Paul R. Gamble

The educational challenge for hospitality and tourism studies

The lot of the forecaster is never particularly comfortable. Indeed, it might be suggested that to forecast is one of those irregular verbs which conjugate rather oddly. I forecast, you estimate, he guesses. In considering the directions in which hospitality and tourism studies might progress over the next ten years or so it is important to set the parameters within which changes and developments might take shape. Clearly, there are two types of forces which might influence the nature of forecasts. The first are elements amenable to prediction by one method or another. These include such matters as population trends, transport capacity or the supply of oil. Such matters are the province of uncertainty, a realm where outcomes may be expected but it is difficult to attach accurate probabilities. Expectations of the size and character of these variables are rooted in presently identifiable situations. Thus the aircraft that will be in service over the next decade or so are either already flying or are under manufacture. The second element is not so amenable to prediction since it concerns matters of policy or politics in one country or another. Thus while oil supply may be estimated, the price of oil can only be guessed. Another war, a change in domestic policy, the break up of the USSR could all have a significant impact on oil prices, with concomitant implications for tourism and travel. the 1980s saw a growth in the provision of hotel and catering courses and a significant growth in the provision of tourism courses, which are cheaper to operate. During this period, UK providers of higher and further education have been encouraged to increase throughput and to expand access. This is all part of a desperate attempt on the part of the UK government to redress a iong standing UK problem: the low proportion of UK managers who hold some kind of formal qualification. However, these initiatives have not been confined to the UK. Reflecting changes in the competitive environment, the growing importance of the Japanese economy and the general emergence of the Pacific Rim countries in political and economic terms, there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of a qualified workforce. In this respect, debates about the relative merits of education versus training are not the issue. It is much more difficult to train an uneducated workforce, and that is as true in services as in manufacturing.

IS decision-making: a study in information-intensive firms

This paper looks at IS decisions within small professional organizations. The study investigates three aspects of IS decision processes drawn from the literature. These focus upon organizational approaches to planning, risk management and product selection, and the factors that impact upon each process. The results of an exploratory survey undertaken in nine firms are presented and compared with the findings of existing research. One expectation is supported; two prove unsupported.

Building a Yield Management System—The Flip Side

Trends toward globalization of markets have implications for the way in which hotels are managed. Computer technology is an important tool in this process. A project to develop a functional specification for a computerized yield management system in a large, middle market London hotel revealed serious difficulties with available data and deficiencies in management training. It also indicated that a major reorientation away from a unit perspective might be needed if yield is to be maximized by more technically capable managers.

Expert front office management by computer

Abstract A great deal of interest has been fostered in the West by Japanese projects to develop ‘intelligent’ computer systems. Almost all of the so-called expert systems designed so far have been related to applications in science or engineering where problem-solving is highly structured. Although intelligent computer systems can be of value to managers, all computer-based hotel systems currently on the market are intended to function at a clerical level. Thus in a reservation system, the computer does none of the important work of managing occupancies and room rates, it merely keeps records and files. This article describes work that is being undertaken at the University of Surrey to help hotel reservation managers make accept/refuse decisions. The expert system that is being developed tries to reproduce the expertise of real reservation managers on an inexpensive, business microcomputer.

Confronting EU unpopularity: the contribution of political marketing

Political marketing is making headway around the world. However, this development is not uniform in nature. Research to date into political marketing has offered limited insights into different national contexts and involves only the study of political parties or of particular political campaigns. Research into government policy-making and political marketing is also immature. The present analysis of political marketing and EU integration addresses this gap in the research. More specifically, following a deductive approach, this paper investigates whether EU policy-making conforms to the Lees-Marshment political organisation behaviour model, in particular, its market-orientation element. It argues that the decline in popular support for European integration is the result of a lack of market orientation in EU policy-making. Group social psychology is deemed to be at the root of public dissatisfaction with EU policy-making and the lack of market orientation of the latter. While pressure from voters (the market) should not feed directly into EU policy-making without any input from political organisations, public consultation on EU policy should take place at all stages of the policy process.

The conception and development of a microcomputer-based catering information system

Abstract The development of microcomputers with true commercial potential has radically altered the approach that is possible to the design of food control systems. However, the fact that lower costs of hardware are more easily cost-justified may tend to obscure the fact that the process of systems analysis surrounding the design of computer-based procedures is complex, especially in the case of food and beverage operations. In addition it must be recognised that computer-based procedures are unlikely to be cost effective if they are conceived of simply as ‘electronic manual systems’. A catering information system (CIS) requires the production of highly specialised software, calling for a clear understanding of the needs of the food and beverage manager coupled with an ability to exploit the functional capabilities of small computer systems to the full.

Some implications of computers for hospitality managers

Abstract This paper considers the importance of new developments in information technology in the context of the social and economic conditions of the 1980s and discusses some implications for productivity. The relatively limited role that this technology has played in the hospitality industry is outlined and changes in the skills and attitudes of managers are suggested. It is thought that the changes may be accompanied by greater centralisation of decision-taking and emphasis on planning roles. It concludes that decision-making is essentially a social and therefore a human process but that managers in this industry need to take a more active role in personal development in order to exploit the technology to the full. In this way, some of the current difficulties of the hospitality industry might be overcome with a lesser threat to employment.

Low Cost Multi-Media for Distance Learning

Programmed learning systems have been of interest to educationalists for more than half a century. Since the late 1970s and particularly in the 1980s a great deal of attention has been given to computer assisted or computer-based education and training. However, it is curious to reflect that the majority of University courses, even in business and management schools are based on conventional, classroom-based methods. Many exciting and innovative alternatives have been developed but the diffusion of these ideas has been slow. Very often, great elegance in design and delivery is supported at enormous cost.