Trends and Issues in Hospitality Degree Education in Australia - Essay Example

Paper Critique and Report Executive Summary The research was carried out to determine and industrials expectations and assumptions about the necessary attributes of employees in the hospitality industry. Survey method was conducted in a population of 137 students and 87 managers in the industry in order to get the different opinions on the value of a degree in hospitality. The results obtained showed that both held very different views. One of the limitations of the study was poor response from the General Managers in the hotels. More research on the views of general managers should be conducted. The main of the industry and educators is to tackle and minimize the gap between managers and students. Introduction Among the fastest growing New Zealand industries is the hospitality industry. Between 2008 and 2015, the ministry of tourism expects the number of visitors to increase by 18.6% in spite of the general drop in the economy of the whole world. This in turn will lead to increased expenditure in the tourist sector that is expected to rise by 4% within the same period. In 2008, the total expenditure $14 billion, is expected to increase up to $18 billion by 2015. Based on the above data, the New Zealand tourist industry is doing well. More qualified and knowledgeable hospitality employees are needed to serve the large numbers of visitors in the country (Brien 2004, p. 10). O’Mahony and Sillitoe (2001, p. 264) argues that the hospitality industry does not put much emphasis on the qualifications in the sector when recruiting new employees. The industry values experienced employees who lack educational qualifications than educated people who have degrees in the industry. Graduates are disadvantaged when it comes to job competition with experienced people. James and Holden (2000, p. 265), assert that the hospitality industry is against the general expectation that pursuing a degree in a specific field is an added advantage to graduates because it is easy for them to secure themselves good places. Employing people based on qualification is a disadvantage to graduates most of who lack experience (Li & Leung 2001, p.190). Research Question When recruiting employees, the industry should not base on an individual's qualifications because this alone may not offer good results. Other factors like job experience, gender and age also affect career prospects. The aim of this paper is to determine how degrees affect the ability of graduates to secure good positions in employment that can earn them good salaries as well as the qualities that hospitality employees should have. Data collected from students and hotel managers on issues related advantages of degrees is used to analyze and evaluate the value of management degree in hospitality. Auckland University of Technology (AUT) students’ holding a degree in the Bachelor of International Hospitality Management and managers from six different hotels in New Zealand were used to carry out the study. Literature Review The author of this article reviewed a good number of resources to get information related to the topic. Brien (2004, p. 15) and Harkison (2004a, p. 22), argue that graduates expectation of getting to senior management positions immediately after graduating is not met. Students expect to replace hotel managers who are usually at their thirties and fortes and therefore about to retire. New Zealand’s hospitality industry is mainly composed of young people such that those who go on after the age of twenty are likely to attain higher positions than their young counterparts are. In the study conducted in Auckland, out of five hundred and thirty four employees, most of the managers were between the ages of 30 and 39 whereas supervisors and staff aged between 20 and 24. Most of the seniors were above the age of 25 years with an experience of more than five years and had educational qualification (Poulston 2006, p.25). Studies conducted to determine the qualifications that a manager should have vary greatly. People have different perceptions concerning the qualities managers should posses. Differences occur in determining which factors need to be considered while choosing managers (whether educational qualification, gender or age) and the duration in which the hospitality degree has been available in the country. In a study conducted in Australia among the hospitality managers, 15% out of the total number of managers had degrees even though the degree has been in place ever since 1974. This shows that educational qualification is not a major factor in choosing managers in Australia (Breakey & Craig-Smith 2008, p.60). Studies have also shown that the level of education is not a main factor in determining the position in the sector. Ladkin and Juwaheer (2000, p. 120) argue that university education does not affect the rate at which individuals are promoted to the position of general managers. The hospitality industry places more value on vocational training which offers individuals with skills and knowledge over the university education (Ladkin & Juwaheer 2000, p.231). In areas where the level of education is considered, individuals with higher lever of education secure places of assistant managers in the industry while those with lower levers of education hold the positions of department heads and supervisors. Ladkin and Juwaheer (2000, p. 233) asserts that the door to the position of General Manager is the study of food and beverage management in order to get the skills. A study conducted in Mauritania showed that 60% out of the total number of general managers had specialized in food and beverage (B& F). The rest came from fields like housekeeping, accounting and finance and sales and marketing. In another study done to determine the duration of time an individual takes before becoming a general manager showed that career advancement is accelerated by