Growth, Security and Development in the Romanian Hospitality Industry

Abstract

This research paper presents the authors’ experiment, an exploratory and causal investigation into the nature and specifics of the Romanian hospitality industry. Namely, they focus on how culture may impact both the involved service provider and the consumer and seek to ascertain, based on participant questionnaires, some of the best practices in the industry, and whether they are standardized across nations and cultures; how the certain differences in cultural norms may affect the strategies and practices of companies; as well as what particular interpersonal traits are desired (or, indeed, required) in the hospitality industry.

Appendix 1 Proposed Questionnaire and Research Instrument

We would seek to determine the value of Hospitality training in an education setting and the value to employers. Specifically, the initial research questions would be:

• a. Please rate the importance of the following skills and attributes as you search for them when hiring a new graduate, from a series of 39 skill sets and specifics.

• b. How satisfied are you with the theoretical knowledge demonstrated by recent hospitality school graduates?

• c. How satisfied are you with the practical skills and attributes demonstrated by recent hospitality school graduates?

• d. In your experience, how much time does a recent hospitality school graduate need in order to adapt to the workplace conditions?

• e. In your opinion, is there a gap between the knowledge, skills and attributes of the recent hospitality school graduates and the knowledge, skills and attributes the tourism industry requires?

• f. If “Yes,” what generates this gap?

• g. In your company, what measures do you take to ensure the level of knowledge, skills and attributes of the recent hospitality school graduates that you hire?

• h. What are the major problems you as an employer face regarding the workforce in your company?

Based upon the reviewed literature, we have built a framework consisting of 39 hospitality-based skills and attributes covering the following 6 domains:

Leadership and Management domain (Q 1–10)

• 1. Problem-solving and analytical domain (Q 11–16)

• 2. Interpersonal domain (Q 17–22)

• 3. Business awareness domain (Q 23–17)

• 4. Technical domain (Q 28–31)

• 5. Personal domain (Q 32–39)

1–5 five-item Likert Scale questionnaire:

• 0 =  N/A ,

• 1 =  Extremely Unimportant ,

• 2 =  Unimportant ,

• 3 =  Neutral ,

• 4 =  Important and

• 5 =  Extremely Important .

Please rate the importance of the following skills and attributes as you search for them when hiring a new graduate.

	1 Extremely unimportant	2 Unimportant	3 Neutral	4 Important	5 Extremely Important
1. Ability to make things
2. Pro-activity
3. Ability to motivate others
4. Negotiation skills
5. Collaborative influence
6. Fostering group management and facilitation
7. Seeing opportunities
8. Decision-making capabilities
9. Project/event management including scheduling and resource allocation
10. Capacity to conduct a basic strategic analyzis for a business unit
11. Information seeking
12. Critical/Analytical thinking
13. Dealing effectively with client problems
14. Anticipating client needs
15. Basic strategic analyzis capabilities
16. Effectiveness and calm in crisis situations
17. Emotional intelligence
18. Networking/relationship building abilities
19. Customer service skills
20. Cultural awareness
21. Team-working skills
22. Listening skills
23. Industry knowledge
24. Understanding the business or economic forecasts
25. Understanding the business model—how the business functions
26. Marketing and sales abilities
27. Legal understanding
28. Job related knowledge
29. Computer/IT skills
30. Technical expertise
31. Language skills
32. Personal and work ethics
33. Time management skills
34. Achievement/results orientation
35. Self-control
36. Desire for learning and acquiring expertise
37. Flexibility and adaptability
38. Excellent academic results (excellent grades)
39. Relevant work experience

Additional Questions

• 1. How satisfied are you with the theoretical knowledge demonstrated by recent hospitality school graduates?

  • a. Extremely unsatisfied

  • b. Unsatisfied

  • c. Satisfied

  • d. Extremely satisfied

• 2. How satisfied are you with the practical skills and attributes demonstrated by recent hospitality school graduates?

  • a. Extrem ely unsatisfied

  • b. Unsatisfied

  • c. Satisfied

  • d. Extremely satisfied

• 3. In your experience, how much time does a recent hospitality school graduate need in order to adapt to the workplace conditions?

  • a. .

  • b. .

  • c. .

  • d. .

• 4. In your opinion, is there a gap between the knowledge, skills and attributes of the recent hospitality school graduates and the knowledge, skills and attributes the tourism industry requires?

  • a. Yes

  • b. No

  • c. I don’t know

• 5. If “Yes,” what generates this gap ? (open answer)

  • ….

• 6. In your company, what measures do you take to ensure the level of knowledge, skills and attributes of the recent hospitality school graduates that you hire?

  • a. We do not take any measures because we only hire people that meet our criteria regarding the level of knowledge, skills and attributes

  • b. All our new employees go through a standard training program to ensure compliance with our internal standards and levels of skills and knowledge

  • c. We let our employees to learn by doing, therefore we do not take other measures

• 7. What are the major problems you as an employer face regarding the workforce in your company

  • a. Difficulties in finding and attracting talented and well-equipped employees

  • b. Difficulties in motivating and retaining good employees

  • c. Low employee engagement and commitment to company

  • d. Employee migration

  • e. A greater gap between the university academic curriculum and the industry realities

Demographics

Job Position

Board member

CEO/President/General Manger

Vice President

Head of business unit

Human Resource Manager

Marketing Department Manager

Financial Department Manager

Other Department Manager/Assistant Manager….

Other….

Highest Level of Education

High School Degree

Bachelor’s Degree

Doctoral Degree

Do You Have a Hospitality Degree?

Yes

No

Age

21–25

26–30

31–40

41–50

51–60

Older than 60

Sex:

Male

Female

Do You Hire Hospitality School Graduates?

Yes

No

Years of Experience in Hospitality

1–3 years

3–5 years

5–10 years

More than 10 years

Type of Business Ownership

Romanian

Foreign

Please State Which of the Following Best Describes Your Company? (one answer)

Privately owned

Government/State owned enterprise

Private Equity Portfolio Company

Publicly listed

Type of Business

Hotel—singular unit

Hotel—part of a Romanian chain

Hotel—part of an international chain

Restaurant—singular unit

Restaurant—part of a Romanian chain

Restaurant—part of an international chain

Travel Agency—singular unit

Travel Agency—part of a Romanian chain

Travel Agency—part of an international chain

**End of Questionnaire