Hospitality Students and Their Stereotypes: A Pilot Study

Utilising Flexible Learning Packages to Enhance Teaching Effectiveness: A New Zealand Case Study

“…A review of the hospitality pedagogical research reveals one common question: "Are we preparing students and managers for the consistently changing and complex workplace of the twenty-first century" (Cho, Schmelzer, & McMahon 2000, p. 31). Considerable research has focused on management competencies of graduates (Christou & Eaton 2000;Barron, Watson, & McGuire 2006;Baum, 2002;Lashley 1999;Woods, 1992), and three skills continually surface as being key: critical thinking skills (Baum 2002;Sigala, 2002;Zabel, 1997), effective communication and technical skills (Huettman, 1996;Malfroy & Daruwalla, 2000), and the ability to manage a diverse workforce (Huyton, 1997;Roberts, 1998;Barron & Arcodia, 2002;Seymour, 2002;Hamilton, 2003;Deale & Wilborn, 2006) Previous research has also addressed the question of relevant competencies in relation to the rapid advancement of technology and management practices in the hospitality industry (Deale 2004;Cho & Schmelzer 2002;Debevec, Shih, & Kashyap;Mayer, 2003). Baum (2002) noted a 2000 United Kingdom QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) report which identified the application of information technology as a "core or key skill" both within the service sector and the wider economy (p.…”