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Hospitality graduates and managers: the big divide

Tracy Harkison, Jill Poulston and Jung-Hee Ginny Kim
Faculty of Applied Humanities, School of Hospitality and Tourism, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose This paper seeks to report on research investigating students and industrys expectations and assumptions of the desired attributes of hospitality employees. Design/methodology/approach Views on a range of questions about the value of a hospitality degree are analysed, based on a survey of 74 hospitality managers and 137 students. Findings The divergence in views between students and industry was signicant. Students thought knowledge and skills were important for new employees, but industry was far more interested in personality. To get promoted, students thought they would have to become good communicators, but industry was more interested in initiative. Industrys views suggest that managers value attitudinal attributes over skills, and are therefore prepared to help employees gain the skills needed for their roles. Research limitations/implications There were limited responses from hotel general managers (GMs). Their views on what graduates need to accomplish to reach the position of GM would have added value to this study, so further research focusing on GMs views is recommended. Originality/value This paper analyses the beliefs of hospitality students and industry regarding the desired attributes of hospitality employees. Their expectations and assumptions are signicantly different, and the gap is a cause for concern for educators and industry to address. Keywords Hospitality education, Students, New Zealand, Hospitality Management Paper type Research paper

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Received 8 November 2009 Revised 8 April 2010 26 May 2010 Accepted 29 May 2010

Introduction The hospitality industry is rated one of the fastest growing in New Zealand. Despite the global recession, The Ministry of Tourism (2009) forecasts an increase of 18.6 per cent on visitor arrivals between 2008 and 2015. Their report states:
Total visitor expenditure is forecast to increase from $14.0 billion in 2008 to $18.1 billion in 2015, up by $4.1 billion or 29.6 per cent, averaging 3.8 per cent per annum. The growth will be driven by an additional $2.3 billion international visitor spend and $1.9 billion domestic visitor spend (Ministry of Tourism, 2009, para 6).

The outlook for tourism in New Zealand is therefore excellent. The projected increase in visitors indicates more workers will be needed in tourism, with a corresponding increase in demand for qualied hospitality employees (Brien, 2004; OMahony and Sillitoe, 2001). However, the hospitality industry does not generally appear to regard hospitality qualications very highly. As a result, those who complete hospitality degrees are often disadvantaged when competing for jobs against those with more industry experience, but without tertiary qualications (Harkison, 2004b; Jameson and Holden, 2000; Petrova and Mason, 2004). Anecdotally, the industry values experienced employees over those with a degree, which is in contrast with the general expectation

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management Vol. 23 No. 3, 2011 pp. 377-392 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-6119 DOI 10.1108/09596111111122541

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that degrees offer graduates an advantage in their chosen area of work (Jameson and Holden, 2000). Although the industry is reliant on good employees, it is not safe to assume that qualied employees are the best recruits, and data on the proles of senior managers suggest that age (Ladkin, 2002), work experience (Chi and Gursoy, 2009), and gender (Li and Leung, 2001) are also signicant inuences on career prospects. This study therefore sets out to identify the desired attributes of hospitality employees, and the likely impact of a degree on a graduates ability to secure work, good wages, and a senior position. The value of a hospitality management degree is evaluated by analysing data collected from hotel managers and students on issues relating to the perceived benets of a degree. Management participants were recruited from six hotels in New Zealand, and students, from Auckland University of Technologys (AUT) Bachelor of International Hospitality Management degree. Background There is perhaps some confusion around the term vocational qualication. Hospitality degrees are vocational by denition, just as are law and education degrees, in that they prepare graduates for a particular vocation. However, the term vocational qualication is also applied to training courses that prepare graduates for jobs by providing the necessary operational skills. In hospitality programmes, these might include housekeeping, restaurant and culinary skills, the use of property management software (PMS) programs, and perhaps an introduction to sales and marketing and human resources (HR) processes. A working knowledge of these skills is also needed before theories relevant to their application can be evaluated: it is therefore common to include these within hospitality degrees. However, industry practitioners seeking employees with industry-ready skills may view vocational education as specically targeted at preparing students for work, focussing on the development of essential work-ready skills. Universities, being more interested in the development of intellectual capital, are more likely to emphasise critical thinking skills within the context of a vocation, than they are to develop work-ready skills. Hospitality educators are therefore likely to challenge particular aspects of the industry (such as the hierarchical nature of the workforce) rather than just explain how they work. In this mode, degree students can develop generic skills in a hospitality context. Indeed, the nature of hospitality work lends itself to an education that prepares students not just for work, but also, for a dignied arrival to the after-work world of hotels, restaurants and wine bars. A sound hospitality education prepares graduates for many aspects of life, whether or not these include hospitality work. Perhaps Morrison and OMahony allude to this when they write of the liberation of hospitality management education from its traditional vocational origins (Morrison and OMahony, 2003, p. 38). Throughout this paper, we therefore use the term vocational to describe a vocational context, rather than the development of vocational skills. Literature review Although most undergraduates taking a degree in hospitality management expect to reach senior management soon after graduating (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004a), as hotel managers are generally in their thirties and early forties (Ladkin, 2000, 2002; Ladkin

