http://hdl.handle.net/10397/1315 Search the Channel search http://repository.lib.polyu.edu.hk/jspui/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/10397/4463 Title: From top executives to departmental managers : a comparative study of strategic issues perceived by hotel corporate executive and general managers<br/><br/>Authors: Xiao, Qu; O’Neill, John W.<br/><br/>Abstract: To achieve optimal strategy development and implementation, an organization should identify relevant strategic issues, and ensure that the strategies are understood and supported at all levels of the organization. However, literature suggests that lower- and middle-level managers, while playing a critical role in an organization’s strategy development and implementation, may not necessarily always share the same understandings and goals with the top managers regarding strategic issues. In this study, we seek to complement existing research in organizational strategy by exploring (1) whether the strategic issues perceived by hotel organizations’ executives at the corporate level are consistent with those perceived by hotel general managers (GMs) at the property level, and (2) whether such consistency/inconsistency is influenced by those managers’ demographic characteristics. The findings will not only contribute to the strategic management literature in general, but also enhance our understanding of multi-level hotel management in particular.<br/><br/>Description: The 8th APacCHRIE Conference (Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Conference) was organized by Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism, Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Phuket Campus; Siam University; College of Innovation, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand; Tourism Academic Association (Thailand). http://hdl.handle.net/10397/1317 Title: Blending and shaking: Chinese students’ perceptions of blended learning in a hospitality and tourism course<br/><br/>Authors: Penfold, Paul; Pang, Loretta<br/><br/>Abstract: A Confucian tradition of 2,500 years still permeates the delivery of higher education in Greater China and much of North Asia, leading to passive learning and a teacher-centred approach. This paper describes how one hospitality course from a Hong Kong university was transformed into a student-centred, blended learning programme using independent and group learning methods to engage and motivate students, and to evaluate the success or otherwise of this approach. The research questions this paper tries to answer are: 1) Can we successfully use Western theories of learning to redesign a course for students from a Chinese Confucian educational system? 2) Can we apply established theories of learning design and assessment to a traditional higher education course? 3) Can we identify a particular mix of blended learning to achieve better outcomes than a traditional course? The authors describe how they used a range of learning and teaching techniques including pre-class tasks, problem-based learning, a Wikibook group project and peer review to create a highly participative hospitality and tourism course. Students were surveyed about their perceptions of this transformed course through a Mid-term evaluation and an end-of-course questionnaire and gave detailed feedback on their preferred learning and assessment methods, providing a number of recommendations on how to deliver the subject. The study suggests Chinese students value the active learning approach, but that changes to teaching and learning methods need to be introduced over time, and across the whole curriculum, to become acceptable to most students. http://hdl.handle.net/10397/1316 Title: VIRTEL – Teaching hospitality with a virtual hotel e-simulation<br/><br/>Authors: Penfold, Paul; Kong, Wai Fan; Lee, Wai Keung Alpha<br/><br/>Abstract: This paper reports on the development of “Virtel,” a virtual hotel for hospitality teaching and learning through e-simulations, from a pedagogical perspective. Active learning, with a strong reflective element, and teacher guided discussion will be a valuable asset to our range of teaching methods. Virtel aims to help teachers provide a realistic hospitality setting, and provide challenges and scenarios that allow students to apply their theoretical learning to situations, develop their thinking skills and develop their workplace skills. Virtel is an active learning tool that could be used by different classes and lecturers to enhance learning and skills application, and help students to face realistic workplace scenarios, and learn how to prepare and respond to live situations in a non-threatening way.<br/><br/>Description: The conference was organized by the Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association, the Asia-Pacific Centre for Education Leadership and School Quality (APCELSQ) of The Hong Kong Institute of Education and The Hong Kong Education Research Association. The theme was "Educational research, policy, and practice in an era of globalization : the Asia-Pacific perspectives and beyond."