IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL VISIT TOWARDS HOTEL MANAGEMENT STUDENTS

e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020

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IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL VISIT TOWARDS HOTEL MANAGEMENT STUDENTS Karan Bir Singh*1, Jyoti Prakash*2 *1Research *2Research

Scholar – Faculty of Hospitality, GNA University, Phagwara (Punjab), India.

Scholar – School of Hospitality, GD Goenka University, Gurgaon (Haryana), India.

ABSTRACT The hotel industry is a very large industry that grows day by day with some innovations. The hotel industry is interrelated with customers and services. But the base of the hotel industry is its hard- working employees which include some experienced employees and some freshers. Hotel management schools play a vital role in the growth of the hospitality industry by providing qualified and skilled hoteliers.

During hotel management courses many hotel management institutes provide one day or two-day industrial visits to their students which helps students to observe the real work scenario of the hotel industry. Industrial visit helps students to identify how hotel operations work. Many students have their own opinion regarding the impact and importance of the industrial visit to the hotel. In this study try to find out the impacts of an industrial visit towards hotel management students and also try to find out the importance of the industrial visit. Keywords: - Impact, Industrial visit, Hotel management, Students.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The growth rate of the hotel industry is more than that of other industries. The success rate of the hotel industry is more than in other industries. The secret behind the success of the hotel industry is its hardworking employees which act as the pillars of the hotel industry. In today's world, the hotel industry provides all the luxury and non-luxury services that you need in daily life. The success rate behind this industry is skilled employees with true commitment. In previous times mostly hotel employees were uneducated due to lack of culinary school or other reasons. But in today's world, the scenario of the hotel industry changed due to the awareness and importance of culinary school. In this time mostly hotel employees are well educated as well as a master in their field with skills. This is all possible due to the awareness regarding culinary school and demand of qualified employees in the hotel industry. The role of the hotel management institute plays a vital role to provide qualified employees in the hotel industry.

During the hotel management course institute provides knowledge of various departments of the hotel which include both practical and theoretical knowledge. In theoretical knowledge, the hotel management institute provides all past, present, future aspects of the hotel industry and practical hotel management institutes create the environment the same as in the hotel industry with the help of a practical lab. During the practical session, they provide all the necessary equipment necessary for the students for learning.

Additionally, they provide various kinds of workshops which is very helpful from the viewpoint of skill and knowledge enhancement. During a hotel management course, the hotel management institute arranges special industrial visits or industrial tours for the students. This kind of industrial tour or industrial visit plays a vital role in students. Industrial visits or Industrial tours provide real work or operation scenarios in front of hotel management students. Industrial visit helps the student to gain knowledge and skill by observing hotel operations. In industrial visits or industrial tours students are free to ask queries regarding hotel operations. The industrial visit provides a wide idea about the hotel industry in front of hospitality students. During industrial visits students are able to know every aspect regarding the hotel industry. Industrial visit depends upon the approval of the star rated hotel. The hotel allows the institute at that time in which the hotel has less mobility of guests. But each student has their opinion regarding a hotel visit or industrial visit. According to some students, it's beneficial for their career advancement opportunities. Every student has a different opinion regarding the industrial tour. Through this study trying to find out the all-important aspects of the industrial tour and student perception regarding industrial tour during a hotel management course. This study also tried to find out the impact of the industrial visit on hotel management students. This study helps to understand the perception of www.irjmets.com

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e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020

Impact Factor- 5.354

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hotel management students regarding the industrial visit. This study helps to clear the vision regarding that industrial visit for students worthy or not. The base of the study also tried to give some suggestions which will help to improve the industrial visit concept.

II.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Edmund Goh and Brent Ritchie (2011) This study’s results strongly reemphasize the need for institutions to include field trips as part of their course curriculum given the known benefits and students’ perception of enhancement of understanding of course materials.

Wong & Wong, (2008) Teachers, and students who have employed experiential learning methods and techniques in hospitality and tourism courses have consistently reported positive student responses and beliefs that their learning has benefited from the field trips.