and Juwaheer, 2000; Poulston, 2006), this expectation appears unrealistic. In New Zealand, hospitality is primarily a young peoples industry (Whiteford and Nolan, 2007), so those who continue after their 20s are naturally more likely to reach senior positions than their younger colleagues. In an Auckland study of 534 hospitality employees, most of those who identied as managers were aged 30-39, whereas the most common age for staff and supervisors was 20-24. Increased seniority was associated with being over 25, having a tertiary qualication, and more than ve years experience (Poulston, 2006). Data extracted from studies of hotel managers qualications differ widely (Table I), perhaps because of differing perceptions about what constitutes a manager, confusion over whether the highest or all qualications are counted, and the length of time a hospitality degree has been available in the region studied. For example, in Ladkins (2002) study of Australian hospitality managers, only 15 per cent had a degree, but as hospitality degrees have only been available in Australia since 1974 (Breakey and Craig-Smith, 2008), numbers of degree qualied employees will take some years to increase. Studies on the value of education are similarly inconclusive. Ladkin and Juwaheer (2000) found that a university education did not appear to inuence the rate of promotion to a hotel GMs position. However, Harper et al. (2005) found that 64 per cent of GM respondents in their study believed that vocational qualications support a fast-track progression to the G.M. role (p. 56). Ladkin (2000, p. 231) noted that:
A higher level of education appears to ensure entry into the industry at the assistant manager level, whereas those with lower levels of education begin at the supervisor or department head grades. This is clearly where education is of benet.

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Ladkin (2000) found that a vocational qualication was a more signicant inuence on career than the length of education. That is, a hospitality diploma was as likely as a degree to assist career progression, and a masters degree did not accelerate promotion. Given the variance between the studies, it is difcult to determine from the literature whether or not a university education affects the rate of promotion. In order to become a GM, employees may require considerable operational and management experience, particularly in specialist roles such as department head or assistant manager. Accordingly, data from Steeles (2003) New Zealand study suggest that senior
3-year degree (%) 27 83 19 18 15 39 37 21 30 2-year diploma (%) 30 18 31 8 11 39 17 Years to management 16.0 13.1 12.6 11.3 9.2 12.4 Table I. Qualications of managers and length of time to become general manager

Authors Francis Woods et al. Ladkin and Juwaheer Ladkin Ladkin Steele Harper et al. Poulston Mean

Year

Location

Count 37 77 16 284 180 172 54 534 160

(1996) NZ (1998) USA (2000) Mauritius (2000) (2002) (2003) (2005) (2006) UK Australia NZ Scotland NZ

