Higher Education Funding Council for England

British Hospitality Association

Council for Hospitality Management Education

Hotel & Catering International Management Association

Review of hospitality management

Ref 98/15

This version of the publication contains the Contents, Chairman's foreword, Summary and Introduction only. The complete printed version can be obtained from HEFCE.

Contents

Chairman's foreword>

Summary

Introduction

Terms of reference

Process and timetable

Expected outcomes

Background to hospitality management

The industry

Characteristics

Economic significance

Human resource issues

The academic subject

Findings

Definition of the academic subject

The flow of qualified people from higher education

Numbers studying

Supply to the labour market

Regional issues and modes of study

Characteristics of undergraduate courses

The needs of the industry

The needs of the student

Graduate standards

Generic versus specialist

The practical element

Laboratory work

IT training

The threat to the practical core

Supervised work experience

Locations

Industry links and the relevance of courses

Academic staff development

Research

Bibliography

Glossary

Annex A Panel membership

Annex B Guide to the HEFCE's method for funding teaching

Annex C Illustrations of diversity in the industry

Annex D First employment destinations for hospitality management students qualifying from higher education institutions in England

Annex E Institutions in England offering undergraduate hospitality management courses

Annex F Project subjects chosen by two BA classes at Nottingham Trent University

Chairman's foreword

Hospitality management is a small but distinctive part of higher education provision which serves a large, rapidly growing and increasingly diverse industry. Its distinguishing features are a strong emphasis on practical skills acquired in specialised accommodation, and close connections with the industry. Concerns that resource pressures are threatening the quality of provision, and especially the practical element, led to this review.

It is pleasing to record that the original approach to the HEFCE was made jointly by higher education providers and industry. The solutions to the problems identified in the review are most likely to be found by strengthening co-operation between the two. In particular, the creation of professional standards for hospitality managers by a new joint body should safeguard the practical element in higher education courses.

It will be important for higher education institutions to take a strategic view of the development and resourcing of hospitality management courses, and for industry leaders to lend their strong support to the creation of both professional standards and attractive career routes.

We hope that our report will contribute to the progressive development of the partnership between higher education and industry.

Professor Clive Booth
Chairman of the review panel

Summary

1. This review of hospitality management was commissioned by the HEFCE, in response to concerns from higher education institutions and industry about the future development of the subject. The Council appointed a joint panel, with representatives drawn from both sectors. This report presents our findings and recommendations.

2. We define hospitality management as having a core which addresses the management of food, beverages and/or accommodation in a service context. The core includes a combination of college-based practical training and supervised work experience. This practical element is a defining characteristic which differentiates the subject from mainstream business and management courses. The core includes personal skills - such as communication, teamworking, and self-confidence - which have implications for marketing and recruitment to courses as well as for their delivery.

3. We note that the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is reviewing its data categories. We conclude that there should be an identified category falling within our definition of hospitality management, separate from related courses.

4. The flow of qualified people from higher education is low in relation to the size of the industry and to forecast demand for qualified managers. We find no evidence that graduates are less likely than those of other vocational subjects to go into the relevant industry. However, we note that wastage occurs through the industry's failure to retain its entrants.

5. There is a need for further research into the career routes of managers. We propose the joint sponsorship of a prototype for tracking back the careers of managers in the industry, to identify the influence of qualifications on their progression.

6. We invite higher education institutions to consider in their strategic planning whether there are opportunities to develop the subject, and, if so, how best to meet them. We note that the HEFCE's annual initiative to allocate additional student numbers is a potential source of support.

7. We find that the industry values higher education for providing industry-specific technical skills and practical experience. But we are concerned to find that a number of factors are gradually eroding this distinguishing feature of hospitality management courses, in spite of efforts by the higher education providers to prevent this. We conclude that there should be a baseline requirement of practical competence for entry into the industry. To support this, we recommend regulation by a subject association which brings together the various interested bodies.

8. Communication is good at ground level between subject specialists and industry; however, there is a considerable gap, and many misconceptions, at national level. To strengthen their links with employers, we recommend that higher education providers make use of:

• consultancy and research findings presented in user-friendly language
• research conferences targeted at employers
• the trade press as a method of communication with employers
• a register of higher education speakers for national industry events
• joint industry/higher education study groups.

We believe it is equally important for the industry to make efforts to improve communication with higher education providers.

9. We suggest that a rationalisation of course titles would clarify perceptions of the subject, although this would need to take into account specialist courses, such as licensed retail management. The industry has diverse sectors, but a common culture, summed up as 'hospitality'. The use in higher education of words such as 'hotel', 'catering', and particularly 'institutional' can be misleading. They distract attention from the subject's management focus, and contribute little to its status.

Introduction

10. In April 1997, representatives from higher education and industry met with the HEFCE to express concern about the future development of the subject of hospitality management. As a result of that meeting, the HEFCE undertook to facilitate a joint academic and industry review of hospitality management provision. This report presents the findings of the review panel.

Terms of reference

11. The panel came together in July 1997, under the chairmanship of Professor Clive Booth. Annex A shows the panel's membership. Our terms of reference were to:

a. Propose an agreed definition of the academic subject area, to better inform the HEFCE, employers and institutions.

b. Identify and review the hospitality management programmes provided by higher and further education institutions which the HEFCE directly funds.

c. Consider the regional provision of undergraduate programmes.

d. Review the content of existing programmes to identify:

1. Workshop and laboratory components required for the development of professional hospitality management skills.
2. Existing innovative and relevant provision.
3. Key areas of technological and skills development required for the industry of the future.
   

12. It was not our task, as a panel, to assess quality: that is the business of a range of other bodies. We also agreed that we would not look at the detailed structure of courses, but would concentrate on the key elements. Lastly, it was not within our remit to negotiate levels of public funding, although the HEFCE's new method for funding teaching formed a backdrop to the review. (A guide to the method is at Annex B.)

Process and timetable

13. As a full panel, we met three times between September 1997 and March 1998. During this time, we were able to hear views directly from subject specialists, through the biannual conference of the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME). A number of parallel studies also informed our discussions, including those being undertaken by the Hospitality Training Foundation (HtF), the Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA), the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), and the HEFCE.

Expected outcomes

14. Our intention was to write and publish a short report that would:

• describe current provision in hospitality management
• address the industry's concern that higher education is failing to meet its needs
• encourage higher education institutions to take a more strategic view of development and investment in the subject.

15. We hoped that the review process and the report would contribute to the work of parallel projects. We also hoped to stimulate further research to ensure the relevance of higher education provision to the needs of the industry.