in the literature. The paper suggests a working definition of hospitality which may be both appropriate to the hospital environment, and amenable to evaluation through patient questionnaire analysis.The results show that the working definition of hospitality was credible and would prove to be a useful management tool for evaluating patient services in NHS hospitals.     

What certifications are important in the hospitality industry?

The purpose of this study was to explore the need for certification in hospitality; and specifically to see if professional certifications are valued when earned at the college level and brought to the workplace when hired. There were 79 online surveys completed by hospitality industry professionals at the level of hiring manager. The results of the study showed that there is value in completing certificates while in college, before entering the hospitality workforce. Such certifications as ServSafe, Alcohol Awareness, and Guest Service Professional, were found important when applying to hospitality industry related positions after earning a 4-year degree.     

酒店业竞争力提升的新途径:集群发展

本文通过对集群理论国内外发展研究的回顾,分析我国酒店企业集群形成的条件与基础、发展现状与分类,应用直接经济因素与非直接经济因素的企业集群竞争优势理论,对我国酒店企业集群优势与竞争力提升展开剖析.     

Is low unionisation in the British hospitality industry due to industry characteristics?

Low recognition and concomitant characteristics of a union presence are key factors associated with very low union membership in the British hospitality industry (HI) but there may be exceptional factors in the HI that render it more amenable to union membership after standard explanations are accounted for. Although the lessons for unions are to seek greater employer legitimacy at the same time as securing membership, recognition rates would have to increase by six times to double the rate of union density in the HI and satisfy ‘frustrated’ demand for unionisation. Questions are also raised about the utility of the statutory recognition procedures and current union organising and retention strategies.     

论我国经济型饭店发展的产业示范意义

本文讨论了我国经济型饭店发展的产业示范意义。对于民族饭店业而言,经济型饭店的示范意义在于以品牌为中心建立了产品形象、通过跨地域经营获得规模经济以及采用多模式扩张提高增长速度。对于整个中国饭店业而言,经济型饭店的示范意义在于通过产品差异化创新获得了很好的绩效。认识到这些意义,我们可以从更具有战略性的高度去看待今天中国经济型饭店的发展。     

What does it mean to follow? An exploration of a followership profile in hospitality and tourism

Although leadership has received considerable attention from many scholars, much less research has focused on those who follow leaders; yet, followers contribute much to the success of an organization. This study explored the followership profiles of stakeholders in hospitality and tourism education. The findings summarize the followership dimensions of a sample of hospitality students, educators, and industry professionals. For each of the five followership dimensions the mean scores for industry professionals were rated higher when compared with students and educators, with courage to participate in transformation being the highest rated among all three groups. Implications for hospitality education are presented.