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managers move through supervisory and junior management roles to mid-management, before nally securing a GMs position. Many studies (e.g. Harper et al., 2005; Ladkin, 2000; Steele, 2003) identied food and beverages (F&B) management experience as the main career route to a GMs position. In a Mauritian study, 60 per cent of GMs were from an F&B background (Ladkin and Juwaheer, 2000), and although front ofce experience was ranked second as a career route for reaching a hotel GMs position (Ladkin and Juwaheer, 2000), GMs are also found to come from sales and marketing, accounting and nance, and housekeeping roles (Ladkin, 2002). Some studies examined the length of time taken to become a GM (e.g. Harper et al., 2005; Ladkin, 2002; Ladkin and Juwaheer, 2000). Results suggest that vocational training accelerates career advancement while working, but unqualied managers may achieve managerial positions at a younger age than qualied managers, because they gain industry experience faster. Harper et al. (2005) found that qualied managers were promoted faster than unqualied managers, noting that qualications are an integral part of career development (p. 51), and Ladkin (2002) found that the most rapid career advancement was experienced by respondents who obtained a masters degrees in hospitality. In Ladkin and Juwaheers (2000, p. 121) Mauritian study, they note:
Those people undertaking vocational education have a shorter time working before they reach general manager, but a longer time spent in education. The length of time taken to reach general manager ranges from between 9 to 15 years.

As it typically takes around ten to 12 years to become a general manager (Table I), students expectations of reaching a management position soon after graduating (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004a) therefore seem somewhat unrealistic. The importance of skills is also debated, particularly, the need for multicultural capabilities (Sigala, 2001). Finegold et al. (2000) and Jauhari (2006) noted the requirement for hotel managers to possess multiple technical skills. For example, an F&B manager has to make decisions about the purchasing, storing, costing, processing, and serving of food and liquor to customers (Riley, 2005). An F&B manager also needs skills in accounting, human relations, marketing, customer service and communication (Riley, 2005), and as these skills are also needed by other department managers for effective management and productivity, multi-skilled managers have signicant value to offer. Multi-skilling allows one person to manage a large number of tasks simultaneously (Jauhari, 2006), may affect the way employees view a range of employment opportunities, and increase their understanding of the processes involved in different activities (Finegold et al., 2000). Communication skills are also argued to be essential (Stutts, 1995), particularly for GMs, as are managerial accounting skills (Burgess, 2007), and leadership and interpersonal skills (Kay and Russette, 2000). The soft skills implicit in emotional labour (Hochschild, 1983) and aesthetic labour (Warhurst et al., 2000) are arguably now also recognised as important for service work. Understanding the range and type of skills required by industry is important to both students and education providers. If educators know what industry requires, they can continually adjust curricula to support industrys expectations and needs, thereby improving the prospects and satisfaction of graduates.

