Hospitality Management Curriculum Research Articles

Enhancing Food Safety and Sanitation Education: Developing an Immersive Learning Platform Using Virtual Simulation

ABSTRACT In hospitality management education, diminishing interest in food safety and sanitation education poses challenges compounded by limited awareness of its importance. An immersive learning platform with virtual simulation environments for food safety and sanitation education was developed and integrated into a foodservice management course on a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management curriculum. This paper describes the development and implementation of the immersive learning platform, highlighting its positive impact on learning outcomes to date. The paper underscores the practical use of immersive technology in food safety and sanitation education and suggests avenues for further research to optimize student learning and engagement.

Unique practices in teaching affective learning in a higher education applied curriculum

AbstractAffective learning is important for the holistic development of students. Yet, not much is reported about how it is achieved in the higher education classroom. The purpose of this paper was to appraise the Hospitality and Tourism Management curriculum and pedagogical practices being utilized to deliver affective learning outcomes in Community Colleges in Jamaica. Adopting a qualitative tradition, involving analysis of the hospitality and tourism curriculum documents and personal interviews of 35 purposively selected academic and non‐academic participants, the study found that while affective learning practices were infused in pedagogy, the educational activities were not linked to clearly defined learning outcomes in the formal curriculum. Cognitive learning outcomes dominated the formal curriculum. Students' access to affective learning experience was facilitated through an improvised informal curriculum, that is, learning experiences that occurred outside the planned curriculum. The article theorized that design flaws in the planned curriculum contributed to the experience. This research has implications for staff professional development, practical‐based subject curriculum design and for standard setters who monitor alignment between higher education and industry requirements.

The integration of Graduate Attributes within the hospitality management curriculum at higher education institutions

South African institutions of higher learning are responsible for producing graduates who are well-prepared for the demands of the world of work. To meet this imperative, universities have adopted the use of graduate attributes (GAs) to develop and showcase their graduates’ skills and competencies. Furthermore, the current economic landscape places pressure on universities to produce highly skilled and employable graduates. Despite the recognised significance of GAs, lecturers often encounter difficulties when attempting to integrate them into the curriculum. The problem (gap), however, is that lecturers find it difficult to integrate these GAs for various reasons, including a lack of comprehensive understanding, effective teaching methods, and reliable assessment strategies of GAs. Moreover, the absence of structured training programs for lecturers on how to integrate GAs into the curriculum is a hindrance to the GAs’ successful implementation. This paper aims to determine the extent to which the GAs have been implemented within the hospitality curriculum in South Africa. A desktop review study was conducted and analysed according to identified themes. The findings propose developing the framework, a guiding tool, that will enable academic institutions to integrate GAs into their curriculum.

The Importance of Integrating Project Management into Hospitality Management Curriculum

The Importance of Integrating Project Management into Hospitality Management Curriculum

Fostering constructive thinking about the ‘wicked problems’ of team-work and decision-making in tourism and geography

ABSTRACT Geocapabilities developed during team project-based fieldwork add value to Tourism Geography service modules in professional Tourism and Hospitality Management curricula. This article is based on a case-study in Turkish Higher Education. Here, variations on the Prisoner’s Dilemma were used to confront learners with some ‘wicked problems’ they may face in their professional careers. Comments on their decision processes are compared with those in individual reflective essays. Responses to the Prisoner’s Dilemma exercises demonstrate optimism and idealism toward: team cooperation, prioritising sustainability, and investing in people. Reflective essay comments were less optimistic and more coloured by personal experience. Evaluation returns suggest most found these decision-making games helpful in clarifying personal priorities, concerns and values. This heightened self-awareness may be key to helping them to tackle the wicked problems they will face in their future careers.

Hospitality faculty: are we meeting the demands of industry?

ABSTRACT This study investigated the perceptions of hospitality industry professionals and faculty on the relevancy of hospitality management curriculum. The problem investigated the importance of hospitality management content areas meeting the needs of current and anticipated demands for the skills and knowledge of workers in the hospitality industry. The researcher sampled 568 ICHRIE members and 2,366 hospitality industry professionals. A total of 264 participants' responses were analyzed. A survey was developed to measure two underlying themes. It was found that only six of the 33 hospitality management content areas and three of the 18 ACPHA content areas were statistically significantly different. Faculty overall had a higher positive impression of most of the concepts than industry and so faculty should review their curriculum with input from industry.

