There has been a considerable debate in recent years about the 'fit' between hospitality management education and the needs of the hospitality and tourism industries, with allegations of disproportionate 'wastage' of vocationally labour market entrants to other sectors of the economy. This study began by outlining the evolution of hospitality education in the UK. The study then reviewed models of vocational education and discussed their relevance to hospitality management education. A discussion of the effects of political, industrial and educational debate has been included. A case study has provided an historical review of the evolution of the BA Honours Degree in Hospitality Business Management in an important FHE college, which is the largest single provider of hospitality education in the UK. The study goes on to highlight the transition of graduates into the workplace from 1992 to the present time. The first sections of the study were completed using exhaustive secondary research carried out using all of the library resources at my disposal. The case study was achieved using primary research techniques of questionnaire and follow-up interviews with the graduates and with senior programme administrators from the college. Use of the Dillman (1977) method ensured an exceptionally high response rate to the questionnaire, although it is probably true that my power-distance relationship with the respondents also had a positive effect on the response rate. The researcher also believes that the responses received from the graduates truthfully reflected their views on the questions asked. The final section of this dissertation discusses and analyses the results of the primary research and this is the major innovative part of the work. During the course of the research, a number of themes emerged, and the discussion is aligned with these themes, providing a framework for the analysis. The content of the courses, comprising the four-year programme were generally seen as appropriate by the respondents. However, a number of possible changes were identified which might improve the programme. One surprising result was that it emerged that no change would be needed to fit graduates for the industry for the next decade. A second surprise was the low ranking given to information technology and numeracy by the respondents. This must surely be a misconception by the graduates and this finding is in need of further research. The term 'graduateness' was generally little understood by the respondents. However, once they were familiarised by the meaning underpinning the term, they did comprehend that graduate skills were of considerable importance. Indeed their understanding of graduate skills related very closely to those defined NAB (1986). However, the discussion of their evaluation of numeracy has already been outlined. Not surprisingly, there was considerable overlap between discussion of course content and teaching methods. However, it is important to mention that one of the main issues arising was that of the use of information technology and multimedia in course delivery. This research has found that these methods are seen to be of growing importance for communication and dissemination of information between students. industrialists and educationalists in the hospitality industry, being a truly world-wide industry. One major area of discussion which has arisen in my research is the industrial placement experience. An important finding has been that despite whether the students had received a successful industrial placement experience or not, almost all agreed that industrial placement experience was an essential component of the programme. In fact the research identified that industrial placement is so important, that the government should consider funding research to investigate the value added to students on vocational programmes, with a view to extending the benefits to other subject areas before they undertake primary cost reduction by cutting funding for industrial placement in hospitality management programmes. With regard to employment issues, there were three issues that arose. First, the changing character of the hotel industry, which is likely to provide less opportunity for management development for graduates. Nevertheless, the research identified despite this trend that a very large percentage of graduates were still finding employment in hotels at the present time. Second, the limited language skills of UK graduates, which the research considers as an important negative factor for UK graduates in a time of globalisation and EU aggregation. Finally, UK educational institutions depend to some extent upon recruitment of students from overseas (full fee paying). The recessionary developments in the global economy, especially in the Far East, should give cause for some alarm by UK universities and colleges in this respect.

One problem facing the hospitality industry today is turnover. Management turnover rates of 50 and 75 percent continue to plaque all segments of the industry. Personality type theory holds that people are happier in environments that are compatible with their personalities. This study examines 229 undergraduate students enrolled in hospitality education at the University of North Texas. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator was administered to these students to determine their predominant personality types, and to compare these types to those desired by hospitality industry professionals for success within the industry. Variables such as gender, work experience, and classification were also examined in comparison to student personality types.

