Hospitality Management Graduates Research Articles

Bridging the Gap Between Pre-Requisite Practicum Courses of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Needed Competencies of Industry Partners for Employability of Hospitality and Tourism Management Graduates

Hospitality and Tourism Management industry partners observed that practicumers need enhancement on needed competencies in the industry. The study focused on the experiences and observations of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) students, practicum faculty and industry partners during the On-the-Job Training (OJT). The study examined the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) guidelines for practicum trainings, considering global perspectives aligned with Sustainable Development Goal #4: equal access to quality tertiary education. Qualitative research method was used and virtual interviews with practicumers, faculty members, and industry managers/trainers were conducted. The study uncovered experiences and observations of the participants of the Hospitality and Tourism practicum. The findings revealed that the practicumers need more trainings and enhancement in soft skills like, communication, leadership skills, self-confidence, people skills and essential hard skills. The industry partners were expecting that the students have to be well-trained before the OJT deployment. Based on the results of the study, guidelines on the revision of the pre-requisite practicum syllabi courses were developed to promote employability of Hospitality and Tourism graduates.

Predicting career success in the hospitality industry of Cyprus: a competency-based approach

ABSTRACT In today’s highly disruptive business environment, the development of a new set of specific key competencies is crucial for career and organizational success. Based on a survey study carried out within the context of the hospitality industry of Cyprus, this paper proposes a novel framework for competency development, grounded in the insights of hospitality industry professionals. The study addresses the gap in existing competency frameworks in light of recent technological advancements and sectoral restructuring. The proposed model encompasses six key core competency categories: communication, operational knowledge, cultural diversity, human resource management, leadership, and information technology; each integral to organizational performance and individual career success. The resulting framework offers invaluable guidance for educators, hospitality industry managers, and government institutions in designing effective educational programs, thereby equipping hospitality management graduates with the necessary competencies for a successful career in a turbulent digital globalized economic realm.

Employability of US Work and Travel (WAT) participants among tourism and hospitality management graduates

Employability of US Work and Travel (WAT) participants among tourism and hospitality management graduates

Niňa’s Tri-prism Framework: A Trifocal Approach for Enhancing Graduates’ Employability Outcomes in Local Universities and Colleges in Bulacan

Burce (2024) introduced Niňa’s Tri-prism: Trifocal Approach, aiming to offer a comprehensive framework for enhancing graduates’ employability among graduates in Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) in Bulacan. This research utilized a qualitative study, engaging the target population from different stakeholders like Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Bulacan, hospitality management graduates from 2016-2020, and representatives from the hospitality industry where these graduates found employment. Employing a phenomenological approach, the study delved into understanding the employability of LUC graduates following the Colaizzi method for data analysis. A structured interview protocol guided the study’s objectives, conducting focus-group and one-on-one interviews with twelve (12) participants. Data transcription and coding revealed recurring themes. The study was anchored by Urie Brofenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory (1979), which highlights how individuals interact with their environment, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple levels of influence in human behavior. The findings led to the formulation a Trifocal Approach framework involving Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), graduates, and industry. It integrates strategies such as competency awareness, personal attributes, comprehensive internship, skills acquisition, employment insights, employment-on-board training, career empowerment, and professional competency development. The study concluded that collaboration among these stakeholders is vital for enhancing graduates’ employability, emphasizing simultaneous interventions across all three components for optimal results. It is recommended for future researchers to find the Trifocal Approach’s effectiveness in local settings.

“Tracer Study Exploration of BS in Criminology and BS in Hospitality Management Graduates of Davao Central College”

“Tracer Study Exploration of BS in Criminology and BS in Hospitality Management Graduates of Davao Central College”

Employability attributes of hospitality graduates and expectations of hotel managers

Employers worldwide place the responsibility of ensuring that graduates are employable on institutions of higher learning. This study was conducted to determine the employability attributes of hospitality management students from private Higher education institutions. The study adopted a qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews. Purposive, judgement sampling was used to gather hotel managers’ thoughts, knowledge and opinions. The findings suggest that hotel managers require eight knowledge sub-domains, and seven skill sub-domains, and a wide range of competencies from hospitality graduates from private Higher education institutions. However, private higher education institutions, hotel managers, hospitality graduates and human resources personnel have a great responsibility to ensure that graduates are competent, competitive and valuable and can make meaningful contributions to the hotel industry. Data was only gathered from hotel managers from 4 and 5-star hotels, therefore the findings cannot be generalised to all hotels in South Africa. Consequently, the findings cannot be generalised to all the tertiary institutions in South Africa. Suggestions are made that can assist higher education institutions, hotel managers, hospitality management graduates, students and future researchers, particularly now in this time of globalisation, knowledge economy, and rise of technological advancements.

