‘Folk’ understandings of quality in UK higher hospitality education
| Published date | 07 September 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-04-2015-0015 |
| Pages | 326-338 |
| Date | 07 September 2015 |
| Author | Roy Wood |
| Subject Matter | Education,Curriculum, instruction & assessment,Educational evaluation/assessment |
‘Folk’ understandings of quality
in UK higher hospitality
education
Roy Wood
Academies of Hotel and Facility Management,
NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences,
Breda, The Netherlands
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of “folk”
understandings of quality in higher hospitality education and the consequent implications of these
understandings for current quality concerns in the eld.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines a historical survey of the stated topic
together with an analysis of how the evolution of higher hospitality education provides insight into
current issues and problems in the subject area.
Findings – The paper suggests that only by thoroughly comprehending the past development of
higher hospitality education is it possible to accurately map the eld’s current travails and diagnose
likely future trends.
Practical implications – The paper outlines the implications of current understandings of quality in
hospitality education for its future development and provision.
Originality/value – The originality and value of this paper lie in its identication of the principal
trends that contribute to understanding of current perceptions of the quality of higher hospitality
education.
Keywords Quality assurance, Hospitality management, Hospitality industry, Higher education,
Quality assessment, Quality, Quality issues
Paper type General review
Introduction
This article utilizes secondary evidence to demonstrate how, within the professional
community of hospitality educators, “quality” has been perceived over time – that is in
terms of the sentimental, emotional and frequently tacit understandings of what quality
“looks like” in the case of higher hospitality education (HHE) – called here, for the sake
of simplicity, “folk” understanding. Following this, analysis is made of how these
understandings have, and currently, impact on perceptions of the quality of HHE within
the wider Academy. The principal focus is on HHE in the UK, though, from the
beginning, international contexts and examples are utilised to give breadth to the
discussion. This seems an apposite time to undertake such an analysis: HHE is at
present in a state of considerable ux and an understanding of the academic
community’s past comprehension of “quality” sheds light on its current state of
development (Wood, 2004a,2004b;O’Mahony, 2009).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0968-4883.htm
QAE
23,4
326
Received 12 April 2015
Revised 9 July 2015
Accepted 10 July 2015
QualityAssurance in Education
Vol.23 No. 4, 2015
pp.326-338
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/QAE-04-2015-0015
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