Status and scope of project management in the hospitality industry

Status and scope of project management in the hospitality industry

Management Dimensions in the Hospitality Management Curriculum

This study aims to evaluate the management dimension of BS Hospitality Management curriculum. This rests on the theory that there are alternative processes that may serve as bases for curriculum development in OBE. The study avers that such alternative reverse engineering methods can be just as effective as the results of the formal OBE curriculum development. Descriptive method is use in the study in identifying the sufficiency of the different management dimensions in the Hospitality Management curriculum. Data gathered were taken from a descriptive survey conducted with different department heads of hotels using a Management Competency Assessment Form (MCAF). Findings of this study show that some major subjects of the BS Hospitality Management curriculum have insufficient time allocation for students to be able to completely develop the desired management dimensions, hence, the necessity to revisit the said curriculum

Management Dimensions in the Hospitality Management Curriculum

This study aims to evaluate the management dimension of BS Hospitality Management curriculum. This rests on the theory that there are alternative processes that may serve as bases for curriculum development in OBE. The study avers that such alternative reverse engineering methods can be just as effective as the results of the formal OBE curriculum development. Descriptive method is use in the study in identifying the sufficiency of the different management dimensions in the Hospitality Management curriculum. Data gathered were taken from a descriptive survey conducted with different department heads of hotels using a Management Competency Assessment Form (MCAF). Findings of this study show that some major subjects of the BS Hospitality Management curriculum have insufficient time allocation for students to be able to completely develop the desired management dimensions, hence, the necessity to revisit the said curriculum.

Becoming an Engaged Department: Scaffolding Community-Based Learning Into the Hospitality and Tourism Management Curriculum

ABSTRACTUniversities are embedding and formalizing community-based learning opportunities into their ethos, evolving toward a model of working with community partners in mutually beneficial long-term relationships. This process is being undertaken in pursuit of enriched scholarship, enhanced teaching and learning, and the development of educated citizens with strong democratic values and civic responsibility who can address critical societal issues and contribute to the public good. This article explores one university’s hospitality and tourism management department’s integrated approach to formally adopting a scaffolded curriculum. These programmatic changes provide a model for becoming an engaged department and partnering with the industry to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Industry involvement in curriculum development

Tourism and hospitality management education is relatively new in Nepal, with only four major public universities offering a bachelor’s degree programme. The curriculum is generally focused on managerial training and has a business orientation. In addition, the curriculum development process in Nepal follows a standard content-based method whereby individual faculty members are assigned to develop courses based on their expertise. This process does not permit input and/or engagement from industry stakeholders, which, given the applied nature of the tourism and hospitality discipline, is a major limitation. Recently, there have been growing interactions, especially by private institutions, to develop linkages with industry with respect to internships and job placement; however, an active role in curriculum input and development is non-existent in the country. This article presents a case study of industry involvement in tourism and hospitality management curriculum development in Nepal. The author outlines the background of the partnership, the process and the final curriculum product. This project is the first case of industry involvement in curriculum development in Nepal and has significance for other such partnerships in the country.

How Should You Teach us, Technical or Managerial: Perspective of Hospitality Management Students in the Philippines

This study aimed to solicit the perspective of tourism, hotel and restaurant management students and graduates of a state-run university in Eastern Visayas, Philippines on how they should be taught, what should be given more emphasis and importance in the courses that are included in the programs’ curricula, if the existing curricular program will make them ready and prepared for the actual work. The designers of the curriculum for the course are claiming that the degree should be geared toward preparing the graduates to become managers in the industry and so therefore managerial aspects should be given more weights rather than emphasizing the technical-vocational features of the course. However, it is a given fact that the technical aspect could not be detached from the curriculum as dictated by the skills needed by the industry. Views of the students were solicited via face-to-face interview and the use of social media. Two major competencies have been exemplified in the hospitality management curricula of the university, the technical and managerial skills and the students were agreeable that both competencies are necessary to develop and prepare them for the actual work in the industry.

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

ABSTRACTThis 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.

Students’ expectations, experiences, and career direction after in-house internship: the pedagogical role of the hotel training center in Thailand

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the in-house internship of the hotel training center in Thailand, with two specific objectives: (1) to investigate the expectation of students prior to taking internship and compare it with their perception after taking the internship and (2) to explore experiences and skills gained by student interns and the influence of in-house internship on students’ choice of job after graduation. This study employs a qualitative methodology through content analysis to extract meaning from the students’ opinions derived from the focus group interview and the narrative writing of the short open-ended questions. The results from the study demonstrate the crucial role of compulsory in-house internship within the Tourism and Hospitality Management curriculum. The study also confirms that in-house internship can equip and prepare students for the real internship experience within the hotel industry and it also sheds light on the pedagogical role of the in-house internship in the tourism and hospitality curriculum.

Relevance of Business Sustainability Education for Hospitality Management

Business sustainability in all dimensions of economic, governance, social, ethical, and environmental (EGSEE) performance is gaining acceptance worldwide as many global stock exchanges and regulators either encourage or require their listed companies to issue sustainability reports. More than 8, 000 public companies worldwide are disclosing some of the five EGSEE dimensions of sustainability performance and more companies are following the suite. Despite the ever-increasing importance of business sustainability practice and research, there is limited research on the status of business sustainability education (BSE). This study attempts to fill the gap in literature by examining the coverage of BSE in the Hospitality Management curriculum and presents pedagogical suggestions for the curriculum design and teaching of BSE. This paper examines the importance, relevance, benefits and delivery of BSE in Hospitality Management Schools. Hospitality Management Schools play an important and everlasting role in preparing the next generation of hotel leaders and managers who must understand the importance of business sustainability in our society, new accountability,integrated sustainability reporting and assurance.

