The History of the Hospitality Management - Case Study Example

Hospitality Management Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Objective Narrative III. History of the Hospitality Industry Hospitality Industry in Sixteenth Century Hospitality Industry in Eighteenth Century Hospitality Industry in Nineteenth Century IV. The 20th Century V. The Various Hospitality Industry Segments VI. Technology in Hospitality Industry VII. Ethics in International Hospitality Industry VIII. Conclusion Introduction What is hospitality management? Hospitality management is both an area of work and learning. An area or filed of work, because it pertains to running or managing hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies. These are all establishments connected to hospitality. Hospitality management is at the same time a field of learning, because it pertains to managing and taking care of the need in this particular industry. This business is wide and varied. People travel all the time for many different reasons. Some people travel to attend to an important business, some do just to take some time off the routines of life, and there are those who travel to see and enjoy the world around them (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hospitality-management.htm). When people travel, the need for an industry such as hospitality enters. They need to stay in hotel and eat in restaurant. Perhaps travelers are not even aware of it, but they are patronizing hospitality industry. When they step out of the comfort of their own abode, and start to travel they should be rewarded by good hospitality of the places they have chosen to stay. Running travel agencies, hotels and restaurants is not an easy task. It is a very demanding career. People who are involved with this kind of business must possess high quality of hospitality, flexibility, and charm. It should be kept in mind all the time that these travelers are probably strangers in this place, and quality of service would mean a lot to them. Travelers often times come back to a place because they experience great accommodation in establishments they went to. Good service, being polite, good food and clean premises are all associated to a good travel experience. When tourists bid their goodbyes they will take with them the memory of your hospitality. Therefore, it is of an utmost importance that we have the best knowledge, and that we have got the best training in the area of what we are doing when we enter this field of industry. History: The history of hospitality industry can be traced back to the Colonial Period in the 17th century. There have been many considerable changes from years that passed till the present day. The industry has survived World Wars, the Depression Era, and many more. The commerce of hospitality that we know today has taken its form in 1950s and 1960s, and developed to be a very important industry (Dr. Miller). The word hospitality came from the French word “hospice” which means literally to provide for the weary and to take care of the travelers. Early industry of hospitality truly started in the days of the Greek and the Romans. During the Hellenistic Period in 40B.C. Romans were popular for building roads as part of economic programs. This has led and opened doors for transportation business. At the fall of the Roman Empire the highways that have been built were abandoned, and soon after became dangerous to use. Before the Medieval period known as the Dark Ages, not many people travel for the reason that it was a very risky thing to do. During this time also people were forbidden by the Hammurabi Code to engage in business of housing pilgrims, it was an illegal thing to accept money from travelers in exchange for a stay in the extra room in the house. Only people with low reputation often engaged in such business. According to Hammurabi Code, activity such as this is punishable by execution. Thus the only people who operated this kind of business were retired gladiators for obvious reasons. They are not scared of the thought of being executed, and executioners will not dare to touch them. The inns during this time were unsanitary and have a very bad reputation. As transportation once again improved travelling became popular. Hospitality Industry in Sixteenth Century At the dawn of Renaissance Period in the 16th century, inns and taverns became in demand. Coffee houses at the same time became popular places for conducting business conferences. The first hotel which offered 60 beds for weary travelers was built, and was known as Hotel de Henry IV in 1788 (Chandler, 2009). Hospitality Industry in Eighteenth Century The coming of the 18th century marked to be the beginning of the travelers going to the New World which is America. As settlers from Europe made their way to America, places to stay and eat sprouted. French Revolution forced people to leave their homeland and find settlement in The New World. It has made a way for the French Culinary Revolution, as people from Europe brought with them their culinary expertise. Escoffier, a famous Chef from Europe created and introduced hierarchy of chefs known as “kitchen brigade” that until the present day has become the standard in restaurant kitchens. Hospitality Industry in Nineteenth Century In the 19th century, the era of building luxury hotels began. Savoy was built in London in 1988, Delmonico in New York catered to the rich and famous. The 1900s is known to be “The Grand Period of Hotels”. Sagamore Hotel in New York was the first hotel which has electricity in all its rooms. Hotel Victoria of Kansas City was proud to have its private bathroom in each room. While Hotel in New York the Netherland was the first to provide telephone in each of the room (Chandler, 2009). The 20th Century Even though the hospitality industry remained basically the same in our day, it is obvious that it has developed to be a very strong industry. With the development in transportation, as people never stop reaching for what is convenient and easy, this industry evolved with time. No longer identified only with the rich and the elite, travel and dining becomes a habit and past time not only of the westerners, but of people around the world. The globalization increased the challenge in this field, and tourism flourish around the globe. This however put the industry into a competition mode and required excellence on each participants. This has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and opened the door for wonderful careers for many. According to Flora Gailliard (http://www.black-collegian.com/career/hospitality-199806.shtml), hospitality industry pays well those who prepared well. The Various Hospitality Industry Segments There are many segments to hospitality industry and each segment has its own characteristics. Each of these segments requires good management skills. The following are segments