Competence directives for enhancing the employability of hospitality management graduates in South Africa
Abstract
English: Hospitality education institutions are often confronted by claims that they do not meet
one of the most significant challenges facing contemporary higher education, namely
the challenge to develop employable graduates in a time characterised by major
changes in the higher education environment and the world of work. This study sets
out to propose a comprehensive competence framework that will serve as a directive
for enhancing the employability of hospitality management graduates in South Africa.
In realising this aim, a mixed methods research design was adopted that incorporated
characteristics of the exploratory, embedded and evaluation research designs. The
incorporation of different research paradigms reflects the researcher's pragmatic
world-view. The study was completed in two phases. A literature review was
undertaken in the first phase to identify the unique characteristics of the international
and South African hospitality sector; and the challenges facing higher education in
South Africa. These aspects had to be considered in the development of the
competence framework. The literature review also served to conceptualise the
notions of employability, generic graduate attributes, competence(s), competency and
competencies. A time-consuming qualitative content analysis process was followed
and 2544 competence statements were collected from 44 purposefully selected
documents. These competences were then reduced to 220 competence statements
that could potentially enhance the employability of hospitality management
graduates. Based on the researcher's experience and expertise, seven competences
were added. The 227 competence statements were categorised within 25
competence domains and three competence clusters and were incorporated in a draft
competence framework.
In order to promote the adaptation of the draft competence framework to South
African circumstances, a Delphi evaluation of the framework was undertaken by 39
experts in the field. Additional competences were identified by panellists and the
researcher and 195 of all the competences (n=256) were categorised as "Essential
(over the four rounds of the Delphi evaluation). After careful review, the researcher
reduced the competence domains to 22 and the competence statements to 194 in his
final proposal of a competence framework for enhancing the employability of
hospitality management graduates in South Africa. The competences of the proposed
competence framework were categorised within three main clusters. The first two are
respectively vocational/hospitality and management based, while the third cluster
focuses on the generic graduate attribute concept.
The significance of the study lies in its contribution towards theory building in
competence modelling. This contribution to theory predominantly lies within the field
of higher education studies as applied in hospitality management course design and
quality assurance. As a directive for enhancing the employability of hospitality
management graduates, the competence framework can play an important role in
curriculum development; it can be used as a set of standards to judge the
employability of graduates against; it can assist to engage students in the process of
enhancing their employability; and could serve as a clear description to potential
employers of the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that can be expected from
hospitality management graduates. The proposed competence framework
furthermore supports the second strategic objective of the National Tourism Sector
Strategy that deals with the provision of excellent people development within the
South African tourism industry. It is recommended that hospitality management
academics and employers take note of the important implications the study can have
on the enhancement of the employability of hospitality management graduates in
South Africa. Afrikaans: Instansies wat gasvryheidsopleiding aanbied, word dikwels met beweringe
gekonfronteer dat hulle nie aan een van die belangrikste uitdagings voldoen
waarvoor moderne hoër onderwys te staan kom nie, naamlik die uitdaging om
indiensneembare graduandi op te lei in "n tyd wat gekenmerk word deur groot
veranderings in die hoër onderwys en in die werksomgewing. Die doel van hierdie
studie was om "n uitgebreide kompetensieraamwerk voor te stel wat rigtinggewend
kon wees in die bevordering van die indiensneembaarheid van gegradueerdes in
gasvryheidsbestuur in Suid-Afrika.
Ten einde hierdie oogmerk te bereik, is "n gemengde-metode navorsingsontwerp
gevolg wat eienskappe van die verkennende, ingebedde en
evalueringsnavorsingsontwerpe ingesluit het. Die insluiting van verskillende
navorsingsparadigmas weerspieël die navorser se pragmatiese lewens- en
wêreldbeskouing. Die studie is in twee fases voltooi. "n Literatuurstudie is in die
eerste fase onderneem ten einde die unieke kenmerke van die internasionale en
Suid-Afrikaanse gasvryheidsektore en die uitdagings waarvoor Suid-Afrikaanse hoër
onderwys te staan kom, te identifiseer. Hierdie aspekte moes oorweeg word in die
ontwikkeling van die kompetensieraamwerk. Die literatuurstudie het verder ook
bygedra tot die konseptualisering van die begrippe van indiensneembaarheid,
generiese attribute van gegradueerdes en "competence(s)", "competency" en
"competencies". "n Tydrowende, kwalitatiewe proses van inhoudsanalise is gevolg
en daar is 2 544 kompetensiestellings uit die 44 doelmatig-geselekteerde
dokumente versamel. Hierdie kompetensies is daarna tot 220 kompetensies, wat
moontlik tot die bevordering van gegradueerdes in gasvryheidsbestuur se
indiensneembaarheid kon bydra, verminder. Die navorser se ervaring en kundigheid
het as basis gedien vir die identifisering van sewe addisionele kompetensies. Die
227 kompetensiestellings is in 25 kompetensiedomeine en drie kompetensieklusters
gekategoriseer en in 'n konsepkompetensieraamwerk geïnkorporeer.
Ten einde die konsepraamwerk meer doeltreffend vir Suid-Afrikaanse
omstandighede aan te pas, is "n Delphi-evaluering van die raamwerk deur 39
kundiges in die veld uitgevoer. Die paneellede en die navorser het bykomende
kompetensies geïdentifiseer en 195 van al die kompetensies (n=256) is as
"Noodsaaklik" gekategoriseer (oor die vier rondtes van die Delphi-evaluering). Na
deeglike hersiening het die navorser die kompetensiedomeine tot 22 en die
kompetensiestellings tot 194 verminder in sy finale voorstel van 'n
kopetensieraamwerk vir die bevordering van gegradueerdes in gasvryheidsbestuur
se indiensneembaarheid in Suid-Afrika. Die kompetensiestellings van die
voorgestelde raamwerk is in drie kompetensieklusters gekategoriseer. Die eerste
twee fokus respektiewelik op beroeps-/gasvryheidsaspekte en op bestuur, terwyl die
derde kluster op die konsep van generiese attribute van gegradueerdes toegespits
is.
Die betekenis van die studie lê in sy bydrae tot die uitbouing van teorie in
kompetensiemodellering. Hierdie bydrae tot die teorie is hoofsaaklik geleë in die veld
van hoëronderwysstudie, soos toegepas in die kursusontwerp en gehalteversekering
van gasvryheidsbestuur. Die kompetensieraamwerk, as 'n riglyn vir die bevordering
van die indiensneembaarheid van gegradueerdes in gasvryheidsbestuur, kan 'n
belangrike rol speel in kurrikulumontwikkeling; dit kan as 'n stel standaarde gebruik
word waarteen die indiensneembaarheid van gegradueerders beoordeel kan word;
dit kan studente behulpsaam wees om betrokke te raak in die proses om hul
indiensneembaarheid te bevorder; en dit verskaf 'n duidelike beskrywing van die
kennis, vaardighede, houdings en waardes wat werkgewers van gegradueerdes in
gasvryheidsbestuur kan verwag. Die voorgestelde kompetensieraamwerk
ondersteun verder die tweede strategiese oogmerk van die Nasionale Toerismesektorstrategie,
wat die voorsiening van uitnemende menslike ontwikkeling binne die
Suid-Afrikaanse toerisme industrie nastreef. Daar word aanbeveel dat akademici in
gasvryheidsbestuur en werkgewers kennis neem van die belangrike bydrae wat die
studie kan lewer ten opsigte van die bevordering van gegradueerdes in
gasvryheidsbestuur se indiensneembaarheid in Suid-Afrika.
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