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.