Reflections on tourism higher education: Innovation and Change

Key paper presented @NITHM Conference, October 2013

Innovation and Change in Tourism Higher Education

With special focus on India

Babu P George, PhD


Using Research to Shape Tourism Education Policy

The utilization of research based knowledge promises greater success in achieving objectives for a rich and prosperous society – Toffler.

A very recent phenomenon In response to an increasing number of tourism educational programs failing one after

another

“It is difficult to get decision-makers to listen to us”, says many educational researchers

Except when such research is carried out at the explicit direction of the decision makers who have vested interests in the outcome

Also, there exists fragmentation at the policy making levels (who should make tourism educational policy? Ministry of HRD, Tourism, Culture, or Environment?).

Educational policy tend to show governmental priorities for businesses (unfortunately?)

E.g.: Notions of competition, markets, and quality assurance, commonly associated with industry and commerce, are reflected in tourism higher education policy.


A Brief History of Tourism Education

In many countries, tourism education evolved from trade schools and polytechnics

Historical focus on skills (knowledge utilization) than knowledge creation (research) or knowledge sharing (education).

Historically, tourism education has taken a very slow start, followed by abrupt (unsustainable) expansion, …and then?

Lack of direction? Premature death? Absorption by other disciplines?

In the US, tourism education started in ‘home science’ schools, later absorbed by b-schools.

Independent existence of tourism schools is rare unless there is significant local industry support.

Early movers overcame ‘decline’ by internationalization

Australian universities either

Went overseas (direct export or via partnerships)

Promoted home campuses overseas (via educational fairs, edu consultants, etc)


Tourism Education as a ‘Product’

Difference in the lifecycle stages of the “tourism education product”

In terms of popularityIn terms of ‘disciplination’


History of Tourism Knowledge

Early studies featured mostly economic prospects of tourism, emphasizing its benefits.

Note: Sociologists had identified the leisure class’ before this.

Gradually, this unilateral economic view gave way to a wave of studies focusing on the sociocultural aspects of tourism and brought the benefits of tourism under scrutiny.

Thirdly, research then focused on alternative forms of tourism development which were potentially sustainable, with minimal unwanted consequences (this marks the beginning of growing out of disciplinary boundaries).

Source: Jafari, J. (1990). Research and scholarship: the basis of tourism education. Journal of Tourism Studies, 1(1), 33–41.


The Drive Behind Mainstream Initiatives

Keep the industry abreast with the latest technology and trends.

Increase the availability of qualified replacement staff at all times.

Raise the image of careers in tourism.

Staff new and growing tourist industry(ies).

Respond to tightening employment regulation.

Reduce foreign labor.

Source: Amoah, V. A., & Baum, T. (1997). Tourism education: policy versus practice. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(1), 5–12.


Confusion about target markets and nomenclature

Tourism graduates are often recruited by non-tourism employers

Likewise, tourism industry also recruits non-tourism graduates

Industry doesn’t know the curriculum content or preparation

Most common degree titles are Tourism Management and Tourism Studies.

Mostly prefixed with terms such as ‘international’, ‘global’, etc.

some amalgamate their titles with leisure, recreation, sports, and/or hospitality.

Variety in terms of BS / BA / MSc/ MA/MBA

Vocational Vs. Academic focus

Such variety confuses the students and the employers alike!

An unanswered question: should tourism degrees enable students to seek employment outside of the industry?


Lack of Accreditors … or, Credible Accreditors

Until recently, tourism education suffered from domain-centered accreditors

In the US, AACSB, ACBSP, and IACBE accredited tourism programs

TEDQUAL has not taken off

Hospitality programs has somewhat better known domain centered authenticators

CHRIE

No agreement even about whether certain courses should be ‘core’ of the tourism curriculum

The lack of a centralized quality standards controller actually helped in nurturing the most needed diversity for tourism education


Problems in Teaching Tourism

“The most wide-ranging industry in the world, in terms of disciplinary contributions required to understand it”

“The most culturally diverse industry in the world, in terms of guests and hosts involved”

“The most politically charged industry in the world, in terms of inter-stakeholder strains”

“The most neglected industry in the world, in terms of developmental priorities”


Education for Tourism Policy Makers

Important because, among other things, they influence tourism educational policy for others

Almost no attention being paid to the training and educational needs of tourism policy-makers.

