Bachelor of Commerce: Hospitality Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Commerce: Hospitality Management is to meet the growing managerial needs of the Southern African hospitality market place and primarily to prepare competent hotel managers in the areas of financial and strategic management.

The qualification will also provide learners with a comprehensive education in aspects of economics, business, strategic and financial management as well as Human Resource Management (HRM), information systems, logistics and marketing management, with particular reference to the hospitality industry.

In addition, learners will be familiarised with hospitality facilities and the more practical aspects of hospitality operations management including food and beverage management, front office, housekeeping and accommodation procedures and practices, events management and legislation that deals with health and safety requirements, liquor service and licensing, smoke free environments and gaming (gambling).

Rationale

The Hospitality and Tourism Industry has been earmarked as one of the main drivers of the future economy of Southern Africa, which has become a world class tourism destination. The hospitality and associated industries have experienced exceptional growth. Thus there is great demand for appropriately trained managers in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry.

The Bachelor of Commerce: Hospitality Management Degree will constitute a vital element in the efforts to bring the local hospitality industry up to world class standards. The curriculum as presented here has the full support of the local chamber of commerce and industry and a number of prominent hotel groups.

The Bachelor of Commerce: Hospitality Management proposed here has been designed to meet the growing managerial needs of the Southern African hospitality market place. While learners will get the opportunity to develop practical and operational expertise in the industry, the qualification will provide learners with a general formative, comprehensive education in aspects of economics, business management, financial accounting, information systems and logistics, operations and marketing management, with particular reference to the hospitality industry.

It is assumed that learners have

• English at NQF Level 4.
• Mathematics Literacy at NQF Level 4.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning can be used to award learners with credits which include formal, informal and non-formal learning and workplace experience, in terms of the criteria laid out.

Evidence can be presented in a variety of forms, including international or previous local qualifications, reports, testimonials mentioning functions performed, work records, portfolios, videos of practice and performance records.

In all cases, recognition will be considered under the conditions of SAQA and NMMU policies and approval by faculty structures.

Access to the Qualification

Access to the Bachelor of Commerce: Hospital Management is granted to all applicants who meet the minimum entrance requirements or who follow the available alternative route of entry. Applicants who are in possession of a:

• National Senior Certificate (NSC).

Or

• National Certificate Vocational ( NCV) Level 4.
• Applicants who are in possession of a foreign qualification that is equivalent to the NSC as determined by SAQA.
• Any Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) NQF Level 4 may be granted access to the qualification.

This Qualification Consists of 28 modules.

Compulsory Modules at NQF Level 5

• Business Computing Fundamentals 1, 8 Credits.
• Business Computing Fundamentals 2, 8 Credits.
• Business Communication, 12 Credits.
• Microeconomics, 12 Credits.
• Macroeconomics, 12 Credits.
• Business Management and Entrepreneurship, 12 Credits.
• Accounting, 12 Credits.
• General Accounting, 12 Credits.

Total Credits at NQF Level 5 - 88 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at NQF Level 6

• Business Statistics, 12 Credits.
• Food Service 1, 15 Credits.
• Food Service 2, 15 Credits.
• Law for Hospitality Managers, 12 Credits.
• Human Resource Management, 12 Credits.
• Hospitality Information Systems, 12 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 12 Credits.
• Logistics and Purchasing Management, 12 Credits.
• Events Management, 12 Credits.
• Customer Relationship Management, 12 Credits.
• Accommodation Management, 12 Credits.
• Business Management Functions, 12 Credits.
• Business Communication, 12 Credits.

Total Credits at NQF Level 6 - 162.

Compulsory Modules at NQF Level 7

• Food Service 1, 12 Credits.
• Food Service 2, 15 Credits.
• Hospitality Financial Management, 24 Credits.
• Hospitality General and Strategic Management, 24 Credits.
• Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism Management, 24 Credits.
• International Hospitality Marketing Strategy, 24 Credits.

Total Credits at NQF Level 7 - 123.

Total Credits: 373.

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Commerce: Hospitality Management the qualifying learners will be able to

1. Demonstrate an intermediate broad scope of management knowledge and how it applies to the discipline.
2. Apply effective communication and interpersonal skills within a hospitality business setting, including active listening, advanced writing and presentation skills as well as intercultural and internal/external corporate communicative competence.
3. Plan, control, manage and evaluate business systems from cash handling, budgeting, cost control mechanisms, pricing of services and products, inventory control, VAT and how to read and write profit and loss statements, leading to effective managerial decision-making and contributing to the sustainable growth of hospitality establishments.
4. Implement sound organisational management practice, including an understanding of human behaviour within organisations, the strategies to recruit, select, develop and manage human resources to achieve organisational goals as well as adhere to the legislation that controls labour and employment.
5. Plan and manage local and international hospitality marketing strategies, processes and services, including customer relationships, with due consideration of market segmentation and mix and key points of difference related to social, cultural, heritage, environmental and economic impacts while still meeting financial and organisational objectives.
6. Demonstrate familiarity with the more practical aspects of hospitality facilities, including operations and supply chain management, food and beverage service management, nutrition, front office, housekeeping and accommodation procedures and practices, events management and legislation that deals with issues like health and safety requirements, licensing, smoke free environments and gaming (gambling).