of hospitality industry Lodging Restaurant Recreational Travel & tourism Meeting & convention planning Lodging segment includes hotels, motels, inns, boarding houses, and youth hostels. Lodging establishments are wide and varied and each offers different services. It can vary from simple in-room television with continental breakfast to operating casino, and accepting a conference or convention. This factor affects the type of service each hotel manager has to offer. One manager who looks after the overall operation is enough for a small lodging operation. However, it is different under larger hotels where there are multiple departments, and multiple layers of managements. A general manager has to coordinate with several assistant managers of different departments, and has the responsibility of running the whole operation and should take care as well of the profitability of the hotel. According to Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition “managers may either perform or direct housekeeping, personnel, office administration, marketing and sales, purchasing, security, maintenance, oversight of recreation facilities, and other activities. They may hire and train staff; set schedules, and lend a hand when needed” (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos015.htm#training). Under the manager’s responsibilities are the following departments and should keep each running well, and well coordinated. Cleaning department – this is a department where few skills are required for each worker. This area is the largest on this segment and it is open for hiring yearly. This is due to the fact that this is a low-pay kind of work, and people who work on this area work only on a temporary basis. Janitors and cleaners have heavy duty cleaning responsibilities. They take care of the floors, bathrooms and toilets, carpentry and the overall maintenance of the premises. Cleaning supervisors are the ones who oversee the janitors and cleaners; they are in charge of the schedule and responsibilities of each janitor and cleaner. They make sure that everything is running well under this department. They are also responsible for hiring and training of new workers and even experienced workers (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos174.htm) Food service department – the manager of this department is the one in charge for the daily operation of the kitchen. He makes sure that the operations of dining room and banquets are well. He oversees the ordering/inventory of food, equipment, and supplies. The most important part of his service is to make sure that customers are truly satisfied (//www.bls.gov/oco/ocos015.htm). Front office manager – he takes care of the reservation and room assignments. He trains and directs his staff. He makes sure that the guests are satisfied and treated courteously. When there is a need of adjustment in billing, the front desk manager is the one who is referred to for resolutions. Special requests and complaints of the customers are directed to the front desk (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos015.htm). Restaurant – is a segment of hospitality industry which has its own unique characteristics. One of life’s pleasures is dining out. People when dining out expect beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and of course great food. Nowadays, it is also convenient to dine out and this is one good reason to do it. A restaurant manager is one in charge of the operation of the establishment, from its ambiance to the food service. The manager should work closely with the chef; he should make sure that the menus are great, and food preparation is carried out with excellence. The food attendants should always be courteous in manner (http://www.educationcenteronline.org/Hospitality-and-Tourism/Restaurant-Management-Degrees.html). Recreational – recreation segment of hospitality industry involves many types of service. It involves assisting people to make it to their destinations, it makes sure that the stay is pleasant, and helps vacationers to enjoy their spare time. Thus, the main idea of recreation industry is to make people’s vacation enjoyable, and help them achieve their objectives as travelers and participants in recreation activities. It may involve hiking, swimming, or mountain climbing and other forms of recreational activities. People who work in this field should be knowledgeable in the area of tourism, and should enjoy the company of different people (http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/503/Looking-Into-Hospitality-Recreation.html#ixzz0WpKzNwZG). Travel and tourism – is one of the biggest foreign exchange earners, providing wide range of employment opportunities to millions of people around the globe. Airlines, tour operators, and hotels are directly linked to this industry. Work in this industry is primarily concerned in providing services to people who are away from home. Travel industry is involved in package tours, pilgrim travels, or plain business travels. Travel agents take care of the travel needs of the tourists, making sure that the travelers get the best possible package travel arrangements. They should be always up to date with the rules of proper travel documentations such as tickets, passports and visas. The staff should be knowledgeable about the places their clients visit, and they should be able to assist their clients on how to get by air, rail, road, and the amenities available (http://www.webindia123.com/career/options/travel/intro.htm). Convention planning & meeting – has become a part of hospitality industry and is becoming more and more in demand because of its major contribution in the success of many business and organizations. It brings people together for a common purpose. Meeting and convention planners make sure the goal of the convention and meeting is achieved. They make sure also that everything is well coordinated. They are involved in shaping the purpose, impression and message of the organization. Therefore, they are involved as well in the details such as location, speakers, printed materials and audio-visual paraphernalia. They are also concerned with the finances and they abide by the detailed funds. People who are educated or trained in hospitality management are well suited in this segment of hospitality industry (http://www.degreefinders.com/education-articles/careers/how-to-become-a-meeting-and-convention-planner.html). Technology in Hospitality Industry Globalization has put the hospitality industry into achieving its full potential. The wide scope and varied areas of service in hospitality industry makes it front liner in globalization. Traveling has become a part of almost every individual all over the world. Business people, students, tourists, and even foreign contract workers are patronizing hospitality industry, with or without them knowing it. There are tight competitions