The rapid growth in internationalisation of education has led to the point where Australia has become a world leader in transnational education. Simultaneously, the provision of hospitality and tourism management education has developed rapidly from its inception in 1974 with numbers of international students rising steadily. Although robust research into the international student experience has been conducted, the impact of these changes upon tertiary academics has received little attention from researchers. Within this context, this research project aims to develop a better understanding of academics’ experiences of teaching tourism and hospitality in transcultural settings. More specifically, the study seeks to discover the impacts of working in a multicultural, multinational and multilingual environment on the tourism and hospitality academic (Objective One), and to explore the concept of competence in multicultural and transnational teaching (Objective Two). This thesis is presented in five stages. The first stage considers the formative background to the research, and explores literature and concepts surrounding transcultural contexts of higher education. The current state of internationalisation of tourism and hospitality higher education in Australia is outlined, and gaps in the research field are highlighted. This section observes a need for transcultural competence in teaching. Stage Two addresses methodological considerations and explores the use of interpretive phenomenological methodology for gaining a greater understanding of the lived experiences of academics teaching in transcultural contexts. The practice and philosophies surrounding phenomenology, interviewing, and transcribing talk are critically examined. This stage also proposes the use of mind mapping as a tool for qualitative research analysis. Employing the interpretive methodologies outlined in the previous stage, Stage Three considers Objective One by addressing the research question ‘What are the concerns and constraints experienced by academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ In keeping with a phenomenological approach which encourages testing initial intuitions by subjecting them to critical evaluation, this section incorporates a peer-reviewed paper written by the researcher. Findings showed that academics experienced concerns and constraints relating to their sense of self, the intercultural other (the students) and the temporal and education environment in which they are situated. Stage Three also addresses the second research question, ‘What influences the positive experiences of academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ Findings showed that travel and journeying (both physical and metaphorical) were highly significant, beneficial, and contributed greatly to emotional well-being as they allowed the academics to experience joy in transcultural teaching. Stage Four addresses the second research objective and incorporates two research questions. The question ‘How are academics’ intercultural competences in multicultural education formed?’ involved the theoretical delineation of the specific research area through an in-depth systematic literature review in order to develop a holistic explanatory model. The model considers epistemology and ontology of teaching practice, and contains four quadrants: self-knowledge, values, knowledge and skills. The final research question, ‘How do successful international tourism and hospitality educators embody and integrate competence in their teaching within multicultural and transnational classrooms?’ entailed close phenomenological analysis of the narrated experiences of four academics who had not only derived much enjoyment from their transcultural teaching, but had been publicly recognised by peers and by their universities as being successful teachers. The narrated experiences, approaches and opinions of these academics are analysed and organised according to the model and are explored under the headings Epistemology – which includes ‘cultural knowledge’ and ‘skills’; and Ontology, which covers ‘values’ and ‘self’. Stage Five considers the implications and significance of this research for higher education. The thesis contributes not only to research into teaching and internationalisation of education, but also makes original contributions to qualitative research methodology.

The rapid growth in internationalisation of education has led to the point where Australia has become a world leader in transnational education. Simultaneously, the provision of hospitality and tourism management education has developed rapidly from its inception in 1974 with numbers of international students rising steadily. Although robust research into the international student experience has been conducted, the impact of these changes upon tertiary academics has received little attention from researchers. Within this context, this research project aims to develop a better understanding of academics’ experiences of teaching tourism and hospitality in transcultural settings. More specifically, the study seeks to discover the impacts of working in a multicultural, multinational and multilingual environment on the tourism and hospitality academic (Objective One), and to explore the concept of competence in multicultural and transnational teaching (Objective Two). This thesis is presented in five stages. The first stage considers the formative background to the research, and explores literature and concepts surrounding transcultural contexts of higher education. The current state of internationalisation of tourism and hospitality higher education in Australia is outlined, and gaps in the research field are highlighted. This section observes a need for transcultural competence in teaching. Stage Two addresses methodological considerations and explores the use of interpretive phenomenological methodology for gaining a greater understanding of the lived experiences of academics teaching in transcultural contexts. The practice and philosophies surrounding phenomenology, interviewing, and transcribing talk are critically examined. This stage also proposes the use of mind mapping as a tool for qualitative research analysis. Employing the interpretive methodologies outlined in the previous stage, Stage Three considers Objective One by addressing the research question ‘What are the concerns and constraints experienced by academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ In keeping with a phenomenological approach which encourages testing initial intuitions by subjecting them to critical evaluation, this section incorporates a peer-reviewed paper written by the researcher. Findings showed that academics experienced concerns and constraints relating to their sense of self, the intercultural other (the students) and the temporal and education environment in which they are situated. Stage Three also addresses the second research question, ‘What influences the positive experiences of academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ Findings showed that travel and journeying (both physical and metaphorical) were highly significant, beneficial, and contributed greatly to emotional well-being as they allowed the academics to experience joy in transcultural teaching. Stage Four addresses the second research objective and incorporates two research questions. The question ‘How are academics’ intercultural competences in multicultural education formed?’ involved the theoretical delineation of the specific research area through an in-depth systematic literature review in order to develop a holistic explanatory model. The model considers epistemology and ontology of teaching practice, and contains four quadrants: self-knowledge, values, knowledge and skills. The final research question, ‘How do successful international tourism and hospitality educators embody and integrate competence in their teaching within multicultural and transnational classrooms?’ entailed close phenomenological analysis of the narrated experiences of four academics who had not only derived much enjoyment from their transcultural teaching, but had been publicly recognised by peers and by their universities as being successful teachers. The narrated experiences, approaches and opinions of these academics are analysed and organised according to the model and are explored under the headings Epistemology – which includes ‘cultural knowledge’ and ‘skills’; and Ontology, which covers ‘values’ and ‘self’. Stage Five considers the implications and significance of this research for higher education. The thesis contributes not only to research into teaching and internationalisation of education, but also makes original contributions to qualitative research methodology.

