Strategic Issues in Tourism and Hospitality

DESCRIPTION:
Capstone course that combines a taught and a work-based learning component to integrate and further develop knowledge from prior business administration and tourism and hospitality courses. The emphasis in on strategic business planning and on the evaluation of the strategic importance of various concepts, issues and trends. The course extends over two teaching periods, typically the Spring semester and Summer Term.

RATIONALE: 
Survival and effectiveness in a global and highly competitive industry require managers who are able to think at a higher, strategic level. The course presents core strategic management and business planning theory concepts and frameworks and applies them in the context of tourism and hospitality organisations. The course runs over a period of two teaching terms and combines a taught component and an industry-hosted project carried out during a work-based learning component.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 
As a result of taking this course the student should be able to:
1. Critically assess the impact of business environment factors on strategic decision-making in tourism and hospitality organisations by using appropriate conceptual tools and methodologies
2. Critically analyse the strategic importance of a topic relating to managerial functions (e.g. marketing, finance, human resources and operations management) in the tourism and hospitality industry in a work-based learning environment
3. Combine primary research evidence and relevant theoretical knowledge in discussing implications for management and strategy in tourism and hospitality

METHOD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING:
In congruence with the teaching and learning strategy of the college, the following tools are used:
- Class lectures, interactive learning (class discussions, group work) and practical problems solved in class.
- Research tutorials: identification of appropriate research gap in the knowledge domain, formulation of appropriate research question(s), selection of appropriate research tools and methodologies, data analysis, evaluation of quantitative and qualitative outputs.
- Students will be required to complete a major written project employing primary as well as secondary data collection and 
analysis. The subject of the project must directly relate to a strategic problem faced by the tourism/hospitality organization that hosts this work-based learning component.
- Complex case studies – analyses and presentations, both orally and in writing.
- Exercises and primary source documents are assigned as homework, the solutions of which are reviewed in class.
- Office hours: students are encouraged to make full use of the office hours of their instructor, where they can ask questions, see their exam paper, and/or go over lecture material.
- Use of blackboard site, where instructors post lecture notes, assignments instructions, timely announcements, as well as additional resources.