vocational training. In addition, qualified managers attain their managerial positions later than unqualified ones who gain industrial experience faster as they work in the industry. According to Harper et al (2005, p51), qualified managers are promoted at a faster rate because career development is based on qualifications. Ladkin and Juwaheers (2000, p.121) argue that individuals with a masters degree in hospitality advance faster in their career compared to those with lower levels of education. The duration of time required to attain the position of a general manager range from nine to fifteen years. Studies have shown that vocational training reduces this period but more time is spent on education. This makes it hard for students to attain the position of managers immediately after degree completion because experience is needed. General managers should have skills in a wide range of fields. Hotel managers should posses’ technical skills in different fields. For example, they should have skills in human relations, marketing, communication, customer service, accounting among other courses. Multi-skilled managers enhance management and productivity of the hospitality sector mainly because one manager can handle various tasks simultaneously. This reduces the number of work force required in the organization and therefore an economical way which saves the industry money which could have been used to pay for the extra employee (Burgess 2007, p.189). O’Mahony et al. (2001, p. 94) point out that student are motivated by various things to undertake the hospitality degree. Some are encouraged by their parents; others have personal interests while the media through advertisements influence others. The entry points for the hospitality degree are lower than those of other degrees like management and law. For those students who fail to meet the requirements of such courses, they may result to the hospitality degree because it is not too demanding. Degree requirements therefore make students join courses that are not of their choices. Such students may not be comfortable during their service in the hospitality industry (Chi & Gursoy 2009, p.310). Two different researches to determine career expectations of the personnel in the hospitality sector and students were conducted by Collins (2002, p.153), Raybould and Wilkins (2005, p.210) in their documented records. The studies presented different results. In both the studies, students were found to have high expectations in their career after completion of their degree. On the other hand, managers did not value a degree in hospitality. In his study undertaken in Turkey, Collins found that students expected to attain the position of the manager immediately after their graduation. According to industrial personnel’s, fresh graduates are not fit for this position. In order to support their argument, managers argued that graduates have a feeling and attitude that they know everything, which makes it a problem for them to be corrected by less educated and experienced managers. Because of this attitude managers, have a feeling that graduates can never bring positive changes in the hospitality sector. The two studies displayed different results and both the students and employees felt their position was the best. Students showed confidence in their career and a strong belief that their degree matters a lot in their future career. Raybould and Wilkins (2005, p.211) point out that student are sometimes perceived as too qualified but inexperienced to become managers. It is therefore recommended that students should first gain operational experience within their first year instead of gaining the position of managers directly. This would provide them with the needed experience to manage the organization (Francis 1996, p.55). Managers value practical experience more than a degree in the same field. He adds that a degree in hospitality is not valued in New Zealand unless an individual wants to secure special positions in the industry like financial management and sales and marketing representative. During recruitment of new employees, industrial experience is highly considered (Harkinson (2004a, p.56). According to managers, internships include the most important part in the student’s education program. Internships are very important in the hospitality degree as it helps students in linking theoretical and practical work as they learn the skills needed in the industry. Students should also take internships seriously because they learn the industrial operation and the skills, which are needed in the occupation (Harris & Zhao 2004, p.430). Conformance with the principles of scientific investigation The word rigour is used to refer to validity of research. The study was valid because the method used in collecting data was reliable. Use of random sampling limited chances of biasness in providing answers. The same results were attained in different areas meaning that the study is precise in other words accurate. The researcher has confidence with the results because the study experimented hospitality employees and the same results were achieved. The results achieved in the study are similar (replicable) which shows that the study is valid. The objective of the study was to determine the differences between students and employees in the hospitality industry. The purpose of the study was achieved after a research to test opinions of the two groups was conducted. In general the study shows that hospitality industries values experience more than a degree while the opposite is true with students. In this case, the researcher will be right to assume (parsimonize) that the same results will be achieved in other countries. Presentation The paper was presented well such that the reader c an understand objectives of the study, problem statement, applicable methods in the study and the results. The flow of the paper is also good. After reading an individual