Stress has been on providing vocational training for lower level employees in government

Training programs for immigration staff, guide training programs, etc

Training for tourism policy makers should academically based, not procedure-protocol based, noted long back by Jenkins (1980).

Source: Jenkins, C. L. (1980). Education for tourism policy makers in developing countries. International Journal of Tourism Management, 1(4), 238–242.


India-specific Problems

Ambiguity about institutional vision-mission

Constituency Disputes Program hosting

Interdepartmental tussles

Ideological wars

Typical profile of a tourism student Underrepresentation of the work-experienced students

Studies show students with just 1-2 years of experience make a lot of difference in business learning; long years of experience has diminishing marginal utility.#

Career issues for tourism graduates in India

Industry-institute interfacing problems

How do we know what we do that we claim to do? Lack of scientific approaches to assessment

#Source: Rethinking the MBA. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/04/rethinking-the-mba-2/


The Internet as ‘Destabilizer’ – Education not exempt! Brick-n-mortar classroom based instruction is no longer the holy grail

Hybrid, fully online, and MOOC options

Economies of scale and scope

A global degree without leaving your doorsteps!

Or, only part-time abroad

Virtual industry visits and internships, too

Getting a ‘degree certificate’ has become less important

‘Webification’ is not merely digitizing content

It requires understanding of the underlying cultural drives

Educator’s role as knowledge sharer is almost gone!

Increasingly important role as information complexity / overload reducer

Also, role as content creator for open-audiences

“Share and thou shalt receive”

The increasing weightage of faculty research for faculty competency measurements

“Active learning” as a strategy to reduce the blind assault by technology

The Three Domains Model of Higher Education by Dale & Robinson (2001) and Improvisation by George (2013) Model identifies a wide range of

(conflicting) issues in curriculum design

But misses target when there is need to classify programs by academic, professional, vocational, and entrepreneurial

Also, silent on the issue of Academic rigor Vs. Practical relevance

Source: Dale, C., & Robinson, N. (2001). The theming of tourism education: a three-domain approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13(1), 30–35.



The Uncertain, Fluid, New World THREE FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION FOR 21St

Century

Knowing (Knowledge), Doing (Skill), Being (Developing sense of personal identity and purpose)

We should prepare our graduates to face:

Globalization

Flat world, but not the death of cultures

Interdependence

Connectedness is cool, but ‘loss of sub-system autonomy/control’

Technological revolution(s) / Disruptions

No more continuous ‘waves/cycles of change’

Demographic shifts

Migration, ethnic-racial-mix shifts, etc

Complex market forces

… among others.

HOW?

By developing adaptable workforce(s)

Technologically and culturally adaptive


The Increasing Need for B-School Based Tourism Programs There’s more of an opportunity to make positive changes through

business than ever Business has become the single greatest definer of life

Leisure, recreation, and tourism have become the key icons of consumption

Business School based tourism programs are best suited to impact a world defined in terms of business

But, business is not, or should not be, life

Bring life to business!

Bring life to business by developing business leaders who are life-filled!

Existing B-Schools where built for an era meant to “bring business to life” than to “bring life to business”

This calls for fundamental reorganization of business educational programs in tourism as well

A fusion of tourism domain knowledge with business, arts and sciences, and technology

Ethical training that emphasizes integrated thinking, broad perspectives, and cultural awareness, along with specific expertise

May be, it is a good idea to mimic medical schools. The more the fieldwork / action learning, the better.

Already, some advocate for insisting MBAs to take oaths before they could practice


Two New MBA Models: Rethinking MBA for Tourism Schools

Carnegie Melon Flex MBA Online+In-person+Independent Learning

Short classes, not MOOC style

Typically, 32 months duration

Roughly 7 week long mini semesters

2 courses per mini semester

“Access weekends”, typically the last 3 days of the mini-semester for in-person residency

Flex MBA will have 10-20 courses, in accordance with the prior preparation of the learners

http://www.tepper.cmu.edu/mba/mba-curriculum/mba-programs-coursework/flexmba/index.aspx

Rutgers Mini-MBA Twelve 3-hour modules on a narrowly defined professional area. Must attend a

Minimum of 10 sessions to earn a certificate.

http://cmd.rutgers.edu/subject-area/mini-mba

http://cmd.rutgers.edu/subject-area/mini-mba


Questions? Perspectives? Discussion?

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