The rapid growth in internationalisation of education has led to the point where Australia has become a world leader in transnational education. Simultaneously, the provision of hospitality and tourism management education has developed rapidly from its inception in 1974 with numbers of international students rising steadily. Although robust research into the international student experience has been conducted, the impact of these changes upon tertiary academics has received little attention from researchers. Within this context, this research project aims to develop a better understanding of academics’ experiences of teaching tourism and hospitality in transcultural settings. More specifically, the study seeks to discover the impacts of working in a multicultural, multinational and multilingual environment on the tourism and hospitality academic (Objective One), and to explore the concept of competence in multicultural and transnational teaching (Objective Two). This thesis is presented in five stages. The first stage considers the formative background to the research, and explores literature and concepts surrounding transcultural contexts of higher education. The current state of internationalisation of tourism and hospitality higher education in Australia is outlined, and gaps in the research field are highlighted. This section observes a need for transcultural competence in teaching. Stage Two addresses methodological considerations and explores the use of interpretive phenomenological methodology for gaining a greater understanding of the lived experiences of academics teaching in transcultural contexts. The practice and philosophies surrounding phenomenology, interviewing, and transcribing talk are critically examined. This stage also proposes the use of mind mapping as a tool for qualitative research analysis. Employing the interpretive methodologies outlined in the previous stage, Stage Three considers Objective One by addressing the research question ‘What are the concerns and constraints experienced by academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ In keeping with a phenomenological approach which encourages testing initial intuitions by subjecting them to critical evaluation, this section incorporates a peer-reviewed paper written by the researcher. Findings showed that academics experienced concerns and constraints relating to their sense of self, the intercultural other (the students) and the temporal and education environment in which they are situated. Stage Three also addresses the second research question, ‘What influences the positive experiences of academics teaching in transnational and multicultural contexts?’ Findings showed that travel and journeying (both physical and metaphorical) were highly significant, beneficial, and contributed greatly to emotional well-being as they allowed the academics to experience joy in transcultural teaching. Stage Four addresses the second research objective and incorporates two research questions. The question ‘How are academics’ intercultural competences in multicultural education formed?’ involved the theoretical delineation of the specific research area through an in-depth systematic literature review in order to develop a holistic explanatory model. The model considers epistemology and ontology of teaching practice, and contains four quadrants: self-knowledge, values, knowledge and skills. The final research question, ‘How do successful international tourism and hospitality educators embody and integrate competence in their teaching within multicultural and transnational classrooms?’ entailed close phenomenological analysis of the narrated experiences of four academics who had not only derived much enjoyment from their transcultural teaching, but had been publicly recognised by peers and by their universities as being successful teachers. The narrated experiences, approaches and opinions of these academics are analysed and organised according to the model and are explored under the headings Epistemology – which includes ‘cultural knowledge’ and ‘skills’; and Ontology, which covers ‘values’ and ‘self’. Stage Five considers the implications and significance of this research for higher education. The thesis contributes not only to research into teaching and internationalisation of education, but also makes original contributions to qualitative research methodology.

The research questions of this study were to determine the specific hotel, restaurant and institutional management courses offered as required and elective courses, to determine which hospitality management courses were taught by faculty members in the hospitality management program versus being taught by faculty in other programs, to determine the teaching methods used to present hospitality curriculum, and to determine the distance learning methods currently used.

Curriculum assessment has been an important tool in measuring the effectiveness of the curriculum to evaluate student learning and preparedness. This study develops a conceptual framework, based on course offerings and descriptions of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to evaluate how the curriculum contributes to students’ preparedness for their future career. Using an online field survey, this study examines the skills that contribute to students’ preparedness. Besides putting forward the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and identifying the significant skill areas that contribute significantly to students’ preparedness, findings of this study indicate that students are quite well prepared and overall satisfied with the program. Results also highlight the importance of work experience as an integral part of the curriculum in affecting students’ preparedness.