between countries, as tourism has become a major player in world economy. Because of this factor the use of internet technology, e-mails, and spread sheets become also important part of daily transactions. The ease in information and communication technology provides guest better experiences. Traveling without cash is safer and can be done through credit cards. Wi-Fi technology makes it more fun and convenient to work inside your own hotel room with your own portable equipments. Communicating via e-mails is a lot easier than mailing documents via regular postal services. Communication between guests and hotel management is excellent; it is also easier to communicate between departments through PDAs (Portable Digital Assistants) like cellular telephones, palms, and laptops. Front desk can be linked to accounting department for convenient billing (http://www.content4reprint.com/computers/information-technology/information-technology-in-hospitality-industry.htm). Management can conveniently keep track of what they have on hand, and from there can make smart decisions in favor of profitability. Spread sheets make accounting job a lot easier, and clients do not have to wait longer time to pay for bills. Advertisements via internet are economical and effective. Hotels can now make online arrangements with travel agencies via internet, and offer wonderful tour packages in collaboration with travel agencies. (http://www.nicweb.com/en/services/services_home.html). Technology has also served well the vacationers who want to communicate with their loved ones back home. Intelligent booking systems have allowed speedy consumer feedbacks with higher predictability of who is most likely to comeback (Nikolis, 2008). Ethics in International Hospitality Industry Strong hospitality establishments are built on strong ethical foundations (Nissen & Lieberman, 2008). Since hospitality industry has become a major sector and participant in global economy, ethics must govern its participation. The competition is high in tourism and people from all over the world are actively participating. It opened huge door of employment opportunities to all races and people of the world. It is only proper that this industry should take a careful consideration regarding its international business conducts. The International Association of Hospitality Advisors Code of Ethics offers guidelines on how conduct business internationally. As in all other business ethics, the association offers code of conducts on which the industry must abide. It is simple and straight forward. It declares that hospitality industry do acknowledge that ethics and morality are two inseparable elements of doing business. 1.) Every decision that will be made should be tested against the highest standard of honesty, legality, fairness, and conscience. 2.) The business participants should conduct themselves at all times, in a way that will bring credit to the Hospitality industry at large. 3.) The business participants in the industry should focus their time, energy, and resources on the improvement of the services, and will not degrade competition in pursuit of one’s personal success. 4.) Clients will be treated equally regardless of race, religion, nationality, creed, and gender. 5.) Standard services will be delivered with total consistency to each and every client. 6.) In words and deeds will develop and maintain highest level of trust, honesty and understanding among clients, and the public at large. 7.) Only fair and honest profit will be sought, no more, and no less (http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/IAHA/legal.htm). Ethics must be observed in order to protect the integrity of the industry. This does not speak only of the interactions that may transpire while dealing with foreign clients. It speaks also of the integrity of conduct in treating hospitality industry workers, from the top managers to the base workers like janitors and cleaners. The industry should also pay respect and should be sensitive with regards to cultural differences. Conclusion The history of hospitality industry has given us a good view of what has been in this business. How it has evolved from simple lodging to a now global economic player. Each segment has an important role to play, and with the ever increasing change in technology it has become a sophisticated industry. Hospitality managers strive hard to give their clients the best quality service, and to be able to compete in the international hospitality industry. Its face might have changed in many aspects, never-the-less the reason of its existence remains strongly the same. It is to give comfort to the weary travelers. It is to give them the best alternative residence when they are far away from home. It is to help travelers make use of their limited time in order to enjoy every moment of their stay. It is to give them the best value for their money, and to give them memories they are going to take home with them. Works Cited: Chandler, Stephanie. The History of Hotel & Restaurant Management (2009), Accessed at: http://www.ehow.com/about_5328917_history-hotel-restaurant-management.html. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Dr. Miller, Brian. History of the Hospitality Industry (date unknown) Accessed at: www.hrimtraining.org/.../hospitality.../History%20of%20the%20Hospitality%20Industry.ppt. Date Accessed: November 14, 2009 Lieberman, Karen & Nissen, Bruce. Ethics in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, 2nd Edition (date unknown) Accessed at: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/book/114000987.search?query=ethics+in+international+hopitality+industry. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Nikolis, Nick. Information Technology in Hospitality industry (2008). Accessed at: http://www.nicweb.com/en/services/services_home.html. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Other online internet sources: Education Center Online, Accessed at: http://www.educationcenteronline.org/Hospitality-and-Tourism/Restaurant. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 How to Become a Meeting and Convention Planner; SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. Accessed at: http://www.degreefinders.com/education-articles/careers/how-to-become-a-meeting-and-convention-planner.html. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Information Technology in Hospitality Industry. Accessed at: http://www.content4reprint.com/computers/information-technology/information-technology-in-hospitality-industry.htm. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Travel & Tourism, Accessed at: http://www.webindia123.com/career/options/travel/intro.htm. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 What is Hospitality Management? Accessed at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hospitality management.htm. Date accessed: November 14, 2009 Read More