will get to know the differences in the views of the two groups. Methodology The study was done among students pursuing the degree in hospitality management in the University and managers in the New Zealand’s hospitality industries. New Zealand’s hospitality industry had 28, 6156 employees in the accommodation industry in the year 2004. This was 25% of the total number of hospitality employees in the whole country. In the year 2006, the number had increased up to 32,640 employees. The number kept on increasing up to 35,100 employees in 2009. Different data collection methods were used to gather information. A survey conducted among students in the first, second and third years showed that third year students had fewer responses but their surveys were accurately completed. Most of the third year students were outside campus for their industrial projects the reason as to why few people showed up for the survey (Jayawardena 2001, p.300). Respondents from the hospitality industry were sampled from five different hotels in New Zealand. Most of the hotels from which the sample was taken were of the middle class. The respondents also held different positions in the hotels. Since the study targeted management level, purposive sampling was applied in which managers were chosen from seven different hotels. The industrial responses were as follows. The highest response was realized among middle managers then departmental supervisors and finally senior managers because in each hotel, there is only one general manager. 35% of the employees in the front office responded because this where large numbers of managerial employees like assistant, department and night duty managers are found. The sampling population included hotels of different sizes (medium and large hotels) because the level of specialization in the degree of management depends on the size of the hotel. The end results of the study showed that the position held in the management was not in any way affected by qualifications (Johns & McKechnie 1995, p.10). To collect data and analyze views concerning the value of a degree in hospitality, the researcher used quantitative methods. Questionnaires were offered to the respondents after which the results were analyzed in percentages of the total number of respondents involved. The questionnaires were distributed directly to the students by researchers through the help of their lecturers. The rest were mailed to the managers in the hospitality industry together with an envelop which had been stamped and addressed so that they can as well mail it back. Self-completed questionnaires are considered by researchers to be reliable because respondents are free while answering the questions (Kay & Russette 2000, p.55). The questionnaire covered topics like hospitality management, career expectations of travel and tourism students and employees’ perceptions and assumptions in the hospitality industry. The questions were borrowed from the study of Petrova and Masons (2004, p.153) whose work was aimed at understanding the value of a degree in tourism, comparison of career expectations among students, industrial needs and aspirations and the way in which students perceive the degree in travel and tourism. The questions that the students’ had to fill in the questionnaire involved the requirements of the industrial sector, the requirements of an individual to be considered a potential employee and the worth of the degree. In the industrial questionnaire, employers were to provide answers on what they expected from fresh graduates holding degrees in hospitality management, what according to them were the required skills and attributes of students joining the industry and the value attached to the degree by the employers (Riley 2005, p.90). Results The most important attribute according the students is the knowledge and experience in the field, then qualification. Industrial respondents supported the idea that qualification is of less importance but pointed out that personality was the most important attribute. Students argued that career development and initiative required communication skills while industrial respondents rated this the second after an initiative (Warhurst et al. 2001, p.15). Students valued a degree more than the industry respondents did. Half of the students supported the argument that experience is beneficial than the degree during the early stages of employment. The other half thought students with a three-year degree one can make more contributions to the industry than an employee with experience of the same duration. Industrial respondents valued experience more than a degree. The study showed that students valued experience only when it comes to job seeking after which degrees become more valuable once in the job. In contrast, industrial respondents thought that experience was more important (Warhurst et al. 2001, p.18). Discussion The question of who is a qualified manager remains a controversial issue while recruiting new employees. Knowledge and experience acquired as individuals work is important in the sector. The knowledge and skills that students acquire in school are as well important in running managerial positions in the industry. Deciding the criterion to follow when recruiting new employees is a major problem because both the students and industrial respondents’ arguments have weight (Wong & Liu 2010, p.85). Students believed that once employed, their degree will help them contribute positively in the organization than an experienced and unqualified employee would do. As far as the required skills are concerned, the two groups had completely different perceptions. The industry believed in personality for new employees while students thought that skills and knowledge were more important. In the industrial sector, initiative rather than good communication skills led to promotion (Woods et al. 1998, p.38). 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