An Evaluation Of The Survival Of Mature Students On Degree Courses In Hospitality Management In The UK

The hospitality industry can claim to be a significant contributor to the British economy both in terms of consumer spending and employment. Two million four hundred thousand were employed in the industry in 1994 (HCIMA, 1996). Strong demand for degree educated managers has prompted rapid growth of degrees in hospitality management. Given trends in the employment market and the objective of government to increase HE student numbers, there has been a general concern to widen and improve access, especially to mature students (NCE, 1993). Hospitality management undergraduate courses have been subject to a general shift in the education system but little research has been conducted to gauge the extent and success of this strategy in this particular sector. Criticisms of the response of institutions to mature students have been tied with a wider argument about maintaining standards at a time of rapid expansion but little empirical work can be found on the hospitality sector to support or counter such claims. This study explores the extent of the enrolment of adult learners on hospitality degrees in the UK and examines the relationship between entry requirements, institutional support and completion of courses. It evaluates what tutors and students perceive as important issues and makes suggestions for improving the framework for learning. Data was gathered from postal questionnaires, interviews and visits to universities in the summer of 1995.The thesis concludes that whilst increasing numbers of mature hospitality management undergraduates have gained access to courses they have a significantly lower survival rate than younger students. There is a difference in perception between students and tutors concerning factors which improve or otherwise the learning scenario. Equality of access does not necessarily equate with equality of opportunity. The evidence from this study indicates that institutions need to enhance support mechanisms to ensure completion once enrolled, as well as further widening access to under represented groups of adult learners

The mother-writer : navigating motherhood through creative work

The relationship between motherhood and creative work has received increased scholarly attention in recent years. However, in contrast to most existing research that examines the negative impact motherhood has on creative work, there is an emerging, less studied trend of middle-class women engaging in creative work when they become mothers – most often from home and as micro-entrepreneurs/self-employers. So far, it remains unclear how this group of creatives experiences and navigates creativity and motherhood, what the appeal of creative work is for mothers and what function it serves in their lives. To examine these issues, this thesis brings together two currently disconnected literatures, those of cultural work and maternal studies. Conceptual frameworks such as passionate work and intensive mothering provide insights into the expectations that middle-class women face with respect to (creative) work and motherhood, however, these frameworks alone are insufficient for explaining the emergence of the ‘mother-creative phenomenon’. This thesis draws on a qualitative study of the lived experiences of thirteen writers and mothers based in Australia almost all of whom took up their creative practice after they had children, indicating that for some women motherhood can actually be a pathway into creative work. The overall argument of this thesis is that creative work is particularly appealing to some women when they become mothers because it enables them to navigate both contemporary mothering and work expectations. While engaging in meaningful, fulfilling work with social legitimacy they are simultaneously able to adhere to dominant norms of mothering and invest in their own self-actualisation. By examining the negotiation work that study participants performed in relation to their transition to motherhood, their everyday lives and their identity, this thesis also highlights the importance of considering creative work within the particular life context of practitioners. My insights into the lived experiences of a less ‘fashionable’ creative cohort – mother-writers – foreground the different functions that creative work fulfils, which can only be understood in relationship to their context as mothers as well as the discourses and expectations that they have to navigate

Just Tell Me The Rules! Or When Did The Rules Change?

Anne is an experienced direct marketer. Just promoted to CEO, Anne proves to be naïve in managing The ABC Catalog Company, despite her twenty years of experience with the company. She prefers to set simple, straightforward rules for her direct reports to follow. Her management philosophy has been influenced by advice from her mentor and by her personal experiences working with her direct reports when they were her colleagues. According to Anne “The big picture is for her (and perhaps her newly-appointed and trusted CFO, Jeff) to worry about.” Anne feels that many of her direct reports are incapable or unwilling to deal with the inevitable trade-offs that senior management must make, especially as new trends emerge. Yet she is unwilling to undergo a major management shake-up. Anne’s management approach backfires as the industry faces limits to growth and the company’s long-standing business model is tested. As management bonuses plummet and the parent company starts to meddle by bringing in consultants, the Merchandising SVP, Brad, sees his best career opportunity. He is frustrated with the diminished role Anne has allotted him and the perception that his nemesis, Jeff, is the heir apparent. That is supposed to be Brad’s destiny. His ego cannot take the slight. Brad takes the ultimate gamble, bringing his self-serving scenario of what ails The ABC Catalog Company to the parent company’s attention

