Reflecting on hospitality management education through a practice lens

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on hospitality management education from a “practice epistemology” and discuss how a connecting of savoir (theoretical knowledge or “knowing”), savoir-faire (knowing how to do tasks, i.e. task-related skills) and savoir-être (knowing how to be, i.e. behavior) can develop into practical knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – The purpose of the paper is achieved through novel reading of the literature on practical knowledge and formativeness applied to a higher education context. Findings – The paper suggests that it is only through the creation of context that a sensation of practicing for students can be provided, which ultimately may lead to practical knowledge. Context must be actively created through situations that invite participation to explore the logic of practice. Therefore, savoir should be treated as “organizing knowing” and savoir-faire and savoir-être as “practicing knowing” to do and to be, respectively. The terms savoir, savoir-faire and savoir-être were chosen for this paper, as they were the common reference terms used in hospitality (master-) apprenticeship systems in Europe. Originality/value – The value of the paper is a personal reflection on a practice epistemology for hospitality management education from the perspective of two academic faculty members who have been practitioners in the hospitality industry and who regularly teach hospitality executives.

Bracketing: a phenomenological theory applied through transpersonal reflexivity

“…Whenever we were interested in the lived experience, we did engage in some form of bracketing, which was always achieved through transpersonal reflexivity. This was true when we have worked together or with other co-authors, and even when it was just one of us, we invited someone to 'bracket with' (Dörfler, 2010;Stierand and Zizka, 2015;Baracskai and Dörfler, 2017;Bas, Dörfler, and Sinclair, 2019;Miralles, Stierand, and Dörfler, 2019;Pyrko, Dörfler, and Eden, 2019;Stierand et al, 2019;Dörfler and Bas, 2020b;Harrington, Dörfler, and Stierand, 2020;Miralles, Stierand, Lee, and Dörfler, 2020;Rayan, Dörfler, and Lennon, 2020;Shpakova, Dörfler, and MacBryde, 2020;Spanellis, Dörfler, and MacBryde, 2020;Stierand, Heelein, and Mainemelis, 2020). Why is it always transpersonal reflexivity?…”

Challenges in hospitality management education: Perspectives from the United Kingdom

“…Whilst employability remains a core driving principle in hospitality courses (cf. Jennings, Cater, Hales, Kensbock, & Hornby, 2015;Stierand & Zizka, 2015;Whitelaw & Wrathall, 2015), academics also recognise that higher education should help develop rounded reflective practitioners who can contribute to a range of societal and professional spheres (Dredge et al, 2012;Morgan, 2004;Morrison & O'Mahony, 2003). As Robinson, Kralj, Brenner and Lee's (2014) work suggests, this has driven the development of hospitality management teaching that seeks to create critical, reflective practitioners.…”

The business of teaching: Vocational educators’ experiences of marketization reforms

“…However, there is still substantial debate over the level of connection with industry. Craig- Smith et al (1994) andPavesic (1993) both expressed concern about hospitality education becoming 'too' close to industry and developing a subservient approach to corporate practice, while others suggest increasing connection with industry is essential for keeping 'millennial' students engaged (Stierand & Zizka, 2015) and developing 'soft skills' (Kalargyrou, 2011). While there is debate around the level of industry influence within education, there is a base level of understanding that industry does have to be involved in these inherently practical qualifications, as Barrows and Bosselman (1999, p. 12) describe: 'for better or worse, we will always be tied to the industry for which we prepare our students'.…”