Sanders and Armstrong, (2008) have reported field trips to have enhanced students’ learning and increased their practical knowledge in the absence of actual work experience.

Do, K. (2006) The field trip in Tourism and Hospitality education is a useful educational tool for transforming learning experience beyond the traditional classroom.

Xie, P. (2004) The benefits of field trips can be seen in that students are exposed to new environments that increase the amount they learn.

Morrison and O’Mahony (2003) have also urged educational institutions to modify their higher education curriculum to incorporate more reflective thinking and critical analysis components.

Porth, (1997) Besides the enhancement of student learning, field trips also benefit faculty members with valuable professional development experience.

Jenkins, (1997) Field Trips are very useful for theoretical courses to engage in experiential activities for a chance to reflect upon the field trip experience and relate it to their wider reading and theoretical aspects of the course.

Joplin, (1981) Students are viewed as learners during field trips, with the learning by doing approach, and taking some ownership of their learning experience.

III.

OBJECTIVES



To identify whether an industrial visit is worthwhile for students or not.



To find out the impact of the industrial visit on students.



To ascertain the student’s level of interest to work in the hotel industry after an industrial visit.

IV.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this research, Primary data collection was done with the help of google survey form which was distributed among 80 respondents with the help of convenience sampling technique, but only 74 respondents replied back (92.5% response rate) for survey form. In this study, the study population was students of hotel management from a private university in Punjab.

Data Analysis In this study, basically all responses which were collected from various questions were analyzed with the help of a simple percentage method pie and column charts.

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Fig. 1: Gender of the respondents On the base of (Fig. 1) out of 74 respondents 59% were males and 41% were females.

Fig. 2: Age of the respondents On the base of above (Fig. 2) out of 74 respondents 61% respondents were in the age group of 18- 21 years, 23% were in the age group of 22-24 years, 9% were in the age group of 25-27 years & 7% were in the age of above 27 years.

Fig. 3: Preferred department before industrial visit www.irjmets.com

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It is observed from (Fig. 3) that 32% of the respondents preferred Front Office department, 28% preferred Food Production, 22% preferred Food & Beverage Services department and rest of the respondents that is 18% preferred Housekeeping Department before the industrial visit or industrial tour to a hotel.

Fig. 5: Preferred department after industrial visit Based on (Fig. 5) 30% of the students preferred the Front Office department, 27% of students preferred the Food Production Department, 27% students preferred the Food & Beverage service department and the rest of the students that is 16% preferred the Housekeeping Department.

Fig. 6: Perception toward Hotel work environment before industrial visit to a hotel It is quite clear from (Fig. 6) that 58% of students had positive, 34% of students neutral and 8% of students had negative perception towards the hotel work environment before industrial visit to a hotel.

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Impact Factor- 5.354

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Fig. 7: Perception toward Hotel work environment after industrial visit to a Hotel The (Fig. 7) depict that 51% of the students had positive, 39% of the students neutral and 10% of the students had negative perception toward the hotel work environment after an industrial visit to a hotel.

Fig. 8: Level of interest to work in hotel industry before industrial visit On the basis of (Fig. 8) 42% of the students were very interested, 47 % of students were interested, 10% of students were less interested and 1% of the students were not interested to work in the hotel industry before industrial visit.

Fig. 9: Level of interest to work in hotel industry after industrial visit www.irjmets.com

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Impact Factor- 5.354

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On the basis of (Fig. 9) 27% of the students were very interested, 58% of the students interested, 10% of the students less interested and 5% of the students were not interested to work in the hotel industry after industrial visit.

Fig. 10: Learning from industrial visit.

Based on (Fig. 10) out of 74 students, 69 students agreed (Yes) that they got to learn from the industrial visit and only 5 students out of 74 not agreed (No) with that they got any learning from the industrial visit.

Fig. 11: Industrial visits beneficial for career advancement opportunities On the basis of (Fig. 11) out of 74 students, 70 students agreed (Yes) with that industrial visit beneficial for career advancement opportunities, and only 4 students out of 74 students disagreed with that industrial visit beneficial for the career advancement opportunities.