Not only do students and industry have different views on what is important, but students have a variety of motivations for embarking on a hospitality degree. Many are inuenced by their parents preferences (OMahony et al., 2001; Wong and Liu, 2010) and their own perceptions of the industry, which come from leisure and work experiences, as well as media reports (OMahony et al., 2001). Most students make a decision to attend university before selecting their educational preferences (OMahony et al., 2001), so those who unsuccessful in gaining entry to programmes such as law or management, might default to hospitality programmes because of less stringent entry criteria. It seems logical therefore, that not all hospitality graduates will have the intention of entering the industry, let alone actually working their way through it to management level. Collins (2002), and Raybould and Wilkins (2005) undertook research on the differing career expectations of students and industry personnel. Both studies found that undergraduates have high expectations of their careers, whereas some managers considered a bachelor of hospitality management degree irrelevant. Collins study, undertaken in Turkey, found that graduates expected to achieve a management position soon after graduation, but employers considered new graduates unsuitable for a management role. Some managers even commented that graduates have a patronising know-it-all attitude, and lacked resilience when trying to cope with the hectic industry environment (Collins, 2002). Both studies particularly identied different perceptions about career expectations between students and managers, with all respondents generally believing they were right. In particular, students were very condent of the value of their degree and its impact on their future careers. Raybould and Wilkins (2005, p. 211) found that graduates were sometimes viewed as over qualied but under experienced, even for entry level management roles. Graduates are therefore recommended to gain operational (rather than management) experience during their rst 12-18 months, rather than expect to be recruited into a management role (Raybould and Wilkins, 2005). Harkison (2004b) commented that it is common for managers to believe practical experience is more valuable than a degree, noting that in New Zealand, a hospitality degree is still poorly recognised, except perhaps for those seeking specialist positions such as sales and marketing, or nancial management. Not surprisingly, industry experience as part of a qualication is therefore considered particularly valuable. Managers rate the internship requirements of a degree as the most important feature of students education, followed by the teaching staffs industry experience and the quality of students preparation for interviews (Chi and Gursoy, 2009). Internships (that is, short-term practical work experience with training), are commonly offered in hospitality degrees, so students can make connections between theory and practice, while learning industry skills. Some universities operate cooperative education programmes, in which students are guided through projects, whereas others take more of a work placement approach. The common feature is the opportunity for students to road-test theory, thereby discovering for themselves how industry operates, and what skills they need to acquire or develop. Jauhari (2006) suggested that for unqualied managers, most learning occurs through trial and error in the workplace. Qualied managers may therefore reduce their training needs and learn faster because of prior formal learning, which will benet both the individuals and their employers. Several authors (Harper et al.,

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2005; Jauhari, 2006; Ladkin, 2000) therefore recommend vocational qualications as a way of enhancing career development. Unfortunately, industry and education providers are often in disagreement as to the important subjects and topics to be taught. Some studies (Harkison, 2004b; Petrova and Mason, 2004; Ricci, 2005) reveal that industry has a weak understanding of what constitutes a hospitality degree, and many educators have a similarly weak understanding of the skills needs of industry. Hospitality management courses often appear to be designed by administrators and educators ( Jayawardena, 2001; Ricci, 2005) who have different viewpoints from those in industry, with neither group appearing to understand the others perceptions. Harris and Zhao (2004) discussed ways to reduce the gaps between industry and academia, noting the need for continuing discussions about curriculum, students, facilities, and faculty. They suggested that education providers and industry professionals might even consider periods of job swapping, which would likely bring benets to both parties. In their view, educators would particularly benet from industry experience:
. . . updated information for class lectures, skill updates useful in laboratory settings, professional contacts for networking, expanding research opportunities, curriculum updates, and the opportunity to change the learning environment (p. 433).

Somehow, educators and hospitality employers need to agree on course content and expectations, to avoid disappointment and disillusionment for both sides. The expense of a degree education is signicant; students who invest time and money in their education expect to reach senior management quickly, but for various reasons, this is unlikely to occur. Overall, industry appears to value a hospitality management degree less than experience, and graduates have high expectations of accelerated progress through to management on the basis of their qualications. This study therefore compares the expectations and assumptions of hospitality management students with the views of hospitality managers, to identify specic misunderstandings, and determine the perceived value of a hospitality management qualication to industry. Methodology The study focuses on students pursuing degrees in hospitality management at universities rather than at other tertiary institutions, as a university degree is considered to provide a good balance of both managerial and technical skills (Brien, 2004). It also focuses on managers of accommodation operations, as these employ the most staff; in 2004, the New Zealand accommodation industry employed 28,615 employees, which represented around a quarter of the nations hospitality employees (Goodchild and Leung-Wai, 2005). By 2006, growth in tourism had increased this to 32,640 (Whiteford and Nolan, 2007), and by 2009, to 35,100 (Department of Labour, 2010). Student respondents As presented in Table II, there were considerably fewer responses from third year students than from rst and second year students, although their surveys were completed with greater accuracy. The low number of responses from third year students was because many were completing their industry projects off-campus at the time of the study, and were therefore unavailable to participate.