Re-engineering Engineering Education in Europe

Contributing to the development and the enrichment of the European dimension in Engineering Education (EE), constituted the global goal of TREE. In other words to enhance the compatibility of the many diverse routes to the status of Professional Engineer which exist in Europe and, hence, to facilitate greater mobility of skilled personnel and integration of the various situations throughout Europe. The activity of the TN TREE, made up by some 110 higher education Institutions and Associations, has been developed along four main lines: A. the tuning line B. the education and research line C. the attractiveness of EE line D. the sustainability line This volume, accompanied by a CD Rom, presents the results of three years of works in the frame of the Thematic Network TREE which was activated and financed in the frame of the SOCRATES Programme in the period 2004-2007

Towards a Deeper Understanding of the U.S. Workforce Development System in the Construction Industry

The construction industry currently faces several challenges in areas of workforce development that can hamper its sustainability and growth. Several studies have documented shortage of skilled craft workers in construction. Most construction firms in 2017 reported that growing workforce shortages in construction have made it difficult to find qualified workers. They expected the workforce shortage would continue to be a challenge in the near future. The shortage has worsened to the point that it is not only hard to find quality craft workers, but it is affecting projects’ schedule, cost, and safety. Part of this problem is because younger people are not so much eager to enter the industry and work in technical occupations. Moreover, some skilled workers exit the industry. It seems that the workforce development system, which is responsible for training, recruitment, and retention of skilled workforce, does not fully address the industry demand. This study, I try to shed light on workforce development system from both micro and macro perspective. From a micro perspective, it focuses on the career decision-making process of both the future and the current workforce. Using Theory of Planned Behavior, I want to understand what factors influencing young people to choose a career as craft workers in construction. For the current workforce, I am interested to determine the motivational factors influencing people decision to stay in the industry and quantify their relative strengths. The results of this study can help construction firms to improve their recruitment and retention policies and practices.From macro perspective, a panel of industry experts involved with workforce development helped the research team to investigate strengths and weaknesses of the system. Intensive literature review and archival data analysis helped to gain more in-depth understanding of the situation. Through several panel discussions and using Analytical Hierarchy Process methodology, I identified and prioritized potential policies to overcome the challenges. The policies recommended by this research could outline the major steps to initiate the path to make the U.S. workforce development system a global example

12th Annual Student Academic Conference: Showcasing the Work and Talents of MSUM Students

Minnesota State University Moorhead Student Academic Conference abstract book.https://red.mnstate.edu/sac-book/1011/thumbnail.jp

Social Media in Emergent Brazil

Since the popularisation of the internet, low-income Brazilians have received little government support to help them access it. In response, they have largely self-financed their digital migration. Internet cafés became prosperous businesses in working-class neighbourhoods and rural settlements, and, more recently, families have aspired to buy their own home computer with hire purchase agreements. As low-income Brazilians began to access popular social media sites in the mid-2000s, affluent Brazilians ridiculed their limited technological skills, different tastes and poor schooling, but this did not deter them from expanding their online presence. Young people created profiles for barely literate older relatives and taught them to navigate platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Based on 15 months of ethnographic research, this book aims to understand why low-income Brazilians have invested so much of their time and money in learning about social media. Juliano Spyer explores this question from a number of perspectives, including education, relationships, work and politics. He argues that social media is the way for low-income Brazilians to stay connected to the family and friends they see in person on a regular basis, which suggests that social media serves a crucial function in strengthening traditional social relation