Job satisfaction among hospitality management graduates of quirino state university-diffun campus

Purpose: Job satisfaction has an impact on employees' general well-being and in promoting a positive work environment, thus, contributes to increased organizational productivity, lower staff turnover, and lower job stress. This study assessed the level of job satisfaction among the Hospitality Management graduates of Quirino State University- Diffun Campus.
 Methodology: It used a descriptive design and a survey questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale in gathering the needed data. Most of the respondents are females, 25 years and below, singles, with casual/contractual employment status, and have salaries of Php 5,000 and below.
 Main Findings: In terms of promotion, the level of satisfaction along unlimited opportunities and a great chance for job promotion varies in terms of sex and age. As to supervision, the level of satisfaction along use of positive feedback with staff differs in terms of sex. On the other hand, the level of satisfaction along salary, fringe benefits & recognition; promotion; supervision; and interpersonal relationship does not vary when respondents are grouped by sex, age, civil status, employment status, and estimated monthly salary.
 Implication of the Study: This study may be useful in gaining an understanding of employees' satisfaction levels, identifying their strengths and shortcomings, and improving their management techniques which are vital in ensuring higher revenues for any organization or institution.

SDSSU BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT EDUCATION: A GRADUATE CAREER TRACKING

This academic research aims to determine the graduate career tracking of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration(BSBA) and Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management(BSHM) graduates of Surigao del Sur State University. To address the need for the institutional reforms and periodic assessments, respondents were covered from 2017 to 2018. Findings revealed that majority of them are presently employed as regular or permanent in status possessing clerical jobs or rank and file. Most of the respondents are presently employed in the wholesale, retail and automotive industries being their first jobs since these major lines of businesses are relevant in their curriculum. Career challenge is the fundamental reason why they stay on their jobs until the present. Results further disclosed that most of the respondents waited one to six months before landing their first jobs. As perceived by the respondents, communication skills were the most useful among other competencies in their first job and human relations skills in their present job. Using ANOVA, findings unveiled that there is no significant difference of the respondents competencies as to their present jobs when grouped according to their programs of specialization. Further, there is no significant difference in the respondents competencies in relation to their present jobs when grouped according to their gender differences. The findings are noteworthy for the administration and to the academic sectors where the skills of the graduates are aligned in this competitive labor market which is equally important in the challenges brought by the IndustrialRevolution 4.0.

GRADUATES’ PERCEPTION OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY DEGREE PROGRAM RELEVANCE TO CAREER ATTAINMENT: A CASE OF GRADUATES FROM THREE STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ZIMBABWE

The process of making career choices is complex since there are diverse factors affecting students’selection of programs when they enrol in higher and tertiary institutions. Just like in any other discipline,tourism and hospitality management graduates are affected by various factors when deciding theircareers post-graduation. Preliminary studies have shown that a significant percentage of tourism andhospitality graduates divert from tourism to some other, sometimes totally unrelated, industries foremployment. This study seeks to discover tourism and hospitality degree graduates’ perceptions andcareer attainment in Zimbabwe. The following critical questions were asked in order to achieve theobjective of the study; Why do they enrol for the tourism/hospitality program in the first place, that iswhat factors affect the students’ selection process of tertiary education programs? and why do someend up in totally different fields after graduating? Qualitative research approach was adopted in orderto understand the graduates’ perceptions, data was collected by the way of interviews. Data wasanalysed using the thematic approach. Findings revealed that while most of the graduates are employedin the tourism and hospitality industry in Zimbabwe, they are not satisfied with their jobs. Some feel thatthey studied tourism/hospitality as a last resort hence they do not have satisfaction while others areonly in the industry because they do not have an option. Poor working conditions and poor remuneration were also cited as causes of dissatisfaction. There are however a significant number who do not regrettheir career choice.

Tracer Study on the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management Graduates

This study aimed to trace the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management graduates of the University of Northern Philippines from 2015-2017. It employed a descriptive survey method of research. The researchers primarily used Facebook, email, and other social media in reaching out to the graduates. The data gathered were analyzed and interpreted using frequency, ranking, and weighted mean. The results showed that most of the graduates are employed and are occupying a position relevant to their degree. The subjects taught during their college days have been essential to their competitiveness in the work-field. However, the graduates lack some of the national certifications issued by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The latter is one of the reasons why most graduates are working inside the country and have a hard time applying abroad. Thus, the college should create a linkage to TESDA and apply as an assessment center for these national certifications. Moreover, the college should exert much effort to communicate to the potential enrollees through job or career coaching about the work opportunities for the courses.