Sample Count % Students responses, usable and total Study year Year 1 120 39.5 Year 2 92 30.3 Year 3 92 30.3 Total 304 100 Managers responses, usable and total Region Auckland 47 39.5 Rotorua 20 16.8 Wellington 20 16.8 S. Island 32 26.9 Total 119 100

Responses Count %

Usable responses Count %

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113 84 14 211

53.6 39.8 6.6 100

60 67 10 137

43.8 48.9 7.3 100

35 16 8 28 87

40.2 18.4 9.2 32.2 100

32 13 6 23 74

43.2 17.6 8.1 31 100

Table II. Students and managers responses, usable and total

Industry respondents Respondents were drawn from a selection of three to ve star internationally branded hotels through-out New Zealand. Most hotels were mid-sized, with 100-200 rooms, but some had less than a hundred rooms. The number of employees in management positions was different for each hotel, and some did not have an HR department. Purposive sampling was therefore used, and employees at management levels selected from seven hotels with their own HR department. This ensured adequate responses from HR managers and employees in hotels with an HR department. The highest response rate in industry was from middle managers (department managers), followed by department supervisors, then senior managers (n 3), because there is only one GM position in each hotel. Most responses were from front ofce (35 per cent), which has a higher ratio of managerial employees (e.g. assistant managers, night duty managers and department manager) than do other departments. As the degree of managerial specialisation varies according to the size of hotel, in smaller properties (which are common in New Zealand), the Assistant Manager may also be the F&B manager and rooms manager. Respondents in smaller properties may therefore have different expectations of employees than those in larger properties, as they need both practical and strategic skills. A range of property sizes was therefore included in the sample population. Respondent proles did not match those of local prior studies (Poulston, 2006; Steele, 2003), because respondents were recruited from through-out New Zealand, rather than just from Auckland (Table II) The distribution of qualications across the different levels of management was not statistically signicant (sig: 627), suggesting that for this study, anyway, qualications did not affect the level of management attained (Table III). Research method A quantitative methodology was used to collect and analyse views on a range of questions about the value of a hospitality degree. A written self-completed questionnaire was used, and responses analysed as percentages of the total sample.

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Supervisor Junior manager Middle manager Senior manager Total % % % % Count % Frequency analysis of job positions by department of employee respondents Department FO/Reservations 9.5 18.9 6.8 0 F&B 9.5 1.4 6.8 0 Housekeeping 8.1 1.4 9.5 0 Admin and Gen. 4.1 6.8 10.8 0 Executive Ofce 0 1.4 1.4 4.1 Total 31.1 29.7 35.1 4.1 Frequency analysis of job positions by qualications of industry respondents Qualication None 4.1 0 4.1 0 School 6.8 1 9.5 1.4 Cert or Diploma 13.5 13 13.5 1.4 Degree 5.4 6 5.4 1.4 Postgraduate 1.4 2 2.7 0 Total 31.1 22 35.1 4.1

384

26 13 14 16 5 74

35.1 17.6 18.9 21.6 6.8 100

Table III. Respondents proles

6 14 34 15 5 74

8.1 18.9 45.9 20.3 6.8 100

Social scientic measurements do not produce consistent results, but are useful bases for discussion, as whatever result is obtained will still have implications for other groups of a similar nature to the group studied. As the literature view has already demonstrated, results are likely to differ from group to group, because people do not necessarily give the same answer each time they are asked a particular question. However, the proportion of respondents with a given response is still likely to be a reection of the proportion of the greater population that may have offered the same response if asked (Bryman, 2001). The questionnaire for students was administered directly with the support of lecturers and researchers, and the questionnaire for hospitality managers mailed out with a stamped-addressed envelope for return. A self-completed questionnaire allows respondents to answer as convenient (Bryman, 2001) and is therefore considered less intrusive than interviews. Questions The questionnaire was developed after an extensive review of literature relating to hospitality management, travel and tourism students career expectations, and assumptions and perceptions of employees in the hospitality industry (e.g. Johns and McKechnie, 1995; Petrova and Mason, 2004). Questions were adapted from Petrova and Masons (2004, p. 153) study, which was designed to identify the value of tourism degrees, comparing students career expectations and aspirations with industry needs and perceptions of travel and tourism degrees and graduates. The students questionnaire included questions about industrys perceived needs, its perceived requirements of potential employees, and the perceived value of a hospitality degree. The industry questionnaire asked what employers expected from hospitality management graduates, what they believed to be the essential skills for

