Jean Hertzman

The Industry Experience Gap: Hospitality Faculty Perceptions of the Importance of Faculty Industry Experience

It is estimated almost half of the current hospitality educators in the United States will be retiring within the next 10 years. In their place, the junior faculty who remain, as well as new hires, will have substantially less industry experience than their predecessors. This research sought to determine the perceptions of both hospitality students and faculty regarding the importance of faculty industry experience. The findings of this study are valuable to administrators who wish to maintain rigor within their academic programs and thus may serve as a benchmark for future hiring purposes.

College Students and Quick-Service Restaurants: How Students Perceive Restaurant Food and Services

The current generation of college students has grown up with many quick-service restaurants. In the United States, the top three quick-service restaurants are McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys. A survey of 499 college students was conducted regarding their satisfaction levels with quick-service restaurant foods and services. The results indicated that if the quick-service restaurant wants to attract college students, they must concentrate on providing outstanding “quality value” and “practical value.” Wendys received the highest satisfaction scores over McDonalds and Burger King. The results from this study can assist executives and managers in developing strategic plans appropriate for the college student market.

Activity-Based Costing Menu Engineering: A New and More Accurate Way to Maximize Profits from Your Restaurant Menu

Abstract Traditional cost accounting systems have been replaced in recent years in the manufacturing sector by Activity-Based Costing (ABC) systems. This study tests and demonstrates whether the incorporation of ABC data into traditional menu engineering methods provides food service managers with an improved tool for cost and profitability analysis. The study uses ABC data collected from a restaurant in a western urban area of the United States. The results reveal that ABC Menu Engineering is a superior method for establishing overall menu profitability, and that a restaurant managers menu management decisions will change dramatically if he or she is confronted with differing results from a contribution margin menu engineering analysis and an ABC approach.

Career Planning Strategies and Skills of Hospitality Management Students

This exploratory study combines the literature on competencies and career related topics for hospitality management students, in relation to the characteristics of the Millennial generation and the evolving workplace. It investigates student perceptions of career planning strategies and skills and identifies significant differences arising from work experience, extra-curricular activities, class level, and other factors. The researchers surveyed students at three public universities in the western United States. Students who are closer to graduation, have work experience, participate in hospitality student clubs, and attend on-campus career events have better developed career plans and report higher level skills than those who do not.

Towards a Model of Wine Event Loyalty

The current research investigated factors that motivate attendance and produce loyalty to the UNLVino™ wine tasting event in Las Vegas. A model was developed to explain how attendance motivators, event satisfaction and emotional commitment contribute to wine event loyalty. Models were constructed for three behavioral loyalty indices: revisit intention, recommendation, and willingness-to-pay. Three factors were found to be primary attendance motivators: wine experience, enjoyment and social recognition. The importance of these factors did not differ between first-time and repeat visitors. The results showed that emotional commitment was the strongest predictor of behavioral loyalty, and served as a mediating variable for attendance motivated by the wine experience. Attendance motivated by enjoyment influenced loyalty directly and through its impact on satisfaction. The findings suggest that festival and event planners should seek ways to build emotional commitment and increase social capital among constituents.

Evaluating quality in associate degree culinary arts programs

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine which categories and indicators of quality are best suited to evaluating associate degree culinary arts programs (ADCAP).Design/methodology/approach – The researchers surveyed a national sample of culinary educators and industry chefs in the USA. The instrument asked the participants to rate the importance levels of 50 potential quality indicators for ADCAP. The data were analyzed to determine the most important indicators as well as categories of indicators.Findings – Data analysis revealed the five most important indicators of quality, based on mean scores, to be: sanitation of kitchen laboratories; industry experience of faculty; subject experience of faculty; required internship; and job placement rates. From these data, the researchers developed a list of 20 suggested quality indicators. The indicators were originally divided into eight categories. The majority of the suggested indicators came from the faculty, organization and administration, and f...

Adaptation and international students' perceptions of on‐campus foodservice

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether length of time spent in the USA impacts perceptions of international students studying in US schools regarding the service and food quality of on‐campus foodservice operations.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers surveyed international students at one Southeastern and one Southwestern university in the USA regarding their perceptions of university foodservice, divided into six factors, i.e. service and sanitation, food dislikes, selection and taste, drinks, value, and crowding. A two‐way MANOVA test was performed using SPSS Version 17.0 to identify any significant differences between the six factors, time in the USA, and universities.Findings – MANOVA testing indicated that there was a significant difference between length of time in the USA and the ratings of the service and sanitation factor. The group that had been in the USA for less than six months rated the service and sanitation factor higher than the group who had been in the U...

Identifying Factors That Influence Hospitality Students’ Willingness to Work With Older Employees

Ageism and age diversity are emerging challenges for the hospitality and tourism industry. The purpose of this study is to investigate hospitality students’ willingness to work with older employees. The research results showed that students’ willingness to work with older workers was significantly correlated with contact frequency and quality, and aging anxiety. Surprisingly, Asian students are less willing to work with older employees than American students. These findings indicate that hospitality students can have intergenerational issues at their workplace, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it highlights the need for hospitality and tourism programs to adopt pedagogical methods, including intergenerational service learning, to address the issue.

The value of culinary education: evaluating educational costs, job placement outcomes, and satisfaction with value of associate degree culinary and baking arts program graduates.

The cost of an associate degree in culinary or baking and pastry arts varies significantly depending on whether the program is housed in a public, private for-profit, or nonprofit institution. Rising tuition and student debt and new federal regulations concerning “gainful employment” have focused debate on the costs and value of education. This exploratory study surveyed chefs with associate degrees regarding the cost of and methods of paying for the program, first place of employment, job title, and salary, current salary, and satisfaction with the value of their education. The results showed that graduates of private for-profit schools were significantly less satisfied than those of public and private nonprofit programs.

Restaurant Customers’ Perceptions of Noise and Their Satisfaction and Loyalty Behaviors

This exploratory study expands the current literature on servicescapes by examining the total noise environment in restaurants and the impact of ambient noise levels and general restaurant attributes on customer satisfaction and loyalty behavior, defined as the customers willingness to return to a restaurant and motivation to recommend it. The researchers surveyed guests at one casual dining restaurant in the Southwestern United States. The results showed that services, physical attributes, and quality of food and beverage had significant impact on overall satisfaction, overall atmosphere, and loyalty behaviors. Noise level factors such as effects of noise and appropriateness of noise levels, influenced overall satisfaction, but not loyalty behaviors.