Hospitality Management Education in Ghana : A Case Study of Ho Polytechnic

The present study aims to examine the hospitality management education system in Ghana and report the initial findings of a qualitative research undertaken for an assessment of the hospitality education system. The views of graduates and students were gathered through in-depth interviews on the hospitality education that they have received. The findings of the study show that the curriculums used by hospitality students in the Polytechnics are overloaded with non-hospitality related subjects. Most of the interviewees felt that they have gained adequate theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the area of food production operation, food and beverage service with little practical knowledge in other subjects. The implication is if the current curricula run by departments of hospitality in the Polytechnics are not reviewed on timely bases, st hospitality management graduates from Polytechnics may not meet the needs of industries in this 21 century.
 Keywords: Training; hospitality management; education; qualitative research; curriculum.

Understanding the Initial Career Decisions of Hospitality Management Graduates in Sri Lanka

Hospitality and tourism encounters a thriving protagonist in the Sri Lankan economy for last few years and human resource development has been identified as a foremost prerequisite in the momentous expansion of the sector. There is currently a severe dearth of employees in the hotel sector in relation to catering the authorities’ targets. Tertiary academic stakeholders are currently crossing the threshold to fulfil the essentials fabricating graduates in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Yet, very less number of bachelor holders are working in the hotel industry as a paradigm. Initial career decision is a deciding factor in order to recruit and retain desirable and devoted employee in today’s competitive labor market. The study investigates the initial career decisions of hospitality management graduates of Sri Lanka. Sample was undertaken with most recent graduating cluster who are ready to start their career after the four years special bachelor degree in the field of Hospitality Management from the national universities of Sri Lanka. Graduates’ career prospects were identified by means of variouse dimensions utilizing a structured questionnaire and graduates were asked to rate each. Many hospitality management graduates have inadequate knowledge and unrealistic perceptions of the working conditions in the industry upon the commencement. By discovering interests and prospects of the recruitment pool, employers will be able to gain competitive advantages and develop successful human resource strategies knowing what graduates looking for. Meantime, Territory academic stakeholders would cultivate sustaining protocols to produce graduates who are physically and mentally fit with the industry careers.

Assessing the Competencies Needed by Hospitality Management Graduates in India

This study assessed the importance of generic and technical managerial competencies needed by hospitality management graduates in India from the perspectives of industry professionals and educators. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to both participant groups in India. Results of this research identified 6 dimensions of generic managerial competencies and 7 dimensions of technical managerial competencies. The differences between industry professionals’ and hospitality educators’ perceptions of the importance of managerial competencies were further identified. Industry professionals and hospitality educators agreed on the importance of the 6 generic managerial factors but differed on the importance of technical managerial factors associated with operations management and innovation. Implications for hospitality education programs in India are provided to develop curricula that better prepare graduates for positions within the industry.

Hospitality management graduates’ perceptions of career factor importance and career factor experience

The purpose of this research was to examine the perceived importance and perceived experiences of career factors for hospitality management graduates and to examine differences in perceptions of hospitality graduates who left the hospitality industry with those who stayed. In addition, differences in perceptions between hospitality graduates and hiring managers were examined. Compared to those who had left the industry, hospitality graduates working in the hospitality industry indicated 11 factors were more important to them. Examples of these factors included having a career where graduates use their degree and a career with good promotion prospects. Graduates who left the hospitality industry indicated it was more important to have a career where they could contribute to society as compared to graduates that stayed in the industry. Hiring managers perceived their organizations offered more in a career than the graduates expected or deemed important which contradicts the findings from the graduates.

Integrating CSR with hospitality management programmes in higher education

Today’s business world is realising the benefits of incorporating social responsibility into their strategic plans. The majority of today’s Fortune 250 organisations are aggressively pursuing corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives (KPMG, 2005). This shift towards environmental business models leads to the question of preparedness in new hospitality management graduates that are working in every facet of the tourism industry, which is one of the largest industries in the world. The long-term sustainability of tourism is contingent on the ability of tourism professionals and business leaders to ensure the growth of tourism with minimum impact on the environment. In this green era, hospitality management programmes would serve the industry well by staying ahead of the curve and incorporating into its curricula the importance of measuring our impact on the planet and people in addition to profits.

The state of technological sophistication and the need for new specialised tertiary degrees in food services

Hospitality management graduates have limited insights into latest operational/technological concepts such as Industrial Cuisine, Molecular Gastronomy and Personalised Nutrition. In fact, ‘hard’ or equipment-based technologies support the two major strategic options, cost leadership and differentiation. At present, suppliers and governments, but not operators, drive research and development in the field. In the education sector, new specialised curricula incorporating pathways stemming from natural science are needed to equip future graduates with ‘cutting edge’ skills for innovation at product, process and system levels. The research-teaching cycle can be strengthened by sharing degrees with departments of science and engineering across tertiary institutions.