graduates entering the hospitality industry, the desired attributes of recruits, and the value of a hospitality management degree to employers. Results Results are presented in tables, containing in most cases, the proportion of each respondent group (i.e. students and industry) that agreed or disagreed with a particular statement. Table IV presents data on the different views of students and industry respondents on the attributes sought in new employees, and Table V presents the views of respondents on the value and benets of a hospitality degree.

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Students (137) (%) Industrys criteria for new employees Knowledge and experience Specic skills Personality Qualications Industrys criteria for promotion Communication Initiative Human relations Problem solving Self-management 40.10 35.00 19.70 5.10 43.10 13.90 16.10 14.60 12.40

Industry (74) (%) 18.90 13.50 62.20 5.40

Managers (74) (%)

20.30 28.40 18.90 16.20 16.20

Table IV. Views on industrys criteria for new employees and promotion

Agree (%) Views on the comparative value of experience and education Students (n 137) More important than experience for new employees 19.0 Contributes more to a hotel than three years experience 66.4 Managers (n 74) More important than experience for new employees Contributes more to a hotel than three years experience Views on the benets of a hospitality degree Students (n 137) Earns a higher salary Brings benets to a company Affects promotion prospects Managers (n 74) Earns a higher salary Brings benets to a company Affects promotion prospects Criterion for employee selection 17.6 31.1

No opinion (%)

Disagree (%)

30.0 12.4 12.1 20.3

51.1 21.2 70.3 48.6

60.6 91.2 54.7 35.1 82.4 20.3 45.9

23.2 5.8 24.1 13.5 13.5 16.2 17.6

16.0 2.9 21.2 51.3 4.1 63.5 36.5

Table V. The perceived value of a hospitality degree

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Views on attributes required by new employees Knowledge and experience of hospitality was perceived by students as the most important attribute, and more important than a qualication. Industry respondents however, sought personality ahead of other attributes, but rated qualications similarly poorly. Communication skills were considered those most important by students for career development and initiative, and second most important by industry respondents after initiative. Again, neither rated qualications as important (Table IV). The value of a hospitality degree Views on the value of a hospitality degree were surprisingly divergent, with industry placing considerably less emphasis on a degree than did the students. Around half the student respondents thought that a degree was less important than experience when commencing a job (Table V). However, most (66.4 per cent) believed that a three-year degree would enable an employee to make more of a contribution to a workplace than would experience accrued over the same period. Industry respondents however, perceived a degree as less important than experience for new employees. These responses suggest that students perceived experience to be of more value when seeking work, but once in a job, a degree would prove more valuable, not so much as a qualication, but because of the learning it entailed. However, industry respondents believed that three years of experience were more valuable than a vocational education of the same length (i.e. a degree). The benets of a hospitality degree Less than half (45.9 per cent) the industry respondents considered a degree to be an important criterion for the selection of new employees, although only 27 per cent had a bachelors or postgraduate qualication themselves (Table V). Most student respondents (91.2 per cent) were condent that a degree qualied employee would offer benets to a hospitality employer, a strong majority (60.6 per cent) expected that this would be reected in a higher starting salary, and just over half (54.7 per cent), in their promotion prospects. While nearly as many (82.4 per cent) industry respondents believed a degree qualied employee would offer benets to a hospitality employer, only a third (35.1 per cent) thought this would earn them a higher salary, and half thought it would not. Furthermore, most (63.5 per cent) industry respondents disagreed with the statement that a degree affects promotion prospects. Discussion Qualied managers The weak perceived value of qualications by those who make employment decisions in hospitality is an unfortunate nding of this study. Results show that of industry respondents, only 27 per cent had a degree or postgraduate qualication, and 31 per cent considered formal education more important than experience. We suggest that it may be difcult for some managers to assess the value of something they have not personally experienced, and that their apparent disregard for formal education may arise from their having come up through the ranks, and validating their own backgrounds by preferring experience over education.

