What Retail Experts Say about Tourism Retail Education? A Case of Macao Using an Integrated Bloom-Kolb Learning Design Canvas

Abstract

ABSTRACT The growing infrastructure and the surge of world-renowned retailers in Macao has led to the new demand for knowledgeable managers and practitioners. This study aims to identify views from retail and marketing experts in order to unearth essential and relevant learning outcomes which in turn support the review and improvement of the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management program at Macao Institute for Tourism Studies. Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Bloom’s taxonomy are adopted to explain the expectations from industry experts in order to provide clearer understanding. An integrated ‘Bloom-Kolb Learning Design Canvas’ is proposed to support future design of training and learning activities. Through purposive sampling, nine industry experts from different retail companies were approached and interviewed to generate data for this study. Thematic analysis revealed desirable competencies of the retail graduates, as well as gaps that existed between industry practice and education programs in areas including knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are essential for graduates to possess. The findings were valuable for improving the existing program to become more relevant to the graduates and industries.