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Needs Assessment of Professional Competencies of F&B/Hospitality Management Students at College and University Level

ABSTRACT The purposes of this study were to (1) construct the factors of Food and Beverage (F&B) management professional competency in terms of cognition, skill and affection for F&B/hospitality management students at college and university level, (2) analyze the perceived level of requirement and the self-assessed level of preparedness of F&B management professional competency of students and conduct a students' needs assessment, and (3) explore possible correlations between the perceived level of requirement and the self-assessed level of preparedness in F&B management professional competencies of students. A census survey by questionnaire was conducted with F&B/hospitality management senior students at college and university levels in Taiwan. The number of subjects totaled 927, with a response rate of 73.21% and a valid response percentage of 91.2%, or 618 valid questionnaires. The data were analyzed using methods including descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and the Pearson product-difference correlation. The major findings of this study were as follows: 1. Five cognitive factors in the F&B management professional competencies were identified: planning and management, F&B design, product and service, environmental protection and safety, organization and operation, and relevant knowledge. Seven skill factors were identified: efficiency management, transaction and personnel management, control competence, emergency management, executive competence, interpersonal communication, and international service. Three affective factors were identified: job commitment, self-sentiment, and macroview. 2. All factors, except relevant knowledge, which was perceived “should possess,” were ranked as “essential” by students; however, the students all considered themselves as not well prepared in all these competency factors as evidenced in their self-assessed level of these competencies, which were consistently ranked “ordinary” in the questionnaires. 3. Students' needs for the various F&B management professional competencies under survey are shown in the “Relativity Need Coordinates Grid” (RNCG). 4. There was a significant positive correlation between the perceived level of requirement and the self-assessed level of preparedness in the F&B management professional competency of students. This means the higher the level of requirement perceived by the students, the higher the level of preparedness in students' selfassessment.