An evaluation of the link between subjects studied in hospitality courses in Cyprus and career success

Purpose– The purpose of this paper, unprecedented in Cyprus in its scope and approach, is to investigate the importance level of the courses currently taught in hospitality programs of the country, as perceived by industry professionals.Design/methodology/approach– The research population included individuals currently holding full-time managerial positions in hotel establishments of Cyprus. In total, 500 questionnaires were administered to individuals working in 158 hotel establishments currently operating in the country. The surveys were personalized and addressed to each hotel’s general manager and two departmental heads. Descriptive and inferential statistics, namely frequencies, one-way analysis of variance withpost-hocmultiple comparison test (Tukey honesty significant difference) and multiple regression analysis, were utilized to analyze the data and answer the formulated research questions.Findings– For the purposes of the study, modules offered by local tertiary institutions fall into four broad categories: general education, languages, professional modules and business modules. Findings revealed that professional modules were ranked first, followed by business modules, languages and general education modules. The respondents’ gender, age, years of employment and functional area are the demographic characteristics that most significantly influence their perception regarding the importance of required competencies. Moreover, findings suggest that professional modules and languages are perceived by industry professionals as very important elements for career success in the hotel industry.Originality/value– Findings of this study may assist industry stakeholders in re-structuring the hospitality management curriculum, in an attempt to provide a more realistic and pedagogically sound learning experience to students which reflects the modern realities of the profession. Moreover, new knowledge created may inspire academic scholars to further investigate this topic from an array of different perspectives.

Liberal Education as Part of the Hospitality Management Curriculum: Student and Alumni Perspectives

This article reports on a study to assess student and alumni perceptions about the liberal education component of the hospitality management curriculum. Findings suggest that hospitality management students and alumni like hospitality-specific courses significantly more than liberal education courses. Students and alumni are also more appreciative of the impact of hospitality-specific courses on their personal and professional development. Freshmen and sophomore students appreciated liberal education courses significantly more than junior and senior students and alumni were more appreciative of both types of courses than students. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Hospitality Management Curriculum and Potential Market Competencies: An Assessment of the Compatibility of AUST Graduates with that of the Lebanese Hospitality Job Market

Background: The recurring dilemma encountered by the academic programs in the Hospitality Management field is how applicable these programs are to the realities of the job market. That is, matching academic preparation to desired competencies sought by the market. This paper provides a positive insight into the elements that have led to the success of the curriculum of the Hospitality Management Department at the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Lebanon. It is a unique case which offers lessons to be learned, and which are applicable on a larger scale. Aims: This paper presents a brief description of the travel and tourism sector in Lebanon, and the requirements necessary in the development of adequate human resources to cover the market’s needs. The paper provides necessary facts to assess the potentiality of the university’s graduates and what the Faculty of Business and Economics of AUST can offer to create a value-added workforce. Original Research Article Hejase et al.; JSRR, Article no. JSRR.2014.9.01

A comparison of academia and industry perceptions of an ideal hospitality management programme

With the rapid growth of hospitality and tourism industry, the hospitality management programme has become an increasingly important issue in higher education sector in order to reinforce service sector and strengthen national economy. The design of a well thought out curriculum must satisfy programme as well as the need of academia and industry. This empirical study compared academia and industry practitioner perceptions of an ideal hospitality management programme by use of conjoint analysis. Results indicated that both academia and industry prefer a course that covers the thematic content; incorporate global exposure; assigns more practical training; and emphasises on both theories and lectures. The results also revealed significant differences in perceptions of the hospitality management curriculum among academia and industry professionals. Results are valuable and informative for academic institutions, to help them develop courses to satisfy students’ need, industry requirements and enhance teaching effectiveness. Implications of the results for the academic community and industrial sectors are discussed.

Tutor performance in a problem-based Hospitality Management curriculum

Tutors are of crucial importance for student learning in problem-based learning (PBL). They facilitate the development of students' self-directed and collaborative learning skills, and support students during their learning processes. The tutor's ability to understand students' learning needs and to further student learning is a prerequisite for successful facilitation of student learning. It is generally assumed that a short introduction to problem-based learning will suffice for qualified teachers to fulfil their role as a tutor. However, the necessary competencies and responsibilities of a tutor differ greatly from the role of a teacher in a conventional, lecture-based educational system. Participant observations of tutors in PBL sessions show a great variety of interpretations of the tutor role. Beginning tutors in particular feel the burden of uncertainty due to lack of experience in tutoring PBL groups. Therefore, we designed a training course for beginning tutors that focuses on the development of tutor competencies aiming at the facilitation of constructive, self-directed, contextual, and collaborative learning in PBL groups. In this study, students evaluated tutor performance in PBL groups and we compared the performance of beginning and experienced tutors.