Satisfaction emotions and consumer behavioral intentions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and refine the theoretical framework underpinning consumer satisfaction emotions and re‐examine the emotions/behavioral intentions link.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research design was adopted for this study. An extensive and critical review of literature related to consumer satisfaction emotions and consumer behavioral intentions led to the identification of two research questions. A self‐completion questionnaire was developed and administered to hospitality management graduates in Switzerland.FindingsThe PCA suggested that satisfaction emotions were best conceptualized as a three‐dimensional construct that included positive, negative and what the present authors have labeled “bi‐directional” emotions. Moreover, a positive statistically significant relationship between “bi‐directional” emotions and consumer complaining behavior was established through correlation analysis.Research limitations/implicationsThe respondents were studying at a private institution in Switzerland, and as such, the socio‐economic background of the respondents may not be representative of education consumers generally, and of consumers of services in industries other than education.Practical implicationsThe findings reported in this paper indicate that the emotions framework that was developed could provide a valuable resource for managers as segmentation tool, and as an instrument for measuring and monitoring consumer behavioral intentions.Originality/valueThis paper has identified a relationship between specific satisfaction emotions and consumer complaining behavior. As a consequence, a more comprehensive satisfaction emotions scale has been developed that captures a broader range of consumer behavioral intentions. This information should benefit practitioners and researchers alike.

Career progression of Irish tourism and hospitality management graduates

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to present longitudinal data regarding the career progression of Irish tourism and hospitality management graduates.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was designed to incorporate questions relating to current and previous employments, recent training/education and personal details. The original study was sent to graduates by their respective colleges and there were 444 respondents to the survey. The follow‐up questionnaire in the current study was sent to all those who had responded to the initial survey and who had provided addresses (374).FindingsThere is a significant drop‐out rate from employment in the tourism/hospitality industry in Ireland, which is particularly obvious amongst women. Those employed in the industry identified poor remuneration and unsuitable working hours as the major issues in need of redress. There is constant reference to work conditions within the tourism/hospitality industry throughout this study and, in particular, their apparent incompatibility with family life.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to the small sample size, results presented here are largely indicative. Nonetheless, some general trends are discernible.Practical implicationsThe issues raised in this study have implications for those involved in the provision of tourism/hospitality programmes as well as tourism employers, particularly in an Irish context, where there is an ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the sector.Originality/valueTracking studies usually only attempt to monitor graduates' entry into the workforce and do not follow their career paths over time. The objective of this study, however, was to provide longitudinal data and unique insights regarding the career progression of Irish tourism and hospitality management graduates.

Hotel controllers in the 21st century—a Hong Kong perspective on desired attributes

This empirical study carried out in Hong Kong set out to discover how aware are practicing on-property hotel controllers (OPHCs) and hospitality management graduates of desired attributes for the job of a hotel financial controller. It identified profiles of 21st century OPHCs ‘painted’ by practising OPHCs (practitioners) and graduates and matched these with profiles from recruitment specialists (recruiters) and studies reported in the literature on unit controllers in business generally and hotels specifically. The approach to the research, consisted of a quantitative analysis of secondary data that identified interviewees (practitioners, graduates and recruiters) and themes that were then investigated in primary data collection by qualitative methods (content analysis of discourse). The study found that graduates needed to better inform themselves of desired attributes (qualifications, skills and personality). However, practitioners and recruiters formed a consensus on profiles, both perceiving a distinction in profile between OPHCs in ‘international’ type hotels and ‘other’ types of hotel. Perceived attributes of OPHCs in ‘international’ hotels showed many similarities with their counterparts in business generally.

Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management Degree Programs and the Issue of Student Preparedness

A key to the quality of hospitality, restaurant, and tourism management (HRTM) graduates is the preparedness of the students when they enter the program as undergraduate students. The purpose of this study was to report the perceptions of a random selection of HRTM faculty from institutions granting four-year degrees regarding student preparedness in writing skills, verbal skills, communication skills, quantitative skills, reasoning ability, motivation, and general preparation of undergraduate students. In addition, they were asked to rank ten high school subjects in order of their perceived importance in preparing students for college level studies and careers in HRTM. Findings of this study indicate that students majoring in HRTM were generally deficient in math, verbal, writing and communication skills, both as entering freshmen and as graduates. However, respondents felt that HRTM students were able to apply knowledge obtained in the classroom to real world situations and also felt that work experience and membership in student organizations made positive contributions to academic performances.