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e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020

Impact Factor- 5.354

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Fig. 12: Opinion regarding industrial visit from hotel management students.

On the basis of (Fig. 12) out of 74 students 67 students agreed (Yes) that industrial visit should be mandatory during the course of hotel management for students but only 7 students out 74 students did not agree (No) with this statement that industrial visit should be mandatory for hotel management students during their course.

Fig. 13: Opinion of the students regarding industrial visit compulsation during course On the base of (Fig. 13), 32% of the students agree for 1st year, 37% of the students agree for 2nd year, 19% of the students agree for 3rd year and 12% of the students agree for 4th year in which industrial visit should be mandatory for hotel management students during their course.

Observations 

A maximum number of students did not change their opinion regarding the preference of departments before and after the industrial visit. Very few students change their preferences regarding departments. This concludes that there is some extent of the impact of industrial visits towards hotel management students regarding preference of departments.



The study shows that the maximum number of students have a positive view of the work environment of the hotel industry after the industrial visit.

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This study shows that the maximum number of students interested to work in the hotel industry after industrial visit.

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Maximum number of students agree that they get learning from industrial visits. This concludes that industrial visits are worthy for students.



Maximum number of students agree that industrial visits are beneficial for career advancement

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e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:09/September-2020

Impact Factor- 5.354

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opportunities. 

Maximum number of students think that industrial visits should be mandatory for hotel management students during their course.



Most students agree that industrial visits should mandatorily be in the 2nd year of the course of hotel management.

Recommendations 

Industrial visits should be made mandatory for the students of hospitality because still some percentage of the students think that industrial visits are not beneficial for them. This shows less awareness about the importance of the industrial visits and its positive side among the students.



There are very few students that have a negative view of the work environment of the hospitality industry. This negativity will convert into positivity if the hotel industry treats students carefully and more positively during industrial visits of the hospitality students.



There should be provision of two or more than two times industrial visit during the semester of the course. This will help students to face the actual reality of the hospitality industry and help to build qualities which are required by hospitality to its employees.

V.

CONCLUSION

There is a huge sea of viewpoints of students, these viewpoints are the combination of both positive and negative viewpoints of the students. There are many differences between students regarding industrial visits. But most students agree that industrial visits should be mandatory in the curriculum of hotel management courses because most students are aware of the beneficial side of industrial visits towards student career enhancement. But it is the responsibility of hotel management institutes to provide awareness of industrial visits among the upcoming hospitality professionals. This step will definitely decrease the negativity of few students who are not aware of this positive side of industrial visits. This study shows that the hospitality industry also needs some improvement in the way of change in attitude towards industrial visits of hospitality students by providing more positive treatment to students.

VI.

REFERENCES

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Goh, Dr. Edmund & Ritchie, Brent. (2011). Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Student Attitudes and Constraints Toward Attending Field Trips. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism. 11. 179-194.

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Wong, A., & Wong, S. (2008). Useful practices for organizing a field trip that enhances learning.

Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism, 8(2/3), 241–260.

[3]

Sanders, D., & Armstrong, E. (2008). Understanding students’ perceptions and experience of a tourism management field trip: The need for a graduated approach. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 20(4), 29–37.

[4]

Do, K. (2006). Experiential education: Beyond the classroom. Perth, Australia: Curtin University of Technology. Retrieved from http://otl.curtin.edu.au/eac2006/ papers/do.pdf.

[5]

Xie, P. (2004). Tourism field trip: Students’ view of experiential learning. Tourism Review International, 8(2), 101–111.

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Porth, S. (1997). Management education goes international: A model for designing and teaching a study tour course. Journal of Management Education, 21, 190–199.

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Jenkins, A. (1997). Twenty-one volumes on: Is teaching valued in geography in higher education?

Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 21(1), 5–14.

[9]

Joplin, L. (1981). On defining experiential education. In K. Warren, M. Sakofs, & J. Hunt (Eds.), The theory of experiential education (3rd ed., pp. 15–22).

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