However, we also recognise that formal education cannot replace the myriad of skills and attitudes developed in a work place, and remaining calm under pressure while managing a multitude of tasks (for example) is one of many skills required by hospitality workers, but not necessarily addressed in formal education. Many skills (e.g. coffee-making, bed-making, banking etc) can be learned off the job, but training is not the role of a hospitality educator, but that of a trainer. Tourism (and therefore hospitality) is one of the fastest growing industries in New Zealand and predicted to continue growing and making a substantial contribution to the economy. This growth will continue to be accompanied by a corresponding demand for appropriately qualied hospitality employees, but what constitutes appropriately qualied is debateable. Industry itself seems unclear about what constitutes a qualied manager, perhaps because most general managers are themselves not formally qualied. In New Zealand, this is largely attributable to the late introduction of tertiary hospitality qualications; the rst dedicated degree in New Zealand commenced in just 1993, so (assuming a ten year gap between graduation and general management) the rst few graduates are just reaching senior positions now. While these managers may be more inclined to seek degree qualied employees, others may complain that graduates are over qualied and under experienced, and are likely to expect them to progress through various staff positions on their way, just as they did. With the value of qualications debated by industry and industrys focus on nding experienced employees, it is concerning to note how this contrasts with students expectations of their qualications. Most students (91.2 per cent) in this study believed that new recruits with degrees would offer benets to their employers, and a signicant majority of industry (82.4 per cent) also recognised the benets that graduates could bring to their businesses (although they were reluctant to recognise this in wage offers or selection criteria.). One industry respondent even remarked that experience is the best qualication. Industrys insistence on qualications suggests a sceptical view of education, which may or may not be justied. A hospitality degree should develop critical thinking skills, and an understanding of the theories than inform human behaviour, marketing strategies, and various other aspects of this complex industry. However, results of this study indicate that industry seeks something that education does not currently provide, and that can only be gained in a workplace. Students were clearer about the perceived benets of a hospitality degree, with just over half (54.7 per cent) thinking it would enhance their promotion prospects. Industry employees recognised that degree qualied employees could deliver benets to a company, but did not think this should be reected in either their starting salary, or promotion prospects. Overall, industry placed little value on a hospitality degree, while students not only valued it, but had expectations that it would earn them more money and accelerate their careers. Sadly, their hopes of having accelerated career paths and higher salaries on graduating are consistent with expectations identied in other studies (Brien, 2004; Harkison, 2004a), but unlikely to be realised. It will probably take them around 11 years to reach a GMs position (Steele, 2003). After 11 years of industry experience, most graduates will have gained the necessary life and work skills to manage the complex operation of a large hospitality business, something that few 24 year olds would be able to undertake successfully, as perhaps suggested by the average age of a hotel GM.