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify and competently apply the terms and concepts associated with general and strategic management to particular situations in a hospitality establishment.
• Define and exemplify typical entrepreneurial behaviour and describe the essential values associated with such behaviour.
• Explain the significance of general and strategic management principles, procedures and practices in relation to the management of cultural diversity in a hospitality establishment.
• Perform an internal analysis of a hospitality establishment in order to identify strengths and competences that can be developed into a competitive advantage.
• Define and describe leadership, leadership ability and strategy in the context of various leadership theories and critique particular leadership strategies and practices prevalent in hospitality establishments in general and within each of its subsections or departments.
• Participate effectively as a member of a management team in the making of management prognoses, forecasts and calculations that may result in a redirection of a hospitality establishment's management strategy, devising and implementing strategic plans and strategies by using appropriate software and technology.
• Complete an appropriate research project and apply appropriate statistical analysis in order to prepare and present the annual report of the manager of a hospitality establishment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Conduct business communication in a variety of modes and in appropriate style and register, with sensitivity to audience and purpose and by effectively applying the guidelines to intercultural communication.
• Conduct effective negotiations on a level of daily operations, including conflict resolution.
• Build and maintain a professional relationship with the media.
• Prepare and make coherent and persuasive presentations by implementing hospitality related business and corporate communication tools and technologies timely and effectively.
• Arrange and conduct meetings for a variety of purposes, including the preparation of relevant and concise agendas, minutes and other documentation.
• Encode and promote a strong corporate identity based on a sound corporate philosophy, including the fleshing out of a brand identity and features and the building of a corporate reputation.
• Build, coordinate and manage internal and external corporate communication teams that plan and meet corporate communication objectives.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify, describe and critique contemporary views related to fundamental financial management decisions and problems identified in the hospitality sector, in areas such as investment, financing and dividend declaration, where financial decision-making is evaluated according to the criterion of maximum shareholder wealth.
• Conduct bond and share valuations of hospitality establishments, identify the factors which affect the dividend decisions and evaluate different dividend policies of selected hospitality establishments by means of case studies.
• Provide a detailed analysis of the fundamental aspects of corporate finance as it affects the hospitality sector.
• Analyse, by means of case studies, the financial and accounting statements and carry out ratio-analysis of selected hospitality establishments to determine how long-term financial planning and decision-making is affected.
• Describe the capital investment decision-making process underlying capital budgeting decisions, highlighting the principles of time value of money, optimal capital structure and cost of capital and identifying and elaborating on the fundamental concepts related to discount cash flow valuation.
• Describe the capital market history of South Africa with a view to explaining the risk-return trade-off facing South African investors and financial managers and applying appropriate methods and techniques to assess alternative investment opportunities in hospitality and related businesses.
• Identify and describe the pertinent issues associated with short-term finance and financial planning, including cost of capital and optimal capital structure and the processes involved in current asset management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Identify and describe selected theories, management systems and methods prevalent in Human Resource Management and explain their relevance to managers of hospitality establishments.
• Relate and exemplify, by means of relevant case studies, how organisational settings and physical environments in the workplace can influence the productive behaviour and well-being of employees.
• Define concepts such as personality and personality traits, attitudes, values, perceptions, motivation, moods and emotions, stress and personal well-being and decision-making and explain the value to hospitality managers of having a clear understanding of these concepts in relation to organisational behaviour, power relations, communication, organisational culture, change and development.
• Apply knowledge of human resource management, including aspects of industrial psychology and organisational behaviour, relevant to a particular hospitality business (case study) by outlining the organisational structure and drawing an organisational map of the business.
• Describe the general management tasks of a hospitality manager, identify some of the leadership styles apparent and the leadership roles hospitality managers are expected to play and explain how leadership style and organisational context can influence employee motivation and performance and, ultimately, the profitability of a hospitality establishment.
• Identify and describe the different management tasks and responsibilities of the managers of the different divisional operations in a hospitality setting.

Range

> The housekeeping and rooms' division section.

> The front and back office section.

> The food services section.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Identify, describe and evaluate marketing management theories, concepts, principles and procedures of particular relevance to the local hospitality sector.
• Identify local and international marketing opportunities and prepare a comprehensive strategic marketing plan for a particular hospitality establishment, with due consideration of the international economic, financial, legal, cultural and political environment and particular issues such as exporting, franchising, licensing, channels of distribution, strategic alliances, pricing and logistics.
• Provide a coherent exposition of the influence of trade liberation on international trade and marketing and its effect on the local hospitality and tourism industry.
• Conduct marketing research and data analysis by utilising relevant and up-to-date tools and resources.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Identify, outline and manage the different types of tasks and responsibilities of staff in the food and beverage service, housekeeping, front and back office and accommodation sectors of hospitality establishments.
• Identify and describe, by means of a case study, the relevant internal logistics of hygiene, safety, maintenance and security processes of a particular hospitality establishment.
• Apply different management techniques to particular hospitality operations, including application of the concept yield management.
• Describe, manage and apply exemplary employee-guest relations.
• Describe the principles, processes and practices involved in and the managerial requirements when planning, organising and staging an event.
• Identify and contextualise legislation that regulates the hospitality and tourism sector and is of particular relevance to the professional practice of hospitality managers.
• Manage, with coaching, the selection, purchasing, receiving and storage of ingredients and products for the planning, preparation and service of food and beverages in large quantities so that meals and beverages are prepared and served in a cost effective, healthy, safe, nutritious and attractive way.

Integrated Assessment

Learner assessment is based on continual formative assessment that gives feedback on the progress in the achievement of learning outcomes.

Summative assessment takes the form of examinations, projects, laboratory reports or equivalent assessment such as a portfolio of evidence assess a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed in the formative stage.