Students’ Perceptions of Managerial Competencies: A Study of Undergraduate Tourism and Hospitality Students at the University of Botswana

Abstract

Observations by Riggs and Hughey (2011) support the existence of a gap between the managerial competencies of tourism and hospitality students and competencies required in the industry. In response, the author examines self assessments of managerial competencies and roles among 84 students at the University of Botswana in this study. Findings reveal that students perceive they are strongly competent in interpersonal communication and least competent in oral presentations. Students perceive the mentor role as one of the dominant roles that they possess, while the coordinator role obtained the lowest score. The study strongly recommends that academics utilize teaching approaches that allow students autonomy in learning.