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Experience or education? Most students (66 per cent) thought that once a graduate was employed, he or she would have more to offer than an unqualied but experienced employee. That is, they were not convinced that a degree would help them get work, but once they were employed, they expected that their education would help them make a greater contribution than someone who had acquired work skills, but no knowledge of research that could enhance the application of those skills. Certainly, it would be possible to work in a management role for many years without understanding (for example) organisational behaviour theory, but this understanding would need to develop in order to be effective. If this kind of learning takes place on the job instead of in a classroom, it is likely to be through trial and error, with the possible consequences of ineffective change management, employee unhappiness, staff turnover and unnecessary costs. Views on essential skills The divergence in views between students and industry is signicant. Students thought knowledge and skills were important for new employees, but industry was far more interested in personality. To get promoted, students thought they would have to become good communicators, but industry was more interested in initiative. Industrys views suggest that managers value attitudinal attributes over skills, and are therefore prepared to help employees gain the skills needed for their roles. However, this was not upheld in their responses on the criteria for new employees. Valuing skills over the benet of degree education in an industry that typically spends over 30 per cent of its revenue on labour (e.g. Davis et al., 2008) seems short-sighted, as this effectively disregards research on employee issues such as motivation, group behaviour, and empowerment, which can provide ways of reducing staff costs by maintaining a motivated and happy workforce. Education can also reduce attrition by developing career pathways for hospitality employees who in turn can promote a professional and sustainable industry (OMahony and Sillitoe, 2001). Indeed, the high staff turnover experienced in the Auckland hospitality industry suggests that some staff are neither motivated nor happy (Poulston, 2009), and research-based interventions may be helpful in stabilising the workforce. Conclusion While data in this study reveal a surprising disconnect between industry and students, close inspection reveals opportunities for both industry and educators. It is hardly surprising that students have high expectations of their futures, because these expectations motivate them to study. If they do not see education as an investment there would be little point in continuing; they would be better off working. Neither is it surprising that industry seeks work-ready job applicants, complete with relevant experience and trained in the basic skills. However, as experience can be gained only through industry, this requirement is somewhat outside the domain of university educators, unless experience is traded for study within a degree, or perhaps included as a mandatory extra. The real treasure, is industrys interest in the very attributes that educators may nd difcult to teach. If universities genuinely believe they are preparing graduates for management roles in industry, they need to nd a way to

develop the prized attributes of personality and initiative, in order to secure graduates entry to the industry and the prospect of promotion. In a study of restaurant staff, Tracey et al. (2007) noted that although it is common for employers to select for personality and train in the necessary skills, mental ability and conscientiousness were better predictors of job performance. As the latter attributes are essential for success in tertiary study, it seems that industry has something learn about selecting employees. So, although results initially suggest that a vocational education is a waste of time and money, industrys view may change as more graduates enter senior management, bringing with them an understanding of the value of formal education, and the application of theory to industry problems such as employee selection. However, whether by personality tests in selection criteria or by innovative approaches to teaching, educators also need to consider the best way forward. Graduates with the ability to think critically, engage others, take the initiative in difcult situations, and generally become inspirational leaders, are ultimately the most desirable, and no doubt sought by more than hospitality employers. Limitations and further research More responses from third year students would have enabled a comparison between their views and those of rst year students, identifying any changes that occurred between the start and completion of their qualications. Although there was a good range of industry respondents in management positions, only three GMs responded. As many hospitality students expect to be a GM in the future, the study would no doubt have beneted from their insights. Importantly, their perceptions of what they believe graduates need to accomplish in order to reach the position of GM would have been of considerable value, so further research of a qualitative nature focussing on GMs views is recommended.
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About the authors Tracy Harkison is a Senior Lecturer at AUT Universitys School of Hospitality and Tourism. Prior to joining AUT University, she worked in hotel management in various countries for over 12 years. She has a particular interest in hospitality education and New Zealand luxury hotel experiences. Tracy Harkison is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: tracy.harkison@aut.ac.nz Jill Poulston is an Associate Director of the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, and Head of the Hospitality Department at AUT Universitys School of Hospitality and Tourism. Prior to joining AUT University, she worked in hotel management for over 15 years. She has a particular interest in hospitality education, and workplace problems in hospitality. Jung-Hee Ginny Kim is presently establishing an English language school in Korea. Prior to graduating from AUT University with her Masters degree, she worked in the New Zealand hospitality industry for 14 years before returning to Korea.

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